"When is the Deal Done?" The greatest barrier to successful integration is cultural incompatibility. Undervaluing or ignoring the human dynamics related to an M&A transaction can prompt the departure of key talent that were among the assets that made the acquisition attractive to the buyer in the first place. The importance of an organization s culture, particularly as a risk factor in M&A integration, cannot be underestimated. Harvard researchers report that firms that managed their culture realized a nearly seven-fold increase in revenue, compared with only 166% for firms that did not...