On 4th July 2007, Fiat Auto the Flagship division of Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (FIAT) re-launched its heritage brand the Fiat 500. It was exactly 50yrs after the launch of Fiat 500 on 4th July 1957, which not only helped Fiat in post World War-II recovery but also provided mass motorization to Italians. Luca De Meo, CEO, Fiat Auto, on the re-launch occasion stated that “This is the car that gave ordinary Italians four wheels for the first time; that transformed a country and a company.” In its 18yrs of career between 1957 and 1975, 3,893,294 Fiat 500s were built & sold, which provided millions of Italians and Europeans individual mobility. Post 1970 with beginning of free trade in Europe, Continue reading
International Business Strategies
Business Organizations in a Global Context
In the recent past, businesses have seen a change in the economic setting. The domestic market is no longer able to meet the demands of the globalized people. Businesses have developed to ensure it thrives in the age of globalization. This development has made many domestic businesses become a household name worldwide. Besides globalization, an improved communication technology has also been a key factor in the success of these globally operating organizations. This allows efficient communication and swift access to global markets. However, in order to operate globally, an organization faces many challenges which include HR issues, financial problems, cultural differences and legal issues. In order to succeed, a multinational firm is expected to comply with the host country’s laws, Continue reading
Defensive Strategies Against Hostile Takeovers
With the development of economy and technology, competition among enterprises is becoming increasingly intense. Many companies decide to expand their companies scale and business through mergers and acquisitions to achieve maximum profits. Takeover is a business behavior that one company is purchased by another one. There are several types of takeover, including friendly takeovers, hostile takeovers, reverse takeovers and back-flip takeovers. Even though some mergers and acquisitions can bring about synergy and more substantial profits, some takeovers are not welcome. Therefore, a large numbers of measures are taken by target companies to defend the hostile takeover. Different Types of Defensive Strategies Against Hostile Takeovers Defensive strategies can be classified into active measures and preventive measures. Active measures consist of greenmail, Continue reading
Case Study: Acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover by Tata Motors
In 2008 Tata Motors, an Indian automaker wanted to expand its product portfolio and diversify its market base. It acquired the two iconic British brands Jaguar and Land Rover from the American automaker Ford Motor Corporation. This acquisition gave the company access to premium cars, a chance to add two iconic luxury brands to its stable and a global footprint. It gave struggling Ford a chance to rid itself of two loss-making vehicle units. The deal was transformational. It catapulted Tata Motors from a commercial vehicle and small-car manufacturer to a global player with marquee brands in its portfolio. The scale of the acquisition also was large relative to the size of Tata Motors. The purchase especially that of Jaguar, Continue reading
Multinational Corporations and Technology Transfers
In this world many things can be shared, transformed and utilized which helps to the development of civilization, but knowledge is the rarest of rare wealth that cannot be stolen and it remains intact with a person until it is expressed. Once it is expressed, there is no guarantee how it is used and manipulated. To control this unauthorized use of technology several laws like patent laws, copyright laws etc. were drafted all around the world. Knowledge is recognized as one of the capable resources for dynamic global business environment. Technology transfer is not an easy issue it has potential to influence the political and financial relations of countries also. Multinational companies are having a rare opportunity to transfer the Continue reading
Top Reasons for Mergers and Acquisitions in Global Scenario
Mergers and acquisitions are considered as one of the routes by which organisations can expand their presence into new markets across geographies or product segments. Essentially these forms of expansion are external in nature in that they all have an element of foreign presence attached to them. These methods of expansion of business have the advantages of reducing risks as there is a new local knowledge or expertise which is added onto the organisation. There are potential for the acquired organisation to bring in new knowledge and synergies to the total organisation which may be valuable in operating in the new market conditions. But along with the advantages to the organisation there are also associated disadvantages also of falling into Continue reading