Firm Divestitures In Different Environmental Contexts

My dissertation examines firm divestitures and their relationship with the business and geographic scope of the firm under buoyant and hostile economic environments. In order to accomplish this task, I have collected information on various kinds of divestitures undertaken by a panel of large European publicly listed firms. The three essays aim to contribute to the broader literature on divestitures as well as the work on the divestitures-diversification relationship (Bergh, 1997) and its contingencies.Essay 1: Downsizing and Downscoping divestituresPast research generally suggests that divestitures are aimed at reducing excessive diversification. This view, however, overlooks the fact that not all divestitures result in refocusing. Indeed, many divestitures are motivated by the existence of over-capacity within the firm. In addition, while prior research has generally found that divestitures improve performance by reducing excessive diversification, more recent research has argued and shown that during an economic downturn, more diversified firms tend to outperform their focused counterparts. Changing economic conditions thus appear as a suitable context in which to study the mechanisms through which divestitures can create value. This paper examines how, under different environmental conditions, firms are more prone to undertake either downscoping (divestitures leading to a reduction in business scope) or downsizing (divestitures that only reduce firm size without affecting business scope) divestitures, as well as the performance impact of either type of divestiture. I find that firms are less likely to undertake downscoping divestitures during an economic downturn whereas they are more likely to undertake downsizing divestitures. This paper provides a boundary condition to the argument that firms primarily divest to reduce diversification and depicts the key role of downsizing divestitures in a firm's corporate strategy.Essay 2: Foreign divestitures and Economic Crisis: Evidence from EuropeThe second chapter focuses on the international dimension of divestitures. Extant work has narrowly defined foreign divestitures as the divestment of a subsidiary. The theoretical mechanisms driving foreign divestitures as well as the effect of these global strategic moves are contingent on the scope and size of the foreign divestiture. Real options theory has shown that foreign divestitures afford greater strategic flexibility to the firm by switching operations. However, we still do not know much about the timing of these options as well as the boundary conditions of this argument. This study examines the conditions under which firms are more inclined to exercise the option to abandon a geographic market as compared to the option to switch operations by merely selling off foreign assets while maintaining a geographic presence. This study contributes to the literature on foreign divestitures and real options perspective.Essay 3: Divestitures, dynamic capabilities, and resource redeploymentThe third essay attempts to shed light on the idea that divestitures provide dynamic capabilities to the firm. Extant research has argued that divestitures provide capabilities to grow and reconfigure the organization. However, not much is known about the conditions in which divestitures are more likely to enable dynamic capabilities. Furthermore, there is very little understanding of the impact of dynamic capabilities provided by divestitures on firm value creation. This study focuses on the cost of assets being sold relative to their market value as a conceptually relevant contingency that impacts the likelihood of firm divestitures. The article puts forth the concept of divestment potential to specify firm-level conditions when divestitures would arguably create greater shareholder value.

In the quest for competitive advantage, navigating change can be daunting. Following a unique, four-part structure focussing on & confronting strategic issues, sensing opportunities and threats choosing strategies and transforming organizations, this essential textbook offers a fresh and provocative perspective on strategic management. Covering the latest theories and concepts and taking an action-oriented approach, the book includes: • Cutting-edge content on the confront-sense-choose-transform stages of strategic management such as purpose and sustainability, emerging technologies, ecosystems and platforms, and business model innovation • Four diagnostic chapters providing practical tools for each stage of the strategy process • Nearly 70 case studies of internationally recognisable companies like Airbnb, Ben & Jerry’s, Epic Games store, Hilton, Icebreaker, McDonald’s, Nestlé, Northvolt, Tesla and PayPay • ‘Key Debate’ boxes outlining opposing perspectives on hot topics in the strategy field and ‘Strategic Focus’ boxes digging deeper into contemporary phenomena Instructors can access a range of online resources, including a teaching guide complete with case study teaching notes, further reading and video links, PowerPoints and a bank of additional case studies. Suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students of strategy, Strategic Management: From Confrontation to Transformation will help you grow your knowledge and experience of developing and implementing strategy in the real world. Henk W. Volberda is Professor of Strategy & Innovation at the Amsterdam Business School, University of Amsterdam. Rick M.A. Hollen is a Lecturer and Researcher at the Strategy & International Business section of the Amsterdam Business School, University of Amsterdam and a Managing Research Associate at the Amsterdam Centre for Business Innovation (ACBI). Joana R. Pereira is Lecturer in the Strategy and Organization group of Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds. Jatinder S. Sidhu is Professor and Chair in Strategic Management and Organization at Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds. Kevin Heij is Senior Researcher of the Amsterdam Centre for Business Innovation at the Amsterdam Business School, University of Amsterdam.

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are events that attract considerable interest from academics and practitioners, and much research has been conducted into their impact on individuals, organizations and societies. Yet, despite all the existing research and the varied theoretical and methodological approaches employed, there remains more to learn about M&As. The Routledge Companion to Mergers and Acquisitions takes a detailed look at this multifacted subject using a novel framework of four domains – substantive issues, contextual issues, methodological issues and conceptual issues. Drawing on the expertise of its international team of contributors, the volume surveys the state of the field, including emerging and cutting-edge areas such as social network analysis and corporate branding. This Companion will be a rich resource for students, researchers and practitioners involved in the study of M&As, and organizational and strategic studies more widely.

There are substantial bodies of literature that advance theory about why merger and acquisition candidates are found to be unattractive, why negotiations are not concluded, and why the benefits of companies that are acquired are not realised. Little, if any, research identifies why merger and acquisition opportunities are not pursued in the period after candidates are analysed and found to be attractive but before negotiations begin. This study addresses this period by developing a theoretical framework of the variables that intervene to reverse decisions to pursue apparently attractive candidates before negotiations begin and which, in doing so, result in missed opportunities. The study is informed primarily by the strategic-management content literature but draws from the strategy-process literature including streams in strategic decision making (SDM) and behavioural decision theory (BDT). This is a critical book for business scholars that provides an important perspective that has not yet been studied.

Using four statistical methods, Thomas Straub shows that M&A performance is a multi-dimensional function of: strategic logic, organizational behavior, and financial aspects.

This is a reprint of a previously published book. It's original title was Strategies for Decliing Businesses.

Jan-Hendrik Sewing makes a significant contribution to opening the black box of current divestiture decision-making. He uses detailed case studies, including numerous interviews with corporate executives and experts from management consulting, private equity, and investment banking. The author develops a conceptual framework to identify remedies to behavioral pathologies and their origins. The study highlights multiple techniques for pursuing divestitures proactively and formulates best-practice recommendations.

In the fifth edition of this well-known text, Dr. DePamphilis explains the real world of mergers, acquisitions, and restructuring based on his academic knowledge and personal experiences with over 30 such deals himself. Important enhancements unique to the fifth edition: all 99 cases involve real-life deals made or announced within the last five years, extensive discussions of all current valuation techniques and their strengths and weaknesses, cross-border transactions analyzed and explained in detail, tax and legal issues covered comprehensively. Focuses on the REAL WORLD, not just theory. The 99 case studies span every industry and dozens of countries and show how deals are done rather than just the theory behind them. All cases fully updated for this edition. Cases all involve transactions that have occurred or been announced within the past 3-5 years. Extensive updating and enhanced content provided on reorganization, bankruptcy, and liquidation issues both inside and outside of bankruptcy court

This book analyses mergers and acquisitions within the broader framework of strategic decisions. Existing studies on corporate acquisitions have produced a variegated and inconclusive spectrum of findings on the strategic mechanisms that contribute to value creation. By building on the widespread recognition that firms substantially differ in their ability to carry out successful acquisitions, this book focuses on the diverse effects of experiential learning. A unique systematic literature review is provided, which thematically highlights the connections between various streams of research. The author aims to systematise our knowledge on experience and learning dynamics in corporate acquisitions, providing a detailed analysis of conceptual implications and presenting potential avenues for future exploration.

Advances in Mergers and Acquisitions stands out from the competition due to its focus on three key characteristics: studies from scholars in different countries, with different research questions, relying on different theoretical perspective.