Connecting the micro- and macro-level: Proposition of a research design to study post-acquisition synergies through a social network approach

SummaryThe paper discusses the contribution of social network analysis to study synergy creation following an acquisition. As the approach allows for a multi-level analysis, addressing the macro- and the micro-level of analysis as interactive settings, it offers an exciting alternative to prevailing research on mergers and acquisitions. We present a research design building on the combination of structural and qualitative interview data to study the evolution of synergy creation throughout the acquisition process. We build on a case study to highlight the concrete process of data collection, processing, and analysis.

► The paper develops a research design building on a social network approach to study post-acquisition synergy creation as a multi-level phenomenon.
► It discusses the research design in light of a longitudinal case study of an acquisition in the consultancy sector.
► The emergence of inter-firm collaborations promoting synergy creation is influenced by interdependent processes on the macro-level such as the evolution of each firm's social structure, and on the micro-level such as individuals’ positions inside this structure.