The importance of HR process maturity for the course of post-merger integration

Abstract The aim of this study was to identify the level of HR process maturity in the surveyed companies involved in acquisitions and to determine the importance of HR process maturity for the course of post-merger integration. An adapted McCormack and Johnson process maturity model was used to identify the level of HR maturity; whereas, the impact of HR process maturity on the course of integration was assessed based on a model of post-merger integration in the HR area developed by the author. This study examined 58 acquisitions of companies carried out on the public and private capital markets in Poland. The results showed that the maturity level of the HR process has a significant impact on the rate of integration activities, their scope, and the nature of the changes introduced in the area of the HR function. Acquisitions become an accelerator of change in the HR area, enabling both the acquiring and the acquired companies to reach a higher level of maturity of the HR process.