A Marriage Metaphor Model for Sociocultural Integration in International Mergers and Acquisitions

Abstract

AbstractThe purpose of this article is to gain a better understanding about the sociocultural integration process in international mergers and acquisitions (M&As) by developing a marriage metaphor model for these transactions. Building on the metaphor of M&As as “marriages” between organizations, the presented model suggests that the sociocultural integration process consists of three interrelated phases: the dating, mating, and creating periods. Extant research, however, focuses primarily on the pre‐M&A contingency and post‐M&A process periods, which correspond to the dating and creating phases, respectively, and treats these research streams in relative isolation. This paper attempts to integrate these streams of research in the contexts of M&As across cultures, and further sets out to shed light onto the third, underresearched closing period, which corresponds to the mating phase in the forwarded model. In so doing, this paper endeavors to propose a dynamic perspective of the sociocultural integration in international M&As to emphasize the interrelatedness and on‐going character of this three‐stage process. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.