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    Case Study of a Failed M&A— Introduction to Microsoft’s Acquisition of Nokia
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    • Jun 28, 2021
    • 4 min

    Case Study of a Failed M&A— Introduction to Microsoft’s Acquisition of Nokia

    On September 3, 2013, Microsoft announced that it would acquire Nokia’s mobile phone division for $7.2 billion. Through a series of missteps, many of them cultural mismanagement, Microsoft informed the public in May 2016, of its intention to write off most of the $7.2 billion it paid for Nokia and agreed to sell the mobile devices unit to HMD Global and Foxconn Technology for just $350 million. This series uses the Mergers and Acquisitions Synergies Framework to explore the c
    24,520 views1 comment
    Three Keys to Success in a Global Career
    Rebekah Kimball
    • Jun 5, 2020
    • 3 min

    Three Keys to Success in a Global Career

    An international business experience can take a variety of forms. In some cases, companies are well set up to guide employees through the transition. In other instances, individuals have to figure out logistics, such as work authorization and housing, on their own. Arranging all the pieces can be a lot to manage. And then there’s the role itself. What does it take to be successful? Mike Hoer has spent over 30 years living in and working in Asia, Africa, and Europe. In doing s
    4 views0 comments
    Four Approaches to International Careers
    Rebekah Kimball
    • Jun 5, 2020
    • 4 min

    Four Approaches to International Careers

    The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting public health initiatives gave organizations across the globe an ultimatum: operate remotely, or not at all. Local markets and the global economy felt the impact as businesses struggled to stay afloat amidst restrictions on in-person activities. In the wake of these circumstances, one thing became abundantly clear: the global workforce is capable of communicating at unprecedented levels. With professionals and their organizations aware of t
    9 views0 comments
    Lanie Beard
    • May 30, 2020
    • 4 min

    The Path to Peak Performance

    Profitability and productivity—two metrics that matter. As the global business and employment environment becomes increasingly competitive, it is essential that companies find ways to set their workforce apart. Organizations want to be productive, profitable, and innovative—but vague, ill-defined ideals are difficult to achieve when those executing them do not understand the specific roles they play and steps to take. The best way to ensure that companies and their employees
    4 views0 comments
    Secrets to Strategic Execution
    Andrew Brewer
    • May 21, 2020
    • 4 min

    Secrets to Strategic Execution

    Statista labels Best Buy as “the world’s largest multi-channel consumer electronics retailer.” But in 2012, their performance was described as “unsatisfactory in a number of areas.” And with many investors worried that Best Buy would fail to compete with Amazon, their stock price dropped more than 50% from February to December. That same year, Hubert Joly was appointed CEO. With a strong strategic vision, Joly quickly introduced a five-step strategy to bring Best Buy back to
    33 views1 comment
    Customize to the Customer
    Lanie Beard
    • May 15, 2020
    • 3 min

    Customize to the Customer

    Blockbuster’s CEO, John Antioco, will always be known as the man who laughed. After much persistence, Netflix founders, Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph,finally sat down with Antioco to make their pitch—buy Netflix for 50 million dollars. In this partnership, Netflix would run the Blockbuster brand online, while Blockbuster would promote Netflix’s mail-in subscription service instore. Antioco laughed. Blockbuster dominated the video rental industry. With 9,000 retail locations
    0 views0 comments
    International Conflict Resolution
    Andrew Brewer
    • May 4, 2020
    • 3 min

    International Conflict Resolution

    On two separate occasions, Ben Cook found himself being chased by wild African animals. One ended with an amused gorilla watching the group run away; the other ended with a massive elephant pounding the tree Cook had climbed in to hide, then walking off. Experiences like this, and experiences with human conflict, often stem from a misunderstanding. The animals likely felt threatened by something they were unfamiliar with and acted on a natural tendency to defend themselves an
    2 views0 comments
    S2E3: Culture, Learning, and Business Part 3: Leading and Trusting
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    • Mar 29, 2019
    • 1 min

    S2E3: Culture, Learning, and Business Part 3: Leading and Trusting

    This episode is all about managing relationships. Join us as we take on two more “Culture Map” scales: Leading and Trusting. #levelsofauthority #hierarchical #lead #cognitivetrust #workingwithdifferentcultures #workingwithmulticulturalteams #Communication #taskbasedcultures #Japan #BosniaandHerzegovina #friendship #cultivatingrelationships #classroom #Behavior #powerdistance #understand #culturalnorms #affectivetrust #interculturalrelationships #CostaRica #decentralization #I
    1 view0 comments
    Case Study of a Failed M&A—Concluding Thoughts on HP’s Acquisition of Autonomy
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    • Nov 15, 2018
    • 2 min

    Case Study of a Failed M&A—Concluding Thoughts on HP’s Acquisition of Autonomy

    The Mergers and Acquisition Synergies Framework we developed includes measures from research on national culture by Geert Hofstede, Erin Meyer, and Sidney Gray. We used their data to show how cultural factors in cross-border mergers and acquisition can lead to success or failure. Our research is limited to national culture factors, yet as seen in a few instances above, corporate culture can be different from national culture. These differences can cause culture clashes of the
    671 views0 comments
    Case Study of a Failed M&A—The Role of Communication in HP’s Acquisition of Autonomy
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    • Oct 31, 2018
    • 3 min

    Case Study of a Failed M&A—The Role of Communication in HP’s Acquisition of Autonomy

    HP had little experience managing software and found the software business unfamiliar. HP ultimately made the decision to let Autonomy function as an independent unit. Consequently, effective communication between the two companies was not developed. Information Availability One indicator that HP’s acquisition of Autonomy would not yield the anticipated results is communication, or lack thereof, between the two companies. A key takeaway from Why Deals Fail: And How to Rescue
    290 views0 comments
    Case Study of a Failed M&A—Introduction to HP’s Acquisition of Autonomy
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    • Oct 29, 2018
    • 2 min

    Case Study of a Failed M&A—Introduction to HP’s Acquisition of Autonomy

    Shortly after Hewlett-Packard appointed Leo Apotheker to lead the company, the board approved the acquisition of the UK-based software company, Autonomy. Hewlett-Packard, well known for its computer hardware, thought the synergies it could have with Autonomy coupled with its brand recognition would give it a strong presence in the software market. This series explores management’s cultural misstep using the Mergers and Acquisitions Synergies Framework to examine how this acqu
    3,126 views0 comments
    Case Study of a Failed M&A—Concluding Thoughts on Microsoft’s Acquisition of Nokia
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    • Oct 25, 2018
    • 2 min

    Case Study of a Failed M&A—Concluding Thoughts on Microsoft’s Acquisition of Nokia

    . The research conducted in this paper is based upon the Mergers & Acquisitions Synergies Framework, developed by combining outside findings by Geert Hofstede, Erin Meyer, and Sidney Gray. It is limited to national culture factors, which play a different role in business than organizational culture. Further studies may need to be conducted to help distinguish differences between national and organizational cultures. In reality, Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia was doomed to f
    711 views0 comments
    S1E6: Saving Face: Doing Business in Southeast Asia
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    • Oct 12, 2018
    • 1 min

    S1E6: Saving Face: Doing Business in Southeast Asia

    Meet Veasna Neang, a Cambodian educated in the United States, who developed his career in Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar. He tells us why a student would rather unzip his own pants than tell a teacher his fly is open and why doing business efficiently in Asia always includes significant time socializing. #Conversation #Environment #Learning #Communication #International #Cambodia #Culture #Management #Business
    3 views0 comments
    Case Study of a Failed M&A—The Role of Communication in Microsoft’s Acquisition of Nokia
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    • Oct 10, 2018
    • 5 min

    Case Study of a Failed M&A—The Role of Communication in Microsoft’s Acquisition of Nokia

    Language differences impede communication. But communication issues arise from much more than just having employees who speak different languages. Microsoft discovered that not spending enough time to understand and adapt to differences in communication styles, mannerisms, and culture made bringing Nokia under its corporate umbrella difficult. Information Availability Openness Before being acquired by Microsoft, Nokia struggled to maintain open communication. According to sev
    2,602 views0 comments
    Case Study of a Successful M&A—Concluding Thoughts on Lenovo’s Acquisition of IBM PC
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    • May 2, 2018
    • 2 min

    Case Study of a Successful M&A—Concluding Thoughts on Lenovo’s Acquisition of IBM PC

    Lenovo has yet to resolve all its cultural issues. As one global director said, “Until now, I think… [cultural integration] has not been completed…there still remain many cultural problems…I think this part is the most difficult one for the whole acquisition.”1This is an important reminder that the cultural integration process is measured in years, not months. Regardless, Lenovo truly is an example of a successful cross-border M&A and is regarded as such in academic literatur
    274 views0 comments
    Case Study of a Successful M&A—Introduction to Lenovo’s Acquisition of IBM PC
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    • Apr 13, 2018
    • 3 min

    Case Study of a Successful M&A—Introduction to Lenovo’s Acquisition of IBM PC

    The relatively unknown Chinese computer manufacturer, Lenovo, set its sights high: acquire the legendary IBM PC division. Though there were many who thought this merger would fail, it became one of the most successful Chinese acquisitions in history. This series uses the Mergers and Acquisitions Synergies Framework to explore the careful way Lenovo managed cultural integration with IBM to become a world leader in computer sales. Introduction Chinese merger and acquisition tra
    2,599 views0 comments
    M&A Synergies Framework—Concluding Comments and the Mapping Mergers & Acquisitions Polar G
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    • Mar 14, 2018
    • 2 min

    M&A Synergies Framework—Concluding Comments and the Mapping Mergers & Acquisitions Polar G

    Mergers and acquisitions are complicated by nature and, as shown, this is especially true with cross-border transactions where culture affects the areas of communication, behavior, management, environment, and accounting and finance. Cultural differences are not impossible to manage, rather, they require an awareness that they do exist and a willingness to set aside preconceived notions in order to find compromises and solutions as needed. Mapping Mergers & Acquisitions Polar
    10 views0 comments
    M&A Synergies Framework—Communication
    Greg Burton
    • Mar 2, 2018
    • 8 min

    M&A Synergies Framework—Communication

    Clear communication between merging companies is critical to M&A success. Communication extends far beyond agreements and meetings with top-level management. Communication involves planning and determining effective ways to help all levels of employees learn about and understand the changes taking place. One main goal of effective and clear communication is to reduce uncertainty. Information Availability Openness. Openness refers to the transparency of communication from both
    79 views0 comments
    M&A Synergies Framework—Introduction
    Greg Burton
    • Mar 1, 2018
    • 6 min

    M&A Synergies Framework—Introduction

    Companies pursue mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in hopes of realizing synergies from the successful combination of two or more business organizations. Synergies are the advantages resulting from M&A that make the combined organizations more effective than the sum of their separate parts. Typically, synergy refers to measurable financial results—for instance, higher profits or lower costs—in the combined whole company post M&A than the individual companies achieved independent
    735 views0 comments

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