Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are an increasingly popular way to expand into new markets and incorporate new technologies to strengthen and maintain an organization¿s position in the marketplace. This course is designed for today¿s managers to understand the strategic rationale, stages, and legislative framework of M&A. This course will emphasize the people-related activities and issues involved in the pre-deal, due diligence, integration planning and implementation stages of M&A. Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the skill sets of key business partners in an organization¿s M&A activities and will be able to help organizations develop key strategy, manage soft due diligence activities, provide input into the process of change, advise top management on new organizational structure, create transition teams, oversee communications, manage learning and integration processes, and identify and develop new employee and organizational competencies.