Dialogue as a source of positive emotions during cross-border post-acquisition socio-cultural integration

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse how dialogue can be used to promote post-acquisition socio-cultural integration. Specifically, it addresses questions regarding when and how companies can utilise dialogue to generate positivity regarding socio-cultural integration.Design/methodology/approachA single case study approach was adopted owing to its suitability for creating in-depth understanding in the context of socio-cultural integration. Primary data were collected via interviews, an employee satisfaction survey, and participant observation. Secondary data were obtained from the case company’s internal materials, such as strategies, integration workflows, and employee magazines. Analysis methods included descriptive statistics and thematic qualitative analysis.FindingsThe findings suggest that dialogue can be used to create positivity regarding socio-cultural integration throughout the stages of unfreezing, moving, and refreezing by actively engaging employees in voicing, listening, respecting, and suspending. It is proposed that cultural conflict during post-acquisition socio-cultural integration can be overcome through the generation of positivity; dialogue enables the collective management of emotions during post-acquisition integration by offering a platform for creating positivity and social cohesion; and due to its collaborative and engaging nature, dialogue provides an especially effective means of communication for overcoming cross-cultural conflict.Originality/valueTo the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to showcase dialogue as a specific means of communication for creating positivity during cross-border socio-cultural integration. This study reached beyond comparative cultural research to offer views on positivity, emotion during socio-cultural integration, and dialogue as means for overcoming cross-cultural conflict.</jats:sec

Temporal Paradigm- Obtaining new insights about the internationalisation process of the firm

This article focuses on a rather neglected approach in international entrepreneurship (IE) and international business (IB) research: the use of a temporal research strategy to capture a temporal research phenomenon, namely the internationalization process of the firm

The emotions of top managers and key persons in cross-border M&As: Evidence from a longitudinal case study

Building on prior research on emotions in M&A, this paper analyses the post-M&A emotions of top managers and key persons from the acquired company by examining what triggers emotions during the post-acquisition integration stage, and what the consequences of those emotions are. This study applies cognitive appraisal and affective event theories with empirical evidence based on a longitudinal, single case study of an Indian–Finnish acquisition. The main findings imply that M&As are very emotional for top managers and key persons. Our findings reveal that they experience a wide range of positive and negative emotions triggered by individual and company-level triggers. Interestingly various triggers can have different and opposite appraisal outcomes in the short and long-term. In addition, top managers and key persons are often restricted in the range of behavioural outcomes caused by emotions

Characterisation of CYP3A gene subfamily expression in human gastrointestinal tissues.

The human CYP3A subfamily is of interest due to its multiplicity, activity toward known carcinogens, and extrahepatic expression. In situ hybridisation analysis of formalin fixed, routinely processed biopsy specimens was used to localise CYP3A mRNA in human gastrointestinal tissues from several individuals. CYP3A mRNA is abundant in human liver and in mucosal epithelial cells of all segments of the human small intestine. RNA blot analyses showed that the mRNA species observed in most livers and in human small intestine represent CYP3A3/3A4 transcripts. This was confirmed at the protein level by immunoblot comparison of small intestine microsomes to in vitro expressed CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 proteins. In liver and small intestine, CYP3A mRNA is not uniformly distributed, with grain density highest in cells within the respective non-proliferative compartments. CYP3A mRNA was also observed in human oesophagus and colon. RNA blot analysis of multiple colons showed heterogeneity in the CYP3A mRNAs present. Two CYP3A mRNAs (CYP3A3/3A4 and CYP3A5) were detected in colon samples from several individuals. In addition to those localisation studies, the capacity of expressed CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 to activate the dietary heterocyclic amine MeIQ in the presence of alpha-naphthoflavone was shown. These results show that there is considerable heterogeneity in the expression of the CYP3A subfamily in human gastrointestinal tissues