Should the acquirer’s operating model always become the default?

I worked on an integration where a large multinational acquired a smaller but highly successful operator in a country where the acquirer had only a limited presence. The acquired company had built a strong local business, yet the decision to move it onto the acquirer’s global processes and systems was taken almost automatically.

That raised an important question for me: are we integrating because it creates value, or simply because standardisation is the default approach? Should leadership and the IMO begin an integration plan by asking which operating model is best for the combined business, rather than assuming the acquirer’s model should always prevail?