Cycling in tandem: an exploratory study of MNE and SME integration Online publication date: Wed, 10-Nov-2004
by Joanna Scott-Kennel, Michele E.M. Akoorie
International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business (IJESB), Vol. 1, No. 3/4, 2004
Abstract: Increased merger and acquisition activity over past decades has been driven by changes to the operating environment of international and domestic firms, a consequence of the increased globalisation of industries and the liberalisation of national trade and investment policies. This paper integrates the small to medium sized enterprise (SME) and multinational enterprise (MNE) lifecycles into the organisational lifecycle literature and offers a conceptual model showing how ''new growth'' trajectories are developed for both firms. Longitudinal case studies are used to determine the lifecycles of pairs of SMEs and MNEs in resource-based and non-resource based industries. Comparing the pre-acquisition motivations and contexts of the firms with the post-acquisition outcomes suggests that the critical event juncture for both sets of firms may occur at a stage where both SMEs and MNEs have reached a developmental stasis. The integration of their lifecycles then offers a path for redevelopment and institutional transformation.
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