This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on mergers and acquisitions (M&As) by providing a systematic review of over 500 academic articles across 27 management journals over a 27‐year time frame. There appears to be a mixture of empirical and conceptual articles, with a larger proportion being empirical but an increasing number leaning towards a conceptual nature. Our findings show that most studies follow a quantitative approach and use large samples, mostly originating from existing databases. There is an emergence of thematic areas related to the strategic factors influencing M&As, but with the human dimension, gaining increasing attention over time.

His research interest is in the areas of M&A, strategic alliances, digital product service innovation, strategic agility, and firm internationalisation, particularly in the African context. He currently serves as the Regional Editor (Africa) of the Journal of Knowledge Management. He is the author of various books, including 'Mergers, Acquisitions and Strategic Alliances', published by Palgrave Macmillan, 'Mergers and Acquisitions as Strategic Methods of Business Development in the Global Automobile Industry', 'Acquisitions in the UK Car Industry: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Merger Processes', and of several papers published in international refereed journals. Sunbir Alam is currently working at Microsoft Corporation. He has previously worked at Google and eBay. He has corporate experience in cloud computing and cyber security, quantum computing, artificial intelligence and machine learning, mobile platforms and ecosystems, start-ups and innovation and business development, and M&A in the technology industry. He has founded two start-ups in the space of Blockchain and cyber security and artificial intelligence. His research interests are in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, genomics and geospatial science.