The Impact of Mergers and Acquisitions on People at Work: Existing Research and Issues

Abstract

Despite the attention mergers and acquisition have received from financial and marketing strategists, the merger failure rate remains as high as ever. In light of the current wave of merger activity, it would seem an appropriate time to consider alternative explanations of merger failure, and assess the contribution which psychology can make to our understanding of mergers and acquisitions in addressing the essence of the activity; the positive combination of people and the fusion of organizational cultures.

Cross-border mergers and acquisitions of emerging economies' multinational enterprises — The mediating role of socialization integration mechanisms for successful integration

“…Cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) remain a common strategy for many firms to enter in foreign markets despite widely documented claim that majority of these fail to achieve their set objectives and are unsuccessful (Cartwright & Cooper, 1990;Gomes, Weber, Brown, & Tarba, 2011;Haleblian, Devers, McNamara, Carpenter, & Davison, 2009;Larsson & Finkelstein, 1999). Recently emerging economies enterprises (EMNEs) have also entered this race (Deng & Yang, 2015;UNCTAD, 2014).…”

The worst of times? A tale of two higher education institutions in France: their merger and its impact on staff working lives

“…We read of trends, and issues are examined from behind a wide-angled lens, but how these impact upon the day-to-day realities of what it means to be working in the higher education sector, within the specific work context that is determined by the culture, the environment, the dynamism of interpersonal relations, and the rules and regulations of a specific institution, too often slip below the investigatory range's radar. More particularly, as Cartwright and Cooper (1990) observe, such individuals-focused micro-level analyses are absent from most of the literature on institutional merger in the higher education sector.…”

HRM practices in strategic partnerships

“…Executives and researchers alike face a daunting challenge in attempting to develop and accumulate specific knowledge and capabilities about the strategic partnership process management in general and HRM practices during it in particular (Cartwright & Cooper, 1990, 1995Gomes, Angwin, Peter, & Mellahi, 2012;Schuler, Tarique, & Jackson, 2004). Despite the fact that HR has been mentioned frequently as an important factor in M&A success (Budhwar, Varma, & Katou, 2009;Nikandrou & Papalexandris, 2007), there is a dearth of theoretical and empirical studies about the interrelationship between M&A performance and HR practices applied by the acquiring firm during the integration period following an acquisition.…”