Selecting the right growth mechanism: The choice between internal development, strategic alliances, and mergers & acquisitions

Abstract

When seeking to realize growth strategies, firms have three choices: internal development, alliances, and mergers & acquisitions. How to choose between these growth mechanisms is, however, not well-understood in practice. Managers seldom sufficiently strategically analyze this critical first step in any growth-related decision process. Instead, many managers commonly base their decision on “gut-feel” or simply follow successful traits. This chapter offers a framework to systematically guide managers in their choice of growth mechanisms. Four sets of factors should be simultaneously considered to decide on when to make, ally, or buy: the environment, the target, the growth strategy, and company-related factors. By systematically analyzing each growth mechanism’s context-specific advantages and disadvantages, firms may avoid mistakes that could not be compensated for in later implementation phases.