Merger & Acquisitions (M&As) as an important strategic vehicle in business: Thematic areas, research avenues & possible suggestions

Merger and acquisition (M&A) have become a foremost strategic alliance for business, product and geographic tactics in global market. Using meta-literature review, we conduct a synthesis analysis on M&A to assess motives, methods, financing sources, announcement effects, cross-border competitions, success-failure, valuation issues, and business strategies. We review 155 recent and relevant papers preferably published during 2015–2020 in 58 leading business journals of ISI-WOS through bibliometric study coupled with content analysis. We show influential aspects of journals, authors, articles, topics, thematic areas, findings, contributions, research gaps, suggestions, and current landscape of M&A. We recommend that firms having constraints might consolidate energies by resorting to productive M&A. Finally, we identify future research questions to extend the research avenues. Overall, this academic novelty significantly contributes to enhancing our knowledge in dynamic managerial capabilities, outlines further study agenda, and eventually provides business strategy & investment implications in global context.