Cross-Business Synergies: A Typology of Cross-Business Synergies and a Mid-range Theory of Continuous Growth Synergy Realization

Introducing and Classifying Cross-Business Synergies.- Concept and Characteristics of Cross-business Synergies.- Types of Cross-business Synergies.- Summary and Discussion of Part I.- Realizing Growth Synergies.- Literature Review: Operative Synergies.- Empirical Approach.- Exploratory Work: Strategies for Growth Synergies.- Case Study: The continuous realization of growth synergies.- Results: Key success factors for the continuous realization of growth synergies.- Summary and Discussion of Part II.

Dr. Sebastian Knoll ist wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter von Prof. Dr. Günter Müller-Stewens und Projektleiter am Institut für Betriebswirtschaft der Universität St. Gallen.

Currently, the realization of cross-business synergies is one of the most pressing strategic issues on the corporate agenda of multi-business firms.

Sebastian Knoll investigates what cross-business synergies actually are and how they are realized successfully. In a first step, a theory-based typology of cross-business synergies is developed and two new types of synergies are conceptualized: (1) Growth synergies, i.e. profitable growth advantages from recombining complementary operative resources across businesses, and (2) corporate management synergies, i.e. performance advantages from leveraging corporate management capabilities across businesses. In a second step, the author focuses on growth synergies and inducts a framework for their continuous realization from a longitudinal in-depth single case study. He suggests that the successful realization of growth synergies is associated with a selective focus on specific growth opportunities, decentralized cross-business collaboration that motivates productive business unit self-interest, and a corporate management approach that guides and balances this self-interest in an evolutionary fashion.