Acquisition Decision-Making Processes: The Central Role of Risk

Abstract

This paper builds upon the work of organizational and strategic management scholars who have conceptualized acquisitions as decision-making processes, We suggest that behavioral concepts of risk, specifically decision-maker risk perceptions and propensities, are key to understanding the process by which acquisition candidates are selected, the characteristics of pre-acquisition evaluation and negotiations, and approaches to post-acquisition integration. By drawing upon past work concerning the effects of these risk-related variables in other decision-making contexts, we develop propositions that conceptualize their impact on acquisition decision processes. Incorporation of risk as a key variable in process theories of acquisitions provides a stronger theoretical grounding for these theories, and suggests some important practical implications for managers.