Researchers argue that analysts' information acquisition efforts increase firm value by facilitating monitoring of firms' activities and, thereby, reducing agency costs (e.g., Jensen and Meckling [1976]; Healy and Palepu [2001]). However, prior research provides limited and inconclusive...

We examine whether operating inflexibility posed by labor unions affects goodwill impairment. We predict such inflexibility hinders resource reallocation after acquisition, thereby preventing the acquiring firm from realizing synergies included in goodwill. Consistent with this prediction, we...