ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the key international human resource management concerns when undertaking mergers and acquisitions (M&As) across borders. M&As are a form of an inter-organizational encounter; thus they share, in part, features with other forms of inter-organizational encounters, including joint ventures, alliances or outsourcing arrangements. The role of the HR function is to support managers in the challenging task of M&A management; the better the HR professionals comprehend M&A process dynamics, the better they are able to support managers throughout its phases. In terms of ensuring future performance, retaining key employees is critical. The task of achieving M&A integration rests on a number of shoulders. Looking forward, the domain of M&A management and its human implications offer exciting and important avenues for future research. In parallel, calls for greater methodological and philosophical pluralism in the study of M&As have been made in order to secure enhanced appreciations of its dynamics.
