Small Business Merger and Acquisition Strategies for Raising Capital in Emerging Economies

Small Business Merger and Acquisition Strategies for

Raising Capital in Emerging Economies

Section 1: Foundation of the Study

Access to capital is a critical pillar for all businesses, and the ability of business

owners to access financial resources is essential for long-term sustainability, growth, and

overall success (Magembe, 2017). Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face

daunting constraints in accessing capital from banks compared to large firms (Rossi,

Lombardi, Siggia, & Oliva, 2016; Thorsten & Dcmirgiic-Kunt, 2006). The causes of the

capital scarcity to SMEs in emerging economies are undeveloped financial and capital

markets and stringent bank loan terms (Hashim, 2015; Nguyen & Luu, 2013; Oaya &

Mambula, 2017). While mergers and acquisitions (M&As) can be a vital source of capital

for SMEs, there is no guarantee such transactions could succeed if used by SMEs. To

attract capital from new funding channels and leverage emerging market opportunities to

achieve strategic goals, SME owners require a profound understanding and appreciation

of how to successfully apply M&A strategies. In this study, I explored how SMEs owners

used M&A strategies to attract capital for expansion and growth.

Background of the Problem

Access to capital is the leading constraint facing SMEs in emerging economies

(Ferrandoa, Popova, & Udell, 2017; Magembe, 2017). The lack of capital to SMEs is the

result of difficulties meeting stringent conditions of banks and other financial institutions

(Dong & Men, 2014; Quaye, Abrokwah, Sarbah, & Osei, 2014). In sub-Saharan Africa,

lack of capital places significant impediments on the operations of SMEs (Forkuoh, Li,

Affum-Osei, & Quaye, 2015; Moro, 2015).

In a quest to tackle the challenges associated with accessing capital, SME owners

in emerging economies are beginning to embrace M&A strategies as an alternative source

of resources for expansion and growth (Arik & Kutan, 2015; Caiazza & Dauber, 2015).

When using M&A strategies, owners of SMEs proactively trigger merger activities to

attract resources for growth and expansion. Lebedeva, Peng, Xie, and Stevens (2015)

posited that M&As serve as channels through which firms in emerging economies could

attract capital. Because of the weak financial position of SMEs in Africa, access to capital

remains the main reason for deploying M&A strategies (Ellis, Lamont, Reus, & Faifman,

2015; Ogada, Njuguna, & Achoki, 2016). Viet (2015) found that in addition to capital,

SME owners in emerging economies attract expertise and technological know-how

through M&As. According to Garkushaa, Joyce, and Lloyd (2015), inbound M&A, that is

a merger or acquisition where a foreign firm merges with or acquires a firm locallyowned

in the jurisdiction of the transaction, offer avenues for capital inflow to firms in emerging

economies.

Problem Statement

Owners of SMEs have difficulties raising capital through M&As (Bauer &

Matzler, 2014). Between 70% and 90% of inbound M&A deals in emerging economies,

including most in Africa, delay excessively or fail to close, leaving business owners with

no external capital injection with which to grow, expand, or pursue new market

opportunities (Narayan & Thenmozhi, 2014; Reddy, 2015; Reddy, Nangia, & Agrawal,

2014). The general business problem is that some owners of SMEs in emerging

economies cannot raise financial resources through M&As. The specific business

problem is some owners of SMEs in Ghana lack strategies to raise capital through

M&As.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies SME owners

in Ghana use to raise capital through M&As. The population comprised five SME owners

in Ghana who had raised financial resources from M&A transactions within the past 10

years. The implications for social change include improved access to capital by owners of

SMEs for growth, which could lead to increased employment and disrupt the cycle of

high unemployment which perpetuates economic and social deprivation.

Nature of the Study

The three methods of conducting research are quantitative, qualitative, and mixed

methods. Researchers use the qualitative method to address the what or how of a

phenomenon (Yin, 2014). I used the qualitative method because the purpose of my study

was to provide an in-depth understanding of how owners of private enterprises raise

capital through M&A strategies. Researchers employ the quantitative approach to test the

significance of the relationships among variables, examine numerical constructs, and test

hypotheses (Yin, 2014). I did not use the quantitative research method because the

purpose of this study was not to test a hypothesis about the relationships or differences

among variables. Researchers use the mixed method to integrate qualitative and

quantitative analyzes through data enumeration, hypothesis testing, or the development of

multiple perspectives (Caruth, 2013). Given the focus of my study, I did not use the

quantitative or mixed methods.

Three types of qualitative research designs are case study, ethnography, and

phenomenology (Korstjens & Moser, 2017). Researchers use the case study design to

explore participants’ experiences through complex interventions, relationships,

communities, or programs and to explore contemporary issues that inform business

decision-making (Turner & Dank, 2014; Yin, 2014). I applied the case study design to

explore the M&A strategies SME owners in Ghana use to raise capital. Researchers use

the ethnography design to identify patterns and relationships of a social or cultural setting

(Korstjens & Moser, 2017). Phenomenological researchers explore the meanings of

participants’ lived experiences of a phenomenon (Korstjens & Moser, 2017). Because

these uses were not appropriate for the purpose of this study, I did not employ either the

ethnographic or phenomenological designs.

Research Question

What strategies do owners of private enterprises in Ghana use to raise capital

through inbound merger and acquisitions?

Interview Questions

1. What are the strategies you used to attract and raise capital through inbound

mergers and acquisitions?

2. How did you assess the effectiveness of the strategies for raising capital

through inbound mergers and acquisitions?

3. What were the key barriers and challenges to implementing these strategies to

attract and raise capital through inbound mergers and acquisitions?

4. How did you address the key barriers and challenges to implementing the

successful strategies to attract and raise capital through inbound mergers and

acquisitions?

5. How did you assess the effectiveness of addressing the barriers and

challenges?

6. What other information would you add that could help understand the

strategies you employed to raise capital through inbound mergers and

acquisitions?

Conceptual Framework

After observing that researchers in the 1980s focused principally on the

traditional, resource-based view and, as a result, could not fully explain the increased

volumes of M&A activities, Seth (1990a) proposed the value creation theory to expound

on the use of M&As by business owners to attract capital for expansion. Through the

value creation theory, Seth offered an alternative analytical framework that addressed

how synergies from intangible assets brought significant benefits to the entities involved

in the M&A. Seth (1990b) went further to develop an empirical method for evaluating the

relative importance of different sources of value in M&As, positing that value creation in

M&As came from economies of scale and scope, market power, and the coinsurance

effect, that enabled the combined entity to benefit from higher streams of cash flows to

reduce the probability of bankruptcy. Seth, Song, and Pettit (2002) extended the analysis

to explain the increased volume and value of U.S. cross-border M&A activities between

1985 and 1999, adding that multiple sources of value creation, such as asset sharing,

reverse internalization of valuable intangible assets, and financial diversification, can

produce synergistic cross-border acquisitions.

The value creation theory offered the most suitable framework for my study.

According to the value creation theory, firms pursue M&As to create value from the

synergies that arise when two business entities merge (Seth, 1990a, 1990b). Therefore,

the value creation theory aligned with the aims of my study and provided me with an

appropriate conceptual framework for exploring and understanding proactive M&As

strategies by Ghanaian SME owners.

Operational Definitions

Acquisition: The purchasing of a part or 100% stake in a firm by another entity

(Koi-Akrofi, 2016).

Emerging economies: Countries with economies that are in a fast increase process

and have a higher capacity than the developed countries to provide investors with

opportunities to achieve higher profits (Sako, 2015).

Merger and acquisition deal cycle: The duration it takes for the M&A parties to

conclude the transaction process (Gomes-Casseres, 2016).

Merger and acquisition deal failure: When the M&A parties fail to agree and go

their separate way (Gomes-Casseres, 2016).

Merger: The joining of two business entities into one with a shareholding

structure dependent on the outcome of the negotiations (Koi-Akrofi, 2016).

Postmerger and acquisition period: The period after the M&A transaction

(Christensen, Alton, Rising, & Waldeck, 2011).

Synergy: When the value of the combined firms in a M&A transaction exceeds

that of the two individual firms (Seth, 1990a).

Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations

Assumptions

Assumptions are the beliefs a researcher offers without proofs (Nkwake &

Morrow, 2016). Underlying this study were five assumptions. Owners of SMEs

proactively pursue M&As as an alternative channel to raise financial resources to expand

(Ellis et al., 2015). An underlying assumption that I held was that business owners have

sufficient knowledge of their businesses yet face difficulties in raising capital from

financial institutions. I assumed that owners of SMEs could respond accurately to the

survey questions and provide accurate and reliable information. My next assumption was

in line with the value creation theory that business owners pursue M&As to create

increased value through synergies. Another assumption was the completion of the deal

process did not result in the injection of financial resources into the business (see Manole

& Spatareanu, 2014). A further assumption of mine was that SME owners provided

objective and honest responses to the survey questions and had a good understanding of

the confidentiality protecting their answers with no repercussions for participation or

refusal thereof. Finally, the study has a limited scope given its focus on the M&A deal

process, the success of which results in the injection of resources into the business.

Limitations

Limitations are threats to the validity of the research findings (Brutus, Aguinis, &

Wassmer, 2013). There were three limitations to the study. The first limitation related to

the reliance on responses from participants that could have resulted in self-reporting bias

if the interviewed SME owners provided misrepresentative information (see Su, Baird, &

Schoch, 2015). The second limitation, related to the multiple case study design, was the

reliance on five firms that may not have been representative of SMEs in Ghana and

across all emerging economies. The final limitation was that difficulties in accessing

financing from commercial banks might trigger proactive use of M&As. However, not all

M&As are motivated by lack of capital. Some M&As are a result of strategic rather than

financial reasons. As a result, users of the study findings could not make direct inferences

regarding the use of M&A by all SME owners as a strategy for raising capital.

Delimitations

Delimitations are the boundaries that establish the scope of a research inquiry

(Newman, Hitchcock, & Newman, 2015). The first delimitation of this study was its

limited scope, focusing on five SME owners in Ghana who had raised capital from M&A

transactions within the past 10 years. I also covered private enterprises from emerging

economies in this study by targeting SME owners in Ghana who voluntarily chose to

participate. The selection of participants from this pool represented a form of convenience

rather than a completely random sampling as espoused by Landers and Behrend (2015).

Finally, I selected Ghana, an emerging economy, to provide insight into how SME

owners use M&A strategies to raise capital.

Significance of the Study

The findings, conclusions, and recommendations from this study are of value to

SME owners in emerging economies. Access to financing is one of the main challenges

inhibiting the expansion and growth of SMEs in emerging economies (Cole & Sokolyk,

2016). The findings offer insight into how SMEs may explore and apply M&A strategies

as alternative sources of capital.

Contribution to Business Practice

The findings, conclusions, and recommendations from this study could help SME

owners in emerging economies improve access to financing. Lack of credit is the leading

challenge facing the growth of SMEs in emerging economies (Cole & Sokolyk, 2016).

An appreciation of effective M&A strategies could offer SME owners new channels to

raise financial resources to pursue expansion and growth goals.

Implications for Social Change

The results of this qualitative, multiple case study could contribute to business

practice by helping SMEs owners to explore M&As as an alternative source of capital for

expansion and growth. The research findings deepen the understanding of how SMEs use

M&A strategies reliably to raise capital. The study findings can also offer SME owners

new insights and lessons to better understand possible strategies for raising capital

through M&As.

A Review of the Professional and Academic Literature

The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to explore the strategies

SME owners in Ghana successfully used to raise capital through M&As. The main

research question I addressed in this study was: What strategies do SME owners in Ghana

use to raise capital through inbound merger and acquisitions? In the literature review, I

explored the extant literature on M&A strategies that could help SMEs improve access to

capital.

I used several databases to locate scholarly journals including Google Scholar,

ProQuest, Thoreau Multi-Database, Researchgate, Medline, PubMed, and Science Direct.

To search, I used the following keywords and search terms: small and medium-sized

enterprises, mergers, acquisitions, value creation, access to capital, operational

synergies, financial synergies, mergers and acquisition deal failure, and emerging

economies. Additional search terms for the conceptual framework included value

creation theory, redistribution theory, hubris theory, and agency theory.

The literature review included 128 references. In addition to scholarly articles, I

reviewed information from published books and databases such as Statistica and United

Nations Conference on Trade and Development. The references included 120 (94%) peer-

reviewed articles with 115 articles (90%) published from 2014 to the present and four

articles (4%) published before 2014. The remaining eight references comprised six books

(4%) and articles no peer-reviewed and published from 2014 to the present as well as two

databases. Therefore, 90% of the references used in this study met the requirements of

credibility and currency (see Table 1).

Table 1

Percentage of Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed References Published Since 2014

Peer-reviewed journal articles or seminal works 115 90%

Peer-reviewed journal articles published before 2014 5 4%

Governmental and nongovernmental websites 2 1%

References or articles not peer reviewed 6 5%

Total all sources 128 100%

M&A Theories

The two main theories underpinning M&As are the value creation theory and

redistribution theory. According to proponents of the value creation theory, firms engage

in M&A to create value (Haeruddin, 2017; Seth, 1990a, 1990b). The redistribution theory

has two elements: the hubris and the agency theories (Berkovitch & Naranayan, 1993).

Proponents of the hubris theory asserted that managers overemphasize the capacity to

maximize shareholder value to the extent the synergistic value from M&As is lower than

expected (Krug, Wright, & Kroll, 2014). Roll (1986) had earlier posited that even though

M&As driven by hubris created excess value, the value was lower than the takeover

premium. Because managers and shareholders have different interests due to the

separation of governance from management, managers do not always maximize

shareholder value but act with self-interest (Krug et al., 2014).

The value creation theory offer the most applicable framework for this study. Seth

(1990a; 1990b) developed the value creation theory to explain the rising use of M&As by

business owners to attract capital and other resources from the 1980s. Through the value

creation theory, Seth (1990a; 1990b) offered an alternative analytical framework which

focused on how synergies arising from M&As generated significant benefits to the

transaction parties. Seth (1990a; 1990b) articulated how M&As created value from

Source

Frequency Percentage

economies of scale and scope, market power, and other internal synergies that enabled the

combined entity to generate higher streams of cash flows. Seth et al. (2002) further

supported the value creation theory by demonstrating that quest for asset sharing,

internalization of valuable intangible assets, and financial diversification, accounted for

the increased U.S cross-border M&A activities between 1985 and 1999.

Several researchers have supported the value creation theory. After analyzing 921

M&A transactions trading on the New York Stock Exchange and the American Stock

Exchange between 1958 and 1984, Bradley, Desai, and Kim (1988) concluded that M&A

transactions generated synergies resulting in the postmerger value exceeding the

premerger values of the two firms. According to Bradley et al., the synergies from the

combination of businesses resulted in more efficient management, economies of scale,

improved production techniques, efficient use of assets, consolidation of market power,

and increased the value of the combined firm by an average of 7.4%. Shah and Arora

(2014) found that M&As create value through improved efficiency, reducing operating

costs through economies of scale, expanding the range of products and services, and

growing the market. These benefits result from synergies associated with the transaction.

Shah and Arora observed that some M&A transactions positively impact whole industries

and local economies. According to Shah and Arora, the findings of several research

inquiries attested to positive abnormal returns to shareholders of both target firms and

acquirers.

The maximization of shareholder value is an important attraction of M&As.

Andriuškevičius (2015) advanced the value creation theory by positing that positive

M&A synergies ensure there is the maximization of the shareholder value of both

acquirer and target firms. According to Andriuškevičius, factors, such as economic

uncertainty, stiffening antitrust regulations, and financial crises, did not prevent corporate

entities from pursuing M&A strategies. Andriuškevičius also asserted that M&As could

serve as preferred strategies for firms during periods of economic instability. Expanding

the analysis on value creation arising from M&As synergies beyond shareholder value

maximization, Erel, Jang, and Weisbach (2015) examined the extent to which the

financial position of target firms improved from resources provided by acquiring firms.

After analyzing a sample of 5,187 European M&As between 2001 and 2008, Erel et al.

observed a significant increase in investments and financial improvements in the target

firms. After analyzing the shareholder effect of domestic and cross-border M&As

involving Japanese acquiring firms, Inoue and Ings (2018) concluded that even though

the M&As increased shareholder value, the value appreciation was higher in emerging

markets than the matured markets.

For companies listed on stock markets, stock price appreciation is a realizable

value proposition from M&As. Examining the relationship between M&A value creation

and listed firms in emerging economies, Akben-Selcuk (2015) explored the impact of

M&A announcements on the stock price performance of Turkish target firms. After

analyzing 67 deals announced between 2000 and 2014 and stock price reaction,

AkbenSelcuk stated that shareholders of Turkish target firms benefitted from positive and

significant abnormal returns. This finding was consistent with previous studies that

showed target firms profited most from M&A transactions by attracting premiums from

acquirers seeking controlling interest. After analyzing a sample of 305 M&As in India

between 2003 and 2008, Rani, Yadav, and Jain (2015) found significant improvement in

the profitability of acquirer and target firms involved in domestic and cross-border

M&As. According to Rani et al., this increased profitability was the result of efficiency

gains that manifested in improved cost and liquidity ratios of the merged firm. Rani et al.

attributed the higher profit levels to efficiency gains that bolstered cash flows and

shareholder value.

Improvement is efficiency is a source value creation from M&As. Högholm

(2016) opined that the expectation of positive value to all stakeholders is a precondition

for a merger deal with the value emanating from improvements in efficiency. According

to Hogholm, through improvement in efficiency, M&As generate gains to shareholders of

both the acquiring and target firms. Adnan and Hossain (2016) supported Hogholm but

added that, beyond improvement in efficiency, M&A parties have benefitted from

increases market share and market power, economics of scale and scope, and lower cost

of capital. The improved cash flows increased the value of the merged firm above the

premerger values of the two separate firms (Adnan & Hossain, 2016). Golubov,

Petmezas, and Travlos (2016) focused on the link between the method of financing and

the success or failure of M&As. Golubov et al. disputed the perception that M&As

involving public firms and financed with stock resulted in negative shareholder value

creation, while direct cash offers resulted in positive returns for acquiring firm

shareholders. From their findings, Golubov et al. opined that stock-financed acquisitions

were non-value-destructive and resulted in incremental gains.

Increased profitability is one of the value creation attributes of M&As. After

analyzing the various financial ratios of merged banks in Nigeria, Omoye and Aniefor

(2016) found that M&As significantly improved the profitability and performance of

Nigerian banks. Omoye and Aniefor attributed the significant improvement in postmerger

profitability ratios to synergies created by M&As that positively influenced the cash flow

streams of the merged firms. The authors asserted that M&As have been value creating

for Nigerian banks and contributed to increased capacity and performance. In a study of

banking sector M&As in emerging countries, Du and Sim (2016) stated that efficiency

improved significantly in target banks compared to acquiring banks. From their research

findings, Du and Sim posited that bank mergers in emerging economies could improve

the efficiency and performance of the combined entity. Also focusing on the banking

sector, Kyriazopoulos and Drymbetas (2015) explained that high profitability was the

leading trigger for M&As in the financial sector after reviewing 118 domestic banks

M&As between 1996 and 2010. According to Kyriazopoulos and Drymbetas, investors

favored targets firms with high prior profitability because of the possibilities for

improved cash flow and higher postmerger value.

Haeruddin (2017) explained that M&As generate value when the integration of

two firms improves the competitive advantage of the merged firm. Haeruddin posited that

M&A synergies strengthened the competitive position of the firms through improvement

in internal processes, economies of scale and scope, and efficiency and innovation.

Loukianova, Nikulin, and Vedernikov (2017) contributed to the value creation theory by

asserting that M&A create synergies through the blending of assets (both tangible and

intangible) of the acquirer and the target firms. According to Loukianova et al., M&A

deals succeed when the expected synergistic value is larger than the sum of the values of

the two stand-alone firms. Because such value is not realizable without the merging of the

two firms, both the acquirer and target firm pursue M&As with an expectation of creating

value (Loukianova et al., 2017).

Concepts of M&As

M&As is a term that refers to the consolidation of companies and cover a wide

range of dealings for purchasing, selling, separating, spinning, and management buyout

and buy-in (Haerudin, 2016; Ogada et al., 2016). According to Koi-Akrofi (2016), a

merger is the joining of two business entities in which one firm transfers all its assets to

the other. An acquisition is the purchasing of the assets and stock of the acquired

company to achieve a managerial influence (Koi-Akrofi, 2016). The acquisition process

may be friendly or hostile depending on whether there was accord between the acquirer

and the owners of the target firm. A merger and an acquisition are the two distinct types

of transactions with different consequences on the legal obligations of the parties,

acquisition procedures, and tax liabilities (Sinclair & Keller, 2017). The lines between

M&As have blurred as each of these transactions result in the combination of two or

more firms (Malik et al., 2014; Piper & Schneider, 2015).

An M&A can take one of three forms: horizontal, vertical, or conglomerate

(Herger & Mccorriston, 2016). In horizontal M&A, the acquirer and target firms are

generally in the same industry (Herger & Mccorriston, 2016). The high growth in

horizontal M&As in the past 2 decades is a response to global restructuring across several

sectors, especially the pharmaceuticals, automobile, and petroleum industries, in response

to technological change and liberalization (Herger & Mccorriston, 2016). Vertical M&As

are combinations of firms in client-supplier or buyer-seller relationships to reduce

uncertainty and transaction costs and benefit from economies of scope (Herger &

Mccorriston, 2016). Conglomerate M&A transactions typically involve firms operating in

unrelated businesses seeking to diversify through economies of scope (El Zuhairy, 2015).

Altogether, M&As involve complex structures and transactions that may be horizontal,

vertical, or conglomerate and, at the same time, be either hostile or friendly and based in

one jurisdiction or across jurisdictions (El Zuhairy, 2015).

An M&A is an important strategy used by businesses to expand or access unique

resources or capabilities by combining with or acquiring others. According to Degbey

and Hassett (2016), M&As have become an increasingly popular method of

organizational growth and development and provide unique opportunities for the acquirer

to achieve strategic goals. M&As also help firms to gain new capabilities that an

organization might otherwise find difficult to develop on its own and to gain access to

new markets (Degbey & Hassett, 2016). Cross-border M&As are also important

strategies business owners use to attract financing from external sources to expand and

grow.

There are several motives for M&As. Haeruddin (2016) provided a broad

spectrum of motives for the use of M&As that included increasing market power,

promoting operating or financial synergy, and overcoming inefficient management.

Tripathi and Lamba (2015) identified five motives for cross-border M&As: value

creation, improvement in efficiency, market leadership, strategic goals, and synergistic

gains. According to Tripathi and Lamba, acquirers’ goal in an M&A is to achieve cost

efficiency, better financial returns, and unique expertise. Steen, Turpie, and Ng (2014)

felt that growth and profit maximization were the main reasons for the adoption of M&A

strategies by business owners. Owners of private enterprises in emerging economies have

used M&As to increase competitiveness and improve profit margins, market share, and

global dominance (Deschamps & Lee, 2015). Business owners also use M&As as a tool

to promote future growth and create sustainable value and, as a result, seek compatible

and synergistic businesses to reinforce core strengths (Kim, 2018).

Concentrating on globalization, Connaughton, Meikle, and Teerikangas (2015)

opined that M&As had become the primary vehicles of strategic renewal and expansion

by firms seeking worldwide reach and competitive positioning globally. Contributing to

the globalization argument, Sonenshine and Reynolds (2014) stated that business owners

use cross-border M&A strategies to gain a global competitive advantage by internalizing

core activities. Supporting the globalization argument, Gagnon and Volesky (2017) and

Cilhoroz, Songur, Gozlu, and Konca (2016) found acceleration in the number of

companies using M&As as growth and globalization strategy. Cross-border mergers also

enable firms to obtain resources from local firms, such as its knowledge base, technology,

and human resources, as well as gain access to local markets.

Business owners also use M&A as a strategy to improve efficiency from

economies of scale and scope, managerial and financial synergies, and superior

management. Focusing on financial performance as a motive for M&As, Wubben,

Batterink, Kolympiris, Kemp, and Omta (2015) stated that financial performance and

shareholder value enhancement were the two most important reasons for M&As. To

Ferreira, dos Reis, and Pinto (2016), the quest for increased shareholders’ wealth and

efficiency accounted for increased M&A activities and opined that successful M&As

increased the share price of both acquiring and target banks.

Some researchers identified other motives for M&As. Among them, Degbey and

Pelto (2015) explained customer retention as a driving reason for some M&A

transactions, stressing that some acquirers focus on retaining acquired firms' customers to

enhance the postacquisition value. Adding to the customer perspective of M&As,

Yeboah, Asirifi, and Ampadu (2015) found that the positive financial impact of banking

sector M&As in Ghana is the result of enhanced customer satisfaction and improved

service quality. Value creation from M&As is dependent on how the combined firm

improves service quality for a positive reaction from customers (Kiesel, Ries, &

Tielmann, 2017). Swaminathan, Groening, Mittal, and Thomaz (2014) also focused on

the impact of M&As on customers by arguing that merging firms should focus on

simultaneously improving customer satisfaction and improving efficiency to maximize

long-term firm value. The simultaneous focus on customer satisfaction and efficiency

enhancements could guarantee long-term financial performance in a merger

(Swaminathan et al., 2014). The focus on customers could boost customer loyalty and

monetary value and contribute to increased income and returns on each customer (Ansari

& Riasi, 2016).

Focusing on the technology sector, Almor, Tarba, and Margalit (2014) opined that

maturing technology firms used M&As to increase the chances of survival. Such

acquisitions have not driven by the quest to for higher profit but rather as a means of

increasing sales, expand, upgrade product line and to enhance overall value. Mergers and

Acquisitions help technology-based, globally-oriented firms to survive and succeed in a

competitive global environment. According to Li, Li, and Wang (2016), the motivation

for cross-border M&As by acquirers from emerging economies is to acquire strategic

assets to enhance competitive advantage. These assets, that include technology,

management skills, and human capital, are scarce in emerging economies (Li et al.,

2016).

Ugwuanyi (2015) reported that consolidation is one of the main reasons for

M&As among Nigerian banks adding that the quest to increase the capital base, complete

globally and offer high returns to shareholders were the reasons for the high waves of

banking sector M&As in Nigeria the last decade. Gao (2015) argued that firms use

M&As as an expansion strategy and to accelerate the access to, and allocation of,

resources. In resource-intensive firms in the energy and utility sectors, M&As helped in

expanding geographical footprint, diversification, and access to resource inputs (Vadra,

2014). Contributing to the motives for M&As, Ghosha and Dutta (2014) posited that

restructuring was one of the main reasons for the application of M&As strategies by firms

to reverse poor operational and financial performance. Researchers no longer recognize

the empire-building motive as a catalyst for M&As because of the high rate of failure of

M&A transactions that focused on empire-building (Chang & Cho, 2017). The motives

for M&As are all consistent with the value-creation theory.

Sources of M&A Value Creation

M&A synergies create value by improving postmerger cash flows far above the

levels before the merger. For the acquiring firm, value occurs when postmerger value

gain exceeds the acquisition premium for the M&A (Bena & Li, 2014; De Graaf &

Pienaar, 2013). Value-creating synergies from M&As arise from various sources

including economies of scale, economies of scope, improvement in efficiencies;

innovation, consolidation and market power, tax savings, lower cost of capital and market

power (De Graaf & Pienaar, 2013). Even though M&A synergies could come various

sources, value creation proponents have identified two broad sources of M&A synergies.

These are operational and financial synergies (Bashah & Rahatullah, 2014). Operating

synergies are the improvements in the combined firms’ operating activities achievable

when an M&A occurs. The sources of operational synergies include economies of scale

and new opportunities for growth in new or existing markets (Loukianova et al., 2017).

M&A transactions generate financial synergies through better debt capacity, tax

benefits, and lower the cost of capital. Financial synergies contribute to higher operating

cash-flows and increases the postacquisition value of the merged firm (Ogada et al.,

2016). Hamza, Sghaier, and Thraya (2016) opined that operating synergies manifests in

revenue enhancements and cost reduction. Revenue-enhancing operational synergies

improved the products or services of the merger partners and contributed to immediate

and long-term revenue growth (Hamza et al., 2016). Cost-reduction synergies may result

from economies of scale when the M&A increases the size of the operation.

Costreduction synergies also came from economies of scope as the firm offers a broader

range of products and services from one set of inputs (Hamza et al., 2016).

Proponents of operational synergies such as Hamza et al. (2016) concluded that

operational synergies are the result of improvement in operating activities from an M&A.

Operational synergies reflect in higher efficiency, increased productivity, increased

revenue, savings in operating costs, savings on capital investment costs, better market

access and better competitive advantage. Improvement in the efficiency of productive

assets enhanced a firm’s operating cash flows and eventually increased the value of the

merged firm (Hamza et al., 2016). According to Bashah and Rahatullah (2014), through

operational synergies, business owners optimize productive assets achieve economies of

scale, strengthen bargaining power, and enhance growth. Operational synergies arise from

enhanced productive efficiency, which in turn leads to improved operating profits

(Bashah & Rahatullah, 2014). Productive efficiency also promotes stronger growth in

existing or new markets and increases market share. Greater market power enables the

merged entity to benefit from better terms from suppliers and could lead to competitive

pricing (Bashah & Rahatullah, 2014).

Reznakova and Peta (2016) found that the results of operational synergies include

consolidation of management, financial management systems, and procedures that lower

overhead cost and enhance profitability. In typical manufacturing environments,

improvement and control over the manufacturing process and the distribution channel

improve input sourcing, margins, and profitability (Reznakova & Peta 2016). Analyzing

the sources of operational synergies from M&As, Jiang, Yuan, and Zeng (2016)

explained that large enterprises use M&A as a growth strategy by improving and

consolidating the operational systems of the two firms. Jiang et al. asserted that most

large enterprises in the U.S. grew on the back of M&As and there are very few

enterprises that relied on internal resources for growth. Innovation is central to the

realization of operational synergies when firms merge.

Wubben, Batterink, and Omta (2016) asserted that in the technology sector

M&As, improvement in innovation contributes significantly to operational synergies.

Operational synergies improve time to market, product functionality, product and service

quality, and new product or service deployment (Ensign, Lin, Chreim, & Persaud, 2014).

After studying the contribution of innovation to operational synergies, Bauer and Matzler

(2014) and Sabidussi et al. (2014), found that M&As have evolved as strategies for

improving the innovativeness of firms through a unique combination of resources and

capabilities of the participating firms. Mergers and acquisitions induce innovation

through cost synergy, process synergy, and new growth platforms (Bauer & Matzler,

2014; Cefis & Marsili, 2015; Sabidussi et al., 2014). Through improved research and

development (R&D), the combined firm better reallocates resources to achieve economies

of scale or scope, shorten time-to-market, and develop growth platforms for creating new

products (Cefis & Marsili 2015; Kawazoe & Abetti 2014). As Dao, Strobl, Bauer, and

Tarba (2017) observed, innovation is the source of value creation in M&As.

In the technology sector, Colombo and Rabbiosi (2014) stated that technological

relatedness is a critical indicator of the potential for firms to generate more innovations

from M&As than firms with low degrees of technological relatedness. Sears and Hoetker

(2014) focused on the unique attributes of the technology sector and how M&As create

value. According to Sears and Hoetker, M&As in the technology sector create value if

there is technology overlap between the acquirer and the target. The more the overlap, the

higher the value created after the M&A, resulting in low technological redundancies and

optimization of capabilities (Sears & Hoetker, 2014). Focusing on the technology

industry, Youtie and Kay (2014) analyzed the impact of M&As on the evolution of

nanotechnology by studying 20 transactions and found each of the deals created

incremental value to the merged entity. The leading source of synergy for the improved

postmerger performance of merged firms in the nanotechnology domain was

complementary capabilities in various aspects of nanotechnology. On technology sector

M&As, Brueller, Carmeli, and Drori (2014) found that innovation capabilities from

technology overlap and high R&D expenses were drivers of acquisitions and a source of

value creation. Gomes-Casseres (2016) asserted that a unique combination of resources

and capabilities assure merging parties of incremental value through enhanced

competitive advantage.

Financial synergy arises when the merging of the capabilities of the two firms

lowers the costs of capital as well as strengthen the cash flows from the merged entities

(Reznakova & Peta, 2016). Financial synergy manifests in improvement in the cash flows

of the target or merged firms when an acquirer infuse capital into the acquired firm to

optimize untapped opportunities (Ogada et al., 2016). Financial synergies manifest in tax

savings, risk reduction, increased postacquisition debt capacity and lower cost of capital

and lower weighted average cost of capital, leading to an increase in the postacquisition

value of the merged entity (Bashah & Rahatullah, 2014). When financial synergies occur

under M&A, the combined firm enjoys a lower cost of capital and an increase in debt

capacity (Dringoli, 2016; Ogada et al., 2016). Financial synergies also result in the

reduction of financial risk of the merged firm (Bashah & Rahatullah, 2014). The

combination of two firms potentially reduces financial risk by lowering the volatility of

the cash flows. The improved cash flow lowers the risk profile of the merged firms.

Capital providers consider the combined firm less risky as the offsetting strong cash flow

of acquirers prevent the combined firm from falling into bankruptcy, a situation known as

coinsurance (Bashah & Rahatullah, 2014). The lowering of financing cost is another

synergy from M&As (Dringoli, 2016).

Tax saving is another benefit financial synergy that M&As bring to firms (Col,

2016). Col (2016) asserted that decreases in effective tax rate associated with M&As

resulted from a decrease in the profitability of merged firm especially in instances where

the target firm has a higher statutory tax rate than the acquirer. Tax savings from the

different taxation regimes across countries encourage the use levered holding firms to

acquire targets (Col, 2016). Tax savings also arise in instances where an M&A involves

acquirers from tax havens (Col, 2016). Lower financing cost is another synergy from

M&As (Dringoli, 2016). Concentrating on tax avoidance, Duarte and Barros (2018)

found that the quest to reduce tax exposures drive some M&As. After studying 391

European deals announced between 2005 and 2014, Duarte and Barros (2018) found up

to 7% decrease in corporate taxes in some M&As. Such M&As are a strategic

combination of two firms to reduce the taxes paid by the combined firm (Duarte &

Barros, 2018).

While most researchers focused on the impact of individual synergies on value

creation of M&As, Loukianova et al. (2017) postulated the value impact of M&A deals is

the result of both operating and financial synergies. According to Loukianova et al., the

simultaneous and cumulative effects of both operating and financial synergies determine

the impact of an M&A in creating value. The synergistic value appreciation from M&As

is the difference between the present value of the cash flows of the merged entity and

present values of the cash flows of the acquirer and target firms (Ogada et al., 2016).

Hamza et al. (2016) asserted that overall value from an M&A transaction is the

cumulative impact of both operating and financial synergies. Consistent with these

findings, Garzella and Fiorentino (2014) stated that operational and financial synergies

accounted for 76% of the value created by M&As.

Some researchers have demonstrated with empirical evidence the value-creation

attributes of M&As. Among them, Ogada et al. (2016) analyzed operational and financial

synergies from M&As in Kenya for the period 2009-2013 using growth in sales and

liquidity ratios to measure operational and financial synergies and found improvements in

the performance of the postmerger firm. Ogada et al. found a positive relationship

between performance and operating and financial synergies, with a significant boost in

performance postmerger performance resulting in incremental value creation.

Loukianova et al. (2017) analyzed two pharmaceutical transactions to assess the

valuecreation effect of M&As. One such transaction was the merger between Pfizer-

Hospira in

2015 (Loukianova et al., 2017). In this transaction, Pfizer acquired 100% share of

Hospira, a manufacturer, and seller of pharmaceutical products. This M&A created

incremental value through a reduction in production cost of US$800 million within the

first 3 years of the acquisition. Pfizer benefitted from growth in the sterile injectable

sector while Hospira gained from an increase in the scale of its global operations. The

Actavis-Allergan merger in 2014 is another transaction that captured the value-creation

potential of M&As (Loukianova et al., 2017). The operational and financial synergies

realized from the Actavis-Allergan M&A were cost reduction, incremental growth, and

tax savings.

Reznakova and Peta (2016) provided insights into the value creation attributes of

M&As by examining how operational and financial synergies generated incremental

value to the merged firm. After assessing 50 mergers involving engineering firms

between 2004 and 2011 in the Czech Republic, Reznakova and Peta found that 48% of

the transactions resulted in increased revenues and profit margins. According to

Reznakova and Peta within 3 years of the M&As, the revenues of the merged firms

increased by 19% above the premerger levels while profit levels increased by 165%. The

revenues and profit margins of firms that did not engage in M&A activities fell by 8%

and 47% over the same period (Reznakova & Peta, 2016). Giannopoulos, Khansalar, and

Neel (2017) stated that acquirer shareholders experience positive abnormal returns in the

short term during the deal announcement period. Also, single acquirers outperform

multiple acquirers when testing for deal characteristics. According to Giannopoulos et al.,

acquisitions of private firms yielded significant returns compared publicly listed

acquisitions for UK acquirers, accounting for the preference for nonlisted firms.

After analyzing a sample of 305 M&As in India between 2003 and 2008, Rani et

al. (2015) observed significant improvement in the profitability of acquires and target

firms involved in domestic and cross-border M&As. The increased profitability,

according to Rani et al., were the result of efficiency gains that manifested in improved

cost and liquidity ratios in the postmerger period. Rani et al. attributed the higher profit

levels to the higher operating margins that arose from efficiency gains. Duppati and Rao

(2015) affirmed that cross-border M&As created value for Indian multinational firms that

reflected in positive stock market performance. The increased involvement of private

equity firms can enhance the success rates of cross-border M&A deals (HumpheryJenner,

Sautner, & Suchard, 2017). Humphery-Jenner et al., (2017) found that acquirers rely on

private equity firms’ experience and networks to address information gaps in target

countries to improve deal quality. Private equity firms are behind most acquirers pursuing

M&A deals in emerging economies where information gaps constrain effective

assessment of targets.

Allocation of M&A Gains Between Acquirers and Targets

The allocation of merger benefits between acquirer and target firms is essential in

the realization of M&A transactions. The findings from several research inquiries suggest

that targets firms benefit more than acquirers in most M&A transactions. Bradley et al.

(1988) provided overwhelming conclusion that owners of target firms captured a most of

the synergies from M&A alluding that 95% of the target firms posted positive

Cumulative Average Abnormal Return (CAAR) averaging 32% against 1.0% for owners

of acquiring firms of which only 47% achieved positive returns. After studying 51 M&A

transactions involving 100% acquisitions of publicly traded firms in Finland between

2001 and 2013, Hogholm (2016) found the value created by M&As favored target firms

than acquirers. Mergers and acquisitions did not create much value to owners of the

acquiring firms as the (CAAR) was less than 1.0%, deteriorating to a negative in the long

term (Hogholm, 2016). After studying 37 target and acquirer firms in the Asia-Pacific

region, and using the CAAR as a proxy, Shah and Arora (2016), drew a similar

conclusion that the value of the CAAR of acquirer firms showed insignificant

improvement while the CAAR of the target firms showed positive gains.

Adnan and Hossain (2016) validated the uneven spread of merger gains after

analyzing 100 listed companies on the U.S. stock markets after the deal announcements.

While the CAAR of the target firms increased after the merger announcement, acquiring

firms experienced a sudden fall in CAAR. Yuce (2016) examined M&As by the emerging

country multinational companies between 2000 and 2013 and concluded that while the

shareholders of the target firms earned a positive return, the earnings to the shareholders

of the acquirers have been negative. The conclusions drew by Grigorieva and Petrunina

(2015) were not different after observing the owners of target firms gained at the expense

of the shareholders of acquirers. Because of the negative impact of M&As on acquiring

firms, Grigorieva and Petrunina recommended that business leaders should focus on the

postmerger integration processes during M&As to reduce the risk of failure.

Akben-Selcuk (2015) explored shareholder wealth effects of M&As in emerging markets

and found that target firms benefitted from abnormal returns. This finding was consistent

with previous studies that showed target firms in M&A transactions benefited most from

deal announcements by attracting premiums from acquirers (Akben-Selcuk, 2015). The

advantageous position of targets in the share of the value created from M&As supports

the choice of SME owners in emerging economies in the use of M&A strategies for

expansion.

Macroeconomic Implications of M&As

Most researchers analyzing the value creation attributes of M&As focused on

enterprise level of businesses. There is, however, a group of researchers who have

extended analysis of the value creation capacity of M&As by researching into the broader

implications of M&As on economies and countries. According to this group of

researchers, the economies of emerging countries benefit from successful inbound M&A

transactions.

Focusing on the impact of M&As beyond enterprises, Xie, Reddy, and Liang

(2017) observed that governments of some emerging economies pursue policies to

enhance financial markets environment, institutional and regulatory environment,

governance, and tax regimes to attract foreign direct investments (FDIs). According to

Xie et al., improved macroeconomic environments attracted inbound cross-border M&A

transactions to emerging economies. For his contribution to the value-creating

implications of M&As, John (2016) opined that M&As contribute significantly to human

resource development, capital formation, and organization and managerial skills of the

people in an economy. Also, inbound M&As contribute to an increase in the volume of

export of the economy, concluding that FDI has had a positive effect on economic growth

in Nigeria. Consequently, the Government of Nigeria, like most governments in emerging

economies, grants concessions to attract FDIs that manifests through M&As (John, 2016).

After analyzing the link between FDIs and economic growth through increased

exports, Mahmoodi and Mahmoodi (2016) asserted that FDIs could increase the export of

the acquired firms through improved efficiencies from vertical and horizontal technology

transfer, competition advantage, and human resource capacity. The government of an

emerging economy host, such as Uzbekistan, provides support and incentives to attract

foreign capital to support export-based enterprises (Mahmoodi & Mahmoodi, 2016).

Wang and Wang (2015) supported the export argument by asserting that FDIs contributed

to host country economies through increased exports and foreign trade. Arik and Kutan

(2015) added that technological progress is facilitating cross-border production, foreign

investment, and trade both final and intermediate goods by multinational corporations.

Accordingly, FDIs and M&As create positive effects and externalities to host countries

but require improved policy regime for host countries to reap the full benefits (Arik &

Kutan, 2015).

Manova, Wei, and Zhang (2015) asserted that improved financial conditions are

fostering the participation of foreign firms in international trade through expansion in the

production capacity of local firms. With increased FDI inflows being a strategy for

longrun economic growth, governments of most emerging economies provide tax and

other incentives to attract FDI inflows. According to Manova et al., financial and policy

incentives remain a top priority of governments in emerging economies to create a

conducive environment for M&As. Contributing to the positive wider impact of M&As,

Shah and Arora (2014) asserted that large M&A affect industries, local economies, and

the global economy. Lobanova (2016) alerted that positive macroeconomic impacts of

M&As manifest most in countries with efficient institutional structures for FDIs. The

impact of M&As beyond business enterprises is outside the scope of this doctoral study.

Failure of M&As to Create Value

There are empirical questions on whether the numerous synergies and value

creation associated with M&As are realizable across transactions. Some research findings

have alluded that M&As have a poor record of success (Rozen-Bakher, 2018;

Steigenberger, 2017). Among these group of researchers, Zadrazil, Lehner, and

Losbichler (2017) stated that many M&A transactions fail to deliver expected postmerger

performance results citing the acquisitions of Time Warner or Columbia Pictures by AOL

or Sony Pictures as some of the few examples of synergy driven transactions that failed in

delivering expected results. After analyzing 55,399 deals between 1950 and 2010, Meck

and Rohrle (2016), using meta-analytical techniques, found that M&A transactions do not

create positive value for the merger parties. Supporting the high failure rate of M&As,

Bashah and Rahatullah (2014) opined that 50% of M&As failed to meet postmerger

results.

Warter and Warter (2017) found that M&As have a low success rate, positing that

only a third of M&As achieve the expected results. The success of M&As depended on

two main factors: The quantifiable value of the deal and the extent of cultural barriers of

cultural barriers (Warter & Warter, 2017). After examining eighty M&A transactions

initiated by companies from emerging markets during the period 2002 and 2009,

Grigorieva and Petrunina (2015) stated that M&As are value-destroying with no

improvement in postmerger performance levels. According to Grigorieva and Petrunina,

the value of the combined firms declined significantly in the long run. Fiorentino and

Garzella (2015) posited that even though synergy is the motivation for M&As, firms

found it difficult to achieve postmerger synergies. The three reasons were an

overestimation of the synergy potential, underestimation of difficulties, and poor

management of the process.

Panibratov (2017) and Steigenberger (2017) identified integration as the most

significant risk to cross-border M&A transactions in emerging market firms (Arvanitis &

Stucki, 2014; Steigenberger, 2017). The complexities of integration are at the core of the

postmerger success of the M&A deals in emerging economies (Aklamanu, Degbey, &

Tarba, 2015). Unique synergies lower integration costs and generate significant synergies

and as a result are drivers of acquisition performance (Claussen, Köhler, & Kretschmer,

2018). Aghasi, Colombo, and Rossi-Lamastra (2017) explained that when there is high

technology relatedness between acquirers and targets, the benefits of integration exceeded

the costs. In addition to business relatedness, the familiarity with the target country

reduces the sources of uncertainty in the M&A process to the acquirer (Galavotti,

Depperu, & Cerrato, 2017).

Another group of researchers focused on the premerger deal side of M&A

transactions contending that this phase is the most significant stage of M&As because the

closing of the deal marks the first step for capital flow to the target firms. As most M&A

deals in emerging economies delay excessively or fail to close, SME owners using M&A

strategies fail in attracting external capital to pursue growth and expansion plans, and

harness new market opportunities (Narayan & Thenmozhi, 2014; Reddy, 2015; Reddy, et

al., 2014). When M&A complete the deal cycle, owners of businesses in emerging

economies attract capital and other resources to expand, grow and achieve strategic goals.

The high non completion rate of M&A deals and argued the value of M&A deals that fail

to complete reached its highest level in 2014, exceeding the earlier US$640 billion peak

reached in 2008 (Bamiatzi, Efthyvoulou, & Jabbour, 2017).

A small amount of M&A deals in emerging markets complete the deal cycle

compared to deals in developed markets (Krug et al., 2014). Articulating the relatively

high failure rates of M&A deals in emerging economies, Krug et al. (2014) concluded

that only 33% of Chinese M&A deals completed the deal cycle, that was lower than the

67% completion rate of M&As deals in United States, Europe, and Japan. Contributing to

research inquiry on the high M&A deal failure rates, Aktas, de Bodt, and Bollaert (2016)

argued that narcissism of business owners and business leaders affected the successful

completion of M&A deals. M&A deals involving acquirers with narcissistic leaders have

low deal completion rates given the low probability of maintaining the owner and

management of the target firm after the transaction. The finding by Aktas et al.

highlighted the importance of psychological characteristics of both the leaders of acquirer

and target firms in successful closure of M&A deals.

Explaining the causes of high M&A deal failures and postmerger integration,

many researchers have emphasized the importance of cultural and human resource issues.

Focusing on the underlying causes of the high rate failure of M&As in meeting

postmerger expectations, Friedman, Carmeli, Tishler, and Shimizu (2015) found that poor

management of the complexities of M&A processes contributed to the high rate of

failure. To Friedman et al., poor understanding of the underlying processes, especially

human-centered behavioral factors such as effective communication, impeded rational

and effective decision-making postmerger contributed to the high rate of failure. Bashah

and Rahatullah (2014) had earlier alluded that over-optimistic assessment of economies

of scale, poor integration efficiency, limited appreciation of human resource issues, and

poor leadership contributed high failure rates of M&As. Angwin and Meadows (2015)

assessed the integration processes of M&As and found that most M&As fail because of

inadequate strategies for integration after the transaction stage. A comprehensive analysis

and due diligence offer acquirers a better appreciation of the range of potential value

opportunities for the merged entity (Angwin & Meadows, 2015; Stevchevska-Srbinoska,

2016).

After analyzing the high failure rate of the M&A strategies, Rozen-Bakher (2018)

found a link between the type of M&A and the level of synergy success. Horizontal

M&As have high synergy success rates in the industry and services sectors while vertical

M&As have high integration failures in both sectors. Conglomerate M&As, however,

have high synergy success rates in both the industry and services sectors (Rozen-Bakher,

2018). Beyond the type of M&A, however, the expected synergies can determine the

relative success or failure of an M&A (Rabier, 2017). According to Rabier (2017), M&As

motivated by operating synergies have the potential to experience more gains than

acquisitions driven by financial synergies. Acquirers driven by operational synergies

reduce uncertainties in mergers (Rabier, 2017).

To address the failure of postmerger expectations of M&As, Adnan and Hossain

(2016) recommended a thorough assessment of the potential synergistic value of an M&A

far ahead of the transaction. Zadrazil et al. (2017) identified six factors that have a crucial

impact on the M&A outcome. These were the time of acquisition, duration of the process,

M&A sequence, synergy chronology, the frequency of transactions, and time to step

back. Careful planning by the M&A parties to address these factors assure successful

transactions (Morresi & Pezzi, 2014; Zadrazil et al., 2017).

Even though the value creation potential of M&A transactions is well-known in

developed economies, there is limited understanding of the sources of value creation

associated with M&As in emerging economies (Narayan & Thenmozhi 2014). The steady

growth of M&As in emerging market economies in South America and Africa since 2000

is the result of the increasing use of M&A strategies by owners of businesses in emerging

economies for expansion (Degbey & Ellis, 2017). Emerging economies have positively

shaped this upward trend in the volume and value global M&A transactions since 2000

and have increasingly become common as a relevant medium for FDI in Africa for both

international and regional market players (Degbey & Ellis, 2017).

Ahern, Daminelli, and Cesare (2015) espoused that human-centered issues and

cultural distance between the acquirer and target undermine the success of cross-border

M&As. Caiazza and Dauber (2015) found that cultural difference as a threat to

postmerger integration. Cultural distance is not physical distance but an ideology and

social contexts that influence perception and view of issues (Caiazza & Dauber, 2015).

Culture distance and related issues determined the success of merger integration that

could impact postmerger value creation (Ahern et al., 2015; Matarazzo, De Vanna,

Lanzilli, & Resciniti, 2017; Rottig & Reus, 2018; Savovic, 2017). Mignerat and

Marmenout (2017) placed culture at the heart of the integration issues that critically

determine the success of an M&A deal. Culture is a source of postmerger integration risk

to the merger parties (Frantz, 2017). The increasing focus of M&A parties on the

integration process and organizational and human factors is a recognition the success or

failure of an M&A in creating incremental value is a carefully planned and executed

process (Ahern et al., 2015; Savovic, 2017). Fiorentino and Garzella (2015) asserted that

a careful analysis and planning of the entire M&A process offer better postmerger

prospects.

Contributing to value creation of M&As, Vincent, Arijs, and Lambrecht (2018)

focused on the internal competences that contributed to superior financial performance

and success of family businesses. After studying the CEOs of family firms, Vincent et al.

concluded that the competences of SME leaders contributed significantly to the attraction

of the firms as M&A targets. Fried and Tauer (2015) expressed this view earlier by

expressing that entrepreneurial expertise contribute to business success. Ahammad,

Tarba, Liu, and Glaister (2016) dwelled on negotiation as a means of bridging the trust

and information asymmetry gap during M&A transactions. During M&A negotiations,

the parties bridge information asymmetry by exchanging information and reconciling

differences (Ahammad et al., 2016). Ahammad et al. linked the competences of SMEs to

the M&A negotiations by arguing that an appreciation of the competences of the SME by

acquiring partners and investors enhances the bargaining position of the SME owners

during the negotiation process.

Conclusion

M&A strategies offer owners of SMEs in emerging economies alternative

channels for growth and expansion amidst difficulties in accessing financing from banks

(Degbey & Ellis, 2017). In recognition of this, M&A activities have become important

channels for investment for both global and local market players in Africa through which

firms consolidate their positions in African markets, contributing to better market access

and competitiveness (see El Zuhairy, 2015; Ogada et al., 2016). Mergers and acquisitions

ate growing exponentially in Africa as acquirers from developed economies seek to

expand into new markets at the same time business owners in Africa are proactively

seeking capital injection from foreign sources (see Ogada et al., 2016).

When addressing risks, it is necessary for M&A parties to thoroughly assess the

expected synergetic opportunities of the transaction (Bena & Li, 2014). Poor management

of the integration process accounts for a large percentage of failed M&A deals in Africa.

Overly optimistic acquirer behavior and non-adaptive transfer of knowledge from the

acquirer to the target firm negatively affect the postmerger performance of mergers

(Pereiro, 2016). By tapping into the unique entrepreneurial culture and adapting to the

needed change and learning processes, acquirers can enhance postmerger integration

(Ellis et al., 2015). SMEs in Africa need to address unique Africa idiosyncratic contexts

such as cultural diversities and colonial institutional legacies that persist and impact

change management and the postmerger integration process (Greve &

Rao, 2014).

The growing adoption of M&As by SMEs contributing to the fast-growing

contribution of emerging market M&As to global mergers from US$2.65 trillion in 2010,

US$4.8 trillion in 2016 (Statistica, 2017). Emerging market transactions are growing at a

faster rate. The surge of emerging market M&As in global M&As is a result of push and

pull factors. The push factors arise from the quest by enterprises in developed economies

seeking new markets and resources to expand global reach (Gagnon & Volesky 2017).

The pull factors emanate from the growing the adoption of M&As by SMEs in emerging

economies as a new channel to attract capital (see Bauer & Matzler 2014). Amighini,

Cozza, Giuliani, Rabellotti, and Scalera (2015) found both short-term and long-term stock

market gains of listed firms after M&A announcements and recommended the need for

Indian enterprises to pursue cross-border M&A strategies to create incremental wealth.

After analyzing the factors driving foreign investments by Indian firms, Chittoor, Aulakh,

and Ray (2015) asserted that beyond the quest for complementary firm resources and

capabilities, factor such as value creation, returns, and international experience are strong

determinants for overseas M&As by Indian firms. The growing interest by emerging

market acquirers globally has increased resource availability, validating the use of M&A

strategies by SMEs in Africa. Anderson, Sutherland, and Severe (2015) asserted that

beyond locational attraction to explore new markets, strategic assets of targets in

emerging markets drive cross-border M&As by developed market enterprises.

While most economic regions witnessed continual growth in cross-border M&As

since 2000, emerging economies are attracting transactions have been growing faster (see

Yılmaz & Tanyeri, 2016). M&A activities in developed markets follow a pro-cyclical

pattern while those of emerging markets continue to increase consistently (see Yaghoubi,

Yaghoubi, Locke, & Gibb, 2016). As a result, the contribution of developed economies to

global M&As has been declining that of emerging market has been increasing (Yaghoubi

et al., 2016). According to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

(2016), the share of emerging markets to global M&As increased from less than 5% to

33% between 1992 and 2016. More than 25% of the 2014 global M&A activity

comprised cross-border deals in emerging markets with multinational acquirers from

Europe and the United States (Ellis et al., 2015). Sonenshine and Reynolds (2014)

observed that the increasing volume of M&A activities in emerging markets is consistent

with the fact that the developing world accounted for much of the world’s economic

growth in the past decade. According to Sonenshine and Reynolds, emerging economies

will account for 60% of the world’s economy by 2030. The annual growth in M&A

transactions in Africa as a target region has shown a strong surge since 2000 with

Africa’s share of global M&A activity doubling since 1999 to $35.0 billion in 2014. This

upward M&A trend in M&As on the African continent is the growing new opportunities

in the region (Ellis et al., 2015). Several research findings have concluded that that weak

premerger financial position is often the main driving force for M&A activity in Africa

(Ellis et al., 2015; Ogada et al., 2016).

Transition

In Section 1, I provided an analysis of the background of the problem, the problem

statement, the purpose statement, the nature of the study, research and interview

questions, and the conceptual framework. I also covered in Section 1 the operational

definitions, assumptions, limitations and delimitations, the significance of the study, and

the review of the professional and academic literature. Section 2 contains a detailed

analysis of the entire study including a restatement of the purpose statement and

discussions of my role as the researcher. Other areas covered are the identification of

study participants, research method and design, population and sampling, and ethical

research. The final part of Section 2 contains data collection instruments, data collection

technique, data analysis, reliability and validity, and transition and summary. The main

components in Section 3 are an analysis of the research findings, the study’s application

to professional practice, implications for social change, recommendations for action and

further research, reflections, summary, and conclusions.

Section 2: The Project

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how SME owners used

M&A strategies to raise capital for growth, expand, and achieve other strategic goals. In

this section, I will provide details of my role as the researcher and describe the research

method and design; the participants; sampling process; ethical considerations; and the

techniques for data collection, organization, and analysis. I will also outline the steps for

addressing the reliability and validity of the study as it applied to the qualitative research

method.

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to explore the strategies

owners of SMEs in Ghana use to raise capital through M&As. The population comprised

five owners of five SMEs in Ghana who had successfully raised capital from M&A

transactions within the past 10 years. The implications for social change include

improved access to capital by owners of SMEs for growth and expansion. Thriving SMEs

generate new employment and livelihood opportunities that disrupt the cycle of high

unemployment and associated socio-economic burdens in emerging economies.

Role of the Researcher

My responsibility as the author of this study was to design the study, identify and

select participants based on the qualifying criteria, collect data, analyze the results, and

present the findings. During the data collection process, my responsibility was to achieve

objectivity through the independence of the participants (see Luft & Shields, 2014). For

this study, I directly engaged SME owners who had raised capital through M&A

transactions within the past 10 years.

It was my responsibility as the researcher to ensure the study complied with the

ethical guidelines of the Belmont Report and Institutional Review Board (IRB). Three

primary areas of ethical conduct covered in the Belmont Report are the respect of

participants, beneficence, and justice (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,

2014). One critical requirement of this study was the selection of voluntary participants

through informed consent, that I will discuss in the subsections on participants and ethical

research. In the informed consent form, I delineated the risks and benefits of the study for

the participants. Beneficence requires maximizing the benefits of the study while

minimizing harm to participants (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014).

Justice refers to how different groups in society bared the burden of research while others

receive the benefit (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014).

My role as a researcher was to ensure the burdens borne by participants of the

study were minimal compared to the benefits to SMEs in Ghana. Using interview

protocols helped in ensuring that the data and analysis addressed the actual research

question (see Yin, 2014). While conducting the interviews, I followed an interview

protocol (see Appendix) to collect information, keep the participants’ details confidential,

and safeguard the data in a safe location for a minimum of 5 years. Researchers improve

the quality of study inquiries by identifying and separating personal worldviews and

biases from the viewpoints of the research findings (Marshall & Rossman, 2015). I

mitigated bias in this study by acknowledging my personal views and perceptions about

the research phenomenon and relying entirely on the findings from the analysis of the

data collected.

Participants

The population of this study comprised owners of five SMEs in Ghana who had

raised capital from M&A transactions within the past 10 years. According to Boddy

(2016), the sample size for a case study ranges between one and 12 participants for data

saturation to occur in a homogeneous population. My strategy was to identify and recruit

all participants within the guidelines of the Walden IRB.

The primary eligibility criterion for the selection of an SME for this study was

successful participation in an M&A within the past 10 years. The participants of this

study included SME owners who were involved in the M&A process of the selected

SMEs and well informed to be able to answer the research question. According to

Robinson (2014), the purposeful selection of participants helps researchers to target a

population that meets specific criteria to answer the research question.

I used three strategies to identify and recruit participants. The first was direct

identification and engagements with SME owners in Ghana who met the criteria. I also

sought referrals from investment advisory firms that supported M&A transactions.

Furthermore, I used snowball sampling to identify other eligible participants for this

study. Snowball sampling is appropriate when a researcher interviews one participant and

asks the participant to recommend other likely participants (Hochwarter, 2014). Building

a working relationship with participants in a study is essential to successful qualitative

research (Hibbert, Sillince, Diefenbach, & Cunliffe, 2014; Yin, 2014). I established

professional communication with the selected SME owners through (a) a formal

recruitment letter to the appropriate personnel, (b) an overview and extent of my role in

this study, (c) information on organizational approval and a participant’s consent to

participate in this study, and (d) my contact information if they were willing to participate

in the study. Through adherence to the requirements outlined by the Walden IRB, I

followed a process designed to ensure adequate ethical research practices.

I established an expert and researcher relationship with the participants through

acknowledgment of their contributions as experts on the study topic. The approach I

employed to establish a participant and researcher partnership were (a) a formal letter

detailing the goals of this research and expectations regarding the participant’s

commitment and time, (b) assurance of ethical protection of the participants as directed

by Walden University, (c) assurance of the confidentiality of the participant responses,

(d) assurance to participants of my provisions for security for all records generated for the

study, (e) and assurance of protecting and securing information after the completion of

this study. Engaging with participants through continuous communication helped me

maintain a researcher’s responsibility to the participants (see Christens & Speer, 2015).

McLevey (2015) espoused that strategies, such as clear messaging and multipronged

communication channels, strengthened the connection between the researcher and the

participants. With regular communication through telephone calls and e-mails, I

maintained a professional relationship with each participant in the study. On receiving

Walden University’s IRB approval (IRB approval # 09-10-18-0560755), I sent the

consent form to the identified gatekeepers of the five SMEs that participated in this study.

Research Method and Design

Research Method

The three methods of conducting research are quantitative, qualitative, and mixed

methods. Researchers use the qualitative method to address the what or how of a

phenomenon (Rosenthal, 2016; Yin, 2014). The essential purpose of qualitative research

is to explore in detail the meanings of everyday events and how these impact groups and

communities affected (Rosenthal, 2016). I employed the qualitative method to explore

and provide an in-depth understanding of how owners of SMEs in emerging economies

employ M&As strategies successfully.

Quantitative researchers interpret the causes of changes in social facts primarily

through objective measurements and analysis (Berkovich, 2017). Using the quantitative

method, researchers analyze relationships and dependencies to accept or reject the null

hypotheses (see Ruggeri, Gizelis, & Dorussen, 2011; Watson, 2015; Yilmaz, 2013). The

quantitative method is most appropriate for the testing of hypotheses based on theories

that rely on data from experimental, archival, or survey sources (Luft & Shields, 2014). I

did not test hypotheses based on established theories to predict M&A successes or

failures from numerical SMEs survey data, and therefore, I did not use the quantitative

method for the study.

The mixed method is a combination of the quantitative and qualitative methods

(Caruth, 2013). Using the mixed method, researchers employ philosophical assumptions

to guide the collection of data by combining qualitative and quantitative analysis within

the same study (Almalki, 2016). Whereas quantitative data may be relevant to a case

study, researchers use qualitative data to explain events at a higher level (Yin, 2014).

Researchers also use qualitative research methods to develop a comprehensive

understanding of complex issues that lacked exact measurements (see Denzin & Lincoln,

2018). Researchers apply mixed methods in situations where a quantitative or qualitative

study alone is not sufficient to address the research problem (see Leider et al., 2014;

Venkatesh, Brown, & Bala, 2013; Zahirul, Mark, & Tharusha, 2013). In this study, my

goal was to reach an in-depth understanding of how SME owners in Ghana raise capital

through M&As. I did not use the mixed method of combining the quantitative and

qualitative research methods for this study because the quantitative approach was not

suitable to achieve the aim of the study.

Research Design

The three qualitative research designs that I considered for this study were

phenomenological, ethnography, and case study designs (Korstjens & Moser, 2017). I

applied the multiple case study design to explore the strategies owners of private

enterprises in Ghana use to raise capital through M&As. The multiple case study design

was the most appropriate for this study because I evaluated multiple sources of evidence

to examine the study phenomenon. In business applications, qualitative researchers

employ the multiple case study design to explore work-related issues, business-related

interactions, and practices (Moll, 2013).

Researchers employ the phenomenological design to probe phenomenon and lived

experiences of people (Sloan & Bowe, 2014). The intent behind using a

phenomenological design is to seek a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of a

single person (Madjar, 2014). I did not employ the phenomenological design through an

in-depth analysis of the lived experiences of participants as espoused by Korstjens and

Moser (2017). The phenomenological design is more appropriate for social studies, which

are more detailed than the scope of this DBA study.

Researchers use the ethnographic design to address group behavior and practices

(see Thierbach & Lorenz, 2014). The intent in using an ethnographic design is to explore

the behavior or culture of a group (see Ramsden, 2016). In an ethnographic design,

researchers collect data through prolonged observation of cultural differences and

determine what is happening with the phenomenon being studied (Ramsden, 2016). An

ethnographic design was beyond the scope of this study. During the data gathering stage

of this study, I did not interact with participants in their real-life environments or try to

determine the differences between cultures; therefore, an ethnographic design was not

appropriate for this study. I employed the multiple case study design to explore the

strategies owners of private enterprises in Ghana use to raise capital through M&As (see

Mihee, 2014; Yin, 2014).

Sample size and data saturation are essential considerations in the validity and

credibility of qualitative research (Elo et al., 2014; Palinkas et al., 2015). Adequate

sample size occurs when the researcher reaches the point of data saturation (Elo et al.,

2014; Marshall, Cardon, Poddar, & Fontenot, 2013). Data saturation occurs when enough

data exist to warrant the trustworthiness of the findings, and additional information does

not influence the findings (Moon et al., 2013). I conducted face-to-face interviews to the

point of data saturation where additional information did not produce new results or

themes (see Morse, 2015).

Population and Sampling

The population for the study comprised SME owners in Ghana. The primary

sample was made up of five SME owners who had participated in an M&A transaction

within the past 10 years. I explored different perspectives of the participating SMEs in the

successful use of M&A strategies. Some qualitative researchers select multiple case

designs over single case designs because more in-depth themes and analysis are realizable

with a multiple case design than with single case design (Yin, 2014). Researchers use

multiple cases to strengthen research findingss by replicating patterns and to assure the

robustness of the findings (Yin, 2014).

I applied purposive sampling to select five SME owners who had successfully

employed M&A strategies to raised capital within the past 10 years. Researchers use

purposive sampling to study representative groups when conducting exploratory multiple

case studies (Edwards, 2014; Yin, 2014). Purposive sampling is most appropriate for

identifying participants with specific knowledge and experiences of the study

phenomenon (Roy, Zvonkovic, Goldberg, Sharp, & LaRossa, 2015). A further advantage

of purposive sampling for a case study design is that it is less expensive than random

sampling (Acharya, Prakash, Saxena, & Nigam, 2013). Some researchers recommend the

nonrandom selection of participants for qualitative, multiple case study (Edwards, 2014;

Roy et al., 2015; Yin, 2014). Adding the advantages of purposeful sampling for multiple

case study, Migiro and Magangi (2011) posited that nonprobability selection is useful in a

qualitative study when researchers seek to determine the existence of a problem in

homogeneous populations.

I interviewed five SME owners who had knowledge of and experience with M&A

transactions. The participants were SME owners who voluntary showed interest in the

research study and were able to answer the research question (see Robinson, 2014; Roy et

al., 2015). My aim was to understand and explore the strategies owners of SMEs use to

attract funding for growth and expansion.

Ethical Research

I commenced data collection after receiving the Walden University IRB for the

consent form and invitation letter. The participants who qualified received and signed a

consent form. Using the consent form reinforced the voluntary nature of participation and

the right to withdraw from the study anytime without any consequences. Participants

were free to withdraw before or during the interview without any explanation.

Participants had options to communicate withdrawal by written notice, verbally or both.

The goal was to identify themes and interpret the data responsibly and with

academic integrity. The essence was to avoid using an inappropriate research method,

incorrect information, and inaccurate reporting in compliance with Walden University

guidelines. The strategy was to assign each participant a number code to maintain

confidentiality. I have safely stored and secured access to the data. In line with the

Walden University guidelines, I will destroy the data permanently after 5 years from the

date of publishing my doctoral study.

Data Collection Instruments

The researcher is the primary data collection tool in qualitative research

(DeMassis & Kotlar, 2014; Noble & Smith, 2015). I was the primary data collection

instrument for this research inquiry and used semistructured interviews to collect data

from the participants. Researchers use interviews to collect data from participants with

varying viewpoints on similar concepts (DeMassis & Kotlar, 2014; Jessiman, 2013; Yin,

2014). I used open-ended questions to elicit elaborate and thorough answers from

participants (Newington & Metcalfe, 2014; Yin, 2014). Through a combination of

semistructured interviews and open-ended questions (See Appendix B), I collected and

analyzed data on how SME owners use M&A strategies to attract capital for expansion

and growth. Researchers use semistructured interviews to explore facts for a better

understanding of the research topic by using both prepared questions and additional

probing questions (Jamshed, 2014). During the interviews, participants answered six

open-ended questions. The protocols and tools I used included selecting a private space

acceptable to participants for the interviews, a watch, voice recorder, notepad, and pens

and pencils for recording the information. I asked the same questions in the same order to

each participant. I contacted participants a day before scheduled interviews to confirm the

appointment. The participants determined the time and location for the interviews. The

objective was to meet with each participant in their respective offices or a convenient

location where participants could freely express themselves, and devoid of distractions

and interruptions.

At the start of the semistructured interviews, I sought permission from each

participant to audio-record the conversation. Also, I observed and recorded voice

inflection, facial reactions, body posture, or other nonverbal actions that could aid a better

understanding of the participants’ responses. I followed up on nonverbal clues by asking

probing questions to gain clarity. I also sought secondary documentation including

corporate annual reports and documents on the M&A transactions to validate the

interview responses. I transcribed and sent the responses back to the participants to

review, a process known as member checking (Harvey, 2015). Researchers use member

checking to validate and assure the reliability of data collected from interviews (Leedy &

Ormrod, 2013; Noble & Smith, 2015). I gave the research participants an opportunity to

review and validate the interview transcripts. I used a combination of data source

triangulation, member checking, and recording similar themes to attain data saturation.

Researchers accomplish data saturation when themes are recurrent or have a high degree

of similarity (Kornbluh, 2015; Morse & Coulehan, 2015; Yin, 2014).

Besides the face-to-face interviews, qualitative researchers collect data from

secondary documentation to provide supporting evidence and validate the information

gathered (Kornbluh, 2015; Morse & Coulehan, 2015; Yin, 2014). To obtain the corporate

annual reports and documents on the M&A transactions, I sent an information checklist to

the SME owners detailing the information required such as publications, business plan,

merger and acquisition transaction report, and annual reports. I also explored websites,

corporate profiles, annual reports, and M&A documents. The triangulation of data

sources improved the research data and validated the findings and conclusions. Data

source triangulation minimizes the threat to validity (Carter, Bryant-Lukosius, DiCenso,

Blythe, & Neville, 2014; Marshall & Rossman, 2015; Noble & Smith, 2015; Yin, 2014).

Data Collection Technique

Qualitative data collection techniques are in-depth and detailed recordings of

experiences, behaviors, and beliefs that offer an understanding of reasons for actions and

reasoning of individuals, groups, and communities (Rosenthal, 2016). I used face-toface,

semistructured interviews as the primary data gathering tool in my study. The advantages

of face-to-face interviews include enhanced accuracy of screening participants and the

opportunity to capture verbal and nonverbal cues, emotions, and behaviors during each

interview (Jamshed, 2014). Through the flexibility to ask openended questions and

observation of respondents’ body language, a researcher can reduce bias (Kitchenham &

Brereton, 2013). Through semistructured interviews, researchers motivate participants to

expand and articulate responses through additional probing questions (Rosenthal, 2016).

Using semistructured, face-to-face interviews, I observed the participants’ disposition

during the interviewing process and nonverbal expressions to ask further questions to

seek additional information as espoused by Jamshed (2014).

Semistructured interviews can be costly and time-consuming (Alshenqeeti, 2014).

However, they are an appropriate data collection tool for small sample sizes under single

and multiple case study design.

An authorized representative of each of the participating firms signed a consent

form, voluntarily agreeing to participate in the study. Researchers seek consent from

potential participants to assure the confidentiality and integrity of research inquiries

(Williams & Pigeot, 2016). Ahead of administering the semistructured, face-to-face

interviews, I presented to each participant a verbal summary of what to expect during the

interview process. I tested the digital voice recorder to ensure its proper functions as well

as carry a second backup recorder (Pagan, 2015).

I administered six open-ended interview questions with follow-up probes to

clarify responses (Rosenthal, 2016; Whittemore, 2014). Trust building is essential for

openness during participants’ interview in qualitative research (Speer & Stokoe, 2014).

To build trust for the participants to openly share their experiences, I reaffirmed my

commitment to confidentiality with each participant (Morse & Coulehan, 2015).

The appropriate use of note-taking techniques during semistructured interviews

aids researchers to adequately capture the participants’ responses. Gillies (2014) and

Silverman (2015) suggested the use of keywords and short sentences should be sufficient

to trigger researcher’s recollection later. Johnson et al. (2013) stressed that researchers

that should create an outline of the interview questions for efficient note-taking during

qualitative data collection. I triangulated the data sources by collecting secondary data on

the participating firms (Merriam, 2014). Researchers use secondary data to understand

how business systems function and why (Tate & Happ, 2017). Secondary data also

enriches information gathered and analysis during research (Cope, 2014). Secondary data

has a limitation of not addressing the specific research questions or contain the

information that the researcher would like to have (Cope, 2014).

After each interview, I transcribed and validated the information through member

checking. Member checking in qualitative research is appropriate after a researcher

submits the findings using a short report to those who participated in the interview

process (Sorsa, Kiikkala, & Åstedt-Kurki, 2015). Member checking offered the

participants an opportunity to verify the accuracy of the interpretations and addressed

inaccuracies in the data (Birt, Scott, Cavers, Campbell, & Walter, 2015). Member

checking is a time-sensitive process and occurs with a short period after the interview

(Birt et al., 2015; Harvey, 2015). When too much time elapses after the data collection,

the participants could forget statements or be unable to recall or validate the information

(Birt et al., 2015). I conducted member checking within 5 days of each interview. After

the interviews and member checking, each participant received a thank you letter for their

participation in the study either by e-mail or through a telephone call.

Data Organization Technique

Data organization techniques are critical in maintaining the integrity of the

recorded and transcribed interviews, audio recordings, and physical documents (Sutton,

& Austin, 2015). Researchers use multiple techniques to organize data for ease of access

and extraction of the study conclusions (Bumbuc, 2016). According to Yin (2014),

researchers, after collecting the data, compile, disassemble, reassemble, interpret, and

organize the data into common themes. I transcribed all the audio recorded data gathered

with the semistructured on the field and saved the information on my laptop with a

backup on flash drives. I scanned and digitized the secondary data and saved them

similarly. I also maintained detailed records of each interview such as date, organization

individuals interviewed and interview notes in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. I have kept

these documents in a password-protected master file.

Coding, a method to assign a word or a short phrase that symbolizes and captures

a category for a portion of the data content, is a technique applied by qualitative

researchers to organize data (Pierre & Jackson, 2014). The essence of the coding process

is to protect the confidentiality of all the firms and participants. Researchers use coding to

uniquely identify each participant and their common perspectives on the phenomenon of

interest (Hammer & Berland, 2014; Pierre & Jackson, 2014). I organized the interview

notes, recordings, transcripts, and journals using multiple ranges of single words, phrases,

and similar themes and trends identified in the transcripts and secondary documents. I

coded the data to protect the confidentiality of the participants and minimize the risk of

any possible harm. Sutton and Austin (2015) have suggested that researchers should

organize interview transcripts, field notes, and documents systematically in the same

location to increase accuracy, credibility, and trustworthiness of the data.

Data Analysis

Data analysis is an integrated process through which qualitative researchers

discover, identify, and organize themes hierarchically, and link the themes to the

phenomenon under study (Silverman, 2013). Data analysis is a process that involves

logical and sequential steps of data examination to enhance valid interpretation of

research findings (Yin, 2014). Through data analysis, researchers develop strong

evidence from the data collected to support the study results (Carter et al., 2014). Hadi

and Closs (2016) asserted that researchers should provide detailed accounts of data

analysis to enhance the transparency the conclusions drawn. I used thematic analysis as

an as an analytical technique to identify patterns from similarities, differences,

frequencies, correspondence, and collective themes. Researchers use thematic analysis to

describe how the themes gathered during data collection combine into a broader

conceptualization (Pascoal, Narciso, & Pereira, 2014). I applied Yin’s five-stage data

analysis technique and the cross-case synthesis technique to analyze, summarize,

categorize, and identify patterns and themes that emerged from the data (Suarez-Balcazar

& Taylor-Ritzler, 2014; Yin, 2014).

Researchers use data triangulation to enhance the confidence of findings by

applying more than one approach to investigate phenomena (Carter et al., 2014).

Gathering data from two or more independent measurement methods reinforces the

conclusion of qualitative research inquiry and reduces the uncertainty of interpretation

(Hoque, Covaleski, & Gooneratne, 2013). In applying data triangulation, I analyzed data

from the semistructured interviews and secondary sources to strengthen the findings

(Carter et al., 2014).

Qualitative researchers use software tools to organize and analyze data (Franzosi

et al., 2013; Yin, 2014). Among the numerous advantages, the software helps researchers

to organize complex data into themes. Nvivo is one of the most comprehensive

computerassisted qualitative data software used by qualitative researchers to manage,

organize, code, and analyze interview notes, textual sources, digital images, audio, and

video files (Garcia & Gluesing, 2013; Houghton, Murphy, Shaw, & Casey, 2015; Vass,

Rigby &

Payne, 2017). Nvivo also helps qualitative researchers to conduct thematic analysis

(Brandao, Bazeley, & Jackson, 2014; Fetters, Curry & Creswell, 2013). Thematic

analysis enables researchers to examine and organize emergent themes from data into a

broader conceptualization (Pascoal et al., 2014). I used the Nvivo software to organize,

analyze, and interpret the data and for the thematic analysis (Brandao et al., 2014).

Reliability and Validity

Scholars use reliability and validity as two important criteria to judge the quality

of a social research inquiry (Elo et al., 2014; Noble & Smith, 2015; Sutton & Austin,

2015). According to Cypress (2017), reliability and validity of qualitative research

inquiry address credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability to support

the trustworthiness of the data. When qualitative multiple case study research is reliable,

the results reveal similar findings and conclusions using a similar method (Grossoehme,

2014; Yin, 2014). Validity occurs when the results are replicable, and study measurement

indicators are consistent in reflecting the intended measures (Yin, 2014). The next

paragraph contains discussions on the approach and steps to ensure the reliability and

validity of this multiple case doctoral study.

Reliability

Reliability in qualitative research is a measure of the credibility and dependability

of the analytical process of a research study (Yin, 2014). Reliability measures the

consistency and rigor of the analytical research process to ensure that other researchers

draw similar conclusions and results (Noble & Smith, 2015). Credibility in case study

research refers to the trustworthiness of the data collection and analysis techniques and

believability of the findings (Houghton et al., 2013). Credibility also describes how well

the research data addressed the research question as well as the trustworthiness and

accuracy of the findings (Elo et al., 2014; Noble & Smith, 2015). Biases are unavoidable

in qualitative research and can undermine the credibility of research findings (Roulston &

Shelton, 2015). Qualitative researchers mitigate bias by acknowledging their personal

views and reflections on the research phenomenon (Noble & Smith, 2015). To mitigate

biases and enhance the credibility of study findings, I used journaling as a bracketing

technique by documenting my reflections on the research study throughout the research

process. Journaling involves the keeping of a systematic record of the researcher’s role,

viewpoints, assumptions, and self-reflection on the research that may influence the

phenomenon under investigation. Holmes (2014) described journaling as a

comprehensive tool used to bracket the researcher’s reflections especially when the

researcher is the research instrument in the entire research process. Researchers enhance

the creditability of research inquiries by employing member checking technique through

which participants validate the accuracy of the transcripts (Birt et al., 2016). I used

member checking technique by reengaging the participants to review the transcripts and

validate the accuracy of the data. According to Morse (2015), qualitative researchers use

strategies such as coding, member checking, triangulation, peer review and external audit

to ensure the dependability and credibility of social research inquiry.

Dependability refers to the stability of data over time and the ability for other

researchers to conduct the same study under similar conditions (Elo et al., 2014;

Houghton et al., 2013; Yin, 2014). Qualitative researchers assure dependability of

research findings by using the same interview questions for each participant, ask

interview questions the same way, and cover the same topics in every interview (Kyvik,

2013; Onwuegbuzie & Byers, 2014). Hadi and Closs (2016) suggested that verification

trails help in the dependability and rigor of a research inquiry. Triangulation is another

method that researchers use to enhance their study’s reliability. Data source triangulation

involves the use of multiple sources of data and is a criterion for determining the

trustworthiness of qualitative study inquiries (Elo et al., 2014). In qualitative research,

researchers use multiple data sources to gain a comprehensive understanding of the

phenomena under evaluation (Carter et al., 2014) and to enhance data dependability and

credibility (Yin, 2014). In addition to in-depth interviews, other data sources frequently

used by qualitative scholars include document reviews; archived records (i.e., public,

organizational, and survey data); various observational methods; and physical artifacts

(Carter et al., 2014; Yin, 2014). To ensure dependability of the findings, I articulated and

detailed the study process to offer other researchers a blueprint to replicate the research

findings. The detailed process covered: (a) a clear purpose of the study, (b) research

design and implementation, (c) sample selection, (d) data collection techniques, (e)

coding and analysis, and (f) techniques to establish reliability and validity (Stake, 2014). I

ensured reliability and dependability of the study through bracketing and a data-gathering

protocol, complemented by coding, member checking, and triangulation of data. Also, I

gathered data orderly and sequentially with a verifiable audit trail (Hadi & Closs, 2015).

Validity

Validity in qualitative research addresses how the research study fulfills the

critical criteria of credibility, transferability, and confirmability. The credibility criteria

involve the trustworthiness of the data collection and analytical techniques and

believability of the findings of a research inquiry (Cronin, 2014). Credibility is a measure

of how well the research data addressed the research question that is dependent on the

richness of the data gathered (Elo et al., 2014). To ensure credibility of the research

findings, I gathered information from seminal scholarly works and peer-reviewed

journals published within the last 5 years. In addition, I used member checking to validate

the accuracy of the data provided by the participants Harvey (2015). I also continued the

interviews process until I obtained data saturation where was a redundancy in the

information participants share.

Transferability refers to how stable the findings of a qualitative study are and the

ability to conduct similar studies under other contexts (Sutton & Austin, 2015).

Researchers view transferability as the point in a research inquiry when the findings are

generalizable under different contexts (Morse, 2015). Researchers employ strategies

including engagement with participants over a long period, member checking,

observation, external audit, and triangulation to achieve transferability. I employed

member checking, observation, audit trails, and triangulation to ensure transferability of

the findings of this study.

Confirmability involves the appropriateness of the tools, processes, and data

applied by the researcher and the accuracy and replicability of the research findings.

(Leung, 2015). Elo et al. (2014) viewed confirmability as the ability of the researcher to

confirm or substantiate the results and eliminate bias during all phases of the study. I

ensured confirmability by using open-ended questions and semistructured interviews to

obtain data from the participants. I also acknowledged by personal views and reflections

using journaling to bracket my perceptions on the study phenomenon to ensure that the

findings emerged from the analysis of the data collected. Saturation is a measure the

researcher has obtained an adequate sample size as additional samples would not alter the

research findings (Elo et al., 2014). As opined by Boddy (2016), researchers achieve data

saturation when consecutive participants do not produce new information or themes.

Leung (2015) observed that data saturation serves as an indication the researcher can

generalize the findings and scholars can replicate the study. Through data saturation,

researchers demonstrate that a research inquiry is replicable (Elo et al., 2014; Leung,

2015). To Morse (2015), researchers apply data saturation as a strategy to assure the

validity of a research inquiry. I achieved data saturation by interviewing five participants

and collected adequate data from which the findings manifested after a detailed analytical

work. Additional samples would not have produced new results or themes (see Harvey,

2015).

Triangulation is another method that researchers use to enhance a study’s

reliability and validity. Data source triangulation involves the use of multiple sources of

data and is a criterion for determining the trustworthiness of qualitative study inquiries

(Elo et al., 2014). In qualitative research, researchers use multiple data sources to gain a

comprehensive understanding of the phenomena under evaluation (Carter et al., 2014)

and to enhance data dependability and credibility (Cronin, 2014; Yin, 2014). In addition

to in-depth interviews, other data sources frequently used by qualitative scholars include

document reviews; archived records (i.e., public, organizational, and survey data); various

observational methods; and physical artifacts (Carter et al., 2014; Yin, 2014). I

triangulated the data sources by collecting and analyzing data from semistructured

interviews, corporate annual reports, and documents on the M&A transactions.

Transition and Summary

In Section 2, I provided details on the research study including restatement of the

purpose statement, the research methodology, design, population and selection of

participants, and the role of the researcher. Also, I discussed the ethical considerations,

data collection instruments, and data organization and analysis techniques. Section 2 also

included discussion on how I addressed reliability and validity to enrich the research

findings.

In Section 3, I will present the findings of the study and discuss how the study

reinforce the theoretical framework. Also covered in this section are the applicability of

the study to professional practice, call for action, and the implications for social change.

In the final part of Section 3, I will discuss the gaps in existing literature and provide

recommendations for further research, reflection, and conclusion.

Section 3: Application to Professional Practice and Implications for Change

Introduction

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the strategies SME

owners in Ghana employ to raise capital through M&As. I interviewed five SME owners

who had raised financial resources from M&A transactions within the past 10 years. The

participants responded to six open-ended questions administered through semistructured

interviews. I also collected data from annual reports and documents on the M&A

transactions from the firms. I took notes on the participant responses in my notepad

followed by a transcription of the interviews from an audio recording. The transcriptions

were also member checked with the participants for validation. I imported the data into

Nvivo qualitative data analysis software for coding and interpretation of the results.

Using the software, I analyzed the data from the interview responses, corporate annual

reports, and documents on the M&A transactions in the context of existing M&A

literature and the value creation conceptual framework adopted for this study. The

analysis resulted in the identification of six main themes ingrained in the M&A strategies

SME owners in emerging economies employed to attract capital. The six themes were:

value creation capacity of equity investors, willingness to cede control and autonomy,

entrepreneurial quality, leadership qualities of the SME owners, trustworthiness, and

effective negotiation.

Presentation of the Findings

The central research question addressed in this study was: What strategies do

SME owners in Ghana use to raise capital through inbound merger and acquisitions?

After receiving IRB approval, I contacted and engaged five SME owners who were

successful in raising capital through M&As within the past 10 years and volunteered to

participate. The participating SMEs operated in five business sectors in Ghana:

healthcare, real estate, imaging & diagnostics, software, and financial services. In the

interviews, I administered six open-ended questions through which the respondents

openly shared their experiences on the research subject. I also asked probing, follow-up

questions based on the participants’ responses. In addition to the interviews, I collected

and reviewed corporate annual reports and documents on the M&A transactions to

triangulate the data sources to enhance the reliability and validity of the research findings

(see Yin, 2014).

After analyzing the data from the interviews, corporate annual reports, and

documents on the M&As, six main themes emerged that encapsulated the M&A strategies

the SMEs owners employed to raise capital: (a) value creation capacity of equity

investors, (b) control and autonomy, (c) entrepreneurial quality, (d) leadership, (e)

trustworthiness, and (f) effective negotiation. These themes were the representation of the

M&A strategies SME owners in emerging economies used to raise capital. Besides these

main themes, the respondents used several words and expressions to share their

perspectives and understanding, including commitment, team, strategic plan, valuation,

equity, governance, and financial return. The themes generally aligned with the findings

from the literature review and the conceptual framework employed. The themes also

filled gaps in the M&A literature by revealing comprehensive themes that manifested

sporadically during the literature review.

The emergent themes from the data analysis suggested that the success of the

M&As was dependent on attributes of the SME owner, the business opportunity, and the

value proposition of the equity investor beyond the provision of financial capital. Four of

the themes fell directly in the domain of the SME owners: control and autonomy,

entrepreneurial quality, leadership, and trustworthiness. One theme, value creation by

equity investor, was within the realm of the M&A partners ready to contribute beyond the

provision of financial resources. The SME owners considered the ability of the equity

investors to contribute to the growth of the business as an essential consideration to

engage. The sixth theme, effective negotiation, involved both the SME owners and equity

investors who trade-off and make concessions through discussions and negotiations to

close the deal. The role of the SME owners includes the final decision to accept the offer

from the equity investor after considering all the parameters of the transaction and the

outcome of the negotiation. From the analysis, the success of an M&A involving SMEs

was dependent on a complex set of factors that were within the control of the SME

owners (see Bauer & Matzler, 2014).

The themes I identified from the data analysis aligned with those from the

literature review. The participants offered insights into the prime elements ingrained in

the M&A strategies that other SME owners could use to raise equity capital. The

valuecreation conceptual framework employed in this study articulated the use of M&As

by business owners to attract capital for expansion (Seth, 1990a, 1990b). Ogada et al.

(2016) corroborated the value creation conceptual framework by asserting that synergies

from M&As resulted in value appreciation where the postmerger value of the merged

firms exceeded the sum of the premerger values of the two firms. The themes that

emerged from the data analysis corroborated the value creation theory and the central role

of synergies as the motives for M&A transactions. Table 2 shows the frequency of the

main themes ingrained in the M&A strategies SME owners employed to raise capital.

Table 2

Frequency of Themes in M&A Strategies Employed by SME Owners

Percentage

Theme Frequency

Value creation

Control and autonomy

27%

22%

Entrepreneurial quality 9 14%

Leadership 9 14%

Trustworthiness 8 13%

Effective negotiation 7 11%

Total all sources 64 100%

Value Creation

The principal theme that emerged from my analysis of the data from each of the

respondents was value creation. Each of the respondents advocated that the ability of the

M&A transaction partner to offer value beyond financial commitments was critical to the

successful close of the transaction. At the onset of negotiations, each SME owner

preferred an equity investor who would contribute to improving the overall performance

of the business in addition to providing financial resources. The value creation theme

aligned with the synergy motive for M&As that boosts the value of the merged firm

beyond the value of the sum of the two premerger firms (see Bashah & Rahatullah,

2014). The two primary sources of synergies from an M&A are cost savings arising from

operational efficiencies or revenue upside as a result of the more productive use of assets

(Hamza, Schaier, & Thraya, 2016). Revenue enhancement and cost savings were equally

significant to the SME owners with the expectation of the M&A partner bringing capacity

to achieve revenue growth and cost savings in addition to providing financial capital.

P1 expressed a preference for an institutional investor over an individual investor

during the M&A process because institutional investors commit to offering high returns

to their shareholders. As a result, institutional investors are motivated to contribute to

improving the operations of their portfolio firms to achieve incremental value

appreciation. According to P1, most institutional investors offer support beyond the

provision of financial resources to grow their portfolio businesses by getting involved in

decisionmaking, strengthening of governance regime, performance management, and

improvement in internal systems and processing including efficient and timely financial

reporting.

Institutional investors also contribute to the provision of technical assistance by offering

channels for new markets, international networks, and business contacts (Danielle &

Nijhof, 2018). P3 echoed the value creation attributes of M&A as the basis for the

preference for equity capital over direct debt from banks. According to P3, “private

equity investors offer support to improve the quality of decision-making and the

performance of the SME after the merger.” P2 focused on the synergy from technology

rights and patents offered by the equity investor as essential for the successful conclusion

of an M&A deal. Even though equity is patient capital compared to direct debt, potential

synergies resulted in higher postmerger value appreciation from M&As. To P4, the

expected synergistic value from innovative building technology and the capacity of the

equity investor to complement the SME’s internal resources to deliver top quality real

estate developments furthered the consummation of the M&A transaction. P5 focused on

the expected contribution of equity investors to governance, the operational system, and

processes among the reasons for pursuing the M&A transaction. The value creation theme

aligned with the conceptual framework and was central to my findings in the literature

review.

From my analysis of the corporate annual reports and M&A documents, value

creation was the main consideration for the investors in the six SMEs. The investors’ total

expected returns ranged between 50% and 100% in 5 to 7 years, and required high

operational and financial performance from the postmerger firm. P1 expected to double

the invested amount in 7 years, that implied an average annual return of about 15%, while

P2 expected a return of at least 5% above the prevailing Treasury Bill rate. P3, P4, and P5

expected between 7.5% and 10% in annual returns on investment. The expectations of the

investors were consistent with the value creation theory and aligned with the key findings

from the literature review.

Control and Autonomy

Control and autonomy emerged from the analyzed data as an overriding theme for

each of the five M&A cases because the use of equity funding by the SME owners

typically involved the trading off of shareholding and decision-making control. P1

regarded ownership control and decision-making authority as the most important variable

because the M&A transaction involved the ceding of majority shareholding to the

external investor. The quest to maintain ownership control was also at the core of the

M&A transactions of P2, P3, P4 and P5, resulting in the ceding of minority shareholding

to the external investor. While the shareholders of P1’s firm ceded over 50%

shareholding to the external equity investors, the other four SME owners ceded between

15% and 25% to the external investors. In each of the five transactions, however, the

strengthening of the governance structures, including the recomposition of the board of

directors to reflect the new shareholding structure, ensured the protection of all

shareholders through the board’s role as the final, independent, approving authority for all

major decisions.

Beyond the amount of risk capital and the share of equity, an investor’s equity

offer is likely to include a third variable, the extent of control the investor wishes to exert

over the entrepreneur’s decision-making autonomy (De la Cruz Déniz-Déniz &

GarcíaCabrera, 2014). Douglas, Carlsson, and Hjelstro (2014) argued that the percentage

of decision-making control is not the same as the percentage of equity ownership but is

likely to be greater when there are information asymmetry and distrust. Also, if the

investor is concerned about the entrepreneur’s managerial competency, the investor will

request for higher levels of control in managerial decision-making (Douglas, et al., 2014).

The restrictions on the entrepreneur’s decision-making authority by equity investors are a

strategy to mitigate the risk of the investment and to ensure that the entrepreneur acts in

the best interests of the firm (De la Cruz Déniz-Déniz & García-Cabrera, 2014). The level

of control varies from the extreme case where all decisions must gain prior approval to

less stringent requirements such as prior agreement on changes in strategic direction, on

new capital equipment purchases, and employment of new personnel.

To P1, the willingness to cede control and decision-making autonomy was critical

in attracting equity funding from an investor. According to P1, most SME owners in

Ghana are reluctant to cede shareholding and control to a third party due to a perception

that 100% ownership of a business is a sign of status and prestige. P1 deduced that “the

fear of losing control deters most SME owners in Ghana from using M&A strategies to

attract capital.” P1 inferred that the willingness to cede majority ownership to the equity

investor was the biggest motivation that contributed to the successful close of the M&A

deal and the injection of equity capital into the company. P2 was in total support of P1 by

alluding that “the preparedness to cede part of ownership and decision-making autonomy

to the private equity firm contributed to the successful close of the M&A transaction.” P3,

P4, and P5 all concurred that the ceding of decision-making autonomy offered strong

motivation to the equity investors to invest in the SMEs. The participants unanimously

expressed that when SME owners are unwilling to cede ownership and decision-making

control, M&As ceased to be a source of capital to the SME.

Entrepreneurial Quality

The entrepreneurial quality theme, that embodies expertise, experience, and track

record, resonated with each SME owner as contributing immensely to the success of the

M&As. The role of entrepreneurial quality in determining the investors’ ultimate funding

decision on the participating SMEs correlated with the strong relationship between

entrepreneurial expertise and firm performance (see Fried & Tauer, 2015).

Entrepreneurial quality manifests in an individual who has attained a high level of

performance in a business domain as a result of years of experience and deliberate

practice (Fried & Tauer, 2015). Expertise is the profound personal ability and knowledge

derived from extensive practice and experience in the relevant domain and is a significant

factor that can explain entrepreneurial performance (Maine, Soh, & Dos Santos, 2015).

Fried and Tauer (2015) recognized that expertise and industry experience increased the

likelihood of business success, and entrepreneurs with expertise display quicker and more

accurate problem-solving abilities, superior decision-making skills, and knowledge (Dew,

Read, Sarasvathy, & Wiltbank, 2015).

Entrepreneurial expertise manifests in greater ability to identify markets,

strategizing, and correctly analyzing various business problems that contribute success

(Fried & Tauer, 2015). Typically, entrepreneurial expertise yields significant

decisionmaking improvements in businesses, and businesses led by individuals who

combine entrepreneurial experience and track record are much more likely to succeed

than firsttime entrepreneurs (Dew et al., 2015; Fried & Tauer, 2015).

According to P1, possession of the relevant qualification and twenty years in

practice assured the M&A partner of requisite expertise and track record. P2 and P5

highlighted experience and track record as contributing to the successful M&A close. P3

and P4 viewed the combination of training, qualification, expertise, experience, track

record, and knowledge convinced the M&A partners of the capacities of the SME owners

to contribute to the future growth and success of the businesses. Overall, there was

sufficient evidence from the data to show that the participating SME owners were

successful in attracting M&A partners and capital because of expertise, experience, and

track record. Each of the participants had relevant technical qualification field together

with experience and track record in the business. The participants had not less than 10

years’ experience in the specific business field. Entrepreneurship expertise, experience,

and track record not only attested to the capacity of the entrepreneurs but also assured the

investors of the ability of the SME owners to drive the future growth of the business.

Leadership

The leadership theme resonated throughout the interviews with the SME owners

as contributing to the successful M&A transactions with the equity investors. Leadership

is the capability to articulate a roadmap and motivate others to achieve the desired goals

(MacIntyre & Souvestre, 2017). It is also the ability to get extraordinary achievement

from ordinary people (Hamstra, Yperen, Wisse, & Sassenberg, 2014). Effective

leadership is central to organizational achievement that lies in the ability to mobilize and

influence the workforce to attain the firm’s goals (Araujo-Cabrera, Suarez-Acosta, &

Aguiar-Quintana, 2016). As was echoed by Manamela, Cassim, and Karodia (2016), and

Sharma and Kirkman (2015), effective leaders can recognize and utilize available

competencies to achieve organizational objectives. Regarding the leadership style,

Sharma and Kirkman and Hassan, Mahsud, Yukl, and Prussia (2013) identified

transformational, transactional, empowering, and ethical leadership types. Sharma and

Kirkman observed that empowering leadership has been positively linked with both

organizational and team outcomes (that incorporates performance, behaviors, efficacy

and knowledge creation) and individual level results (that manifests in attributes such as

positive employee attitudes, engagement, satisfaction, creativity, employee in- and

extrarole behaviors, knowledge sharing and follower commitment) and as a result

contributes to high organizational performance.

According to P1, leadership qualities played a role in convincing the equity

investors the company will strive towards achieving the operational and financial goals.

P2 agreed and deduced that “without demonstrating effective leadership in driving good

performance of the company in the 5 years preceding the M&A transaction, it would have

been difficult attracting the equity investor to the M&A discussion.” P5 related leadership

to organizational performance arguing that without leadership discipline, the company

would have achieved poor postmerger financial performance. P1, P2, and P5 emphasized

transformational and transactional leadership while P3 and P4 attributed the success of

the M&A transaction to empowering leadership that manifested through empowerment of

team members, shared information, and delegated authority. There was a consensus

among the participants that the possession of leadership qualities such as self-motivation,

passion, commitment, and tenacity contributed to the successful close of the M&A

transactions.

Trustworthiness

Trustworthiness theme emerged as a determinant of the success of inbound M&A

transactions of the participating SMEs. The scarcity of information from the SME owners

created information asymmetry and distrust by the equity investors. Trust is the

expectation that a party will act in the best interests of both parties (Kelly & Hay, 2003;

Whittington, 2013). In M&A negotiations, trust serves as a substitute for unavailable

information. In his contribution, Graebner (2009) argued that information asymmetry and

distrust cause merger transactions to fail. Business owners and investors form

substantially different valuations when there are distrust and information asymmetry that

cause the collapse of most M&A negotiations (Whittington, 2013). There is substantial

evidence from the analysis to suggest that the higher the level of trust and information

symmetry, the more likely the M&A transaction between and the SME owner and the

equity investor will close successfully. According to Whittington (2013), trust is an

essential determinant of whether or not a business owner receives funding from an equity

investment during an M&A transaction.

There was ample evidence to suggest that the five SME owners were successful in

attracting capital from M&As because they built trust through transparency, timely

provision of information and related information symmetry situation that helped the

equity investors to appraise the businesses thoroughly. According to P5, the timely

provision of documents and transparency helped the equity investor to understand the

business and ensured useful discussions, negotiations, and successful deal close. Each of

the participants supported the view that trust-building and information symmetry

contribute to successful completion of M&A transactions.

Effective Negotiation

The importance of negotiation in every M&A transaction arises from the fact that

business owners seeking equity finance frequently complain that investors excessively

discount the value to capture unreasonably large equity positions. Conversely, equity

investors argue that entrepreneurs are likely to conceal adverse information that can

reduce their investment returns, after investing (Douglas et al., 2014). The conflicting

position of business owners and equity investors arises due to information scarcity and

information asymmetry that can create distrust from the equity investors (Jia, 2015).

Negotiation is the channel through business owners, and equity investors bridged the trust

and information asymmetry gap during M&A transactions. The negotiation process

involves the exchange of information between the parties and the reconciliation of

differences to explore the possibilities (Ahammad et al., 2016; Vincent et al., 2018). The

offer price is one of the main negotiation points and when there is significant

overvaluation of the SME, the negotiation is likely to fail drag excessively or

(Dumrongwong, 2016; Pereiro, 2016). The SME owners were prepared to make

concessions on the offer price and other consideration during the negotiations when the

SME owners establish that the investors have the capacity to contribute to the growth of

the business beyond the provision of financial resources (Vincent et al., 2018).

Each of the participants concurred that negotiations were the final stage of the

process and agreement between the parties resulted in successful close and the injection

of capital by the equity investors. According to P1, the negotiation process was the most

difficult during the M&A transaction process because the shareholders had to give up

majority ownership and control to the equity investor. P1 deduced that “the incremental

value addition expected from the equity investor regarding technical assistance, business

network, and strengthening of the governance structure informed the decision to cede

majority shareholding and control.” P2, P3, P4, and P5 agreed that the negotiation

process ended well because each party made concessions with trade-offs to achieve a

win-win outcome for capital injection by the equity investor (Ahammad, et al., 2016).

The six themes that emerged from the data analysis aligned with the value

creation conceptual framework adopted for the study (Seth, 1990a, 1990b). The themes

also aligned with the central theme from the literature review that congregated around the

sources of value creation for M&A parties. Validating the conceptual framework, the

findings from the data analysis and the emerged themes revealed that SMEs owners

prefer equity investors who contribute resources beyond the provision of financial capital

to drive exponential growth. The participants shared strategies that ensured successful

M&A outcomes for the injection of financial and other resources into SMEs for growth

and expansion that is consistent with, and reinforce, the value creation theory for M&As.

Applications to Professional Practice

The findings of this study are valuable to SME owners in emerging economies

seeking alternative capital sources to the traditional banking system for expansion and

growth. Access to capital remains a challenge constraining the growth of SMEs in

emerging economies (Cole & Sokolyk, 2016; World Economic Forum, 2017). Even

though M&As have progressively offered alternative capital sources to SME owners in

emerging markets, most of M&A transactions involving SMEs fail because the M&A

initiatives lack critical components (Krug et al, 2014).

The results of the study present SME owners effective M&A strategies that

require the integration of various elements to ensure successful deal close and the

injection of capital resources. The insights shared by the five participants in this study

suggested that SME owners seeking to use M&A strategies should not be opposed to

ceding shareholding control and decision-making autonomy to equity investors. To create

incremental value, the SME owners should proactively seek equity investors with the

capacity to contribute to growth in addition to offering financial resources. In addition to

building trust and ensuring transparent information symmetry, SME owners should

demonstrate expertise and experience in the business with the complement of leadership

qualities. Finally, SME owners should be willing for a trade-off in negotiations with

equity investors during which time distrust and information asymmetry issues could be

resolved to explore the mutually beneficial outcomes for each party. By incorporating

these components into M&A strategies, SME owners could improve the success rate for

M&As strategies to become reliable sources of long-term capital. The research findings

may provide knowledge to SME owners on how to reduce the failure of proactive M&A

transactions by employing effective integrated strategies.

While some of the six themes emerging from this study exist as stand-alone

themes in existing literature, knowledge of the themes may be insufficient for SME

owners to be successful in raising capital from M&A transactions. The distinctiveness of

this study’s findings is in the integration of the themes into encompassing M&A

strategies. SME M&A strategies, that integrate these six elements, stand a better chance

of attracting capital resources for expansion and growth. The applicability of the results

of this study through a broader application of mergers by a large number of SMEs in

emerging economies to raise capital.

Implications for Social Change

SME owners in different industrial sectors have successfully employed the M&A

strategies outlined in this study to raise capital. These strategies could guide other SME

owners across emerging economies in need of financial resources to expand. The findings

can positively impact social change by offering alternative capital sources to SMEs

constrained by the difficulties in accessing loans from banks. The increased awareness on

how SME owners in emerging economies could raise capital from M&As will offer more

growth possibilities for the sector. SMEs are the drivers of socio-economic development

and poverty reduction through contribution to Gross Domestic Product growth, the

creation of new job opportunities, and entrepreneurship development across all countries

(Karadag, 2016). A growing SME sector will generate new employment opportunities in

emerging economies (Karadag, 2016). As high youth unemployment rates in emerging

economies create socio-economic problems, increased employment by SMEs will

contribute to livelihoods enhancement, an improvement in the standard of living, and a

reduction in the burden of youth unemployment and its associated socio-economic

problems on governments, communities, and families in emerging economies (Ehrhardt,

Miller, Freeman, & Hom, 2011).

Recommendations for Action

The study findings offer new insights into how SME owners in emerging

economies may reduce the failure rates of M&A transactions by applying effective M&A

strategies. SMEs owners seeking to raise capital through proactive M&A initiatives must

ingrain the six elements identified in this study. These were: (a) value creation, (b)

control and autonomy, (c) entrepreneurial quality, (d) leadership, (e) trustworthiness, and

(f) effective negotiation. By integrating these themes, SMEs owners will improve success

rates of M&A transactions to attract and access capital. The results of this study may,

therefore, benefit the SME sectors in emerging economies through knowledge sharing

and the commitment of SME owners to implement effective M&A strategies to raise

capital. To align with the value creation conceptual framework, SMEs owners should

seek equity investors who bring value to the M&A transaction beyond the provision of

financial resources. Besides providing financial resources, such active equity investors

contribute to business growth through participation in governance, decision-making,

performance monitoring and assessment, operations improvement, brand promotion, and

expansion of business channels.

I intend to share the findings of this study with the five SME owners who

participated in the study as well as publish this study in Proquest. Further, I will

disseminate the findings of this study with the business communities in Ghana and other

jurisdictions. My intention is also to take advantage of opportunities to share the findings

of this study with other SME owners and stakeholders through conferences, business

journals, and relevant training seminars.

Recommendations for Further Research

The findings of this study present new perspectives into the proactive use of M&A

strategies by SME owners in emerging economies. Among its limitations, this study

focused on one geographical location which is Ghana. Further research inquiries that

explore similar studies in other countries and regions, could further the generalizability of

the research findings. Another limitation of the study is the small sample size of five

SMEs in the healthcare, real estate, information technology, diagnostic imaging, and

financial services sectors. While this may be adequate for a case study design (Yin,

2014), the study can benefit from future studies with larger sample sizes to validate the

study findings. Also, even though I employed the qualitative method to explore the

research topic, other researchers may extend the results by developing hypotheses to test

each of the themes identified in the study under a quantitative method. Through a

quantitative method, other researchers could analyze the relationships between each of

the identified themes and the M&A outcome. Other researchers may extend this study

across other industrial sectors in different countries and regions to confirm the

consistency of the themes. To address the limitation of relying on responses from the

participants in this study, future researchers may employ observational research to

address the study phenomenon. By collecting data through direct observation of inbound

M&As involving SMEs, researchers could validate the findings of this study.

Reflections

The DBA program has been the most important journey in my academic and

professional endeavors. Even though I wrote theses during my undergraduate and

graduate programs, the extensive knowledge and insights into research inquiry, scholarly

work, and writing skills have enriched my perspectives on academic and scholarly

research. The DBA program was stressful yet thought-provoking and connected me to a

vast network of professionals who, during weekly class discussions and group work,

shared perspectives that have broadened my knowledge across several subject areas. In

exploring the research topic, the engagement with the SME owners offered profound

insights into the causes of the high failure rate of M&As in emerging economies and

strategies available to SME owners to successfully raise capital through M&As.

The DBA study has been an opportunity to contribute to the literature on M&As

involving SMEs in emerging economies, professional practice, and social change. The

application and implementation of the study results may improve capital availability to

SMEs for expansion and growth that will increase new hires and contribute to a reduction

in youth unemployment and its associated socio-economic burdens on emerging

economies. The results of this study also may impact my professional career in

transaction advisory. The new knowledge and insights from the DBA study have enriched

my professional capacity to support M&A transactions and SME owners to raise capital

through the deployment of result-oriented M&A strategies.

Conclusion

SMEs in emerging economies face daunting constraints in accessing loans from

banks (Cole & Sokolyk, 2016). While SME owners in emerging economies are turning to

M&As as an alternative capital source, over 70% of transactions involving SMEs fail

because of the deployment of inadequate M&A strategies. The findings from the thematic

analysis suggested that M&A strategies deployed by SME owners should critically

consider the six elements. These are value creation capacity of equity investors,

willingness of SME owner to cede control and autonomy, entrepreneurial quality, and

leadership qualities of the SME owner, trustworthiness, and effective negotiation. M&A

strategies that integrate these six elements stand a better chance of successful closure for

the injection of capital resources into SMEs.

Overall, the research findings are consistent with the purpose of the study and the

main themes that emerged from the literature review. The results offer insight and

appreciation of the critical elements that define effective M&A strategies SME owners

could deploy to raise financial resources. The findings further provide new perspectives

on how SME owners from emerging economies may strengthen M&As strategies

employed to raise capital. To conclude, while the integration of these six components into

an M&A strategy may not guarantee a 100% success rate, M&A strategies employed by

SME owners in emerging economies, that incorporate all or most of these themes, stand a

better chance of successful closure for the injection of capital.

Small Business Merger and Acquisition Strategies for Raising Capital in Emerging Economies

Students also viewed