Zierow, Philip (2026) Barriers, Opportunities and Solutions for Integrating Sustainability as a Decision Criterion in M&A Transactions. Master thesis, Sustainable Entrepreneurship (SE).
|
PDF
MA-6458394-P-Zierow.pdf Download (334kB) | Preview |
Abstract
As the importance of Sustainability emerges globally, companies need to incorporate sustainability in their business. Not only due to high societal expectations but also due to regulatory development. This results in the need to integrate sustainability into mergers and acquisitions as well, to meet regulatory requirements, investor expectations, and the financial materiality of environmental, social, and governance risks. Nevertheless, M&A practice remains characterized by heterogenous ESG assessments and inconsistent post-merger integration of sustainability priorities. The study is investigating the question “What are barriers, opportunities, and solutions for sustainability as a decision criterion in M&A activities?” The study aims to contribute to ongoing scientific research regarding whether ESG in M&A primarily operates as a risk mitigator or can be leveraged as a driver of value creation. Methodologically, the research adopts an interpretative stance and is based on qualitative semi-structured expert interviews. The outcome is a set of empirically derived propositions and practice-oriented recommendations on how companies can overcome barriers or improve their Due Diligence, valuation, and post-merger processes in a way sustainability is recognized as a relevant part in the decision-making process. The findings as well aim to contribute to further academic research and understanding of sustainable M&A implementation as support organizations in aligning dealmaking with sustainability objectives.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
|---|---|
| Name supervisor: | Jong, G. de |
| Date Deposited: | 02 Jul 2026 08:17 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Jul 2026 08:17 |
| URI: | https://campus-fryslan.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/877 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |