Enhancing Cross-Border M&A Integration in Thailand: Learning Interventions and Strategies
Keywords:
Mergers and acquisitions, Learning intervention, Organizational culture, SubculturesAbstract
Cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in Thailand have increased, as induced by increasing development in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) to accelerate economic growth under the Thailand 4.0 policy. The authors explored the need for skill development for employees who work in an organization that has been impacted by several acquisitions with seemingly incompatible organizational cultures. Specifically, the authors explored in-depth relationships among subcultures (i.e., departments) and designed learning interventions for M&As that had rarely been used in previous integration processes. This study employs the mixed-method approach in research design to collect data from 63 Thai employees from five strata within a multinational organization located in Thailand. The first step used the qualitative method to explore employee development needs for coping with M&As by conducting interviews with 21 employees. The second step consisted of designing learning interventions. The third step used the quantitative method by testing the training program and using a one-group pretest-posttest design with 42 managers. Key findings were the need for handling subcultural interactions in M&As to mitigate the negative impact on the people dimension in an organization. The implications for theory and HRD practices are discussed.
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