Top Management Team Competencies - A Study of an International Acquisition by a Medium-Sized, Swedish Engineering Company

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to create a competency model that is applicable to the top management team (TMT) of a medium-sized, Swedish engineering company before and during a company expansion to countries in which it does not already have operations in. Using theory and empirical data from interviews, a comparison is made in order to present a Final Competency Model in the end. In the first chapter, the Theoretical Framework that is, theory on numerous topics relevant to internationalization in general is presented and discussed, before it is concluded and a presentation of the identified competencies is made. The next chapter, containing empirical data from three interviews, presents arguments that supports and/or contradicts each of the identified competencies. It further presents three additional competencies that were derived solely based on the three interviews and therefore is specific to the case. In conclusion, ten competencies were identified whose importance is argued for in many of the sections of this thesis. The competencies that are not possessed by the TMT, or the teams responsible for the company’s expansion project, in this case an expansion into Norway, appear to be acquired through external consultants or recruitment. In order to achieve the desired synergies the case company uses detailed checklists and processes while a person with a very strong internal network is responsible for the integration project. Additionally, the empirical data indicates a focus towards the organizational culture, rather than the national culture, when the case company analyzed and prepared for the acquisition and integration of the Norwegian company.