Influence of Interlocking Directorates on Integration after the Acquisition of Warsaw Stock Exchange—Listed Companies

Abstract

Acquisition processes are aimed at achieving value based on synergistic effects. One of the most important obstacles in achieving value is the manner of conducting post-transaction integration—a risk area often ignored. This study assumes that a factor that may be important for the course of integration after the acquisition of enterprises may be the fact of personal connections through interlocking directorates between transaction partners of acquisitions. The research was carried out in two stages. The first was to identify the scope of connections by interlocking between WSE-listed companies participating in acquisition transactions. This stage was implemented using the social network analysis method (SNA) and covered 188 companies. In the second stage, research was conducted using semi-structured interview techniques with the CEOs of the acquiring companies. The aim of the study was to identify the relationship between personal relations and the course of post-transaction integration. The analysis focused primarily on two factors: the dynamics of integration activities and their centralization. The research covered 38 companies that were included in the sample in the first stage of the research (including 19 personally related companies and, for comparison, in 19 unrelated companies). Studies have shown that the fact of connecting through interlocking affects the post-transaction integration model in the analyzed group. The dynamically centralized model dominates in enterprises related by particular persons. Many integration activities are carried out in the first 100 days. The factor affecting the implemented integration model is the durability of connections between participants before and after the transaction is conducted and the position in the network of connections determined by such sociometric measures as the centrality of proximity and own vector. Enterprises connected with long-term relationships usually demonstrate high dynamics of integration activities, which are conducted by joint teams whose group employees represent each of the merging enterprises. In addition, the CEOs surveyed from this group of companies declare having an integration plan with different levels of detail in each case.