Maturing, Technology-Based, Born-Global Companies: Surviving Through Mergers and Acquisitions

Chinese multinationals post-merger integration evolutions in developed markets from autonomy to actual-form integration: a lens of ambidexterity

Purpose

This paper aims to examine how Chinese multinational enterprises’ (CMNEs) autonomy-style post-merger integration (PMI) modes of managing developed-market targets evolve into actual-form integration through the lens of ambidexterity.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts multi-case comparisons with content analysis. A data set was collected from 37 conversations by in-depth interviewing 29 respondents regarding four cases of Chinese acquisitions in the German market.

Findings

This study develops a three-stage framework that theorised CMNEs’ autonomy PMIs’ evolution to actual-form integration over time and the effect on acquisition value based on structural, temporal and contextual ambidexterity manifestations. The findings divide the evolutionary trajectory into two sub-trajectories, from great autonomy to autonomy-integration balanced or full integration, to illuminate the effect of different degrees of actual-form integration on value creation or value destruction.

Originality/value

The existing literature on CMNEs’ PMI discovered that CMNEs frequently grant ample autonomy when managing targets acquired from developed markets. However, long-term acquisition benefit is dependent on combining autonomy and actual-form integration; insights into how this can be accomplished are limited. The research is unique in that it reveals the evolutions of CMNEs’ PMIs on developed-market targets, from autonomy to actual-form integration through the lens of ambidexterity.

Run or hide: changes in acquisition behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are an important strategic tool for continuous adaptation, sustainable corporate development and external growth. At the same time, M&As involve high levels of risk with mixed performance results even under normal circumstances. Even though the M&A market was continuously growing for the last decade, it was abruptly ended by the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as executives were more concerned about liquidity than with long-term growth strategies. This raises the question how M&A behaviour is affected by the economic fall-out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The mixed method research design was employed in this study.

Findings

The authors particularly investigate how target selection as well as synergy management are affected by the pandemic. The study analysis reveals four archetypical responses to the COVID-19 crisis. The authors describe those responses in detail and analyse antecedents that seem to influence firms' acquisition behaviour during the pandemic.

Originality/value

The paper draws on survey and interview data of M&A practitioners.

Acquisition integration flexibility: toward a conceptual framework

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop the role of integration flexibility as a mediator of acquisition performance and demonstrate how this capability varies across firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The study develops a conceptual framework of anticipated relationships by building on existing but so far unintegrated acquisition research.

Findings

The study suggests integration flexibility provides an explanation for variance in acquisition performance. The study identifies drivers behind acquisition integration flexibility in acquirer characteristics, deal characteristics and integration management. The authors further specify the positive and negative impact of several key factors commonly discussed in acquisition research.

Research limitations/implications

Integration flexibility stands out as a novel explanation for acquisition performance. Still, the benefits from flexibility are not universal and developed logic suggests it represents a dynamic capability for acquirers. Our framework helps predict which acquirers and deals are more likely demonstrating this capability, thus contributing to predict acquisition performance.

Practical implications

Acquisitions often take place in dynamic environments and reportedly often fail. Predicting and developing acquisition integration flexibility stands out as an important task for acquiring management.

Social implications

Annual global acquisition values are on par with the GDP of large industrial nations (e.g. Germany) and failures for reasons of lacking acquisition integration flexibility contributes to value destruction harming not only firms, but society at large. Improved integration flexibility likely mediates this risk.

Originality/value

Making an acquisition to adapt to environmental change implicitly assumes greater integration that can limit flexibility. While our argument builds on key concepts from acquisition research these so far have remained unconnected in relation to acquisition integration flexibility. The authors develop factors influencing this important capability and show how it mediates acquisition performance. This links acquisition antecedents with integration or phases typically treated separately.

The Impact of Organizational Culture Differences, Synergy Potential, and Autonomy Granted to the Acquired High-Tech Firms on the M&A Performance

The aim of the article is to examine the factors influencing the overall acquisition performance of the companies acquiring the high-tech firms. The data were gathered during 2007-2009 via a cross-sectional survey using a questionnaire on a sample of Israeli high-tech firms that were engaged in acquisitions. Given its global leading role in the high-tech sector, Israel constitutes an important site for the study of mergers in this industrial domain. The findings indicate that synergy potential (similarities and complementarities) between high-tech merging firms, effectiveness of post-acquisition integration, and organizational cultural differences positively influence the overall acquisition performance merging high-tech firms. Moreover, our findings suggest that organizational cultural differences moderate the relationship between effectiveness of post-acquisition integration and overall acquisition performance as such that positive effect of effectiveness of post-acquisition integration is higher when organizational differences are higher. Our findings indicate that organizational cultural differences also positively moderate the relationship between autonomy granted and the overall acquisition performance. An important contribution of the present article is the development of a conceptual framework incorporating the direct and moderating effect of organizational cultural differences and autonomy granted on the overall performance of acquisition.