Title: Marketing integration in cross-border mergers and acquisitions: conceptual framework and research propositions

Authors: Rudolf R. Sinkovics; Mohd. Haniff Jedin; Noemi Sinkovics

Addresses: Comparative & International Business Research Centre (CIBER), The University of Manchester, Manchester Business School, Booth Street West, Manchester M15 6PB, UK; Lappeenranta University of Technology, Skinnarilankatu 34, PL 20, 53851 Lappeenranta, Finland ' University Utara Malaysia, 06010 Sintok Kedah, Malaysia ' Comparative & International Business Research Centre (CIBER), The University of Manchester, Manchester Business School, Booth Street West, Manchester M15 6PB, UK

Abstract: As for Mergers and Acquisitions (M&As), cross-border M&As are particularly problematic and complex. The most challenging issue is the integration of different management styles and departmental practices. Once the integration seeps deeper into functional levels, the M&A commitment offered at strategic level is faced with operational implementation challenges. The marketing departmental function is usually heavily involved in this integration process. Research on marketing integration in relation to M&As has paid little attention to the process of combining resources from two similar departments, particularly in a cross-border M&A context. Furthermore, existing research does not clearly highlight those factors that contribute to successful marketing integration. Hence, this paper discusses the phenomenon of marketing integration in the cross-border M&A context. Collaboration, interaction, marketing synergy and redeployment of marketing resources are proposed as antecedents to the integration. Drawing from the extant literature, propositions are developed and mechanisms to improve M&A integration performance are elaborated.

Keywords: mergers and acquisitions; functional integration; marketing integration; literature review; cross-border M&A; management styles; collaboration; interaction; marketing synergy; marketing resources; resource redeployment.

DOI: 10.1504/EJIM.2014.064899

European Journal of International Management, 2014 Vol.8 No.6, pp.644 - 670

Received: 11 Apr 2013
Accepted: 11 Apr 2013
Published online: 21 Oct 2014 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article