ABSTRACT
For geographical statistical purposes, it is common to classify cross-border mergers as inward or outward, depending upon whether the merger consists of the sale of a domestic firm to a foreign acquirer or the purchase by a domestic firm of a foreign company. Another key feature of cross-border mergers is that they take place across all sectors, manufacturing as well as services industries. At the same time, empirical research evidence shows that most of the transactions involve firms from the same sector. The authors focus on the EMEP research project they conducted in 2000-2001 with the support of the European Commission DG Research to analyse how transnational mergers in Europe impact employees' participation in the firms. The project combines bibliographic research with a joint industrial economy and industrial anthropology fieldwork research on four Franco-German cases with indepth interviews of managers, workers and social partners.
