Abstract

The incidence of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) has proliferated throughout the world including all sectors of our society, both municipal and industrial, private and public. However, the majority (60-80%) of them do not reach their intended objectives due to the fact that the merging organizations do not realize the impact of neglecting the human resource factor. Although they properly assess and address the financial and legal issues, they continually overlook this important factor. The present literature suggests what organizations should do to reverse these negative effects and how to properly address the human resources issues. This research seeks to test this list of suggestions, in the form of a unified model, employing the single case study method. The case in question is the newly merged McGill University Health Center (MUHC) comprised of the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Montreal General Hospital, the Montreal Neurological Institute, and the Montreal Children's Hospital. Data from interviews and existing documents are used to support or modify the final model. The qualitative results supported the majority of the unified model, requiring a few modifications. This research has subsequently lead to the development of a unified human resources model for the proper and successful implementation of M&As. The implications of these findings for all organizations, and for M&A theory and practice, are discussed. Suggestions for future research are also provided.