Which Is More Important to the Success of an Acquisition; Acquirer or Target Resources?

Abstract

The resources of both acquirers and targets have been studied in terms of the drivers and success of acquisitions. Despite the large number of studies that have been conducted, we still do not know whose resources are more critical to the success of acquisitions. This study aims to examine the role of acquirer and target resources in the success of acquisitions. All acquisitions that took place in Turkey between 1990 and 2017 were analyzed to investigate the research question. The findings of a regression analysis of 425 acquisitions in this emerging market context reveal that acquirer resources are more critical than target resources in acquisition performance. The effects of resources on domestic and international acquisitions are also compared, and it is found that acquirer resources are more critical in domestic acquisitions, whereas target resources are more important in international acquisitions. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of information asymmetry and post-acquisition integration issues, and directions for future research are suggested.