The acquisition of an R&D organization is a major disruption for the employees, and many leave during or after such a transaction. More productive R&D employees tend to be more mobile which increases the riskiness of acquisitions. We first track 225 employees of an R&D organization before and after an acquisition, perform survival analyses on the determinants of leaving, and subsequently interview 25 of them. The findings from these two studies suggest a selectivity in adaptation to seemingly equally valued tasks while cultural differences between the organizations play a major role in whether the transition is viewed positively or negatively. This has a major effect on adaptation to a new environment, which is a base for leaving or staying in the new organization. The cultures of the organizations differed due to funding structure and size, and this resulted in difficulties in adapting to the new normal. The experiences of the employees varied considerably, indicating the importance of looking into the interplay of employee characteristics and the differences in the characteristics of the acquiring and acquired organization.
