Mergers and Acquisitions Research – A Bibliometric Analysis

European Management Journal

48 Pages Posted: 17 Sep 2020 Last revised: 28 Feb 2023

See all articles by Marc Eulerich

Marc Eulerich

University of Duisburg-Essen, Mercator School of Management

Raphael M. Kopp

University of Duisburg-Essen - Mercator School of Management

Benjamin Fligge

University of Duisburg-Essen

Date Written: July 1, 2022

Abstract

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) remain a popular vehicle for organizational development to ensure future competitiveness. However, despite the extensive body of research in recent decades, significant gaps can be observed between the understanding of the phenomenon M&A in the literature and the importance of M&A activities in practice. Heterogeneous perspectives from different schools of thought, contradictory findings and controversies, and changing economic environments make M&A research a complex endeavor and highlight the need for integrative approaches and holistic perspectives. This paper takes a holistic view of M&A research to map interrelationships among key documents, authors, institutions, and countries; trace the evolution of M&A research over time; and suggest avenues for future research to expand the boundaries of M&A scholarship. For this purpose, a sample of 580 articles from 9 leading management science journals was examined bibliometrically, including 42,630 citations and 18,734 unique references for the years 1963–2019.

Keywords: M&A, bibliometrics, co-citation analysis, network analysis, science mapping

JEL Classification: G34, M10, M19

Suggested Citation

Eulerich, Marc and Kopp, Raphael M. and Fligge, Benjamin, Mergers and Acquisitions Research – A Bibliometric Analysis (July 1, 2022). European Management Journal, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3667230 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3667230

Marc Eulerich (Contact Author)

University of Duisburg-Essen, Mercator School of Management ( email )

Lotharstrasse 65
Duisburg, 47057
Germany
00492033792600 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.msm.uni-due.de/ircg

Raphael M. Kopp

University of Duisburg-Essen - Mercator School of Management ( email )

Lotharstraße 65
Duisburg, Nordrhein-Westfalen 47057
Germany

Benjamin Fligge

University of Duisburg-Essen ( email )

Lotharstr. 65
Duisburg, 47057
Germany

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