Varieties of National Metonymy in Media Accounts of International Mergers and Acquisitions

Abstract

International mergers and acquisitions (M&As) often invoke national identification and national cultural differences. We argue that metonymy is a central linguistic resource through which national cultural identities and differences are reproduced in media accounts of international M&As. In this paper, we focus on two revealing cases: the acquisition of American IBM Personal Computer Division (PCD) by the Chinese company Lenovo and the acquisition of American Anheuser-Busch (A-B) by the Belgian-Brazilian company InBev. First, we identify the forms, functions, and frequencies of national metonymy in media accounts of these cases. We present a typology that classifies varieties of national metonymy in international M&As. Second, we demonstrate how these metonyms combine with metaphor to generate evocative imagery, engaging wit, and subversive irony. Our findings show that national metonymy contributes to the construction of emotive frames, stereotypes, ideological differences, and threats. Combinations of national metonymy with metaphor also provide powerful means to construct cultural differences. However, combinations of metonymy with wit and irony enable the play on meanings that overturns and resists national and cultural stereotypes. This is the first study to unpack the deployment of metonymy in accounts of international M&As. In doing so, it also opens up new avenues for research into international management and the analysis of tropes in management and organization.

How communication approaches impact mergers and acquisitions outcomes

“…In line with previous communication research (Riad & Vaara, 2011;Riad, Vaara, & Zhang, 2012), we use the modalitymedium of communication -and type of communication exchanged as proxies for the richness of communication. The medium of communication, defined as 'the means of communication', such as face-to-face meetings, email and conferences, matters as there is a hierarchy of richness with more personalized communication having greater effect upon the recipient than impersonal communications (Huber & Daft, 1987;Marmenout, 2011;Mohr & Nevin, 1990).…”

The Process of Postmerger Integration: A Review and Agenda for Future Research

“…Preliminary research has explored media coverage of M&A events (Riad & Vaara, 2011;Vaara, Tienari & Laurila, 2006), but there is a dearth of knowledge regarding how merging organizations justify or legitimate their actions vis-à-vis various stakeholders and the kind of challenges that this involves. Exceptions are offered by Vaara and Monin (2010), who studied the dynamics of discursive legitimation in PMI and highlighted the risk that overly positive communication can lead to a legitimacy crisis; and by Vaara and Tienari (2011), who examined how organizational actors and the media used various discursive resources and forms of storytelling to impact the course of PMI.…”

Managing talent across advanced and emerging economies: HR issues and challenges in a Sino-German strategic collaboration

“…A detailed approach can appropriately address a locally contextualised situation (Miles and Huberman, 1994; Schwiezer, 2005). Following Siggelkow's (2007) recommendation that cases need to respond with particular questions and conditions, the AE-SME case demonstrates value because it offers insights into HR dynamics and a rare instance of seeing developed economy SME talent management in an emerging economy partnership (Schweizer, 2006;Riad, S., and Vaara, E. 2011;Teerikangas, Very, and Pisano, 2011;Vaara, E. and Tienari, J. 2011;Riad, Vaara and Zhang 2012).…”