The Synergy Trap: How Companies Lose the Acquisition Game

This study explains how companies often pay too much - and never realize goals of increased performance and market strength - in their quest to acquire other companies. Sirower investigates mergers across 28 measures of performance. He reveals that if the high risks taken by acquirers are to pay off, chief executives must act swiftly in making improvements to management and resolving corporate cultural differences, or face steep and debilitating losses to the parent company's own value. By examining such variables as method of payment and strategic relatedness, Sirower also provides a formal definition for synergies, or the specific increases in performance which the combined companies can realistically expect through acquisition. This expose argues that the tendency of managers to succumb to the "up-the-ante" philosophy in acquisitions often leads to disastrous ends in the hyper-competitive marketplace, and that companies must meticulously plan - and account for huge uncertainties - when deciding to enter the mergers game.

Review :
Kathryn Rudie HarriganHenry R. Kravis Professor OF Business Leadership, Graduate School OF Business, Columbia University "The Synergy Trap" is a stark benchmark for assessing immediately whether acquisition premiums will be wasted, whether shareholder value will be destroyed. Robert A G. Monks and Nell Minow Principals of Lens Mark Sirower's book provides welcome and indisputable documentation of corporate management and director mistakes and abuses in the name of a vague concept of "synergy." "The Synergy Trap" will be an important aid to managers and directors who are evaluating business combinations, and to the shareholders who are evaluating the managers and directors. Charles R. Shoemate Chairman, President, and CEO, CPC International Inc. Every CEO and Corporate Director who has been in the path of the "WOW! GRAB IT!" acquisition locomotive should read this book! John E. StuartChairman and CEO, ALCO Standard Corporation The first book on acquisitions I've read which actually makes sense. Dissects and explains in understandable terms why and how they can actually diminish shareholder value. I highly recommend it. Robert CizikChairman and CEO, Cooper Industries, Inc. (retired) A refreshingly revealing book on the "acquisition game" and the reasons why most are DOA (dead on arrival). Food for thought for those CEO's who recommend acquisitions and, perhaps more importantly, those directors who must approve those recommendations. Roy C. SmithProfessor OF Finance, Stern School of Business, New York University, Limited Partner, Goldman, Sachs & Co. Should be of great interest to directors of public corporations and investing institutions. Sirower's findings suggest that managers need to be more vigorously restrained, unless they are able to meet higher standards by much tougher-minded independent board members. Alfred RappaportThe Leonard Spacek Professor Emeritus, J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University; Co-Founder, The ALCAR Group Inc. An excellent antidote for the CEO willing to pay steep acquisition premiums without fully acknowledging the increases in performance required before any value is created. As Sirower's many examples demonstrate, the winning bid too often materializes as a significant transfer of value from the acquirer's to the seller's shareholders.