Successful Horizontal Acquisition Process

The nature of markets is changing due the technological development, and companies are using every innovative activity and operation to maintain their positions. Some companies channel their profits back to research and development. Others invest in acquisition activities as they realise the potential of the immediate positive synergy effects of these activities. This article is focused on the complex acquisition process from the buyer’s point of view. The authors examine the due diligence process and the necessity of performing an HR audit, as the key process in acquisition mainly in the case of SMEs, as part of the acquisition activities. The authors used a specific horizontal acquisition process to describe corporate cultures, the main reasons for failure of the acquisition process, and harmonisation processes in an international environment. The described process is critical to the successful operation of a newly emerging organisation.