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Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are an important strategic tool for continuous adaptation, sustainable corporate development and external growth. At the same time, M&As involve high levels of risk with mixed performance results even under normal circumstances. Even though the M&A market was continuously growing for the last decade, it was abruptly ended by the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as executives were more concerned about liquidity than with long-term growth strategies. This raises the question how M&A behaviour is affected by the economic fall-out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The mixed method research design was employed in this study.

The authors particularly investigate how target selection as well as synergy management are affected by the pandemic. The study analysis reveals four archetypical responses to the COVID-19 crisis. The authors describe those responses in detail and analyse antecedents that seem to influence firms' acquisition behaviour during the pandemic.

The paper draws on survey and interview data of M&A practitioners.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the dynamics involved in knowledge sharing in knowledge intensive heterogeneous teams of the German Federal Armed Forces with a specific focus on new organizational entities.

The paper is based on qualitative research. The data were gathered through interviews with members of so‐called concept development and experimentation (CD&E) projects. These projects constitute a novelty for the whole organization and a cultural challenge for effective knowledge sharing, through its cross‐disciplinary, cross‐functional and cross‐hierarchical design. Hence, these projects are a good venue to study cultural dynamics in new organizational entities.

The analysis reveals that despite the structural separation of the new organizational entity, cultural imprint and cultural re‐import from the existing organization affected knowledge sharing. More specifically, four major influencing factors are identified in regard to knowledge sharing within the CD&E project team and between the team and the line organization; hierarchy, organizational context, micro‐politics and suspicion. The data suggest that these factors are precipitated by cultural imprint of the line organization.

The qualitative research design is one limitation rendering only descriptions and propositions that need further testing in other settings. Another one is the research venue which allows only limited access for data collection.

The paper shows that the dynamics in CD&E projects require culturally sensitive project management, starting in the planning phase of the project.

The study investigates knowledge sharing in new organizational entities in knowledge intensive teams of a military organization. Both aspects, new organizational entities and non‐private organizations, have been neglected in research on knowledge sharing.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the cultural influences on knowledge sharing behavior in project teams.

In this paper a simulation setting is used to assess the cultural influences on knowledge sharing. All intercultural simulations were part of an educational program, in intercultural management (MBA level) and of executive development programs respectively.

The findings in the paper show that different cultural backgrounds of team members due to different ethnicities, gender, national culture or functions create a context of cultural complexity, which might affect knowledge sharing in a negative way. The results of the simulations show that the different identities of team members have an important influence as they might trigger sentiments of negative stereotyping. The findings also reveal that knowledge sharing is only likely to occur if new project members are welcomed emotionally as valuable contributors to a common task.

Given the exploratory nature of this paper, it suggests using the results as a starting ground for future empirical research. The propositions that were developed on the basis of the research may be tested in subsequent studies applying a different research methodology.

Based on the paper's findings, recommendations for project management in situations of cultural complexity are developed.

The paper extends existing knowledge on cultural influences in knowledge sharing especially in the context of project teams.

Numerous studies highlight the importance of knowledge transfer between projects, but the influence factors are still debated. As a contribution to the identified gap, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of organizational context, project characteristics and social relations in the inter-project knowledge transfer within the project-based organizations (PBOs).

This paper collects the data through 268 sample questionnaires from Chinese construction sectors and applies the structure equation modeling to analyze knowledge transfer between projects in PBOs.

The results indicate the organizational context (meeting system, reward system and shared culture) and project characteristics (similarity and urgency) are antecedents affecting social relations (communication, trust and reciprocity) between project teams, and their social relations further influence the effectiveness of inter-project knowledge transfer.

The study highlights the role of organizational context and effect of social relations for inter-project knowledge transfer in PBOs, and provides valuable suggestions for knowledge and project management in PBOs.

The purpose of this study is to find out the place of non-managerial workers, including blue- and gray-collar workers, through analyzing how different schools of thought in the strategic management (SM) literature approach strategy making from the viewpoint of an organizational hierarchy, especially top-level management team, or human competence, no matter whether they occupy any hierarchical position. There is a gap in the literature regarding the extent to which non-managerial workers engage in SM processes. While their role has been acknowledged by many scholars, there is a need for further explanation of how different schools of thought in SM hold varying assumptions about organizational actors in non-hierarchical positions. In this regard, this study aims to question the dominant hierarchy logics of different strategy schools. This will be done through analyzing the strategy literature with a “strategy-making skills & capability centered” lens, and conceptualization of the hierarchical positions’ role in SM will be criticized. By this way, the role of gray- and blue-collar workers in SM literature would be better understood.

The purpose of this article is to propose a standardization model that contributes to the creation of organizational knowledge in the paper industry. This study was oriented to answer the question: how to create organizational knowledge through the standardization model of the paper industry’s production system?

This research was applied in the main production unit of the paper organization. The data were collected through the analysis of documents, systems and routines of the researched unit. In the research, the observation technique and direct documentation were used. For the operationalization of the research, the following phases were carried: understanding of the applied standardization model, literature review on the research topics, formulation of a standardization model and application of the model.

A model of standardization of production processes that contributes to the creation of organizational knowledge, in which a correlation of all its stages with the Knowledge conversion modes was found and validated through an applied research in the industry.

This study is applied in a paper industry. In the survey, there is no comparison with other companies. The adaptation of the study in other industries and organizations can increase knowledge about the connection of standardized systems with knowledge conversion modes, adjusting them to other environments or other situations.

This study stands out for empirically testing, a standardization model that favors the creation of knowledge through the analysis of the various activities in a paper industry, providing a real connection between the knowledge management literature and the organizational environment. Standardization can represent an instrument of innovation in the most diverse types of industry, as long as it comes with a proposal for something new and better than the existing model.

Using an institutionalist lens, this study aims to identify factors that influence the knowledge sharing behaviour of volunteers engaged in collaborative, cross-cultural and project-focussed development work.

Following an inductive research design, the authors conducted a thematic analysis of interviews with volunteers to explore the practicalities of knowledge sharing in the context of development aid projects and to examine contributing factors, such as personality, motivations, experience and variations in team members’ understanding of the nature and objective of projects.

Through exploring the experiences of volunteers working on cross-cultural development aid programmes, the authors identify and discuss the ways in which the preparation of volunteers and the structuring of project work is shaped by managerialist modes of thinking, with an emphasis on the creation of an environment that is conducive to sustainable knowledge sharing practices for all stakeholders involved.

The examination of volunteer development work tendency towards institutional isomorphism is a novel contribution intersecting the areas of knowledge sharing in the project, volunteer-led and culturally diverse environments.