Linking the Mobile Telecom Subscriber Base to Strategic Motives of Mergers and Acquisitions: A Critical Review of Literature in Emerging Economies of Africa and Asia

Authors

  • Najja Twaha Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda Author
  • Kamuganga Nuwamanya Dick Makerere University, Uganda Author
  • Ziwa Gertrude Uganda Technology and Management University, Uganda Author

Keywords:

Mergers and Acquisitions

Abstract

Mergers and Acquisition (M&As) have attracted a wider debate in the mobile telecommunication industry. Strategic motives for M&As have become inescapable drivers for M&As deals in the mobile telecom industry, arguably to target the potential subscribers to the mobile products and services. The subscriber base has been used as a performance indicator by the mobile industry in almost all countries of Africa and Asia. Unfortunately the findings on whether subscriber base is influenced by the strategic motives for M&As are scattered or fragmented in various journals of different academic disciplines. Yet, the number of mobile subscribers usually gives an indication of how vibrant the telecommunication sector of a country is. The objective of this article is to answer two main questions: (1) whether there is any linkage between the strategic motives for M&A and the subscriber base? (2) What are the implications of enhancing strategic motives for M&As in relation to the subscriber base in emerging economies of Africa and Asia? The study used indepth synthesis and analysis of literature in forty-five articles purposively selected from scholarly journals for the period 2003-2018. Overall, the review indicated that the overwhelming majority of articles revealed a positive linkage between strategic motives for M&As and subscriber base of mobile telecommunications operators. The results suggest that strategic motives for M&As are not only a justification for M&As, but also are important strategy for managers, investors and practitioners to increase the subscriber base of mobile telecom operators.

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Published

06/06/2019

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Section

Articles

How to Cite

Linking the Mobile Telecom Subscriber Base to Strategic Motives of Mergers and Acquisitions: A Critical Review of Literature in Emerging Economies of Africa and Asia. (2019). International Journal of Technology and Management, 4(1), 1-16. https://ijotm.utamu.ac.ug/index.php/ijotm/article/view/44