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Why do companies fail? There are lots of excuses offered by former leaders of failed companies: A bad economy is high on the list, excessive demands by unions, foreign competition, competitors who price below cost, irrational investors, a strong dollar that killed exports, and events beyond the company’s control. My intensive study of corporate failure…
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The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) recently denied BCE Inc.’s proposed $3billion takeover of Astral Media Inc. The CRTC Decision has the potential to push BCE into a new strategic direction. It may be as profound as Paul Martin’s decision to deny Canada’s banks the opportunity to merge with or acquire their peers. In…
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Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are a popular way of achieving rapid growth and market entry. However, the performance of acquisitions is mixed. Half of acquisitions fail to meet acquirer expectations. Yet, acquisitions remain a central element of corporate strategy. How then can firms improve the post-acquisition integration performance of acquired firms? First, let us see…
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Industries differ in their economic features and competitive character. Trucking, for example, bears little resemblance to Cable TV or the fast food industry. When constructing a strategy you need to first define your industry’s distinguishing features. These include market size, growth rate, the market's geographic boundaries, size and number of competitors, buyer needs, differentiation, economies…
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