Cross-border Acquisitions Research Articles

Intangible resources and cross-border acquisition decisions: The impact of reputation and the moderating effect of experiential knowledge

Drawing from the resource-based view, signaling theory, and internationalization literatures, we argue that a key intangible resource – reputation – influences the decision to engage in cross-border acquisitions (CBAs). Reputation facilitates foreign market entry by reducing the risks and costs inherent in such strategic moves, while acting to curb potentially risky decisions. Based on a longitudinal sample of 869 acquisitions conducted by European and US firms, our study confirms the inverted U-shaped relationship between a firm’s reputation and the likelihood of undertaking CBAs. We also find that international experiential knowledge moderates the relationship between reputation and the likelihood of additional CBAs. Our research contributes to the growing literature on the influence of intangible strategic resources, especially that of reputation, on foreign market entry strategies.

Effects of R&D Investments and Market Signals on International Acquisitions: Evidence from IPO Firms

We investigate how intangible assets in the form of R&D influence firms’ hazards of engaging in international acquisitions. On the one hand, previous research has noted that the tacit and redeployable nature of R&D investments may prompt firms to expand their operations overseas and create value from international acquisitions. On the other hand, it is difficult for other firms to evaluate the quality and prospects of an acquirer’s intangible resources, thereby hampering its ability to finance and execute international M&A deals. In the context of international acquisitions undertaken by firms just completing their initial public offerings (IPOs), we argue and find that the IPO firm’s engagement in post-IPO international acquisition activity is generally negatively related to its R&D intensity. This effect contrasts previous arguments on the internalization advantages possessed by R&D-intensive firms. We also argue that firms able to convey their resources and prospects through such signals as previous international alliances and foreign sales can mitigate information problems presented by their intangibles, and thus carry out and benefit from cross-border acquisitions. We therefore identify an unexamined tradeoff that R&D investments present in the international M&A context and discuss how international signals can facilitate cross-border transactions subject to various market frictions.

The Herd Effect and Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions by Chinese Firms

ABSTRACT An analysis of firm level data from 393 completed Chinese firm cross-border mergers and acquisitions (CMA) from 2002 to 2019 revealed that there was a herd effect in Chinese CMA activities. The heterogeneity factors in the host country effects on the herd index found that the political environment was a significant positive herd effect determinant and exchange rate volatility, openness degree, and cultural distances were negative determinants. This research sheds light on Chinese firm CMA decision-making, which could assist in the development of appropriate policies to assist firms achieve better performances.

The effect of cultural and institutional factors on initiation, completion, and duration of cross-border acquisitions

We study the effect of cultural and institutional distances on the probability that a firm from an acquiring country announces an acquisition of a firm in a target country (initiation), the probability that an announced deal is completed (completion), and the average time it takes to complete an acquisition (duration). We find that culture plays a decisive role in deal initiation. Completion and duration of a deal is largely unaffected by the cross country cultural and institutional differences and depends on deal level characteristics. We find a higher probability for acquirers to hire Top-tier advisors when they initiate deals in countries with higher cultural differences. We also find that use of Top-tier advisors by acquirers increases the probability of completion of the deal.

Cross-border acquisition performance of emerging market multinational enterprises: The moderating role of state-ownership and acquisition experience

This paper draws on the resource-based view and organizational learning theory to analyse the moderating role played by state ownership and acquisition experience in the performance of emerging market multinational enterprises (EMNEs). We contribute to the evolving literature on state-owned EMNEs by identifying various post cross-border acquisition (CBA) strategies, which have an impact on the performance of such firms that differs for the one they have on privately owned EMNEs. We test our hypotheses by performing a panel regression analysis on a large firm-level dataset spanning 43 emerging markets over the 2006–2015 period. Overall, our findings point at an inverted U-shape relationship between diversification through CBAs and firm performance. More specifically, this concave relationship is greater when the diversification occurs in developed countries, as opposed to emerging ones. Furthermore, there is evidence that state-ownership and EMNE acquisition experience moderate these relationships both in domestic and foreign markets, albeit with different intensities.

The micro-foundations of industrial diversification through foreign acquisitions: The multifaceted role of CEO experience

This paper examines the micro-foundations of cross-border industrial diversification strategies. We study the impact of observable CEO experience attributes on the propensity to acquire foreign target firms in unrelated (versus related) industries. Our findings, based on a sample of UK-based firms that engaged in cross-border acquisitions between 2010 and 2016, support an inverted U-shaped relationship between life experience of the CEO and the likelihood of engaging in unrelated foreign acquisitions. Further, we find that CEOs' broad-based work experience, across countries or industries, is associated with a higher propensity to engage in unrelated foreign acquisitions. Finally, CEOs’ education experience in MBA-type qualifications is associated with a preference for related foreign acquisitions. We discuss the theoretical implications of these findings and outline directions for future research in the context of micro-foundations in international business, strategic leadership, and upper echelons theory.

Financial pre-factors for post-performance of cross-border mergers & acquisitions

ABSTRACT We study mergers and acquisitions (M&A) when one company is Chinese and another company is outside China. Previous studies are still much lacking considerations on financial factors affecting subsequent performance of such multinational (or ‘cross-border’) M&A. Here, a few (5) influencing factors are tested through a multiple linear regression model for 100 listed companies over [2016–2018]. We examine the role of (i) the mode of payment, (ii) cultural differences, (iii) industry differences, (iv) company scale and (v) the shareholding ratio. The research denotes that the payment method and the shareholding ratio of the largest shareholder have both a positive correlation with the performance in the year of the M&A and in the following one, – whatever the industries differences and companies sizes.

Postacquisition asset redeployment and marketing adaptation: a consumer perspective

PurposeThis research examines consumer assessments of brand value derived from the redeployment of brand-related assets following a crossborder acquisition (CBA). The current study synthesizes research on international marketing standardization/adaptation to the context of crossborder horizontal acquisitions as the market entry strategy to investigate consumer evaluations of the postacquisition choice of brand name and brand positioning.Design/methodology/approachA pretest and two studies were conducted in Taiwan to empirically examine effects from the theory-driven model of product legitimacy (PL) on an entity's postacquisition brand value, as well as any moderating effects of consumer localism.FindingsPostacquisition brands were evaluated more positively when positioned in a manner that was in accordance with perceived PL. Consumer localism as another contingency factor reflected consumers' favorable attitude toward marketing adaptation following CBAs.Originality/valueThis article is a pioneering work to draw on the consumer perspective to investigate asset redeployments between the acquirer and target following a crossborder horizontal acquisition. Specifically, this research introduces PL as a contingency factor to examine consumers' evaluation of brand value, which is derived from the redeployment of brand name and brand positioning in the context of a developed-country firm's acquisition of an advanced emerging-market firm for entry into the market.

Inbound M&As in India: Issues and Challenges

The economic reforms of 1991 drastically transformed India’s approach toward foreign direct investment (FDI). The focus has been on attracting increasingly large amounts of FDI. There were no regulations on mergers and acquisitions for two decades, and when they were finally introduced in 2011 under the Competition Act, 2002, they were rendered ineffective by setting high thresholds, providing exemptions, and by narrowly focusing on competition. As a result, major domestic companies as also emerging leaders were taken over. Many foreign companies gained strong hold in the economy without adding capacities. The domestic private corporate sector lagged far behind in various respects. Belying the expectations of the policy makers, it invested far too inadequately in research and development. This article argues that India should not continue its reliance on FDI to achieve the goal of creating an internationally competitive manufacturing sector. India should do more than establishing an FDI review mechanism. Cross-border acquisitions must be subjected to strict scrutiny by a specialized agency. Proactive and coordinated measures must be devised to encourage domestic enterprises. Special attention must be given to providing long-term risk capital.

Cross-Border Private Equity and Valuation Effects

In this paper, I propose a theory that connects a Private Equity (PE) fund's valuation, a PE fund manager's expected ability and the likelihood of cross-border acquisitions. Using a model of costly-state verification, I show that an increase in a PE fund's valuation driven by economy-wide improvements raises the likelihood of a cross-border leveraged buyout (LBO) compared to a domestic LBO. Consistent with the model's key prediction, I find empirically that an increase in a PE fund's valuation, which captures the fund manager's expected ability, is associated with higher probability of cross-border acquisitions. The empirical estimates indicate a one-standard deviation increase in valuations, equivalent to approximately 5.2 percent of a fund's size, leads to at least an 11.9 percent increase in the predicted number of cross-border buyout deals compared to domestic LBOs.

Post-acquisition control strategy and cross-border acquisition performance of Chinese MNEs: a fsQCA approach

PurposePost-acquisition control is a crucial factor affecting acquisition performance. We investigate how post-acquisition control strategy affects cross-border acquisition performance of Chinese multinational enterprises (MNEs) through a configurational perspective.Design/methodology/approachBased on 70 cross-border acquisition cases by Chinese MNEs, we adopt fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to study the combined effects of strategic control, operational control, institutional distance, cultural distance, relative capacity and business relatedness on the cross-border acquisition performance.FindingsOn the basis of fuzzy set analysis of multiple interdependent factors, we identify six configurations that are conductive to achieving high cross-border acquisition performance and two configurations that relate to the absence of high performance, thus shedding light on the casually complex nature of performance drivers of acquisitions.Originality/valueThis study provides a holistic, configurational approach to investigating cross-border acquisition performance by emerging market firms. Our results provide some compelling evidence that accounts for the causal complexity of post-acquisition control strategies and acquisition outcomes in the context of emerging economies.

Acquisitions, Organizational Culture and Performance: Empirical Evidence from Acquired Company in Serbia

Research question: The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to examine the effects of acquisitions on organizational culture in terms of the degree of change in certain organizational culture dimensions, and second, to examine effects of organizational culture differences on the acquired company’s performance. Motivation: Although many studies have examined the relationships among acquisitions, organizational culture and performance, especially the relationship between organizational culture differences and company performance in developed economies (Chatterjee et al., 1992; Weber & Camerer, 2003; Krishnan et al., 1997), little attention has been paid to the research into these relationships in the emerging economies. Understanding the cultural issues in the context of acquisition in the emerging economy will contribute to the literature and enable comparison of research results with results obtained in developed economies. Idea: The core idea of this paper was to empirically evaluate the relationship among acquisitions, organizational culture and performance on the example of an acquired company in the Republic of Serbia, as the emerging economy. The paper focuses on exploring the employees' perceptions of organizational culture change in the period after the acquisition, as well as managers’ perceptions of the acquired company’s performance. Data: The survey was conducted in the company operating in the Republic of Serbia which was the subject of cross-border acquisition. The sample consists of 344 respondents (managers and employees) from the acquired company. Tools: Descriptive statistical analysis, Mann-Whitney U-test and regression analysis were applied in the study. Findings: The results of the research demonstrate that innovation as a dimension of organizational culture has changed to a greatest extent. Further, the results show that there are no statistically significant differences in the ways of how managers and employees perceive changes in organizational culture. Additionally, the results of the research show that organizational cultural differences have a positive influence on performance of the acquired company. Contribution: This paper contributes to a better understanding of the significance of organizational culture changes in an acquired company in the emerging economy and formulates practical suggestions for the managers in future acquisitions.

Investigating employee and organizational performance in across‐borderacquisition—A case of withdrawal behavior

AbstractOver the last two decades, performance management systems (PMSs) have been the focus of increasing attention. However, scant research has examined the link between individual‐ and organizational‐level performance in the context of cross‐border mergers and acquisitions. Employee withdrawal adversely affects organizations, and has thus been associated with negative consequences for organizations and regarded as a counterproductive work behavior. Our article presents an empirical investigation of determinants and consequences of employee withdrawal, and its impact on willingness to share tacit knowledge, knowledge transfer, and cross‐border acquisition performance in the context of Chinese acquisitions in the UK. Based on a cross‐sectional survey of 103 employees of an UK subsidiary and Chinese acquiring firm, we found that trust in the acquiring firm significantly reduces acquired firm employee withdrawal behaviors. Moreover, our findings indicate that employee withdrawal behaviors negatively impact employee willingness to share tacit knowledge. The findings further confirm that such willingness positively influences knowledge transfer, which, in turn, has a positive effect on cross border acquisition performance. Our article contributes to the PMS literature by enhancing the understanding of the process through which human resource management systems affect outcomes at different levels of analysis in the context of the cross‐border acquisitions.

Political animosity in cross-border acquisitions: EMNCs’ market and nonmarket strategy in a developed market

PurposeMany multinational corporations that originate from emerging economies (emerging market multinational corporations (EMNCs)) opt for acquiring a target firm in a developed market to expediently upgrade their strategic capabilities. To successfully achieve their strategic goals in the developed markets, EMNCs may use market actions and nonmarket actions to mitigate the potential risk derived from the national political differences between their home emerging economy and host developed economy. This paper aims to extend the legitimacy-based view of political risk to study the influence of political animosity – defined as misalignment of the host-home countries’ national interests – on the EMNCs’ market and nonmarket strategy in a developed market.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, we examine all EMNCs that made cross-border acquisitions of the USA targets from 2005 to 2011. The final sample consists of 252 acquisitions originating from 25 emerging markets. This paper used Tobit regression analysis to test the direct and moderating hypotheses.FindingsFacing a high level of political animosity between their home country and the host developed economy, EMNCs use a market strategy by acquiring less ownership stake in the developed market, as well as engage in a nonmarket strategy by increasing lobbying activities. In addition, because of the heightened legitimacy concerns of developed market shareholders, cross-listed EMNCs have a greater tendency than non-cross-listed EMNCs to improve their legitimacy through their market and nonmarket strategy.Originality/valueThe current paper sheds light on EMNCs’ international strategy in developed markets by examining both market and nonmarket actions. EMNCs are shown to be strongly motivated to engage in acquisitions in developed markets so they can acquire invaluable strategic resources, such as brands and distribution channels, to compete with the developed market multinationals. A sophisticated ownership strategy and corporate political activities are invaluable for EMNCs to catch up with developed market multinationals.

Geographical and cultural patterns in cross-border mergers and acquisitions: the role of experience

ABSTRACT We exploit temporal and spatial correlation in a cross-border merger and acquisition (M&A) database with worldwide coverage to show that firms’ M&A choices are significantly influenced by experience effects related to knowledge accumulation. Our empirical strategy rests on the assumption that experience effects are expected to be at play in M&A directed toward culturally contiguous countries (arguably driven by knowledge accumulation) and not in M&A deals in geographically contiguous countries (arguably driven by transport costs). The analysis is conducted on a bilateral measure of cultural distance (encompassing linguistic, religious and genetic distance indicators), which is meant to capture the idea of the cultural heritage originated by historic linkages.

Global policy uncertainty and cross-border acquisitions

Policy uncertainty has been documented to have a significant impact on corporate investment decisions. This paper investigates the effect of policy uncertainty on cross-border acquisitions. We find a significant monotonic relationship between the size of the acquired equity stake in a target firm and the level of policy uncertainty in the target’s country of origin. More specifically, the acquirer is less inclined to purchase a sizeable ownership stake in the target firm, if the target is domiciled in unstable macroeconomic environment. Moreover, we find that acquirers are less willing to pay in cash if the target faces high policy uncertainty. The above results do not seem to depend on the quality of the country’s institutional environment and are robust to alternative econometric specifications. Our study discusses policy implications and should be of interest to academics as well as finance practitioners.

Do Chinese firms benefit from government ownership following cross-border acquisitions?

Chinese firms’ increasing cross-border acquisitions (CBAs) in recent years seem to challenge the explanatory power of received theories of multinational enterprise (MNE) due to their relatively unique characteristics and the active role of the Chinese government. In this study, we seek to revisit and contextualize the OLI paradigm in conjunction with the institution-based view and examine how Chinese firms’ post-CBA long term performance is associated with government ownership. Our study shows that Chinese firms with more government ownership demonstrate better post-CBA long term performance. However, the above relationship is differentially moderated by such firm-level boundary conditions as political connections and financial slack, and the country-level institutional boundary conditions (i.e., the host country formal institutions and the home-host country cultural distance). We discuss our findings in detail and explore theoretical and practical implications for both Chinese firms and other emerging economy (EE) firms.

How Does Cultural Distance Matter in Long-term Value Creation of Cross-border Acquisitions?

ABSTRACT This article explores the role of cultural distance on long-term value creation for Chinese acquirers based on a sample of Chinese cross-border acquisition (CBA) activities from 1999 to 2017. Our finding suggests that the long-term value creation after CBA is impeded by a greater cultural distance, and such a negative correlation is more prominent among acquirers in service or strategic emerging industries. However, this negative relationship can be mitigated by the capability of prior international acquisition experience in culturally similar countries or top managers’ overseas education experience. Through drawing upon institution-, resource/capability- and industry-based views, this article takes a step toward understanding the role of cultural distance in emerging-market enterprises' (EMEs)’ international acquisitions in the long run.

Predatory FDI during economic crises: insights from outbound FDI from China and host country responses

Purpose This paper aims to analyze outbound investments from China at the time of economic crisis caused due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and how target valuation and the host country’s inbound investment policies influence the acquisition intents. As firms witness low valuations during an economic downturn, they become attractive targets for opportunistic buyers, who may be driven by motives beyond business and influenced by the home country’s political agenda. Such attempts are countered with the adoption of restrictive investment policies in host countries. Design/methodology/approach The study uses secondary data on cross-border acquisitions from China over the past year and compares the characteristics of these acquisitions with cross-border acquisitions of acquirers from other large developed and developing economies. Findings Statistical analyzes show that there are significant differences in the way acquirers from China pursue strategic asset seeking, creeping and control seeking acquisitions during the pandemic and the pre-pandemic period. This paper also observes that reduced valuation of the target, due to economic downturn or otherwise, result in greater propensity in strategic asset seeking acquisitions by Chinese acquirers. At the same time, adverse policies at host nations negatively influence the strategic asset seeking propensity of these acquirers. In addition, the premium in the valuation of target assets during the pandemic does not drop significantly when compared with that of the pre-pandemic period. Originality/value With the outbreak of COVID-19 and its concomitant economic impact across the globe, the study brings forwards insights on predatory foreign direct investment (FDI) and explores how policy responses in host countries can be comprehensive rather than disembedded and unilateral.

Success in completing cross‐border acquisitions by emerging market firms: What matters?

AbstractWhile cross‐border acquisitions (CBAs) by emerging market firms (EMFs) have grown rapidly in recent years, many have failed to bring the acquisitions to completion. Compared with acquisitions initiated by acquirers from developed economies, little is known about the possible determinants of completion or abandonment of CBAs conducted by EMFs. This paper investigates what contributes to the successful completion of CBAs by EMFs. Based on data of 637 announced CBAs by Chinese firms during 2000–17, we find that investing firms’ self‐learning experience from previous acquisitions can significantly increase the completion rate of subsequent related CBAs, while their industrial spillover experience helps raise the completion rate of unrelated CBAs. Our findings also show that the value of acquisition experience is significant only when the target firm is domiciled in countries with comparable level of institutional quality. Our results provide new insights into the complexity of the global M&A market and lessons for EMFs intending to conduct CBAs in the future.