Strategies for Healthcare Payer Information Technology Integration After Mergers and Acquisitions

Despite the high rate of failure in merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions, many organizations continue to rely on M&As as their primary growth strategy and to address market competition. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies managers from a large healthcare payer in the midwestern United States used to achieve operational and strategic synergies during the postacquisition information technology (IT) integration phase. Haspeslagh and Jemison\u27s acquisition integration approaches model was the conceptual framework for the study. Methodological triangulation was established by analyzing the data from the semistructured interviews of 6 senior executives and 6 IT strategists, discussion points produced in a focus group involving 4 acquisition integration leaders, and information gleaned from M&A periodicals. Data were analyzed using Saldaña\u27s thematic analysis method and showed that the healthcare payer organization managers used the following 4 strategies to achieve the planned synergies: plan for expected business synergies from the postacquisition IT integration, make cultural harmonization a key element of change management, align and continuously evaluate the progress of postacquisition IT integration strategies against planned synergies, and preserve durability of acquired capabilities by granting autonomy to the acquired organization. The findings of this study could lead to positive social change by stimulating a business environment that might allow healthcare payers to expand their strategic capabilities and serve their local communities with new products and other choices that improve the quality of care, health outcomes, well-being, and longevity of the consumer