Mergers and acquisitions, including divestitures are a common instrument to restructure organizations and reposition them in their competitive environment. Different studies show that approximately half of these transactions fail. Thereby, the separation of information systems in the course of a divestiture is one of the most complex and often underestimated aspects. Yet, there is only little research in this domain. To address this research gap, this dissertation focuses on the question of what makes IT carve-out management successful. Therefore, a mixed-methods research approach including qualitative data analysis and empirically grounded theory development on the basis of nearly 100 expert interviews, a survey among 66 practitioners, and positivistic case study research based on expert interviews is pursued. This thesis makes four key contributions: (1) It systematically develops the foundations of IT carve-outs. (2) An explorative study provides insights into the objectives of different stakeholders and explains the antecedents as well as the implications of IT challenges in carve-outs. (3) With the ‘ideal type model’, drawn from strategic IT alignment theory, this thesis provides an explanation for IT-related complexity and thus the success of IT carve-out projects. (4) Practitioners benefit from a collection of best practices regarding the management of IT carve-out projects and the development of a divestiture-ready IT environment. Thus, they can utilize the experience drawn from numerous IT carve-out projects. Furthermore, the ‘ideal type model’ can be applied to prepare for future transactions, making organizations ready to divest.
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Mergers and acquisitions, including divestitures are a common instrument to restructure organizations and reposition them in their competitive environment. Different studies show that approximately half of these transactions fail. Thereby, the separation of information systems in the course of a divestiture is one of the most complex and often underestimated aspects. Yet, there is only little research in this domain. To address this research gap, this dissertation focuses on the question of what...
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