Merger or Acquisition Case Study (Report) Essay

Merger or Acquisition Case Study (Report) - Essay Example On the other hand, if the organization feels it is not performing up to the expected levels, and needs some pep up from external forces, then also they can merge with or acquire company, which is also â€Å"sailing in the same boat† and thus facing the same issues. Thus, M&A can be both a successful strategy and at the same time survival strategy, aiding the organizations in the short as well as in the long run. Immediately it can fulfill the short term targets, and in the long run, probably after five years, it can satisfy each entities long term goals. So, this paper focusing on the merger of AT&T and BellSouth will first discuss the stated aims of that deal and the extent to which these aims have been fulfilled or being fulfilled. AT&T Inc is USA’s largest fixed telephony as well as mobile telephony provider. AT&T has reached its present status, after going through a series of break-ups and mergers. The original AT&T was divided in 1983 as a result of the United Stat es vs. AT&T antitrust suit, and Southwestern Bell Corporation (SBC) came into existence as the newer version of AT&T. Then in 1995, SBC changed its name to SBC Communications Inc. Then, finally in 2005, SBC Communications Inc. became AT&T Inc. ... One of the main aims of this acquisition by AT&T is to create a ‘super-sized’ AT&T, with largest customer base. In case of mergers and acquisitions, in particular acquisitions, the aim of the acquiring company is to further expand its size, operations, reach, etc, by absorbing all the resources of the acquired company. Likewise, in the case of AT&T, it is already a major corporation, while BellSouth was a middle player. Thus, AT&T wanted to further accentuate its size, reach and importantly customer numbers, and this acquisition of BellSouth provided the needed leverage and the numbers. The other associated aim of the acquisition is to control more than half of the telephone as well as internet broadband lines in USA. This way, it also wanted or aimed to beat their competitors. Competition is part of every business, and only if the concerned organization comes up with effective and sometimes â€Å"out of the box† strategy, it can beat off the competition. Thus, th is way AT&T can beat of its competitors like Verizon, Comcast, etc. With Verizon close on its heels, AT&T wanted to accumulate a customer base, which will be ahead of Verizon and other competitors. So, its aim to garner half of the total telephone and internet lines also pushed it to acquire BellSouth. Apart from these AT&T centric aims, the acquisition was also carried out with another aim of propping up Cingular Wireless, the mobile telephony wing. Even before the acquisition, both AT&T and BellSouth only managed Cingular’s operations, but without an single administrative setup. So, both AT&T and BellSouth through the acquisition process aimed to create a more efficient Cingular Wireless. Firstly, the merger

Leadership in organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Leadership in organisations - Essay Example It is the former who make a major contribution to the society. Leadership skills are required in every field irrespective of the nature. Leadership in organizations has been a topic of interest for many researchers and scholars over the last century. There is immense research that has gone into finding what qualities differentiate the leaders from the rest and why leadership is important to an organiztaion. Organizational leadership is very important for an organization. It is these leaders who account for the majority of the success of the organization. In spite of the research that has gone into organizational leadership, there are various questions unanswered. This report is a research proposal for carrying out further research in the filed of organizational leadership. 1.1 Suitability of Researcher for the Research Leadership has always excited the researcher and understanding leadership has turned into a passion. The researcher has read about the topic intensely and has been ins pired by the various leaders such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Winston Churchill, etc. The researcher has been amazed by these leaders ability to command respect from the followers and lead them to a better life. The researcher would like to take this opportunity to officially study his/her passion through this research. The researcher has been following the developments in the filed prior to the idea of conducting an academic research on the topic. 1.2 Research Question The effectiveness and usefulness of a research primarily depends on the depth and accuracy of a research question. Research question addresses the scope of the research. Research question tries to find answers and for new questions about the research subject for further research or investigation (Lester, 1986). In a deductive approach the researcher makes an assumption or theory and then tries to prove his or her theory with the help of the research findings and data. On the other hand, in an inductive approac h the researcher uses practical findings and research results to derive a hypothesis. The research question needs to be apt and to the topic. Research question must not be too elaborative or too restrictive. Too elaborative research question would not be very useful to drive the point and it would be more of an explanation than a question. Too restrictive research question might not cover the scope of the research. The research question must be designed in such a way that it compels for an answer. Research question must not address any insignificant issues and divert from the core of the subject. Hence, the researcher must frame the research question with lot of care in such a way that it focuses on the core issue and compels for an answer. The purpose of this research is to study leadership in organization and throw new light on the topic. The research will be targeted in understanding how leadership makes an impact on the organization. It addresses the popular question of how lead ers and managers are different. Even though there has been a lot of debate over the above question, the researcher intends to bring in a new dimension to the debate. The various styles of leadership will be addressed and studying further. Researcher is of the view that leaders have qualities of entrepreneurs. An entrepreneur is definitely a leader who leads his company or organization to success and greater heights. But what researcher

Job Satisfaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Job Satisfaction - Essay Example (1) Job satisfaction of the employees, and retaining them has become a growing concern in business organizations with the need to be more competitive, as a result of the growing globalization being witnessed. This stems from the belief that satisfied employees tend to be more productive, creative, and committed to the organization. There is evidence from the field of healthcare that job satisfaction among employees tend to make the healthcare organization more competitive in a market noted for its high rate of competitiveness. This competitiveness is through the improvement in quality and cost-effectiveness of satisfied employees. (2) Any discussion on job satisfaction needs to take into consideration the positive and negative factors of job satisfaction. According to Hezberg et al 1959, the positive factors known as motivators are achievement, recognition, the job responsibilities itself, and advancement opportunities. Negative factors known as hygiene factors include supervisors, fellow workers, company policy, workplace environment, and personal life. These findings of Hezberg et al were supported by studies conducted at the workplace, where workers were asked to present their perspectives of critical incidents that had occurred, but this remained the only manner in which the theory was supported. Wall et al in 1971, on the basis of confidentially collected data from workers, found that ego-defensive processes were responsible for the findings of Hezberg et al. These processes led to good events being the result of one’s own achievements, and bad events the due to the failings as a result of others. Thi s led to the general discarding of the Hezberg et al theory. However a subsequent study conducted in 1971, and as reported by Argyle, found relevance in the theory of Hezberg et al. This research on joy in workers found that while achievement was important, relationships

Representatives of American Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Representatives of American Culture - Essay Example The choice of design and color for the flag tells a story in itself. The blue and red colored flag with prominent stripes and stars represent the union of fifty states spanning the North American landscape. Beyond this basic symbolism, the flag has been associated with the nation’s progress in science and technology. For example, when Neil Armstrong and his colleagues in NASA successfully landed on the moon, it was the planting of the American Flag which served as the token purpose of the mission. At that time, the world was divided in two as a result of the Cold War. (Jolene & Couper, 2003, p.328) The flag also represented the country in its military endeavors. Irrespective of political conditions and arenas of conflict, the flag has always been at the forefront of American military operations going back to the Declaration of Independence (Goode, 2002, p.13). At the same time, it has been used by American citizens to express their dissent. For example, the mass demonstrations that followed American participation in the Vietnam War saw instances of flag burning. The same kind of protestation against American government’s policies is being repeated at present with respect to the issue of invasion of Iraq. In this case, it is an expression of dissent. It will not be an exaggeration to state that the American people are obsessed with the flag. (Jolene & Couper, 2003, p.328) Disney world is a relatively recent entrant into the collective consciousness of American people. While it was started by Walt Disney to be an amusement park for children, gradually it had metamorphosed into a recreational center for the entire family. A lot can be discerned by studying what it offers to visitors. The most famous of its mascots, the Mickey Mouse, is a household name in America. The numerous animated cartoons produced by Walt Disney Incorporation, including a few iconic series, are a rite of passage

Does music play a central role in the Goth scene Essay

Does music play a central role in the Goth scene - Essay Example Elsewhere goth is described in terms of an identity that is counter-culture and goes against the grain of popular society. It chooses deliberately to be unpopular and to go its own way in terms of self-development, fashion, music, and other key lifestyle aspects, including the choice of friends and activities (Urban Dictionary 2014; Williams 2006). Meanwhile, from the point of view of the rest of society, goth, the goth scene, and goth subculture tend towards the fringe and dark side of things. This is the case in fashion and in elements of popular culture such as music. That said, the mainstream seems to have mixed reactions towards Goth, with many seeing goth as a benign and a valid way for teenagers and disaffected youth to define themselves and their group (Gold and Cuda 1999). While simple definitions abound, modern day contexts for Goth and the Goth scene seem to indicate that Goth identity and the elements of Goth are fluid and are continuously evolving. There is the assertion in Daniel and Desantis (2013) that Goth as a movement of counterculture owes its staying power to the lasting appeal of its aesthetic, which is not death but persistent non-death. Goth seems to thrive by going against the mainstream. The emphasis is ongoing against what mainstream society prescribes in terms of activities, what to do, and fashion, what to wear, among other things. Moodiness and an inclination towards the dark and lonely side of things is a pervasive emotional atmosphere. This moodiness is what outside society sees from the outside looking in. As subculture, meanwhile, Goth has within it elements relating to the free expression of sexuality, defining artifacts and features that include certain fashion and musical preferences as described above (Daniel and Desantis 2013; Fereday n.d.; Wilkins 2004; Hodkinson 2005; Tumblr 2014; Smith 1997). Music too comes up inevitably in discussions of Goth, as a key

Comparing and contrasting functionalist,marxist and feminist Essay

Comparing and contrasting functionalist,marxist and feminist perspective on religion - Essay Example Religion refers to those socially shared ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that have to do with the supernatural or "beyond" (Zanden 371). For Shepard, Religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things (388). The theorists like Marx Weber, Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim have different views on Religion. Emile Durkheim presented his functionalist perspective of religion in his work The Elementary Forms of Religious Life (Thio 385). He emphasized that religion functions to preserve social order. Every religion possessed both rituals and moral norms (Ibid). By way of rituals, people sanctify and renew their bonds to one another. Their beliefs in the sacred and acceptance of common norms are strengthened. Thus, religion binds the society and maintains it (Ibid). As a whole, functionalist theorists direct their focus on the contributions the religion has made to the survival of the society. Functionalists argue that the role of religion is to preserve the s tatus quo rather than to promote social change. They agree that religion is a beneficial conservative force because it maintains consensus, binds people together and promotes social order. They however see it as having a positive influence, whereas the Marxist view is somewhat more negative in its outlook. ("The Different"). The essential function of religion was to provide through sacred symbols a mirror for members of society to see their common unity. Through its system of beliefs, religion offers an explanation of the nature of social life (Shepard 391). The conflict theorists on the other hand, as represented by Karl Marx viewed religion as producing an otherworldly focus that diverts the oppressed from seeking thisworldy social change (Zanden 382). Marx viewed it is an expression of human alienation and an illusion. It is a form of false consciousness and as a tool of the powerful in the struggles between competing social class ( Robertson 405). It is the "sigh of the oppresse d creature, the heart of the heartless world, the soul of the soulless circumstances. It is the opium of the people" ( Thio 385). Marx considered it as a profound form of human alienation because people tend to lose control over the social world they have created resulting to a situation where they find themselves alien in the hostile social environment (Robertson 405). This is because people shape social institutions expecting that the same will serve their needs yet find themselves to be the servant of the institutions they created (Zanden 382). Conflict theorists have taken a new perspective on the relationship between religion and social change. They view it not as a passive response to social relations of production but as an active force shaping the contours of social life (Ibid 383). Marxist argue that religion is a mechanism for social control- (as does functionalism), religion maintains the existing system of exploitation, and reinforces class relationships and inequalities . Further, Marx argued that religion dulls the pain of oppression by: 1) Promising a paradise of eternal bliss in the after life, 2) By often making poverty tolerable by offering heaven as a reward for they're suffering c) By giving the hope of supernatural intervention to solve the worlds problems and d) Justifies social order/hierarchies- by saying that poverty is divinely ordained as a punishment for sin ( "The Different"). .Feminists on one hand agree with Marxists to the extent of religion acting as an instrument of domination and oppression but not for the ruling class but for men. They believe people live in a patriarchal society. Radical feminists during the 1970's and 1980's view religion primarily as patriarchal ideology regardless of the different forms in which it appeared (Newman, "Feminist"). They found that there exists a relationship between religion and politics. The male controlled institution, such as religion defines women as subordinate to men and are used to

Does music play a central role in the Goth scene Essay

Does music play a central role in the Goth scene - Essay Example Elsewhere goth is described in terms of an identity that is counter-culture and goes against the grain of popular society. It chooses deliberately to be unpopular and to go its own way in terms of self-development, fashion, music, and other key lifestyle aspects, including the choice of friends and activities (Urban Dictionary 2014; Williams 2006). Meanwhile, from the point of view of the rest of society, goth, the goth scene, and goth subculture tend towards the fringe and dark side of things. This is the case in fashion and in elements of popular culture such as music. That said, the mainstream seems to have mixed reactions towards Goth, with many seeing goth as a benign and a valid way for teenagers and disaffected youth to define themselves and their group (Gold and Cuda 1999). While simple definitions abound, modern day contexts for Goth and the Goth scene seem to indicate that Goth identity and the elements of Goth are fluid and are continuously evolving. There is the assertion in Daniel and Desantis (2013) that Goth as a movement of counterculture owes its staying power to the lasting appeal of its aesthetic, which is not death but persistent non-death. Goth seems to thrive by going against the mainstream. The emphasis is ongoing against what mainstream society prescribes in terms of activities, what to do, and fashion, what to wear, among other things. Moodiness and an inclination towards the dark and lonely side of things is a pervasive emotional atmosphere. This moodiness is what outside society sees from the outside looking in. As subculture, meanwhile, Goth has within it elements relating to the free expression of sexuality, defining artifacts and features that include certain fashion and musical preferences as described above (Daniel and Desantis 2013; Fereday n.d.; Wilkins 2004; Hodkinson 2005; Tumblr 2014; Smith 1997). Music too comes up inevitably in discussions of Goth, as a key