This article investigates the motives for mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in the U.S. meat products industry from 1977 to 1992. Results show that acquired meat and poultry plants were very productive before mergers, and that all but the very largest?

Hi Fantage, the motives for M&A in the 80s were diverse, and one major reason was around management ego. Also, certain companies found it hard to grow organically (by themselves), so they acquired others to create this illusion of growth. M&A comes with the challenge with integrating the two companies, and could results in lots of lay-offs due to overlapping responsibilities. This may mean you lose some good people, ultimately leading to lower productivity. Could you perhaps share the full article? Might be easier to assist with drilling down further with the broader context.