Mapping the Cultural Landscape of Mergers and Acquisitions: A Bibliometric Analysis Revealing Key Themes and Prospective Research Avenues

This study performs bibliometric analysis to uncover the impact of culture on Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) from remarkable body of knowledge to identify research gaps and generate ideas for further investigations. Bibliometric analysis is performed on 212 articles entailing 478 authors from 138 journals indexed in Scopus, followed by a thematic cluster analysis using bibliographic coupling. The two popular statistical software - VosViewer (version 1.6.19) and R bibliometrix package: Biblioshiny, are used for bibliometric analysis. The results revealed the most influential papers, authors, institutions, countries, and keywords through network visualization and science mapping techniques. The following themes emerged using bibliographic coupling and systematic literature review (SLR): a) cultural distances and the success rate of M&As; b) dealing with cultural clashes; c) managing employee emotions and resistance; d) dynamics of structural and socio-cultural integration; and e) the role of knowledge transfer. This is the foremost bibliometric analysis comprehensively examining the cultural aspects of M&A.