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To analyse how differences in decision‐making affected the integration of the R&D functions after Ford's acquisition of Volvo Cars.

The analysis is carried out in two steps. Step one analyses which type of approach Ford employed to integrate Volvo into the company. Step two analyses how R&D decisions are made by both firms and the consequences of found differences in decision‐making on the success of the integration process.

Ford's approach to the integration of Volvo Cars follows a symbiosis approach, combining a high need of both organizational autonomy and strategic interdependence. A symbiosis acquisition integration approach demands that the decision‐making processes are given special attention. The acquired firm's specific decision‐making processes need to remain intact in order to preserve its embedded unique R&D value creation capabilities. The decision‐making processes should be kept separate in order to prevent disruption.

The paper relates theories about firm acquisition processes and aspects of organization theory to establish a bridge between these research areas.

The purpose of this paper is to further the understanding of the link between human capital and strategy across hierarchies.

Using data on personality traits as a proxy for strategy implementation success, empirical data included 1,738 Operational Personality Questionnaire personality traits assessments in one large multinational firm. Respondents spanned from top-management to white-collar employees. Besides personality traits, measures include employment level and employment status. In addition, a total of 43 interviews were performed on the employee-level, with middle managers, with senior managers, and with executive-level managers.

After a strategic shift, successful implementation of a human resource management (HRM) strategy decreased down through the hierachies. This has implications for a firm trying to realign its resources to a new strategy. If the strategic shift is large, this will pose a great problem as human capital further down in the hierarchy will not be aligned to the new strategy, but rather be aligned to the old strategy.

The findings are discussed using the concept of the strategic centre of gravity. The authors elaborate on the concept in terms of the origin, mass, and inertia of the strategic centre of gravity.

A successful strategic shift in this sense will to a great extent depend on how successful the implementation is at lower levels of hierarchy, thus pointing to the importance to considering this when designing and pursuing strategic change.

The research contributes to the HRM literature by furthering the understanding of aligning human capital on different organizational levels to strategy and by developing the concept of the strategic centre of gravity.

Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Times are tough at present for business at present and the car industry is no exception. Falling sales figures blighted the end of 2005 for the big three manufacturers (General Motors, Daimler Chrysler and Ford) as models like the gas‐guzzling SUV fell out of favor with consumers feeling the pinch of rising fuel costs.

Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.