Successfully Managing the Sociocultural Integration Process in International Acquisitions: A Qualitative Analysis of Canon's Acquisition of Océ

Based on a qualitative research approach that comprises in‐depth, semistructured executive interviews, employee observations, company data and external media accounts, this study analyzes the large‐scale acquisition of the Dutch Océ N.V. by the Japanese Canon Inc. Despite their significantly different national cultural heritages and considerably contrasting organizational cultural practices, both companies were able to efficaciously manage the sociocultural integration process and so successfully completed the acquisition. Building on a marriage metaphor model for sociocultural integration in international mergers and acquisitions, this study sketches out explicit links between national cultural value orientations and the respective organizational cultural practices, and discusses key success factors for each of the three stages of the acquisition process (i.e., preacquisition, closing, and postacquisition stages). This article further examines the interconnectedness of these key success factors across these three stages of the acquisition process by discussing interlocking best practices. In so doing, this study provides a more dynamic and encompassing account of the key factors that determine the success of the sociocultural integration process in international acquisitions. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.