Is the role of HRM strategic in M&A success? Exploring the involvement of HRM in a due diligence process

Mergers and Acquisitions are a common means to achieve corporate growth, yet there is a high rate of failure. Recently, attention has turned to the key importance of HRM in the process, though there has been a surprising lack of empirical research into how Human Resources' involvement in due diligence affects M&A outcomes. This paper presents original research showing a strong positive correlation between HRM due diligence and the success of an M&A deal, and also develops a discriminant model of the leading 'deal success factors'. Concentration on specific areas of HRM due diligence is shown to lead to the success of the deal. The paper draws conclusions on the significance of this research and its implications for practice.