Cross-cultural competence and social capital dynamic process in cross-border M&A, a theoretical framework based on a multi-case study

Purpose: In the process of cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&A), the social capital of enterprises is dynamic. In this context, cross-cultural competence plays an important role and can affect the transformation process of social capital and further influence the realisation of M&A performance. However, there is still not enough research on the process of social capital transformation and corporate cross-cultural competence. This study aims to explore the influence mechanism of social capital and the cross-cultural competence of enterprises. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper, four typical manufacturing M&A case studies were analysed and a grounded theoretical analysis process was used to explore the structure of cross-cultural competence and its impact on the dynamic process of social capital. Findings: The results of this study imply that social capital experiences three stages of transformation in the process of M&A. There are also four dimensions of corporate cross-cultural competence, which are composed of various factors. These all affect the dynamic process of social capital through different influence mechanisms. Originality/value: According to the results, a mechanism model was composed to determine how corporate cross-cultural ability affects the social capital process. This is of practical significance as it can enhance the performance of M&A integration in a cross-cultural context.