The Effects of Acquisitions and Restructuring (Strategic Refocusing) Strategies on Innovation

The decline in global competitiveness among US firms has been well documented (Franko 1989; Hill, Hitt and Hoskisson 1988; Young 1985). Accompanying this decline has been an increase in merger and acquisition activity that occurred in two surges — one in the late 1960s and one in the 1980s (Ravenscraft and Scherer 1987). Research has shown that acquisition strategies may involve trade-offs. For example, while acquired firms’ shareholders often gain significant abnormal returns, acquiring firms’ shareholders, on average, receive zero or slightly positive returns (Jensen 1988). The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential link between the decline in competitiveness and acquisition and divestiture (refocusing) activity.