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This paper aims to provide some insights for the use of humor when addressing intercultural issues after an international merger.

The author focuses on a few key articles that deal with intercultural issues in international contexts, including an ethnographic case study of a merging firm.

Although humor in different cultures can be difficult to explicate and define, the author find that humor can be used both positively and negatively among employees, and also among consumers, after international mergers.

When considering international mergers, management literature often describes various approaches that firms may take toward bridging differences in employee relations and organizational cultures. However, information on the use of humor in post-merger workplaces, at a more micro level, is not easily found. This paper briefly summarizes how humor – as a collective tool – might be used by employees and managers in daily office encounters to ease post-merger office tensions, as well as by consumers who react to mergers online.

This article aims to explore how and why the creation of technological innovation during a merger can end in failure. The objective is to propose new analytical elements to improve the formulation and execution of the integration process between an SME (small and medium enterprise) and a large enterprise.

The authors develop a theoretical framework based on the main research results from several fields, including technology transfer, innovation dissemination, and management. This case study then focuses on a merger in the IT sector in real time.

This study allowed the authors to test theoretical elements, especially the choice of the integration method, which may favour the creation of technological innovation during the integration period. The authors present new reasons for the failure of co‐created innovation between an SME and a large enterprise in the IT sector. This case study allowed them to test theoretical elements such as the choice of an integration method which could favour the creation of technological innovation during the integration period while enriching scientific knowledge by proposing a dynamic approach to the integration process.

Before managers can envisage symbiosis between two merging firms, they first need to go through a period of exploration, which may entail costly mistakes. Yet this exploration period may be necessary to enable them to discover the limitations of a strictly rational approach to the integration process and to broaden their normal frame of reference. For this in‐depth study, the authors benefited from free access to a substantial amount of information that is generally unavailable for scientific research, which greatly contributed to their work. The authors' theoretical framework is not exhaustive, but they tried to incorporate the most significant research results.

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are major corporate changes and are among the most stressful for employees. Employee resistance is a well-recognised reason for high failure rates of post-merger integration (PMI). The contemporary concept of psychological capital (PsyCap) is a promising approach for dealing with the issue. To date, relatively little research has been conducted on the relationship between PsyCap and resistance. The purpose of this paper is to examine the possible positive impacts of PsyCap on employee resistance during PMI, based on a review of the existing literature and selected interviewers with a panel of experts, and offer a theoretical model for decreasing the resistance.

This paper builds on the literature on M&A, PMI, and employee resistance by focusing on the contribution of PsyCap. Apart from formulating propositions and answering pre-determined research questions, the findings are the basis for a theoretical model that was validated by a panel of experts.

This research documents the negative emotions that are triggers for resistance during PMI under the influence of PsyCap. By measuring and assessing the PsyCap needs of employees, resistant employees were revealed, and their PsyCap was developed using tailored interventions. The research findings indicate this to be a feasible approach for reducing resistance during PMI.

All of the findings rely on empirical testing and operationalisation. Cultural differences may influence the PsyCap dimensions.

M&A deals often fail due to unsuccessful PMI implementation because leaders fail to consider the psychological impacts when trying to overcome resistance. The model proposes a possible solution.

The offered theoretical approach is original and provides new insights for researchers and practitioners who evaluate M&A strategies.

The incidence of mergers and acquisitions has proliferated throughout the world including all sectors of our society, both municipal and industrial, private and public. However, the majority (60‐80 percent) of them do not reach their intended objectives owing to the fact that the merging organizations do not realize the impact of neglecting the human resource factor. Although they properly assess and address the financial and legal issues, they continually overlook this critical factor. The present literature suggests what organizations should do to reverse these negative effects and how to properly address the human resources issues. This research seeks to test this list of suggestions, in the form of a unified model, employing the single case study method. The case in question is a newly merged health centre comprised of four well‐established hospitals. Rather than a set of hypotheses, sets of prescriptions were developed to test the model. Data from interviews and existing documents are used to support or modify the final model. The qualitative results utilized a cross‐method analysis that supported the majority of the unified model, requiring a few modifications. This research has subsequently lead to the development of a unified human resources model for the proper and successful implementation of mergers and acquisitions. The implications of these findings for all organizations, and for mergers and acquisitions theory and practice, are discussed.

Recounts the merger of Jerusalem’s Neighbourhood Self Management Organizations (NSMOs) and Community Service Organizations (CSOs) into the Joint Community Neighbourhood Management Organization (JCNM). Refers to literature on institutional theory and the process of decentralization. Focuses then on the NSMOs and CSOs, providing some background information on how and why they were originally set up and what their goals were. Compares the differences between the organizations, as well as the basic principles they have in common – hence the merge into one organization. Discusses the problems the JCNM has faced over the years, including issues such as identify, legitimacy, composition of board of directors, professional or political values, and restructuring the organization. Draws a quadrant model of patronage and centralization, suggesting that the NCNM aims to occupy a particular quadrant but is being hampered in doing so because policy makers prefer to keep things the way they are.

The purpose of this paper is to present new insights on cross-border merger and acquisition (M&A) process based on received wisdom in the literature and exploratory field interviews of several leading firms that have conducted cross-border M&As. Starting from existing literature the authors explore current trend in cross-border M&A process with the aim to pose several points for future studies.

Based on previous studies (Brocke and Sinnl, 2011; Gogan et al., 2013; Soni and Kodali, 2011) the authors conduct a structured literature review aimed to divide M&A process in three phases evidencing for each of them the specific aspects and future development of researches.

The paper evidences new strategic motivations, implementation and post-merger integration challenges, especially focussing on cultural issues. Finally the authors emphasize the need for novel indicators of acquisition success such as new and distinct capability development post acquisition.

New trend in cross-border M&As impose to rethink the challenges and opportunities posed by cross-border M&As in a tumultuous global business environment, from strategic, cultural, organizational and financial perspectives.

Mergers and acquisitions occur frequently in organizations, but rarely achieve their desired financial and strategic objectives. Personal experience gained in more than 50 corporate combinations shows that many factors account for the dismal track record of mergers and acquisitions, including underestimating the multitude of integration issues and problems that arise as organizations come together and the pervasiveness and depth of human and cultural issues triggered in a combination. These dynamics have been found in combinations involving organizations of all sizes, in all industry sectors and across international boundaries. Reviews the human, organizational and cultural dynamics affecting mergers and acquisitions, and reports recent trends influencing interventions to enhance merger and acquisition success. Describes consulting approaches and methods required to minimize employee stress, management crisis and culture clash and to enhance the desired financial and strategic results of mergers and acquisitions.

During the 1990s we have seen an unprecedented wave of mergers and acquisitions (M&As). Despite managerial over‐optimism, research consistently showed that 50‐75 percent of M&As fail to live up to expectations. The article, drawing from both academic evidence and accumulated experience of companies that seem to have mastered the game of M&As, aims to offer managers and understandable and practical set of tips on what to seek and what to avoid when making such major strategic moves.

The article draws from relevant research evidence.

Although there is no “one size fits all” solution to the effective management of M&As, past research has offered us an extensive body of knowledge. The article draws attention not only to mistakes that take place after the merger, but also to mistakes that usually take place before the merger. It seems that in many cases the seeds of an unsuccessful merger have been sown well before the deal is signed.

The article presents a series of questions managers should honestly answer themselves in order to avoid these mistakes.

Finally, the article ends with an optimistic view. In future more successful M&As will be seen, due to both the nature of current deals, as well as to the active involvement in the process by boards of directors and other stakeholders.

The multiple organizational factors impacting upon a merger as well as those processes being impacted upon throughout the merger process will be examined. Part 1 of this article examined corporate culture and its affects on employees when two companies merge and considered the importance of lucid communication throughout the process. Part 2 of the article addresses the critical issue of stress, which is an outcome within the new and uncertain environment. Finally, the article concludes with the process of managing and strategy throughout the phases, giving guidelines that managers and CEOs should follow in the event of an M&A. Furthermore, the five major sections (communications, corporate culture, change, stress, and managing/strategy) are sub‐divided into three sub‐sections: pre‐merger; during the merger; post‐merger. This is intended to further assist managers and CEOs distinguish the important issues facing employees at each of the three junctures of the M&A process.

The multiple organizational factors impacting on a merger as well as those processes being impacted on throughout the merger process will be examined. First, the issue of constant and lucid communication and its importance throughout the merger and acquisition (M&A) process will be addressed. Second, an examination of the current corporate culture and its effects on employees when two companies merge is analyzed, while illuminating the realities of the new culture. An exploration of change in general is examined, as well as the reaction of employees (resistance) to these changes. Next, the article addresses the critical issue of stress, which is an M&A outcome within the new and uncertain environment. The article concludes with the process of managing and strategy throughout the phases. Furthermore, the five major sections (communications, corporate culture, change, stress, and managing/strategy) are sub‐divided into three sub‐sections: pre‐merger; during the merger; post‐merger.