Publications

October 2020 (Revised July 2023)
Case

The Walt Disney Company: The 21st Century Fox Acquisition and Digital Distribution

By: David J. Collis

This case describes the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by the Walt Disney Company and the subsequent launch by Disney of three streaming channels to compete with Netflix. View Details

Keywords: Disney; Streaming; Corporate Strategy; Mergers and Acquisitions; Distribution; Competitive Strategy; Vertical Integration; Media and Broadcasting Industry

2012
Working Paper

Defense Acquisition Reform, 1960–2009: An Elusive Goal

By: J. Ronald Fox, David Allen, Thomas Lassman, Walton Moody and Philip Shiman

Read Now

December 2004
Teaching Note

Volvo Trucks (B): Acquisition of RVI (TN)

By: Michael E. Porter and Orjan Solvell

Teaching Note to (9-702-419). View Details

April 2002
Supplement

Adecco SA's Acquisition of Olsten Corp (CW)

Spreadsheet to (9-201-068). Presents exhibits 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, and 15. Download only. View Details

March 2001 (Revised July 2004)
Case

Adecco SA's Acquisition of Olsten Corp

In the summer of 1999, Adecco SA, one of the world's leading staffing companies, was in the midst of attempting to acquire the staffing operations of Olsten Corp., a U.S. firm. This case analyzes the economics of the staffing industry, basic valuation, cross-border... View Details

Keywords: Financial Condition; Acquisition; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Service Industry; United States

June 2013 (Revised November 2013)
Case

Bluefin Labs: The Acquisition by Twitter

By: John Deighton and Leora Kornfeld

What is the value of Bluefin Labs's social listening data to Twitter? Acquired by Twitter in 2013, Bluefin had built a system that gathered millions of online comments in an effort to develop new metrics for TV programs and brand advertising. With data from Twitter... View Details

Keywords: Measurement and Metrics; Data and Data Sets; Internet; Software; Communication Technology; Advertising; Social and Collaborative Networks; Acquisition; Television Entertainment; Advertising Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; United States

06 Dec 2022
Blog Post

Meet the Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) Club

Acquisition (ETA) is a great career path. Club Mission The Club’s mission is two-fold. First, we intend to provide potential searchers with the network and resources needed to succeed. A key success factor in the ETA career path is having... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship

January 2007
Article

Acquisitions and Firm Growth: Creating Unilever's Ice Cream and Tea Business

By: G. Jones and Peter Miskell

This article provides a longitudinal case study of the use of acquisitions by the Anglo-Dutch multinational Unilever to build the world's largest ice cream and tea businesses. The study supports recent resource-based theory which argues that complementary rather than... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Integration; Value; Knowledge Use and Leverage; Business and Shareholder Relations; Interests; Business Ventures; Employees; Food and Beverage Industry

Read Now

October 1973
Background Note

Tax Considerations in Mergers and Acquisitions

February 2002 (Revised March 2004)
Case

Volvo Trucks (B): Acquisition of RVI

By: Michael E. Porter and Orjan Solvell

Supplements the (A) case. View Details

Keywords: Market Entry and Exit; Competitive Strategy; Five Forces Framework; Truck Transportation; Global Strategy; Globalized Markets and Industries; Manufacturing Industry; Retail Industry; United States; Europe

08 Jul 2024
Podcast

Acquisition Versus Working For Someone Else

Ari Santos and Allan Newman, about to graduate from business school, reflect on the choice between buying their own business or working for someone else. Though there are parallels between their paths, including service in the US Army, these similarities make their... View Details

May 2020 (Revised June 2020)
Case

TransDigm's Acquisition and Integration of Arkwin Industries

By: Benjamin C. Esty and Daniel W. Fisher

In May 2013, TransDigm, a company that manufactured a wide range of highly engineered aerospace parts for both military and civilian aircraft, announced it was buying Arkwin Industries for $286 million in cash (3 times Arkwin’s sales of $91 million). Having acquired... View Details

Keywords: Business Model; Value Creation; Strategy; Acquisition; Integration; Talent and Talent Management; Aerospace Industry

March 1998
Case

Bumper Acquisition (A1), A: Confidential Information for Thermo-Impact, Inc.

By: James K. Sebenius and David T. Kotchen

Located in Mundelein, IL, Thermo-Impact, Inc. is a rapidly growing, private firm that manufactures automotive bumpers. In 1995, a number of large automotive supply companies and a private equity investment firm offer to buy Thermo-Impact. The cases in this series focus... View Details

Keywords: Private Equity; Valuation; Negotiation Participants; Decision Making; Negotiation Process; Entrepreneurship; Negotiation Offer; Acquisition; Manufacturing Industry; Auto Industry; Illinois

2012
Book

Defense Acquisition Reform, 1960-2009: An Elusive Goal

By: J. Ronald Fox, David Allen, Walton Moody and Philip Shiman

24 Jul 2014
Blog Post

Create a Content Marketing Strategy for your Talent Acquisitions Team

As a talent acquisitions manager or a marketing manager within a human resources team, you’ve probably asked yourself how to reach large quantities of high quality candidates in a thoughtful and meaningful way. You’ve leveraged various... View Details

April 1998 (Revised May 2001)
Supplement

Acquisition of Consolidated Rail Corporation (B), The

By: Benjamin C. Esty, Lori A. Flees and Mathew M Millett

Eight days after CSX announced it was going to buy Consolidated Rail (Conrail) for $88.65 per share, Norfolk Southern made a hostile $100 per share bid for Conrail. Over the next several months, the potential acquirers upped their bids while exchanging criticism in the... View Details

Keywords: Law; Valuation; Rail Transportation; Bids and Bidding; Governance Controls; Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Strategy; Corporate Finance; Rail Industry; United States

2001
Other Unpublished Work

Keynote Address - Defense Acquisition History Symposium

By: J. Ronald Fox

Keywords: History; National Security

April 1983
Article

Assessing Competition in the Market for Corporate Acquisitions

By: R. S. Ruback

Keywords: Competition; Business Ventures; Mergers and Acquisitions

October 2012
Article

The Effect of Reference Point Prices on Mergers and Acquisitions

By: Malcolm Baker, Xin Pan and Jeffrey Wurgler

Prior stock price peaks of targets affect several aspects of merger and acquisition activity. Offer prices are biased toward recent peak prices although they are economically unremarkable. An offer's probability of acceptance jumps discontinuously when it exceeds a... View Details

Keywords: Mergers and Acquisitions; Stocks; Price; Valuation; Negotiation