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A review of information system integration in mergers and acquisitions

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Journal of Information Technology

Abstract

For three decades, research has investigated the role of information systems integration (ISI) in mergers and acquisitions (M&As). This research has improved our understanding of the M&A IS challenges and their solutions. However, consolidation and integration across the research is limited. To redress this omission, we review 70 articles published between 1989 and 2016. To do this, we adopt and extend the methodology developed by Lacity and her colleagues to review the empirical evidence in a fragmented IT literature. We code 53 dependent variables and 195 independent variables to identify the robust relationships among them and to model how ISI decisions, including the choice of IS integration methods, partially mediate the effects of the independent variables on ISI outcomes. Examining the relationships in this model, we identify five quasi-independent thematic domains on which we draw to develop an agenda for future research. Our contribution is the aggregation, organization and structuring of the empirical findings in the M&A ISI literature as a basis on which to develop a cumulative knowledge process.

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Acknowledgements

We want to thank the senior editor and the reviewers for their valuable constructive feedback during the review process. We also want to thank Joan Spiller her editorial comments on an earlier draft.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Digitalization, Copenhagen Business School, Howitzvej 60, 2000, Frederiksberg, Denmark

    Stefan Henningsson & Peter J. Wynne

  2. Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia

    Philip W. Yetton

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  1. Stefan Henningsson
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Correspondence to Stefan Henningsson.

Appendices

Appendix A: Paper overview

See Tables A1, A2, A3 and A4.

Table A1 Papers in the review.
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Table A2 Research methods.
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Table A3 Object of study.
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Table A4 Theoretical framework.
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Appendix B: Master variables

See Tables B1 and B2.

Table B1 Independent master variables.
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Table B2 Dependent master variables.
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Appendix C: Dependent and independent variables in the review

Dependent variables

We identify 53 different dependent variables (Table C1). Following Lacity et al. (2010, 2011, 2016), we distinguish between decision and outcome variables. Decision variables refer to the options to implement ISI. Outcome variables capture the various costs and benefits contingent on the ISI project. Twenty-seven percent of the findings refer to relationships that predict the choice of ISI decisions. Seventy-three percent of relationships concern the outcomes of ISI decisions.

Table C1 Dependent variables used in research on ISI in mergers.
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Independent variables

Our investigation identified 195 independent variables in the extant literature on ISI. To facilitate the analysis and discussion of this number of variables, we group them into 12 clusters and sort them by frequency of use (Table C2).

Table C2 Independent variables.
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Appendix D: Relational details

See Table D1.

Table D1 Relations between independent and dependent variables.
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Henningsson, S., Yetton, P.W. & Wynne, P.J. A review of information system integration in mergers and acquisitions. J Inf Technol 33, 255–303 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41265-017-0051-9

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