Beyond merger syndrome and cultural differences:New avenues for research on the “human side” of global mergers and acquisitions (M&As)

This paper focuses on research on the “human side” of global mergers and acquisitions (M&As). We argue that there is a need for a more fine-grained understanding of the “human side,” which requires conceptualizing M&As as practice-oriented processes. Drawing on the practice approach, we outline avenues for further research on the “human side” of global M&As. The research directions include (1) multilayered identity dynamics, (2) emotional processes, (3) participation and change agency, (4) resistance, (5) human resource management (HRM) practices and tools, and (6) new forms of communication

A new research agenda for managing socio-cultural integration

Post-acquisition socio-cultural integration has received increasing attention from both scholars and practitioners since the early 1990s. During the past decade, research has increasingly focused on emotions and identity in mergers and acquisitions. This chapter introduces the reader to the vibrant research field and its relevance. This section sets the scene for the book, which provides a deeper understanding of how emotions—both positive and negative—as well as values and identity enable a deeper socio-cultural integration after a merger or acquisition, and how leadership plays a crucial role in making it all happen. This chapter also highlights how the Nordic approach to post-acquisition socio-cultural integration refers to a large community of Nordic academics focusing on the softer social and human side of acquisition, often relying on a huge variety of qualitative methods, and to Nordic companies that are not afraid of adopting a more collaborative approach to post-acquisition integration

Knowledge transfer in acquisitions: A socio-cultural perspective

Acquisitions are among the most important growth and internationalization strategies for firms. Nevertheless, many acquisitions fail to create financial value for acquirers. An emerging body of literature that takes a knowledge-based view points to post-acquisition knowledge transfer as a key value creation mechanism in acquisitions. This stream of research has tended to view synergies as the result of either accessing new and unique knowledge from the partner firm, exploiting superior knowledge in the partner firm that makes it more effective, or by combining the knowledge of the acquisition partners in new ways. Whilst previous research has shed light on post-acquisition knowledge transfer, there are a number of gaps in our understanding of the factors that influence it. First, few studies have examined the relative impact of different knowledge transfer determinants. More specifically, socio-cultural and political factors have received less attention. Whilst case studies have included more variables, the small sample size of the studies limits their generalizability. Second, indirect relationships such as moderating variables and antecedents to independent variables have been explored less. Third, few larger-scale studies have examined knowledge transfer both from the acquiring firm to the target and from the target firm to the acquirer. The aim of this thesis is therefore to examine how socio-cultural factors, political factors and knowledge characteristics influence post-acquisition knowledge transfer in different directions: from the acquiring firm to the target and from the target firm to the acquirer. The thesis consists of four essays: one conceptual and three quantitative. These essays examine post-acquisition knowledge transfer from different theoretical perspectives. The empirical essays draw on unique datasets based on surveys that cover acquisitions by Finnish firms in Finland and abroad between 2001 and 2010. More specifically, Essay 1, which is a conceptual paper, develops an integrative model of post-acquisition knowledge transfer, emphasizing the dynamic aspects of the process. Essay 2 focuses on socio-political aspects of post-acquisition knowledge transfer, highlighting the negative effects of the ‘fear of exploitation’ on the part of the sender and the ‘fear of contamination’ on the part of the receiver on the process. Essay 3 connects the cultural and knowledge transfer discourses in acquisitions by examining how the causal ambiguity of the sender’s knowledge, cultural integration and partner attractiveness impact post-acquisition knowledge transfer both directly and indirectly. Finally, Essay 4 develops a multi-level model of post-acquisition knowledge transfer determinants and their antecedents. It examines the indirect effects of knowledge complementarity and complexity and of the target’s cultural acceptance and preservation on post-acquisition knowledge transfer through their influence on cultural learning and collective teaching initiatives on the part of the acquiring and target firms. This thesis offers three main contributions. First, by drawing on different management theories, this thesis shows the relative impact of socio-cultural and political factors and of knowledge characteristics on post-acquisition knowledge transfer. Second, the study highlights differences between how the factors mentioned above influence knowledge transfer, depending on the direction – from the acquirer to the target or vice versa. Third, by examining moderating relationships and antecedents to independent variables, the study sheds light on the more complex and indirect relationships between knowledge transfer determinants

Students seeking information for their Master's theses: the effect of the Internet

Introduction. The Internet has radically changed the global availability of scholarly publications. Today, a substantial part of the resources accessible for researchers and university students are offered through electronic site licenses, making the supply of easily obtainable information larger than ever. This brings forth an important question: what are the qualitative and quantitative effects of this development on the use of reference material in research and studies? Method. To address the research question, reference lists of Masters' theses from 1985, 1993 and 2003 were studied in three disciplines: economics, psychology and mathematics, followed by semi-structured interviews of students who had finished their thesis in 2003. Analysis. The quantitative data were analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the statistical program SPSS, where the significance of the results was measured with Dunnet's t-test. Results. The findings showed a substantial increase in the use of scholarly articles as references throughout the studied time periods, although the amount of other information sources had remained largely unchanged. There were also significant differences between the three disciplines in the contents of their reference lists, the amount of Internet resources that students used, how they sought and obtained publications, and how they selected their sources. Conclusions. The Internet appears to have had a profound effect on the type and quantity of information that students use as references in Master's theses. One of the main problems that students reported was a lack of training in information seeking, and the abundance of irrelevant information on the Internet. Many respondents would have needed additional training on using library databases

Students seeking information for their master’s thesis- the effect of the Internet

The Internet has radically changed the global availability of scholarly publications. Today, a substantial part of the resources accessible for researchers and university students are offered through electronic site licenses, making the supply of easily obtainable information larger than ever. This brings forth an important question: what are the qualitative and quantitative effects of this development on the use of reference material in research and studies? To address this issue, masters ’ theses ’ reference lists from 1985, 1993 and 2003 were studied in three disciplines: economics, psychology and mathematics, followed by interviews of students who had finished their thesis in 2003. The findings showed a significant increase in the use of scholarly articles as references throughout the years, as well as significant differences between the reference lists of masters ’ theses in the different studied disciplines. Differences included the amount of Internet resources that students used, how they sought and obtained publications, how they chose their sources, as well as how many articles they read for their masters thesis. The study also showed that respondents seemed relatively unsatisfied with the amount of training they had received in information seeking. Many respondents felt that additional training on using library databases would have been beneficial

Knowledge transfer in acquisitions: Fear of exploitation and contamination

Summary Knowledge transfer plays an important role in the creation of synergies in acquisitions. Acquisitions provide opportunities for learning and are often justified on the basis of the new knowledge made available or created by them. Nevertheless, we do not know enough about the factors that influence knowledge transfer in the context of acquisitions. This paper focuses on the motivation on part of individuals in the acquiring and target companies to share their knowledge and make use of the knowledge of their partner. More specifically, it is hypothesised that the fear of being exploited or contaminated by the other party will have a profound negative effect on the transfer of knowledge in acquisitions. These hypotheses are tested on a sample of acquisitions by Finnish companies in 2001-2004 and they are largely supported by the empirical analyses.Acquisitions Knowledge transfer Post-acquisition integration