When a company is acquired, there are a number of behavior patterns which are wise for managers in the company to adopt. They are helpful not only to the smooth integration of the two businesses, but to the individual executives themselves. Adherence to these standards of conduct and rules of action will assist in identifying those managers whose contribution is likely to be of most value to the organization in the long term.

Commonly, managers who ignore, refute or behave counter to these Guidelines are likely to be less successful in the new business combination, both in terms of their own contributions and in terms of the likely development of their future career growth.

These Guidelines are the product of a great deal of practical, first-hand experience, as well as being confirmed by various studies of successful post-acquisition management situations. They include contributions from a number of consultants and authors who specialize in this field.

Managing Change

The whole acquisition process is a management of change process. As a manager, you are already familiar with the fact that all businesses are continually changing to maintain and improve their competitive position and profit performance. Your role as a manager includes the responsibility to initiate change and ensure that changes are managed and implemented in a timely and effective manner. There are likely to be more changes than you are accustomed to. The changes may be more rapid, more extensive, and have a more far-reaching impact than before. In this environment it is appropriate to consider that you have a golden opportunity to use and develop your own skills as an effective manager of change, to provide input to the possible future direction of the business, and to avail yourself of the opportunity to call into question past practices and old decisions which you believe may not have served your company