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Integration Strategies: Mergers and AcquisitionsWhen businesses acquire other businesses or operations that were previously competitors, suppliers, buyers, or sellers, they are engaging in a strategy known as integration. This strategy is based on the possibility of synergy, the idea that the sum of two entities will be greater than their individual parts—often expressed as 1+1=3. Integration can be accomplished in two primary ways: through mergers or acquisitions. A merger is the consolidation of two companies that, prior to the merger, were operating as independent entities. A merger usually creates one larger company, and one of the original companies ceases to exist. Mergers can be either horizontal or vertical. A horizontal merger occurs between companies in the same industry. This type of merger is essentially a consolidation of two or more businesses that operate in the same market space, often as competitors offering the same good or service. Horizontal mergers are common in industries with fewer firms, since competition tends to be higher, and the synergies and potential market-share gains are much greater in those industries. Facebook + Instagram = Horizontal MergerWhen Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012 for a reported $1 billion, Facebook was looking to strengthen its position in the social-media and social-sharing space. Both Facebook and Instagram operated in the same industry and were in similar positions with regard to their photo-sharing services. Facebook clearly saw Instagram as an opportunity to grow its market share, increase its product line, reduce competition, and access new markets. A vertical merger is characterized by the merger of two organizations that have a buyer-seller relationship or, more generally, two or more firms that are operating at different levels within an industry’s supply chain. Most often the logic behind the merger is to increase synergies by merging firms that would be more efficient operating as one. Apple: The King of Vertical IntegrationApple Inc. is famous for perfecting the art of vertical integration. The company manufactures its custom A-series chips for its iPhones and iPads. It also manufactures its custom touch ID fingerprint sensor. Apple opened up a laboratory in Taiwan for the development of LCD and OLED screen technologies in 2015. It also paid $18.2 million for a 70,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in North San Jose in 2015. These investments (i.e., mergers) enable Apple to move along the supply chain in a backward integration, giving it flexibility and freedom in its manufacturing capabilities.[1] An acquisition, on the other hand, occurs when a company purchases the assets of another business (such as stock, property, plants, equipment) and usually permits the acquired company to continue operating as it did prior to the acquisition. Acquisition usually refers to a purchase of a smaller firm by a larger one. Sometimes, however, a smaller firm will acquire management control of a larger and/or longer-established company and retain the name of the latter for the post-acquisition combined entity. Reasons for Mergers and AcquisitionsThere are many good reasons for growing your business through an acquisition or merger. These include:
Check Your UnderstandingAnswer the question(s) below to see how well you understand the topics covered above. This short quiz does not count toward your grade in the class, and you can retake it an unlimited number of times. Use this quiz to check your understanding and decide whether to (1) study the previous section further or (2) move on to the next section. When two or more firms competing in the same market with the same good or service decide to combine they form a?Horizontal merger is a business consolidation that occurs between firms who operate in the same space, often as competitors offering the same good or service.
When two or more firms combine operations it is called?A merger occurs when two companies combine to form a new company. This involves consolidating finances, assets, and debts to allow the business to work together efficiently. When a merger occurs, the shares of each unique company are brought together to form new shares in the name of the new entity.
When two or more companies merge because they are involved in different phases of the production product the merger is?Vertical Merger. The main objective of a vertical merger is to improve a company's efficiency or reducing costs. A vertical merger occurs when two companies previously selling to or buying from each other combine under one ownership. The businesses are typically at different stages of production.
What is it called when two or more businesses that are in the same business or are engaged in certain production and marketing processes are merged?A merger refers to an agreement in which two companies join together to form one company. In other words, a merger is the combination of two companies into a single legal entity. In this article, we will look at different types of mergers that companies can undergo.
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