An example of evaluating the academic writing style of an article: on cross-border acquisitions: for MBA students

An example of evaluating the academic writing style of an article: on cross-border acquisitions: for MBA students

The article reviewed in this note:

Anderhofstadt, D., Wesson, N. and Viviers, S., 2026. Cross-Border Acquisitions by African Firms: The Effect of Corporate Governance on Ownership Participation. Thunderbird International Business Review, 68(3), pp.305–331. https://doi.org/10.1002/tie.70041 [Accessed 16 May 2026].

 

What are the: (1) research philosophy, (2) research objectives, and (3) research questions of the article? And does the article mentions the researcher positionality of the article?

·  Based on the article "Cross-Border Acquisitions by African Firms: The Effect of Corporate Governance on Ownership Participation" by Anderhofstadt, Wesson, and Viviers (2026):

1. Research Philosophy: The article adopts an agency theory perspective to explore corporate governance factors influencing ownership participation decisions in cross-border acquisitions (CBAs) by African firms. This approach reflects a positivist research philosophy, emphasizing objective analysis of firm-level governance mechanisms and their impact on strategic choices in internationalization.
2. Research Objectives:

• To investigate the corporate governance factors that influence the equity ownership stake pursued by African firms in CBAs.
• To explore how executive remuneration and the monitoring role of domestic institutional investors affect ownership participation.
• To analyze the interplay between firm-level corporate governance and institutional distance between home and host countries in shaping ownership decisions.

3. Research Questions: While the article does not state specific research questions verbatim, the study focuses on questions such as:

• What corporate governance mechanisms affect the level of ownership participation by African firms in cross-border acquisitions?
• How does executive remuneration relate to potential agency problems in ownership decisions?
• What role do institutional investors and institutional distance play in moderating ownership participation strategies in CBAs?

4. Researcher Positionality: The article does not explicitly discuss the researcher positionality or reflexivity regarding their influence, perspective, or potential biases in conducting the study.

In summary, the article is anchored in a positivist, agency theory framework aimed at understanding the corporate governance influences on African firms' ownership stakes in CBAs, with no explicit mention of researcher positionality.

 

 

Could you indicate 5 main features of the academic writing style of this article?

Based on the article "Cross-Border Acquisitions by African Firms: The Effect of Corporate Governance on Ownership Participation", the five main features of its academic writing style are:

1.     Formal and Objective Tone: The article maintains a formal, professional tone typical of scholarly publications, focusing on presenting research findings and theoretical discussions in an impartial and objective manner without personal bias or emotive language.

2.     Use of Discipline-Specific Terminology: It consistently employs technical terms related to corporate governance, international business, and agency theory—such as "ownership participation," "institutional distance," "executive remuneration," and "emerging market multinational enterprises"—reflecting its target audience of academics and practitioners in business and management research.

3.     Clear Structure and Organization: The manuscript is well-organized, following a conventional academic article structure with defined sections including Introduction, Literature Review/Theory, Hypotheses Development, Methodology, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion. This systematic layout supports clarity and logical flow.

4.     Evidence-Based Argumentation: Arguments and conclusions are supported by references to prior literature, empirical data analysis, and theoretical frameworks. The authors cite numerous previous studies and theoretical concepts to position their research within the existing academic discourse.

5.     Impersonal and Third-Person Perspective: The writing avoids first-person pronouns, favoring passive voice and third-person descriptions (e.g., “the study explores,” “the authors hypothesize”) which is conventional in empirical research to emphasize the study over the researcher.

These features collectively ensure the article conforms to standards of rigorous academic communication in international business research.

 

Is the overall academic writing style in this case appropriate with regard to the research philosophy and research objectives of the article?

·        Yes, the overall academic writing style is appropriate in relation to the research philosophy and objectives of the article.

o   Alignment with Research Philosophy: The article adopts a positivist research philosophy, emphasizing empirical analysis, objectivity, and measurable outcomes related to corporate governance influences on ownership participation in cross-border acquisitions by African firms. The formal, objective, and evidence-based writing style supports this by focusing on data-driven analysis, avoiding subjective or anecdotal narratives.

o   Suitability for Research Objectives: The objectives include exploring firm-level corporate governance factors using agency theory, complemented by institutional theory, to understand equity ownership decisions in CBAs. The clear, structured, and precise style effectively communicates complex constructs such as executive remuneration, institutional investor roles, and institutional distance in a way that facilitates scholarly comprehension and practical application [T2–T3, T5].

o   Use of Technical Language and Theoretical Frameworks: By embedding specialized terminology and theoretical perspectives, the style reflects the academic rigor necessary to advance knowledge in international business and governance fields, addressing a gap in research on African firms’ internationalization strategies.

o   Impersonal and Formal Tone for Analytical Clarity: The impersonal tone and third-person voice enhance the neutrality and credibility needed for agency-theoretic analysis and hypothesis testing, ensuring the focus remains on the phenomena studied rather than researcher bias.

In summary, the writing style is well-matched with the positivist, empirical research philosophy and the study’s analytical, theory-driven objectives, ensuring the findings are presented with clarity, rigor, and scholarly integrity.