IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/snbeco/v1y2021i8d10.1007_s43546-021-00109-x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Necessity to integrate operational business during M&A: the effect of employees’ vision and cultural openness

Author

Listed:
  • Ralf Bebenroth

    (Kobe University)

  • Robert A. Goehlich

    (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University)

Abstract

This research investigates the impact of target-firm employees’ vision and cultural openness to integrate their operational business into a bidder firm. Our empirical analyses are performed on a sample of 176 employees of a medium-sized German engineering firm in the waste power plant industry taken over by a Japanese steelmaker. The questionnaire results show that, not the vision of German employees but their cultural openness positively correlates to the perceived need of integration. However, culturally open employees with a clear, articulated vision perceive less need to integrate their operational business into the Japanese bidder firm. This research contributes to understanding the behavior of the target-firm’s employees in particular. The results are useful for managers who are involved in a cross-border acquisition. Therefore, we discuss practical implications of our findings as well as its limitations.

Suggested Citation

  • Ralf Bebenroth & Robert A. Goehlich, 2021. "Necessity to integrate operational business during M&A: the effect of employees’ vision and cultural openness," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 1(8), pages 1-17, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:snbeco:v:1:y:2021:i:8:d:10.1007_s43546-021-00109-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s43546-021-00109-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s43546-021-00109-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s43546-021-00109-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kashif Ahmed & Ralf Bebenroth & Jean-Francois Hennart, 2020. "Formal Institutional Uncertainty and Equity Sought on Foreign Market Entry: Does Industry Matter?," Discussion Paper Series DP2020-03, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University.
    2. Ralf Bebenroth & Maimunah Ismail, 2014. "Cultural Openness, Interpersonal Justice, and Job Satisfaction among Millennials and Seniors: Evidence from Japanese Target Employees following M&A," Discussion Paper Series DP2014-18, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University.
    3. Elena Cefis & Ángela Triguero, 2016. "Make, Buy, or Both: The Innovation Sourcing Strategy Dilemma after M&A," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(2), pages 175-196, June.
    4. Nicolli, Francesco & Vona, Francesco, 2016. "Heterogeneous policies, heterogeneous technologies: The case of renewable energy," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 190-204.
    5. Alina Ileana Petrescu & Rob Simmons, 2008. "Human resource management practices and workers' job satisfaction," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 29(7), pages 651-667, November.
    6. Ralf Bebenroth & Roman Bartnik, 2022. "Case 4: Japanese Cross-Border M & A and German Target Employee Alienation Issues," Springer Texts in Business and Economics, in: Ashish Malik (ed.), Strategic Human Resource Management and Employment Relations, edition 2, pages 209-214, Springer.
    7. Ahammad, Mohammad Faisal & Tarba, Shlomo Yedidia & Liu, Yipeng & Glaister, Keith W., 2016. "Knowledge transfer and cross-border acquisition performance: The impact of cultural distance and employee retention," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 66-75.
    8. repec:bla:jomstd:v:37:y:2000:i::p:395-425 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Bauer, Florian & Matzler, Kurt & Wolf, Stefan, 2016. "M&A and innovation: The role of integration and cultural differences—A central European targets perspective," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 76-86.
    10. David R. King & Dan R. Dalton & Catherine M. Daily & Jeffrey G. Covin, 2004. "Meta‐analyses of post‐acquisition performance: indications of unidentified moderators," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(2), pages 187-200, February.
    11. Sebastian Stoermer & Samuel Davies & Fabian Jintae Froese, 2021. "The influence of expatriate cultural intelligence on organizational embeddedness and knowledge sharing: The moderating effects of host country context," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(3), pages 432-453, April.
    12. Ziva Rozen-Bakher, 2018. "Comparison of merger and acquisition (M&A) success in horizontal, vertical and conglomerate M&As: industry sector vs. services sector," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(7-8), pages 492-518, June.
    13. Julian Birkinshaw & Henrik Bresman & Lars Håkanson, 2000. "Managing the Post‐acquisition Integration Process: How the Human Iintegration and Task Integration Processes Interact to Foster Value Creation," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(3), pages 395-425, May.
    14. Lee, Keun & Ki, Jee-hoon, 2017. "Rise of latecomers and catch-up cycles in the world steel industry," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 365-375.
    15. Li, Jiatao & Li, Peixin & Wang, Baolian, 2016. "Do cross-border acquisitions create value? Evidence from overseas acquisitions by Chinese firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 471-483.
    16. Allan P. O. Williams, 2006. "Leadership in Change," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: The Rise of Cass Business School, chapter 15, pages 200-220, Palgrave Macmillan.
    17. Philippe Very & Michael Lubatkin & Roland Calori & John Veiga, 1997. "Relative standing and the performance of recently acquired European firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(8), pages 593-614, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ye, Silin & Zhou, Jing & Jiang, Yunwen & Liu, Xiaming, 2023. "Managers as the bridge: How cultural friction influences the integration of cross-border mergers and acquisitions," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(4).
    2. Wang, Daojuan & Hain, Daniel S. & Larimo, Jorma & Dao, Li T., 2020. "Cultural differences and synergy realization in cross-border acquisitions," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(3).
    3. Bauer, Florian & King, David & Matzler, Kurt, 2016. "Speed of acquisition integration: Separating the role of human and task integration," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 150-165.
    4. Christofi, Michael & Vrontis, Demetris & Thrassou, Alkis & Shams, S.M. Riad, 2019. "Triggering technological innovation through cross-border mergers and acquisitions: A micro-foundational perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 148-166.
    5. Jiang Wei & Yang Yang & Sali Li, 2021. "Mirror or no mirror? Architectural design of cross-border integration of Chinese multinational enterprises," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 38(4), pages 1399-1430, December.
    6. Olcay, Gökçen Arkalı & Öner, M. Atilla & Olcay, Ali Bahadır, 2019. "A conceptual view of exergy destruction in mergers and acquisitions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 336-352.
    7. Yang Zhang, 2018. "Corporate Governance Effects on Risk Management and Shareholder Wealth: The Case of Mergers and Acquisitions," PhD Thesis, Finance Discipline Group, UTS Business School, University of Technology, Sydney, number 4-2018, January-A.
    8. Teerikangas, Satu & Thanos, Ioannis C., 2018. "Looking into the ‘black box’ – unlocking the effect of integration on acquisition performance," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 366-380.
    9. Strobl, Andreas & Bauer, Florian & Matzler, Kurt, 2020. "The impact of industry-wide and target market environmental hostility on entrepreneurial leadership in mergers and acquisitions," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(2).
    10. Günter K. Stahl & Andreas Voigt, 2008. "Do Cultural Differences Matter in Mergers and Acquisitions? A Tentative Model and Examination," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 19(1), pages 160-176, February.
    11. Zheng, Qiuxia & Noorderhaven, Niels & Du, Jian, 2022. "Making the unlikely marriage work: The integration process of Chinese strategic asset-seeking acquisitions," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 57(3).
    12. Timmers, A.D., 2010. "The perceived cultural changes and the changes in identification of the employees during a merger between two airlines," Other publications TiSEM a71f79cd-facf-445a-a0ba-4, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    13. Schweizer, Lars & Patzelt, Holger, 2012. "Employee commitment in the post-acquisition integration process: The effect of integration speed and leadership," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 298-310.
    14. Kanungo, Rama Prasad, 2021. "Uncertainty of M&As under asymmetric estimation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 774-793.
    15. Satu Teerikangas & Olivier Irrmann, 2016. "Cultural Change Following International Acquisitions: Cohabiting the Tension Between Espoused and Practiced Cultures," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 56(2), pages 195-226, April.
    16. Zhou, Abby Jingzi & Fey, Carl & Yildiz, H. Emre, 2020. "Fostering integration through HRM practices: An empirical examination of absorptive capacity and knowledge transfer in cross-border M&As," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(2).
    17. Diana W.P. Kwok, 2018. "Boundary spanning and subordinate—leader trust: A tale of two acquisitions in a multicultural emerging economy," Post-Print hal-01744451, HAL.
    18. Colman, Helene Loe, 2020. "Facilitating integration and maintaining autonomy: The role of managerial action and interaction in post-acquisition cabability transfer," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 148-160.
    19. Ralf Bebenroth & Pao-Lien Chen, 2018. "Cherry Picking versus Lemon Grabbing: Target Selection of Cross-Border and Domestic Acquisitions in Japan," Discussion Paper Series DP2018-13, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University.
    20. Durand, Muriel, 2016. "Employing critical incident technique as one way to display the hidden aspects of post-merger integration," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 87-102.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:snbeco:v:1:y:2021:i:8:d:10.1007_s43546-021-00109-x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.