Language distance and international acquisitions: A transaction cost approach.

This paper analyzes the role language distance plays on the choice between greenfield investments and acquisitions when investing abroad. Based on transaction cost theory, the paper focuses on the impact of language distance on ex ante and ex post costs in international acquisition processes. In order to empirically test our predictions, a database of foreign direct investments made by listed Spanish firms was used. Empirical results point towards a tendency to avoid acquisitions as investment mode in international contexts characterized by high language distance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]