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Management of Strategy Concepts

International Edition 10th Edition


Ireland Solutions Manual
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Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

Chapter 7
Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

KNOWLEDGE OBJECTIVES

1. Explain the popularity of merger and acquisition strategies in firms competing in the
global economy.
2. Discuss reasons why firms use an acquisition strategy to achieve strategic
competitiveness.
3. Describe seven problems that work against achieving success when using an acquisition
strategy.
4. Name and describe the attributes of effective acquisitions.
5. Define the restructuring strategy and distinguish among its common forms.
6. Explain the short- and long-term outcomes of the different types of restructuring
strategies.

CHAPTER OUTLINE

Opening Case Technology Giants‘ Acquisition Strategies and Their Outcomes


THE POPULARITY OF MERGER AND ACQUISITION STRATEGIES
Mergers, Acquisitions, and Takeovers: What Are the Differences?
REASONS FOR ACQUISITIONS
Increased Market Power
Overcoming Entry Barriers
Strategic Focus Cross-Border Acquisitions by Firms from Emerging Economies: Leverage
Resources to Gain a Larger Global Footprint and Market Power
Cost of New Product Development and Increased Speed to Market
Lower Risk Compared to Developing New Products
Increased Diversification
Reshaping the Firm‘s Competitive Scope
Learning and Developing New Capabilities
PROBLEMS IN ACHIEVING ACQUISITION SUCCESS
Integration Difficulties
Inadequate Evaluation of Target
Large or Extraordinary Debt
Inability to Achieve Synergy
Too Much Diversification
Managers Overly Focused on Acquisitions
Strategic Focus The Acquisitions and Mergers to Form Citigroup: Divestitures
Associated with the Failed Concept of the Financial Supermarket
Too Large
EFFECTIVE ACQUISITIONS

© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. This edition is intended for use outside of the U.S. only, with content that may be
different from the U.S. Edition. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
7-1
Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

RESTRUCTURING
Downsizing
Downscoping
Leveraged Buyouts
Restructuring Outcomes
SUMMARY
REVIEW QUESTIONS
EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISES
VIDEO CASE
NOTES

LECTURE NOTES

Chapter Introduction: With continued merger and acquisition activity, this


chapter is very important. Much of the chapter’s material is summarized in
Figure 7.1, which can be used to help students mentally organize what they
learn in the chapter about mergers and acquisitions by examining reasons of
acquisitions and problems in achieving success.

OPENING CASE
Technology Giants’ Acquisition Strategies and Their Outcomes

The Opening Case sets up the central theme for Chapter 7—acquisition strategy.
Companies profiled in the case include Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. These three
firms are using acquisitions to move quickly into market space that they see developing.
Through its acquisition of Skype, Microsoft is seeking to broaden its communication
base. Google‘s acquisition of YouTube is seen as a move to gain access to new models of
advertising. Facebook‘s acquisition of Snaptu (and several other companies) appears to
be focused on obtaining the human capital necessary to further develop evolving aspects
of its business.

Teaching Note: In fast-cycle industries companies often lack the time to


develop businesses or capabilities that it needs to complement their
existing businesses or capitalize on changing conditions in a timely
manner. Acquisitions can help firms achieve their objectives much faster
than other options. To drive this point home, ask students why Microsoft,
Google, and Facebook, three financially solid companies, didn’t just
develop the businesses/capabilities that they obtained through the profiled
acquisitions. Then, ask students why they think the target firms agreed to
be acquired. Truly successful acquisitions provide benefits to both parties.

© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. This edition is intended for use outside of the U.S. only, with content that may be
different from the U.S. Edition. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
7-2
Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

Explain the popularity of acquisition strategies in


1
firms competing in the global economy.

In the latter half of the 20th century, acquisition became a prominent strategy used by major
corporations to achieve growth and meet competitive challenges. Even smaller and more
focused firms began employing acquisition strategies to grow and enter new markets.
However, acquisition strategies are not without problems; a number of acquisitions fail.
Thus, the chapter focuses on how acquisitions can be used to produce value for the firm‘s
stakeholders.

THE POPULARITY OF MERGER AND ACQUISITION STRATEGIES

Acquisitions have been a popular strategy among US firms for many years. Some believe
that this strategy played a central role in the restructuring of US businesses during the 1980s,
1990s, and into the 21st century.

Increasingly, acquisition strategies are becoming more popular with firms in other nations
(e.g., those of Europe). In fact, about 40 to 45 percent of the acquisitions in recent years have
been made across country borders (i.e., where a firm headquartered in one country acquires a
firm headquartered in another country).

Merger and acquisition trends:


 There were five waves of mergers and acquisitions in the 20th century, the last two in the
1980s and 1990s.
 There were 55,000 acquisitions valued at $1.3 trillion in the 1980s.
 Acquisitions in the 1990s exceeded $11 trillion in value.
 World economies (especially the US economy) slowed in the new millennium, reducing
M&As completed.
 Mergers and acquisitions peaked in 2000 at about $3.4 billion and fell to about $1.75
billion in 2001.
 The global volume of announced acquisition agreements was up 41 percent from 2003 to
$1.95 trillion for 2004, the highest level since 2000, and the pace in 2005 was significantly
above the level of 2004.
 Although the frequency of acquisitions has slowed, their number remains high.
 In the latest acquisition boom between 1998 and 2000, acquiring firm shareholders
experienced significant losses relative to the losses in all of the 1980s.

A firm may make an acquisition to do the following:


 Increase its market power because of a competitive threat
 Enter a new market because of an available opportunity
 Spread the risk due to the uncertain environment
 Shift its core business into more favorable markets (e.g., because of industry or regulatory
changes)

© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. This edition is intended for use outside of the U.S. only, with content that may be
different from the U.S. Edition. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
7-3
Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

Evidence suggests that at least for acquiring firms, acquisition strategies may not result in
desirable outcomes. Studies have found that shareholders of acquired firms often earn above-
average returns from an acquisition, whereas shareholders of acquiring firms are less likely to
do so. In approximately two-thirds of all acquisitions, the acquiring firm‘s stock price falls
immediately after the intended transaction is announced, indicating investors‘ skepticism
about the likelihood that the acquirer will be able to achieve the synergies required to justify
the premium.

Mergers, Acquisitions, and Takeovers: What Are the Differences?

Before starting the discussion of the reasons for acquisitions, problems related to
acquisitions, and long-term performance, three terms should be defined because they will be
used throughout this chapter and Chapter 10.

A merger is a transaction where two firms agree to integrate their operations on a relatively
co-equal basis because they have resources and capabilities that together may create a
stronger competitive advantage.

An acquisition is a transaction where one firm buys a controlling or 100 percent interest in
another firm with the intent of making the acquired firm a subsidiary business within its
portfolio.

Whereas most mergers represent friendly agreements between the two firms, acquisitions
sometimes can be classified as unfriendly takeovers. A takeover is an acquisition—and
normally not a merger—where the target firm did not solicit the bid of the acquiring firm and
often resists the acquisition (a hostile takeover).

Discuss reasons why firms use an acquisition strategy to


2
achieve strategic competitiveness.

REASONS FOR ACQUISITIONS

Teaching Note: You may find it helpful to refer students to Figure 7.1, which
lists the reasons for acquisitions (discussed more fully in the sections that
follow).

Increased Market Power

As discussed in Chapter 6, a primary reason for acquisitions is that they enable firms to gain
greater market power. Acquisitions to meet a market power objective generally involve
buying a supplier, a competitor, a distributor, or a business in a highly related industry.

© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. This edition is intended for use outside of the U.S. only, with content that may be
different from the U.S. Edition. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
7-4
Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

Though a number of firms may feel that they have an internal core competence, they may be
unable to exploit their resources and capabilities because of a lack of size.

Horizontal Acquisitions

When a competitor in the same industry is acquired, a firm has engaged in a horizontal
acquisition. Horizontal acquisitions increase a firm‘s market power by exploiting cost-based
and revenue-based synergies.
Research suggests that horizontal acquisitions of firms with similar characteristics result in
higher performance than when firms with dissimilar characteristics combine their operations.
Examples of important similar characteristics include strategy, managerial styles, and
resource allocation patterns.

Horizontal acquisitions are often most effective when the acquiring firm integrates the
acquired firm‘s assets with its own assets, but only after evaluating and divesting excess
capacity and assets that do not complement the newly combined firm‘s core competencies.

Vertical Acquisitions

A vertical acquisition has occurred when a firm acquires a supplier or distributor that is
positioned either backward or forward in the firm‘s cost/activity/value chain.

Related Acquisitions

When a target firm in a highly related industry is acquired, the firm has made a related
acquisition.

Teaching Note: Remind students that, as discussed in Chapter 6, during the


1960s and 1970s, both horizontal and related acquisitions were discouraged
as they were regularly challenged by agencies of the federal government. The
ability of firms to make horizontal acquisitions increased in the 1980s because
of changes in the interpretation and enforcement of antitrust laws and
regulations by the courts and the Justice Department.

It is important to note that acquisitions intended to increase market power are subject to
regulatory review, as well as analysis by financial markets.

Overcoming Entry Barriers

As discussed in Chapter 2, barriers to entry represent factors associated with the market
and/or firms operating in the market that make it more expensive and difficult for new firms
to enter the market.

It may be difficult to enter a market dominated by large, established competitors. As noted in


Chapter 2, such markets may require:
© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. This edition is intended for use outside of the U.S. only, with content that may be
different from the U.S. Edition. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
7-5
Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

 Investments in large-scale manufacturing facilities that enable the firm to achieve


economies of scale so that it can offer competitive prices
 Significant expenditures in advertising and promotion to overcome brand loyalty toward
existing products
 Establishing or breaking into existing distribution channels so that goods are convenient to
customers

When barriers to entry are present, the firm‘s best choice may be to acquire a firm already
having a presence in the industry or market. In fact, the higher the barriers to entry into an
attractive market or industry, the more likely it is that firms interested in entering will follow
acquisition strategies.

Entry barriers firms face when trying to enter international markets are often great.
Commonly, acquisitions are used to overcome entry barriers in international markets. It is
important to compete successfully in these markets since global markets are growing faster
than domestic markets. Also, five of the emerging markets (China, India, Brazil, Mexico, and
Indonesia) are among the fastest growing economies in the world.

STRATEGIC FOCUS
Cross-Border Acquisition by Firms from Emerging Economies: Leverage Resources to
Gain a Larger Global Footprint and Market Power

In the Strategic Focus a number of cross-border acquisitions, in which the acquiring firm is
from an emerging market country, and the target firm is from a developed market country,
are identified. Examples include acquirers from Spain, China, India, and Brazil. Through
these types of acquisitions, emerging market firms are able to enter foreign developed
country markets as well as industries outside their domestic market. However, research
indicates that emerging market acquirers (especially government-owned entities) tend to pay
a higher purchase premium and must contend with more political scrutiny than firms from
other developed countries. Emerging market cross-border acquisitions of developed country
firms are likely to continue as emerging market economies have significant financial reserves
as both the US dollar and euro have lost value. In addition to the economics of these deals,
acquirers are able to bring acquired technologies/knowledge back to their domestic markets.

Teaching Note: Students may be surprised that cross-border acquisitions of the


type described in the Strategic Focus are taking place. The more accepted
scenario is one in which developed market acquirers purchase firms in emerging
markets. Though emerging market acquirers may have the resources and
opportunity to engage in cross-border acquisitions of developed market
companies, capabilities to manage/integrate the acquired firms is another issue.
Ask students to identify the skill sets/capabilities that emerging market acquirers
should possess to ensure that their developed market acquisitions perform at
acceptable levels.

© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. This edition is intended for use outside of the U.S. only, with content that may be
different from the U.S. Edition. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

Cross-Border Acquisitions

Acquisitions between companies with headquarters in different countries are called cross-
border acquisitions.

Teaching Note: Chapter 9 examines cross-border alliances and the


justification for their use. Cross-border acquisitions and cross-border alliances
are alternatives firms consider while pursuing strategic competitiveness.
Compared to a cross-border alliance, a firm has more control over its
international operations through a cross-border acquisition.

Historically, US firms have been the most active acquirers of companies outside their
domestic market. However, in the global economy, companies throughout the world are
choosing this strategic option with increasing frequency. In recent years, cross-border
acquisitions have represented as much as 40 percent of the total number of acquisitions made
annually.

Some trends in cross-border acquisitions:


 Because of relaxed regulations, the amount of cross-border activity among nations within
the European community also continues to increase.
 Many large European corporations have approached the limits of growth within their
domestic markets and thus seek growth in other markets.
 Many European and US firms participated in cross-border acquisitions across Asian
countries that experienced a financial crisis due to significant currency devaluations in
1997, and this facilitated the survival and restructuring of many large Asian companies
such that these economies recovered more quickly than they would have otherwise.

Acquisitions represent a viable strategy for firms that wish to enter international markets
because:
 This may be the fastest way to enter new markets
 They provide more control over foreign operations than do strategic alliances with a
foreign partner

Cost of New Product Development and Increased Speed to Market

Acquisitions also may represent an attractive alternative to developing new products


internally due to the cost and time required to start a new venture and achieve a positive
return.

Also of concern to firms‘ managers is achieving adequate returns from the capital invested to
develop and commercialize new products—an estimated 88 percent of innovations fail to
achieve adequate returns. Perhaps contributing to these less-than-desirable rates of return is
the successful imitation of approximately 60 percent of innovations within four years after

© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. This edition is intended for use outside of the U.S. only, with content that may be
different from the U.S. Edition. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

the patents are obtained. Because of outcomes such as these, managers often perceive
internal product development as a high-risk activity.

Internal development of new products is often perceived by managers to be costly and to


represent high risk investments of firm resources. Although sometimes costly, it may be in
the firm‘s best interest to acquire an existing business because:
 The acquired firm has established sales volume and customer base, thus yielding
predictable returns.
 The acquiring firm gains immediate market access.

In addition to representing attractive prices, large pharmaceutical firms have used


acquisitions to supplement products in the pipeline with projects from undervalued
biotechnology companies; thus, this is one way to appropriate new products.
Lower Risk Compared to Developing New Products

As discussed earlier, internal product development processes can be risky, in that entering a
market and earning an acceptable return on investment requires significant resources and
time. All the same, acquisition outcomes can be estimated easily and accurately (as compared
to the outcomes of an internal product development process), causing managers to view
acquisitions as carrying lowering risk.

Teaching Note: Not long ago, P&G acquired premium dog and cat food
manufacturer Iams Co. to support the launch of its pet products into
supermarket chains and mass merchandisers such as Walmart. Having
assessed the potential of Iams in the marketplace, P&G managers were
confident they would achieve positive results through their strategy; thus, they
may have considered entry into the premium pet-food market through
acquisition to be less risky than entering the market via internal product
development.

Because acquisitions recently have become such a common means of avoiding risky internal
ventures, they could become a substitute for innovation, which has a serious downside (e.g.,
the decline of Cisco systems).

Teaching Note: Although they often enable firms to offset the risk of internal
ventures and of developing new products, acquisitions are not without risks of
their own. Acquisition-related risks are discussed later in this chapter.

Increased Diversification

It should be easier for firms to develop new products and/or new ventures within their current
markets because of market-related knowledge, but firms that desire to enter new markets may
find that current product-market knowledge and skills are not transferable to the new target
market.

© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. This edition is intended for use outside of the U.S. only, with content that may be
different from the U.S. Edition. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

Acquisitions also may have gained in popularity as a related or horizontal diversification


strategy (enabling rapid moves into related markets or to expand market power) and as an
unrelated diversification strategy because of the changes in regulatory interpretation and
enforcement of antitrust laws discussed in Chapter 6.

United Technologies: A Mini-Case

Both related diversification and unrelated diversification can be implemented through


acquisitions. For example, United Technologies has used acquisitions to build a
conglomerate firm by assembling a portfolio of stable and noncyclical businesses
(including Otis Elevator Co. and Carrier air conditioning) since the mid-1970s in order
to reduce its dependence on the volatile aerospace industry. Its main businesses have
been Pratt & Whitney jet engines, Sikorsky helicopters, and aerospace-parts-maker
Hamilton Sundstrand. It has also acquired a hydrogen fuel cell business. However,
perceiving an opportunity in security due to problems at airports and because security
has become a top concern for both governments and corporations, United Technologies
acquired Chubb PLC, a British electronic security company, for $1 billion. With its
acquisition of Kidde PLC in the same general business in 2004 for $2.84 billion, UTC
will have obtained 10 percent of the world‘s market share in electronic security. All
businesses UTC purchases are involved in manufacturing industrial and commercial
products. However, many involve relatively low technology (e.g., elevators, air
conditioners, and security systems).

Using acquisitions to diversify a firm is the quickest and often the easiest way to change its
portfolio of businesses—e.g., Goodrich evolved from a tire maker to a top-tier aerospace
supplier through 40+ acquisitions.

Firms must be careful when making acquisitions to diversify their product lines because
horizontal and related acquisitions tend to contribute more to strategic competitiveness, and
thus they are more successful than diversifying acquisitions.

Teaching Note: Remember, related diversification seeks lower costs through


economies of scope, synergy, and resource sharing, whereas unrelated
diversification hopes to realize financial economies and better internal
resource allocation among diverse businesses.

Reshaping the Firm’s Competitive Scope

To reduce intense rivalry‘s negative effect on financial performance, a firm may use
acquisitions as a way to restrict its dependence on a single or a few products or markets.

Teaching Note: The following are examples of auto manufacturers that have
gone through acquisitions to reduce dependence of too few businesses:

© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. This edition is intended for use outside of the U.S. only, with content that may be
different from the U.S. Edition. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

 General Motors acquired Electronic Data Systems and Hughes Aerospace


to lessen its dependence on the domestic automobile market (where its
market share had declined from approximately 50 percent in 1980 to less
than 30 percent 10 years later) and escape intense competition with
Japanese automakers. However, GM later sold these businesses to focus
its efforts on its core automobile business.
 DaimlerChrysler considered expanding into financial and computer
services, aftermarket sales, and electronics and satellite systems to pursue
more desirable operating margins in areas that are more attractive than are
alliances or acqhuisitions in car manufacturing.
 Ford management considered making the company the world’s leading
consumer services business that specializes in the automotive sector by
tapping all sectors in after-sales markets, including repairs, replacement
parts, and product servicing. To evaluate its success in reshaping the firm’s
competitive scope through diversification, Ford would measure its
performance against world-class consumer firms, regardless of industry
(i.e., rather than using the traditional yardsticks of rival automakers).

Learning and Developing New Capabilities

Some acquisitions are made to gain capabilities that the firm does not possess—e.g.,
acquisitions used to acquire a special technological capability. Acquiring other firms with
skills and capabilities that differ from its own helps the acquiring firm learn new knowledge
and remain agile, but firms are better able to learn these capabilities if they share some
similar properties with the firm‘s current capabilities.

One of Cisco System‘s primary goals in its early acquisitions was to gain access to
capabilities that it did not currently possess through its commitment to learning. The firm
developed an intricate process to quickly integrate the acquired firms and their capabilities
(knowledge) after an acquisition is completed.

Figure Note: Figure 7.1 presents the reasons for making acquisitions and the
problems encountered. A comment that problems are discussed in ensuing
sections is appropriate.

Describe seven problems that work against developing a


3
competitive advantage using an acquisition strategy.

PROBLEMS IN ACHIEVING ACQUISITION SUCCESS

Research suggests that perhaps 20 percent of all mergers and acquisitions are successful,
approximately 60 percent produce disappointing results, and the last 20 percent are clear

© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. This edition is intended for use outside of the U.S. only, with content that may be
different from the U.S. Edition. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
7-10
Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

failures. Successful acquisitions generally involve a well-conceived strategy in selecting the


target, the avoidance of paying too high a premium, and employing an effective integration
process.

A number of problems accompany an acquisition strategy. Acquisition-related problems


shown in Figure 7.1 that are discussed in this section are:
 Difficulties integrating the two firms after the acquisition is completed
 Paying too much for the target (acquired) firm or inappropriately or inadequately
evaluating the target
 The cost of financing the acquisition, related to large or extraordinary debt
 Overestimating the potential for gains from capabilities and/or synergy
 Excessive or too much diversification
 Management being preoccupied or overly focused on acquisitions
 The combined firm becoming too large

Integration Difficulties

Integration problems or difficulties that firms often encounter can take many forms. Among
them are:
 Melding disparate corporate cultures
 Linking different financial and control systems
 Building effective working relationships (especially when management styles differ)
 Problems related to differing status of acquired and acquiring firms‘ executives

The importance of integration success should not be underestimated. Without successful


integration, a firm achieves financial diversification, but little else. Consider these points.
 The post-acquisition integration phase may be the single most important determinant of
shareholder value creation (or value destruction) in mergers and acquisitions.
 Managers should understand the large number of activities associated with integration
processes.

Teaching Note: Several years ago, Intel acquired Digital Equipment’s


semiconductors division. On the day Intel began to integrate the acquired
division into its operations, six thousand deliverables were to be completed by
hundreds of employees working in dozens of countries.

FIGURE 7.1
Reasons for Acquisitions and Problems in Achieving Success

Seven reasons for acquisitions are presented in the left column whereas seven problems in
achieving acquisition success are presented in the right hand bubble-column of Figure 7.1.

To summarize, the seven reasons that firms (and managers) implement acquisition strategies
are to:
© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. This edition is intended for use outside of the U.S. only, with content that may be
different from the U.S. Edition. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

 Increase market power


 Overcome entry barriers
 Reduce the cost of new product development and increase speed to market
 Lower risk compared to developing new products
 Increase diversification
 Avoid excessive competition
 Learn and develop new capabilities

The seven reasons for poor performance of acquisitions or problems faced in attempts to
achieve success are:
 Integration difficulties
 Inadequate evaluation of target
 Large or extraordinary debt
 Inability to achieve synergy
 Too much diversification
 Managers overly focused on acquisitions
 Too large

Note: Problems encountered as firms try to successfully achieve their objectives and create
value from acquisitions are discussed in detail in the next sections of this chapter.

It is important to maintain the human capital of the target firm after the acquisition to
preserve the organization‘s knowledge. Turnover of key personnel from the acquired firm
can have a negative effect on the performance of the merged firm.

Teaching Note: The following are examples of firms and the steps they took
to preserve human capital through the acquisition process.
 When AllliedSignal acquired Honeywell, the firm set an aggressive
timetable to merge their operations into a $24 billion industrial powerhouse
in six months, despite the great diversification involved. This required a
team to develop and implement the integration.
 Rapid integration is one of the guidelines that DaimlerChrysler uses for
successful firm integration in a global merger or acquisition. Managers are
encouraged to deal with unpopular issues immediately and honestly so
employees will be able to anticipate the effects the integration is likely to
have on them.
 Cisco Systems is quick to integrate acquisitions with its existing operations.
Focusing on small companies with products and services related closely to
its own, some believe that the day after Cisco acquires a firm, employees
in that company feel as though they have been working for Cisco for
decades.

© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. This edition is intended for use outside of the U.S. only, with content that may be
different from the U.S. Edition. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
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Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

Inadequate Evaluation of Target

Due diligence is a process through which a firm evaluates a target firm for acquisition. In an
effective due-diligence process hundreds of items are examined in areas as diverse as the
financing for the intended transaction, differences in cultures between the acquiring and
target firm, tax consequences of the transaction, and actions that would be necessary to
successfully meld the two workforces.

Due diligence is commonly performed by investment bankers, accountants, lawyers, and


management consultants specializing in that activity, although firms actively pursuing
acquisitions may form their own internal due-diligence team.

Teaching Note: For the reasons below, firms often pay too much for acquired
businesses:
 Acquiring firms may not thoroughly analyze the target firm, failing to
develop adequate knowledge of its true market value.
 Managers’ overconfidence may cloud the judgment of acquiring firm
managers.
 Shareholders (owners) of the target must be enticed to sell their stock, and
this usually requires that acquiring firms pay a premium over the current
stock price.
 In some instances, two or more firms may be interested in acquiring the
same target firm. When this happens, a bidding war often ensues and
extraordinarily high premiums may be required to purchase the target firm.

Teaching Note: Some acquirers overpaying for target firms include the
following:
 British retailer Marks & Spencer paid $750 million for Brooks Brothers of
the United States, but the acquisition was still unsuccessful after more than
ten years of integration.
 Sony paid a 28 percent premium for CBS Records and a 60 percent
premium for Columbia Pictures.
 Bridgestone paid a 60 percent premium for Firestone, and its winning bid
was 38 percent higher than a competing bid from Pirelli.
 National City Corporation agreed to acquire First of America for a price that
was 3.8 times book value and 22.9 times First’s estimated 1998 earnings—
National City’s stock fell 5.9 percent.
 First Union Corp. paid 5.3 times book value when it acquired CoreStates
Financial Corp.
 Federated paid $10 per share for Broadway Department Stores when
Broadway’s stock was selling for $2 per share, a 400 percent premium in a
transaction valued at $1.6 billion to acquire Broadway’s prime West Coast
real estate locations.

© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. This edition is intended for use outside of the U.S. only, with content that may be
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Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

Teaching Note: An example of effective due diligence was DaimlerChrysler’s


1999 decision not to acquire Nissan Motor Company. DaimlerChrysler wanted
Nissan to expand its access to global auto markets, especially those in
Southeast Asia. But the target had $22 billion in debt, which caused concern
among DaimlerChrysler executives and derailed the acquisition.

Large or Extraordinary Debt

In addition to overpaying for targets, many acquirers must finance acquisitions with
relatively high-cost debt.

In the 1980s, investment bankers developed a new financing instrument for acquisitions, the
junk bond. Junk bonds represented a new financing option in which risky investments were
financed with money (debt) that provided a high return to lenders (bond holders). Junk bonds
offer relatively high rates, some as high as 18 to 20 percent during the 1980s.

Teaching Note: Junk bonds are considered by many to be a new financing


option, not because they are new, but because they represented the first
instances in which non-investment grade (below a B rating) securities were
used to raise funds by companies whose securities were normally rated as
investment grade.

Teaching Note: A number of well-known and well-respected finance scholars


argue in favor of firms utilizing significantly high levels of leverage because
debt discourages managers from misusing funds (for example, by making bad
investments) because debt (and interest) repayment eliminates the firm’s
“free cash flow.”

Inability to Achieve Synergy

Acquiring firms also face the challenge of correctly identifying and valuing any synergies
that are expected to be realized from the acquisition. This is a significant problem because to
justify the premium price paid for target firms, managers may overestimate both the benefits
and value of synergy.

To achieve a sustained competitive advantage through an acquisition, acquirers must realize


private synergies and core competencies that cannot easily be imitated by competitors.
Private synergy refers to the benefit from merging the acquiring and target firms that is due
to the unique assets that are complementary between the two firms and not available to other
potential bidders for that target firm.

Teaching Note: As pointed out earlier, the average return to acquiring firm
shareholders is near zero, and many of these lead to negative returns for
acquiring firm shareholders.

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Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

Anheuser-Busch: A Case Example

Anheuser-Busch acquired Eagle Snacks and Campbell Taggart with the stated
purpose of achieving synergies. Anheuser-Busch believed that this distribution-
related synergy between snack foods, bakery products, and beer that could be
leveraged, while its expertise in the use of yeast in the brewing process could be
applied to Campbell Taggart‘s bread-making process.

However, distribution synergies were not available as beer, bread, and snack foods
were ordered by different store product managers. Frito-Lay responded with new
products and improved distribution to offset the threat of Eagle Snacks. In fact,
distribution became more complex and more expensive.

In addition, competition in the beer industry increased and Anheuser-Busch


management felt that Eagle and Campbell Taggart diverted their attention away from
their core business, resulting in delays in new product introduction and a loss of
momentum.

As a result, Anheuser-Busch sold Eagle Snacks and spun off the Campbell Taggart
unit so it could focus its efforts on expanding its presence in international beer
markets, where synergies are more likely to be available with its domestic beer
market.

These general problems may be encountered in many acquisitions. However, there


are many other causes of the poor long-term performance of acquisitions. In fact,
some of the reasons for poor long-term performance also may lead to the problems
already discussed.

Firms experience transaction costs when using acquisition strategies to create synergy. Direct
costs include legal fees and charges from investment bankers. Managerial time to evaluate
target firms and then to complete negotiations and the loss of key managers and employees
post-acquisition are indirect costs.

Too Much Diversification

In general, firms using related diversification strategies outperform those using unrelated
diversification strategies. However, conglomerates (i.e., those pursuing unrelated
diversification) can also be successful.

In the drive to diversify the firm‘s product line, many firms overdiversified during the 60s,
70s, and 80s.

As detailed in Chapter 6, information processing requirements are greater for a related


diversified firm (compared to its unrelated counterparts) due to its need to effectively and
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Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

efficiently coordinate the linkages and interdependencies on which value-creation through


activity sharing depends.

In addition to increased information processing requirements and managerial expertise,


overdiversification may result in poor performance when top-level managers emphasize
financial controls over strategic controls.

Teaching Note: Controls are discussed in more detail in Chapters 11 and 12.

Financial controls may be emphasized when managers feel that they do not have sufficient
expertise or knowledge of the firm‘s various businesses. When this happens, top-level
managers are not able to adequately evaluate the strategies and strategic actions taken by
division or business unit managers. As a result,
 When they lack a rich understanding of business units‘ strategies and objectives, top-
level managers tend to emphasize the financial outcomes of strategic actions rather
than the appropriateness of the strategy itself.
 This forces division or business unit managers to become short-term performance-
oriented.
 The problem is more serious when manager compensation is tied to short-term
financial outcomes.
 Long-term, risky investments (such as R&D) may be reduced to boost short-term
returns.
 In the final analysis, long-term performance deteriorates.

Teaching Note: The experiences of many firms indicate that


overdiversification may lead to ineffective management, primarily because of
the increased size and complexity of the firm. As a result of ineffective
management, the firm and some of its businesses may be unable to maintain
their strategic competitiveness. This results in poor performance.

As noted earlier in this chapter, acquisitions can have a number of negative effects. They
may result in greater levels of diversification (in products, markets, and/or industries), absorb
extensive managerial time and energy, require large amounts of debt, and create larger
organizations. As a result, acquisitions can have a negative impact on investments in research
and development and thus on innovation.

Reducing the emphasis on R&D and on innovation may result in the firm losing its strategic
competitiveness unless the firm operates in mature industries in which innovation is not
required to maintain competitiveness.

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Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

Managers Overly Focused on Acquisitions

If firms follow active acquisition strategies, the acquisition process generally requires
significant amounts of managerial time and energy.

For the acquiring firm this takes the form of:


 Searching for viable candidates
 Completing effective due diligence
 Preparing for negotiations with the target firm
 Managing the integration process post-acquisition

The desire to merge is like an addiction in many companies: Doing deals is much more fun
and interesting than fixing fundamental business problems.

Due diligence and negotiating with the target often include numerous meetings between
representatives of the acquirer and target, as well as meetings with investment bankers,
analysts, attorneys, and in some cases, regulatory agencies. As a result, top-level managers of
acquiring firms often pay little attention to long-term, strategic matters because of time (and
energy) constraints.

STRATEGIC FOCUS
The Acquisitions and Mergers to Form Citigroup: Divestitures Associated with the
Failed Concept of the Financial Supermarket

In the late 1990s Citigroup was pursuing a ‗financial supermarket‘ strategy in which it could
serve every financial need of customers. However, as a result of weak economic conditions
and governmental pressure, Citi has been moving to restructure its business portfolio and
move away from the financial supermarket concept. To accomplish this it has divested
several businesses including Traveler‘s Group, Discover Financial Services, Smith Barney,
CitiFinancial, and some of its private equity assests. This corporate restructuring is aimed at
helping Citigroup focus on its core banking business and meet new regulatory requirements.

Teaching Note: Over the years, a good deal of attention has be focused on
acquisitions. Divestitures have received much less attention. Whereas many
acquisitions involve the purchase of businesses that are being divested by the
seller, most accounts focus on how the acquisition makes a contribution to the
acquirer. Students should realize that divestitures can also serve an important
strategic purpose. As the Strategic Focus illustrates, divestitures are useful
because they allow firms to restructure their business portfolios to undo poor
previous decisions (to acquire the firms that are now being divested), to adapt to
changing environmental conditions, and/or strategically refocus the business
portfolio around new strategic thrusts.

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Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

Too Large

Firms can reach economies of scale by growing. But after a certain size is achieved, size can
become a disadvantage as firms reach a point where they suffer from what is called
―diseconomies of scale.‖ This implies that problems related to excess growth may be similar
to those that accompany overdiversification.

Other actions taken to enable more effective management of increased firm size include
increasing or establishing bureaucratic controls, represented by formalized supervisory and
behavioral controls such as rules and policies designed to ensure consistency across different
units‘ decisions and actions.

On the surface (or in theory), bureaucratic controls may be beneficial to large organizations.
However, they may produce overly rigid and standardized behavior among managers. The
reduced managerial (and firm) flexibility can result in reduced levels of innovation and less
creative (and less timely) decision making.

4 Name and describe the attributes of effective acquisitions.

EFFECTIVE ACQUISITIONS

Research has identified attributes that appear to be associated consistently with successful
acquisitions:
 When a firm‘s assets are complementary (highly related) with the acquired firm‘s
assets and create synergy and, in turn, unique capabilities, core competencies, and
strategic competitiveness
 When targets were selected and ―groomed‖ through earlier working relationships
(e.g., strategic alliances)
 When the acquisition is friendly, thereby reducing animosity and turnover of key
employees
 When the acquiring firm has conducted due diligence
 When management is focused on research and development
 When acquiring and target firms are flexible/adaptable (e.g., from executive
experience with acquisitions)
 When integration quickly produces the desired synergy in the newly created firm,
allowing the acquiring firm to keep valuable human resources in the acquired firm
from leaving

Table Note: The attributes or characteristics of successful acquisitions and


their results are summarized in Table 7.1.

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Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

TABLE 7.1
Attributes of Successful Acquisitions

Successful acquisitions generally are characterized by the following attributes and results:
 Target and acquirer having complementary assets and/or resources that result in a high
probability of achieving synergy and gaining competitive advantage
 Making friendly acquisitions to facilitate integration speed and effectiveness and reducing
any acquisition premium
 Target selection and negotiation processes that result in the selection of targets having
resources and assets that are complementary to the acquiring firm‘s core business, thus
avoiding overpayment
 Maintaining financial slack to make acquisition financing less costly and easier to obtain
 Maintaining a low to moderate debt position, which lowers costs and avoids the trade-offs
of high debt and lowers the risk of failure
 Possessing flexibility and skills to adapt to change to facilitate integration speed and
achievement of synergy
 Continuing to invest in R&D and emphasizing innovation to maintain competitive
advantage

Note: The table also lists seven “results” of successful acquisitions.

Teaching Note: One way to teach the finer points of the M&A process is to
see its parallels with marriage and courtship. Though the source is rather
dated now, Jemison & Sitkin (1986, Academy of Management Review)
offered an interesting analysis based on this framework. Their points are too
extensive to comment on here, but reference to their writings is helpful.

Define the restructuring strategy and distinguish among its


5
common forms.

RESTRUCTURING

Restructuring refers to changes in the composition of a firm‘s set of businesses and/or


financial structure.

From the 1970s into the 2000s, divesting businesses from company portfolios and
downsizing accounted for a large percentage of firms‘ restructuring strategies. Restructuring
is a global phenomenon.

During this period, restructuring can take several forms:


 Downsizing, primarily to reduce costs by laying off employees or eliminating operating
units

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Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

 Downscoping to reduce the level of firm unrelatedness


 Leveraged buyouts to restructure the firm‘s assets by taking it private

Sometimes firms use a restructuring strategy because of changes in their external and internal
environments. For example, opportunities sometimes surface in the external environment that
are particularly attractive to the diversified firm in light of its core competencies. In such
cases, restructuring may be appropriate.

Downsizing

Once thought to be an indicator of organizational decline, downsizing is now recognized as a


legitimate restructuring strategy and has been one of the most common restructuring
strategies adopted by US firms.

Downsizing represents a reduction in the number of employees, and sometimes in the


number of operating units, but may or may not represent a change in the composition of the
businesses in the firm‘s portfolio.

In the late 1980s, early 1990s, and early 2000s, thousands of jobs were lost in private and
public organizations in the United States. One study estimates that 85 percent of Fortune
1000 firms have used downsizing as a restructuring strategy. Moreover, Fortune 500 firms
terminated more than one million employees, or 4 percent of their collective workforce, in
2001 and into the first few weeks of 2002. This trend continued in many industries. For
instance, in 2007, Citigroup signaled that it cut 15,000 jobs and up to five percent of its
workforce overtime, in the process taking a $1 billion charge.

Firms use downsizing as a restructuring strategy for different reasons. The most frequently
cited reason is that the firm expects improved profitability from cost reductions and more
efficient operations.

Downscoping

Compared to downsizing, downscoping has a more positive effect on firm performance.

Downscoping refers to the divestiture, spin-off, or other means of eliminating businesses that
are unrelated to the firm‘s core business. In other words, downscoping refocuses the firm on
its core businesses.

Whereas downscoping often includes downsizing, the former is targeted so that the firm does
not lose key employees from core businesses (because such losses can lead to the loss of core
competencies).

As indicated by the discussion of overdiversification earlier in the chapter, reducing the


diversity of businesses in the portfolio enables top-level managers to manage the firm more
effectively because:
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Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

 The firm is less diversified as a result of downscoping


 Top-level managers can better understand the core and related businesses

Note: Indicate to students that the requirements and characteristics of strategic leadership
by a firm’s top management team are discussed more fully in Chapter 12.

Teaching Note: There are many examples of downscoping strategies. Two


of these with which students are likely to be familiar are the following:
 General Motors’ successful spin-off of EDS
 PepsiCo’s spin-off of its fast-food businesses (Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC)

US firms use downscoping as a restructuring strategy more frequently than do European


companies. However, there has also been an increase in downscoping by Asian and Latin
American firms as they adopt Western business practices.

Teaching Note: Research has shown that refocusing is not usually


successful unless the firm has adequate resources to have the flexibility to
formulate the necessary strategies to compete effectively.

Leveraged Buyouts

A leveraged buyout (LBO) refers to a restructuring action whereby the management of the
firm and/or an external party buys all of the assets of the business, largely financed with debt,
and thus takes the firm private.

Often, LBOs are used as a restructuring strategy to correct for managerial mistakes or
because managers are making decisions that primarily serve their personal interests rather
than those of shareholders.

In other words, a firm is purchased by a few (new) owners using a significant amount of debt
(in a highly leveraged transaction) and the firm‘s stock is no longer traded publicly.

In general, the new owners restructure the private firm by selling a significant number of
assets (businesses) both to downscope the firm and to reduce the level of debt (and
significant debt costs) used to finance the acquisition.

A primary intent of the new owners is to improve the firm‘s efficiency. This enables them to
sell the firm (outright to another owner or by a public stock underwriting), thus capturing the
value created through the restructuring. It is not uncommon for those buying a firm through
an LBO to restructure the firm to the point that it can be sold at a profit within a five- to
eight-year period.

There are three types of leveraged buyouts: management buyouts (MBO), employee buyouts
(EBO), and whole-firm buyouts where another firm takes the firm private (LBO). Research

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Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

has shown that management buyouts can also lead to greater entrepreneurial activity and
growth.

Explain the short- and long-term outcomes of the different


6
types of restructuring strategies.

Restructuring Outcomes

Downsizing often does not lead to higher firm performance; in fact, research has shown that
downsizing contributed to lower returns for both US and Japanese firms. The stock markets
in the firms‘ respective nations evaluated downsizing negatively. Investors concluded that
downsizing would have a negative effect on companies‘ ability to achieve strategic
competitiveness in the long term. Investors also seem to assume that downsizing occurs as a
consequence of other problems in a company.

Teaching Note: In free-market based societies, downsizing has generated a


host of entrepreneurial opportunities for individuals to operate their own
businesses. In fact, as discussed in Chapter 13, start-up ventures in the
United States are growing at three times the rate of the national economy.

Downsizing tends to result in a loss of human capital in the long term. Losing employees
with many years of experience with the firm represents a major loss of knowledge. As noted
in Chapter 3, knowledge is vital to competitive success in the global economy. Thus, in
general, research evidence and corporate experience suggest that downsizing may be of more
tactical (or short-term) value than strategic (or long-term) value.

Downscoping generally leads to more positive outcomes in both the short and the long term
than does downsizing or engaging in a leveraged buyout (see Figure 7.2). Downscoping‘s
desirable long-term outcome of higher performance is a product of reduced debt costs and the
emphasis on strategic controls derived from concentrating on the firm‘s core businesses. In
so doing, the refocused firm should be able to increase its ability to compete.

Although whole-firm LBOs have been hailed as a significant innovation in the financial
restructuring of firms, there can be negative trade-offs.
 The resulting large debt increases the financial risk of the firm
 The intent of the owners to increase the efficiency of the bought-out firm and then sell it
within five to eight years can create a short-term and risk-averse managerial focus
 These firms may fail to invest adequately in R&D or take other major actions designed to
maintain or improve the company‘s core competence.

Figure Note: Restructuring alternatives—downscoping, downsizing, and


leveraged buyouts—and short- and long-term outcomes are summarized in
Figure 7.2.

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Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

FIGURE 7.2
Restructuring and Outcomes

As illustrated in Figure 7.2,


 Downsizing reduces labor costs, but the long-term results are a loss of human capital and
lower performance.
 Downscoping reduces debt costs and emphasizes strategic controls, which result in higher
performance.
 Leveraged Buyouts provide an emphasis on strategic controls but increases debt costs; the
long-term outcome is an increase in performance, but also greater firm risk.

— ANSWERS TO REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Why are merger and acquisition strategies popular in many firms competing in
the global economy? (pp. 175–176)

Acquisition strategies are increasingly popular around the world. Because of globalization,
deregulation of multiple industries in many different economies, favorable legislation, etc.,
the number of domestic and cross-border acquisitions is high (though the frequency has
slowed recently). As is the case for all strategies, acquisitions indicate a choice a firm has
made regarding how it intends to compete. Because each strategic choice affects a firm‘s
performance, the possibility of diversification merits careful analysis. A firm may make an
acquisition to increase its market power because of a competitive threat, to enter a new
market because of the opportunity available in that market, or to spread the risk due to the
uncertain environment. In addition, a firm may acquire other companies as options that allow
the firm to shift its core business into different markets as volatility brings undesirable
changes to its primary markets.

2. What reasons account for firms’ decisions to use acquisition strategies as a means
to achieving strategic competitiveness? (pp. 176–183)

Firms often choose to follow acquisition strategies (1) to increase market power (by
becoming larger); (2) to overcome entry barriers (by acquiring a firm with a position in the
target industry); (3) to reduce cost of new-product development and increase the speed to
market entry; (4) to reduce the risk associated with developing new products internally; (5) to
diversify both firm and managerial risk by increasing the level of diversification; (6) to
reshape the firm‘s competitive scope; and (7) to boost learning and the development of new
capabilities.

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Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

3. What are the seven primary problems that affect a firm’s efforts to successfully
use an acquisition strategy? (pp. 183–191)
Firms following acquisition strategies face seven major problems. (1) They may face
difficulty in successfully integrating the two firms. This is especially true when integration
involves melding disparate corporate cultures, linking disparate financial and control
systems, building effective working relationships when management styles differ, and when
the status of acquired firm executives is uncertain. (2) Owing to inadequate evaluation of the
target firm (a process known as due diligence), acquirers may pay more for the target firm
than it is worth. (3) If the acquisition is financed with debt, as many were in the 1980s, the
costs related to a significant increase in debt—interest payments and debt repayment—may
squeeze the firm‘s cash flow and limit managerial flexibility resulting in the firm passing up
attractive long-term investment opportunities. It is also important to note that debt also has
positive effects since leverage can assist a firm in its development, allowing it to take
advantage of attractive expansion opportunities. (4) Acquiring firms also may overestimate
the existence and value of synergies from combining the two firms. In many cases, the value
to be gained from synergy is overestimated due to a failure to consider the integration and
coordination costs that may be incurred. (5) Too much diversification may mean that the
portfolio of businesses that the firm owns is beyond the expertise of managers, that
management depends too much on financial controls (rather than more effective strategic
controls), and that acquisitions may become a substitute for innovation. (6) Managers may be
overly focused on acquisitions and neglect the firm‘s core businesses. (7) The combined firm
may become too large to manage efficiently and effectively, as the firm experiences
diseconomies of scale or bureaucratic controls stifle decision making.
4. What are the attributes associated with a successful acquisition strategy? (pp.
191–192)
As identified in Table 7.1, the following attributes tend to lead to successful acquisitions:
 Acquired firm has assets or resources that are complementary to the acquiring firm‘s core
business
 Acquisition is friendly
 Acquiring firm selects target firms and conducts negotiations carefully and deliberately
 Acquiring firm has financial slack (cash or a favorable debt position)
 Merged firm maintains low to moderate debt position
 Has experience with change and is flexible and adaptable
 Sustained and consistent emphasis on R&D and innovation

5. What is the restructuring strategy, and what are its common forms? (pp. 193–
194)

Defined formally, restructuring is a strategy through which a firm changes its set of
businesses and/or financial structure. There are three common forms of restructuring
strategies.

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Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

Downsizing is a reduction in the number of a firm‘s employees, and sometimes in the


number of its operating units, but it may or may not change the composition of businesses in
the company‘s portfolio. Thus, downsizing is an intentional proactive management strategy,
whereas decline is an environmental or organizational phenomenon that the firm cannot
avoid and that leads to erosion of the organization‘s resource base.

As compared to downsizing, the downscoping restructuring strategy has a more positive


effect on firm performance. Downscoping refers to divestiture, spin-offs, or some other
means of eliminating businesses that are unrelated to a firm‘s core businesses.

Commonly, downscoping is referred to as a set of actions that results in a firm strategically


refocusing on its core businesses. A firm that downscopes often also downsizes
simultaneously. However, it does not eliminate key employees from its primary businesses
while doing so because such action could lead to the loss of one or more core competencies.
Instead, a firm simultaneously downscoping and downsizing becomes smaller by reducing
the diversity of businesses in its portfolio.

A leveraged buyout (LBO) is a restructuring strategy whereby a party buys all of a firm‘s
assets in order to take it private. Once the transaction is complete, the company‘s stock is no
longer traded publicly. It is common for the firm to incur significant amounts of debt to
finance a leveraged buyout. The three types of leveraged buyouts include management
buyouts (MBO), employee buyouts (EBO), and a whole firm buyout (the last occurring when
another company or partnership purchases an entire company instead of a part of it).

6. What are the short- and long-term outcomes associated with the different
restructuring strategies? (pp. 194–195)

As identified in Figure 7.2, the short-term outcome from downsizing is a reduction in labor
costs, but this yields two negative long-term outcomes—loss of human capital and lower
performance. Downscoping leads to reduced debt costs and an emphasis on strategic
controls, which in turn produce higher firm performance as a long-term outcome. Finally,
leveraged buyouts can lead to higher performance (long-term) through an emphasis on
strategic controls, but it also yields high debt costs (short-term) that produce higher risk for
the firm (long-term).

INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES FOR EXPERIENTIAL



EXERCISES

EXERCISE 1: HOW DID THE DEAL WORK OUT?

To prepare for this exercise the instructor should prepare an example as a go by for
students. Included below is one they are likely to have heard about, if not they are likely

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Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

to find interesting. The key take away from this exercise is to provide them a real life
event to research and apply the concepts from the text. By analyzing press reports, market
data, and viewing the deal pre and post event, a picture of why deals emerge and their
impact can be viewed.

Below is an example and a way to organize this assignment from the viewpoint of Whole
Foods Acquisition of Wild Oats.

Executed August 31, 2007 Whole Foods (WFMI) acquiring company with Wild Oats
(OATS) the target. This example originated from Yahoo Finance US Mergers and
Acquisitions Monthyl Calendar for August 2007.

February 22, 2007


Wall Street Journal’s Smart Money comments.
 On the unexpected announcement both firms‘ shares closed up higher, 14% and
17% respectively. Cash deal is valued at $565m, Management at Whole Foods
has already approved the deal.
 This allows Whole Foods to take out its biggest rival: You can categorize this
acquisition in multiple ways; horizontal acquisition; market power; related
acquisition (therefore subject to regulatory review).
 Both firms‘ shares are in turmoil for the preceding 12 months. Poor performance
as an antecedent for acquisition.
 Organic market is getting new competitors as other stores add organic offerings
such as Wal Mart and Safeway.
http://www.smartmoney.com/investing/stocks/market-applauds-whole-foods-wild-oats-
merger-20829/

June 5, 2007
Fortune magazine online reports that the FTC will be suing to stop the acquisition
claiming that the organice market will be substantially reduced in competition if this
acquisition is allowed to proceed. Shares of WFMI drop, OATS increase.
http://www.forbes.com/2007/06/05/wholefoods-wildoats-organics-markets-equities-
cx_ra_0605markets24.html

July 12, 2007


Reuters reports that Whole Foods CEO John Mackey for years has been commenting
under an alias ―rahodeb” at a Yahoo finance chat forum on the success of Whole
Foods and predicting a bleak future for Wild Oats. This was cited by the FTC as part
of the antitrust suit.
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN1133440820070712

August 29, 2007


Huliq News
Deal closes

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Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

http://www.huliq.com/32218/whole-foods-market-closes-acquisition-of-wild-oats-
markets

November 6, 2008
Motley Fool online- Thanks for nothing
Rash of unexpected costs slashes earnings – 4th quarter income drops 96%. FTC still
pursuing litigation costing $15-20m in legal fees for firm.
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2008/11/06/thanks-for-nothing-wild-oats.aspx

Sept 28, 2008


Whole Foods 10K filing- annual report for fiscal year
Wild Oats had 109 operating under four brands Wild Oats Marketplace (nationwide),
Henry‘s Farmers Market (in Southern California), Sun Harvest (in Texas), and Capers
Community Market (in British Columbia). On September 30, 2007, WFMI sold all 27
Henry‘s Farmers Market and eight Sun Harvest store locations and a related Riverside,
CA distribution center, for approximately $165 million. In fiscal year 2008, it closed 13
Wild Oats stores and relocated six stores in connection with the opening of new Whole
Foods Market stores in those areas. In 2008, the Company completed the conversion of
all Wild Oats stores to the Company‘s purchasing and information systems, transitioned
all Wild Oats employees to its payroll, benefits and incentive compensation plans,
eliminated all corporate positions at the Wild Oats home office in Boulder, CO, and
rebranded 45 Wild Oat stores with Whole Foods Market store fronts and signage.

Quarterly high and low stock price for 2007 and 2008 (in US
$)

High Low
2008
October 1, 2007 to January 20, 2008 53.65 34.37
January 21, 2008 to April 13, 2008 42.48 29.99
April 14, 2008 to July 6, 2008 36.03 22.63
July 7, 2008 to September 28, 2008 24.22 17.37

2007
September 25, 2006 to January 14, 2007 66.25 45.27
January 15, 2007 to April 8, 2007 52.43 42.13
April 9, 2007 to July 1, 2007 48.06 37.96
July 2, 2007 to September 30, 2007 49.49 36.00

When the acquisition was announced the high stock price was 52.43 and in the latest
quarter reported the price is $24.22, more than a 50% drop in value.

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7-27
Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

This would also be a good time to have students discuss the ―management discussion and
analysis of financial condition and results of operation:, which will be found in terms
similar for each public firm in their 10k filing.

Firms 2008 annual report 10K


http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/865436/000110465908073613/a08-
29339_110k.htm#Item1_Business__114322

EXERCISE 2: CADBURY SCHWEPPES: TOO MUCH OF A SUGAR RUSH?

The purpose of this exercise is to help students understand the challenges associated with
a merger strategy predicated on synergies. While both Cadbury and Schweppes had
strong brand recognition in their respective markets, there was little in the way of overlap
by combining both firms. This example is also useful for illustrating the role of
shareholder activism, as well as different mechanisms for divestiture. Students are asked
to prepare a PowerPoint presentation that addresses the following questions:

1. Why did Cadbury decide to divest itself of the beverage business?


2. What does it mean that Cadbury listed the separation as a demerger?
3. What factors hindered the success of a combined Cadbury Schweppes?
Do you feel that both the beverage and confectionary businesses are better off, or
worse off, separated?

For a class debrief, it is useful to ask two or three teams to make a brief presentation of
their findings. The instructions in the textbook indicate that there should be one slide per
question. The brevity of these presentations means that you should be able to have two or
three teams present in ten or fifteen minutes, leaving additional time for discussion.

The following Wall Street Journal articles can be helpful for leading a debrief on the
assignment:

 In breakup, CEO of Cadbury faces his biggest deal; parting of the firm‘s candy
and drinks businesses may put both in play. WSJ, March 16, 2007, page A1.

 Cadbury Schweppes PLC: U.S. Beverages division may be spun off, not sold.
WSJ, August 2, 2007.

 A Bittersweet Victory?; With Cadbury's U.S. Drinks Unit Likely to Be Split


Off, Shareholders Might Be Disappointed -- at First Aaron O. Patrick and
Betsy McKay. Wall Street Journal. (Eastern edition). New York, N.Y.: Apr 11,
2008. pg. C.1

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different from the U.S. Edition. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
7-28
Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

 Corporate News: Cadbury Reports Solid First-Half Results Michael Carolan


and Aaron O. Patrick. Wall Street Journal. (Eastern edition). New York, N.Y.: Jul
31, 2008. pg. B.5

In the March 16, 2007 announcement, CEO Stitzer noted that the company had been
considering separating the candy and beverage units for some time. Shareholders had
often made such a recommendation previously, based on an expectation that the two
companies were undervalued following the merger. However, the timing suggests a
different reason for the announcement: only days before, investor Nelson Peltz of Trian
Fund Management had purchased a 2.98% stake in Cadbury Schweppes. Peltz had made
previous acquisitions of companies such as H.J. Heinz and Tiffany‘s, and was an
advocate of breaking up the candy and beverage units.

One of the factors hindering the success of the merger was the inability of the firms to
realize synergies. While both segments may appear very similar on the surface, the WSJ
articles indicate that each had very different production and distribution systems.
Another possible factor is that the CEO was very focused on acquisitions: Stitzer was a
merger and acquisition lawyer to joining Cadbury Schweppes, and was a major advocate
of the firm‘s decision to acquire Dr. Pepper, 7 Up, Dentyne, Bubaloo, and Trident.

The lack of substantial synergies is one reason in favor of divesting Schweppes.


According to the WSJ reporting investor Peltz argued that the firms biggest competitors
and most successful were the ones that remained focused in their strategy and did not
stray into somewhat unrelated acquisition strategies. Revenues from a sale could help
Cadbury either reduce its debt, or to acquire a more closely related firm. One downside
of a divestiture is that Schweppes provides the majority of the firm‘s net income, despite
representing a smaller proportion of sales. Finally, the separation of the two companies
increases the likelihood that Cadbury might subsequently become the target of a
takeover.

In the March 16 WSJ article, Stitzer laid out three approaches for separating Schweppes:

 Direct sale, probably to private equity.

 Breaking Cadbury and Schweppes into two independent public companies

 Selling part of Schweppes initially, with a goal of eventually selling off


Cadbury‘s remaining ownership stake.

In the six months following the announcement, Cadbury Schweppes reported a


substantial drop in profit and narrower margins, which could make the beverage unit less
attractive to private equity firms. According to the August 2 WSJ article, a spin-off
versus private equity sale could mean substantially less money for Cadbury: An estimate
6.5 billion British pounds for a spin-off, versus 7-8 billions pounds for a sale.

© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. This edition is intended for use outside of the U.S. only, with content that may be
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7-29
Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

And then along came the world wide recession which shaved more value off the
divestiture. While Cadbury Schweppes termed this a demerger, it in actuality was a
spinoff of existing businesses within their corporate portfolio. Under the spin off, for
every 100 shares an existing Cadbury Schweppes shareholder owned, they received 64
shares in Cadbury and 12 shares in DrPepper Snapple Group.

— INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES FOR VIDEO EXERCISES


Title: THE POWER OF A MERGER: SOUTHWEST
RT: 2:01
Topic Key: Mergers, Acquisitions, Restructuring

The video opens with a typical price conscious consumer who is the target of the merger
between Southwest and AirTran. AirTran executives assert that with the merger, the
potential exists to spread discount airfares farther is even greater. Discount carriers are
known for stimulating competition and helping to lower airfares. Consolidation of major
carriers such as United and Continental airlines brings the number of major carriers in the
US to only four.

In general the average consumer is finding fewer seats and higher prices and feels the
airlines have worked hard to make flying not fun. Despite not pleasing the customer, the
industry is making money again with critical profit centers known as add-on fees. With
$25 for a checked bag, $35 for phone reservations, and up to $300 to change a
reservation, major airlines have made $2.4 billion in profits with $1.3 billion coming
from add-on fees with $745 million from checked bags alone.

Southwest charges no fees for changing flights or for the first two checked bags and the
merger with AirTran may help lower ticket prices in the industry. Individuals say that
wherever Southwest goes, they will pressure their competitors to refrain from excessive
fees in the long haul.

Also check out http://www.southwest.com

Suggested Discussion Questions and Answers

 What would make the arrangement between Southwest and AirTran a merger and
not an acquisition?
o Text: A merger is a strategy through which two firms agree to integrate
their operations on a relatively co-equal basis. An acquisition is a strategy
though which one firm buys a controlling, or 100 percent, interest in
another firm with the intent of making the acquired firm a subsidiary
business within its portfolio.

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different from the U.S. Edition. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
7-30
Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

o Merger: Southwest and AirTran are integrating operations to spread low


cost air fare around but each business operates independently.
 What reasons do you think Southwest and AirTran had for merging? What
approach(es) did they use?
o Reasons: Increased low cost air fare market power and overcoming entry
by other low cost carriers
o Approaches: Keeping value chain activities cost below the competition,
maintain economies of scale in low cost air fare, increased speed to the
market, and broadened the cost of acquisition by other firms
 Why would the Southwest/AirTran merger not be successful?
o Whereas integration difficulties, inadequate evaluation of target, inability
to achieve synergy, too much diversification, overfocus on acquisitions,
being too large, and large debt may be reasons that all mergers and
acquisitions may not be successful, the only reason that Southwest and
AirTran may not be successful is that they may not achieve synergy. The
other reasons don‘t apply to this merger.
 What strategies would you recommend to Southwest should they need to
restructure?
o Text: Restructuring is a strategy through which a firm changes its set of
businesses or its financial structure.
o Strategies for Restructuring: Downsize, Downscope, a Leverage Buyout,
or simple focus on the core business are all options

— ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES

The following questions and exercises can be presented for in-class discussion or assigned as
homework.

Application Discussion Questions

1. Evidence indicates that the shareholders of many acquiring firms gain little or nothing in
value from the acquisitions. Why, then, do so many firms continue to use an acquisition
strategy?
2. Of the problems that affect the success of an acquisition, ask students which one they
believe is the most critical in the global economy. Why? What should firms do to make
certain that they do not experience such a problem when they use an acquisition strategy?
3. Have students use the Internet to read about acquisitions that are currently underway and
to choose one of these acquisitions. Based on the firms‘ characteristics and experiences
and the reasons cited to support the acquisition, do they feel it will result in increased
strategic competitiveness for the acquiring firm? Why or why not?
4. Have students research recent merger and acquisition activity that is taking place
throughout the global economy. Are most of the transactions they found between
domestic companies or are they cross-border acquisitions? What accounts for the nature
of what they found?
© 2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. This edition is intended for use outside of the U.S. only, with content that may be
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7-31
Chapter 7: Strategic Acquisition and Restructuring

5. What is synergy, and how do firms create it through mergers and acquisitions? In the
students‘ opinion, how often do acquisitions create private synergy? What evidence can
they cite to support their position?
6. What can a top management team do to ensure that its firm does not become diversified
to the point of earning negative returns from its diversification strategy?
7. Some companies enter new markets through internally developed products, whereas
others do so by acquiring other firms. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each
approach?
8. How do the Internet‘s capabilities influence a firm‘s ability to study acquisition
candidates?

Ethics Questions

1. Some evidence suggests that there is a direct and positive relationship between a firm‘s
size and its top-level managers‘ compensation. If this is so, what inducement does that
relationship provide to upper-level executives? What can be done to influence the
relationship so that it serves shareholders‘ interests?
2. When a firm is in the process of restructuring itself by divesting some assets and
acquiring others, managers may have incentives to restructure in ways that increase their
power base and compensation package. Does this possibility explain at least part of the
reason for the less-than-encouraging outcomes of acquisitions for shareholders of the
acquiring firm?
3. When shareholders increase their wealth through downsizing, does this come, to some
degree, at the expense of loyal employees—those who have worked diligently to serve
the firm in terms of accomplishing its vision and mission? If so, what actions would
students take to be fair to both shareholders and employees if they were charged with
downsizing or ―smartsizing‖ a firm‘s employment ranks? What ethical base would they
employ to make decisions regarding downsizing?
4. Are takeovers ethical? If not, why not?
5. Is it ethical for managers to acquire other companies just because industry competitors
are doing so?

Internet Exercise

Many Internet sites, including the US Federal Trade Commission‘s official site at
http://www.ftc.gov., offer information on mergers and acquisitions. With the increasing
number of cross-border mergers and acquisitions, the FTC has been required to work closely
with other foreign antitrust enforcers to regulate the new era of the global transaction. For
example, the United States and the European Union have a bilateral agreement on antitrust
enforcement.

*e-project: Trace the history of some relatively recent large mergers and acquisitions—e.g.,
Daimler and Chrysler, BP Amoco and Arco, and Vodafone and Mannesmann. Use their
websites and any other sources you find to obtain information on the official regulatory
agencies that were involved in granting or denying permission for these mergers.
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7-32
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
You may laugh, children, but it is true. The dolphin had a servant,
who was also a dolphin, but of the family of the Globiceps. These are
so called because of their round heads, which look like the globes
used in the electric lighting of streets.
The young dolphin was playing in the water. He tried to attract
Pinocchio’s attention in many ways. He spouted water through the
hole which every dolphin has at the top of his head. He called to the
marionette. He smiled at the youngster. It was of no use. Pinocchio,
with his wooden nose in the air and his dough cap on one ear, would
not even turn his head.
“I wonder if he is deaf or blind?” the dolphin finally said, loudly
enough to be heard.
Pinocchio turned with a start.
“For your own benefit, I just wish to say that I am not now and never
have been deaf,” he said as haughtily as he could.
“Then why do you look at me in that fashion? And why don’t you
answer me?” was the reply.
“I am acting just as a gentleman should toward those who are
beneath him,” said Pinocchio.
“I don’t know which of us is the better of the two. All I do know is, that
my father was the richest inhabitant of the sea and that the other
dolphins considered him their king.”
“King?” mumbled Pinocchio, who knew himself to be the son of a
poor carpenter, earning so little that he never had a penny in his
pocket.
“But king or not, what does it matter? In this world we are all equal,
for we have all been created by God. Listen, my dear marionette.
Come here. As we are to travel such a long distance together, we
should be friends. Are you willing to be my friend?”
These pleasing words made Pinocchio see how stupid and how rude
he had been.
“Think of it! A fish (oh, no, I mean a sea animal) giving me lessons in
politeness!” Then turning to the dolphin, he said, “Yes, we shall be
friends. What is your name?”
“Marsovino. And yours?”
“Pinocchio.”
“A beautiful name. Come, shake hands.”
“Very willingly,” replied Pinocchio.
The good little animal stuck one of his fore fins out of the water for
Pinocchio to shake.
“And what is the tutor’s name?” said the boy of wood to the boy of
the sea.
“The tutor is a dolphin of the Tursio family, but I call him father. Is it
true that you are coming with us on our travels?”
“Yes,” said the marionette, proudly. “And I am able to teach you.”
“Teach me! That’s strange. How do you expect to teach me?”
“You will soon find out. You talk rather disrespectfully to me. I have
been in all the schools of the kingdom. And you? You probably have
never been on land for twenty-four hours.”
Marsovino looked at the marionette smilingly, but made no reply.
Pinocchio walked up and down with his hands in his pockets and his
hat at an angle of forty-five degrees, ruffling his feathers at the
brilliant remark he had made.
As soon as Tursio came near, Marsovino asked him if he were ready.
“Yes. Everything is finished,” was the reply. “Are you ready,
Pinocchio?”
“Yes. I am ready. Let us start.”
“Start? How? Do you mean to say that you are coming under the sea
with that suit?”
“Of course. It’s the only one I have.”
“A suit of paper! The very idea! Luckily I have prepared for this.
Here, Globicephalous,” he said to his servant, “give me that little suit
of ray leather,—the one I had you make this morning.”
“Splendid,” cried Pinocchio, clapping his hands. “Now I have a new
suit.”
Putting it on, he looked at himself in the water. Seeing how dark and
unbecoming it appeared, he turned to Tursio and said excitedly:
“I don’t want this. It is too ugly. I like my pretty flowered-paper one
better.”
“Your paper one Globicephalous will carry in his satchel for you.
Should you wear it in the water, it would be spoiled.”
“I want my pretty suit,” insisted Pinocchio. “If any one saw me in this
thing, he would ask me if I had been through the coal-hole.”
“But yours will be ruined if you wear it in the water, I tell you.”
“I want mine. I want mine,” wailed Pinocchio.
“Very well. Globicephalous, take the paper suit out of the traveling
bag and give it to the boy.”
The marionette turned, expecting to see an ordinary traveling bag.
Instead, he saw Globicephalous take an enormous oyster out of the
water.
“Isn’t that strange! Oyster shells for a traveling bag!”
“Strange? Why, what is strange about that?” asked Tursio.
“What is its name?” asked Pinocchio.
“That is the giant Tridacna. They are the largest oyster shells
known.”
“How large the animal inside must be,” observed Pinocchio, with a
yawn.
“Yes. It is very large, and also very beautiful. The center of the body
is a violet color dotted with black. Around this is a green border. At
the extreme edge the colors change from deepest to lightest blue.
Yes, indeed. It is very beautiful.”
“What a good meal it would make,” thought Pinocchio. His only wish
was for a good dinner, but in order to be polite he said, “Who would
ever think that there are such things under the sea!”
“Why, you have been in every school in the kingdom and don’t know
that?”
“Books on the subject you can find everywhere.”
Pinocchio bit his lips, but did not say a word. Quickly he dressed
himself again in his paper suit and declared himself ready to start.
“All right! Come along!” said the dolphin, stretching a fin out to help
Pinocchio along.
The marionette started to walk into the water. He had not gone far,
however, before his paper suit began to leave him. Hastening back
to the shore, he very meekly put on the ray-leather suit which
Globicephalous handed to him.
“Remember, my boy,” said Tursio, “that in this world of ours we must
think not only of the beauty but also of the usefulness of things. Also,
do not forget that a boy who never learns anything will never be
anything.”
“But I have learned much,” answered Pinocchio. “To prove this to
you, I can now tell you of what material this suit is made.”
“I have told you already. It is of ray leather. Do you know what a ray
is?”
“Surely I know. You may give it another name. Still, it must be that
white animal on four legs. You know. The one the shepherds shear
during some month or other.”
“Mercy!” cried Tursio. “You are talking about sheep. They give wool
to man.”
Pinocchio, without moving an eyelid, went on:
“Yes, that’s true. I have made a mistake. I should have said it is that
plant that bears round fruit, that when it opens....”
“Worse and worse,” interrupted the old dolphin. “What are you
talking of, anyway? That is the cotton plant. Marsovino, please
explain to this boy, who has read all the books in the world, what a
ray is.”
So Marsovino went on: “A ray is a fish, in shape like a large fan. It
has a very long tail, which it uses as a weapon.”
“To what class of fishes does it belong?” asked Pinocchio.
“It belongs to the same class as the lampreys, which look like
snakes, the torpedo,—”
“Be careful never to touch that fellow,” here interrupted Tursio.
“—the sawfish and the squaloids,—that is, the common shark and
the hammerhead.”
“The saw? The hammer?” observed Pinocchio. “If I find them, I must
keep them for my father. He is a carpenter, but so poor that he
seldom has money with which to buy tools.”
“Let us hope that you will never meet the saw, the terrible
hammerhead, or even the common shark,” said Tursio.
Pinocchio made no answer, but in his heart he kept thinking, “I am
very much afraid that the dolphins are teaching me, not I the
dolphins.”
Tursio then handed Pinocchio a small shell of very strange shape. It
looked like a helmet.
“Wear this, Pinocchio,” he said. “It will make a pretty cap for you.”
“It is very pretty. What is it?”
“It is a very rare shell.”
“But it is only one shell. Where is its mate?”
“It has none. It is a univalve. That means it has only one shell. The
tellines have two shells, and are therefore called bivalve. Another
kind looks like a box with a cover.”
“But does an animal live in there?”
“Of course. Every shell has its mollusk.”
“Mollusk?” repeated Pinocchio.
“Yes. The small animals that live in shells are called by that name.”
“They have a very soft body. By means of a member, called a foot,
they get such a strong hold on rocks that it is very hard to tear them
off.”
“Some mollusks have a strong golden-colored thread by which they
also hang to rocks. Why, people have even made cloth out of these
threads.”
Pinocchio cared little for all this explanation. He looked at himself in
the water, and was, after all, very much pleased with himself.
“This cap seems made for me,” he said. “Too bad I have no feather
for it.”
“Perhaps we shall find one on our journey,” laughed Tursio.
“Where will you get it? In the sea?”
“Yes, in the sea,” answered Tursio, in a tone which made the
impudent marionette almost believe him.
CHAPTER IV
“Well, children, let us hasten. If we talk so much,
the sun will rise and find us here. Come, Pinocchio!
Jump on my back and let us start.”
There was no need for Tursio to repeat his
command. In the twinkling of an eye, Pinocchio was
riding on the dolphin’s back, holding on tightly to the
dorsal fin.

“Gallop and gallop, my pretty horse,


Swiftly over the boundless sea.
Straight through the water take thy course,
Till my dear father again I see.”

“Gallop and gallop, my pretty horse,


Gallop away under the sea.
Swim to the south, and swim to the north,
Till my dear father again I see.”

So sang Pinocchio gleefully.


Tursio and his swimming companions, with a few shakes of their
strong tails, were soon far away from shore. This is not to be
wondered at, for dolphins are known to be very swift. Very soon
Pinocchio saw nothing but sea and sky. Always holding on tightly to
Tursio’s fin, he looked to the right and to the left; but nothing could
he see of his dear father.
“Hold fast, Pinocchio,” suddenly cried Tursio.
“All right, Mr. Tursio,” replied Pinocchio, but he could say no more.
For suddenly, with a great jump, the dolphin was under water.
What a moment for our poor wooden hero!
“Now I understand it all,” he thought. “This dolphin wants to get me
into the sea that he may eat me at his leisure. Oh, poor me! I shall
never again see the light of day.”
But marvel of marvels! He suddenly awoke to the fact that, instead of
drowning, he was breathing easily. Not only that, but he could
actually talk!
“This is strange,” said he. “I have always thought that people would
drown in the water.”
“And it is true,” answered the dolphin, “that men usually drown in the
sea. But I have given you the power to live under water. You see,
then, you have become a real amphibian.”
“A real what? What am I now?”
“An amphibian. That is, you have the power to live both in the air and
in the water.”
“But are there such animals?”
“Why, of course, child. Frogs, for example, which belong to the
Batrachia family. In the water they breathe with branchiæ, or gills,
and in the air with lungs. Usually, however, the name is given only to
those mammals that live in the water and move only with great
difficulty on the earth. To this class belong the seals and the sea
lions.”
“Well, then, I shall never drown.”
“No; and you will have a wonderful journey under the sea. Just hold
on to me, and I will carry you. Do not be afraid.”
“Afraid? Of course not. But I don’t like the darkness very much.”
“That is too bad. But the darkness will not last very long. You know, I
promised that we should make our journey by the light of the sun.
Wait awhile.”
Through the water Tursio went like an arrow, followed by Marsovino
and the servant.
Pinocchio, to gain courage, shut his eyes. When he opened them
again, wonder of wonders! Very near to him a large sun was moving
back and forth. It looked as if it were alive.
“The sun at the bottom of the sea!” yelled Pinocchio, frightened
almost to death. “Do you want me to believe that? You must be a
wizard playing tricks on me.”
“I am not a wizard, Pinocchio, and the sun is not a trick. It is nothing
more nor less than a fish.”
“I never heard of such a thing.”
“And you have been in all the schools of the kingdom! Marsovino,
please explain to this boy what a sunfish is.”
“The sunfish is so called because of the bright light that comes from
its body. When several of these fish are together, the sea looks as if
it were full of little, shining suns.”
As usual, Pinocchio was silent. He was beginning to think that even
dolphins knew more than he did.
Stretching out his hand, he touched a small fish that was passing by.
Another surprise! As soon as he touched it, it began to swell and
swell, until it was as round as a ball. And from this ball, countless
points began to stick out.
“Suddenly, with a Great Jump, the Dolphin was under the
Water.”
“Oh!” yelled Pinocchio again. “What is it this time?”
“It is only a globefish, my marionette. It is harmless, if you don’t
touch it.”
“But why should it turn into a balloon?”
“It does that to protect itself,” answered Tursio. “It is possible for the
globefish to do that, because it can take in a large quantity of air.
With bristles ready, it can then meet the attacks of other fish, as each
point is as sharp as a needle.”
“I never knew that before,” exclaimed Pinocchio, forgetting his
previous boast.
Tursio and Marsovino looked at each other and laughed.
CHAPTER V
The night passed without further adventure.
As soon as morning dawned, the four friends rose
to the surface. Our marionette was delighted to see
the sun again. The pure morning air, though,
reminded him that he was hungry. The day before,
if you remember, he had eaten very little.
“I should like something to eat,” he said in a weak
voice.
“Let us go to breakfast,” answered the dolphin. Gayly he dove into
the water, and led the party deep into the sea. After a short swim, he
stopped. But, unfortunately, the four friends found themselves in a
place where there were very few herring and salmon. These, you
know, are the dolphin’s favorite food.
The salmon is a fish that lives both in rivers and in seas. Like the
swallow, he looks for warm places in which to pass the winter. So, in
large numbers he migrates to the sea at that time of the year, and in
the spring he returns to the rivers.
“This morning our breakfast will be light,” observed Tursio,
swallowing three herring at once.
“I shall not eat anything. I don’t feel very well. Besides, salmon is the
only thing I can eat,” said Marsovino.
Tursio, wishing to please his pupil, started to swim toward two very
high rocks. They were so high that their tops stuck out of the water.
Very probably they were the base of an island in the middle of the
sea. But although he looked here, there, and everywhere, he could
find no salmon.
Globicephalous satisfied his hunger with three dozen herring and
half a bushel of smelts.
And Pinocchio? Pinocchio this time certainly did not suffer from lack
of food.
Tursio had shown him a large rock, attached to which were hundreds
of oysters. Some were of the size of a pinhead. Others were as large
as a boy’s cap, and these were two years old.
“Go and have your breakfast,” said Tursio.
“Must I eat those horrible-looking things?” asked Pinocchio.
“Open them and see what is inside,” was the reply.
“Pinocchio this Time certainly did not suffer from Lack of
Food.”
After Pinocchio had opened and eaten one, he no longer thought of
the looks of the oyster shells. He opened and ate so many, that it
was a wonder to Marsovino that so small a person could hold so
much.
Suddenly Pinocchio noticed numberless tiny, tiny white specks
coming out of some oysters. To him they looked like grains of sand.
But when he saw the specks moving and trying hard to attach
themselves to rocks, he could not help crying out, “O look at the live
sand, Tursio.”
“Who told you it is live sand?” asked Tursio. “Those are the newborn
oysters, looking for a place on which to spend their lives. Where
those small grains hang, there the oysters will live, grow, and die.”
“If no one gets them before that,” added Globicephalous.
“And are all those little dots oysters?”
“Yes. All of them. And many of them come from a single oyster, for
an oyster gives forth almost two millions of eggs at a time. These
little things have so many enemies, however, that very seldom do
more than ten of the millions grow old.”
“Two millions! Then I may eat all I want to,” continued Pinocchio,
unmercifully tearing away the poor oysters, young and old.
“Look, Pinocchio,” here called Tursio, pointing to a small fish, colored
with brilliant blues and reds. “That is the stickleback. You may have
heard that this fish makes a nest, as do birds. Also that the male, not
the female, takes care of the eggs.”
“Surely I have,” answered Pinocchio, seriously.
The stickleback seemed to be very much excited. He moved around
the nest he had made and watched it anxiously. The cause for this
was soon evident. A second stickleback made its appearance from
behind the rocks. At once the two engaged in a terrific struggle. They
bit each other, used their tails as weapons, and charged each other
viciously. During the battle they changed color—to a beautiful blue
mottled with silver.
Pinocchio was struck with wonder. “Look! Look! One is wounded....
He falls.... He dies!” he cried. “And look at the other. How quickly he
returns to the nest to guard the eggs!”
“But how is it,” here asked Marsovino, “that once I saw a stickleback
swallow one of his little ones?”
“If you had followed him, you would later have seen the small fish
come safely out of the large one’s mouth,” answered Tursio.
“‘Look! Look! One is Wounded.’”

“But why did the large one swallow the small one?” asked Pinocchio.
“Because the little one probably wanted to run away from the nest. It
was too soon, the little one was too young to take care of himself; so
the father took the only means he had to save the youngster from an
enemy,” patiently explained Tursio.
Just then a small fish attracted the dolphin’s attention.
“Boys,” he said, “do you see that tiny fish? It is called the pilot fish. It
is the shark’s most faithful friend. Wherever goes the shark, there
goes the pilot fish.”
“Now, Pinocchio,” he continued after a pause, “I shall leave you with
Globicephalous. Marsovino and I are going to pay a visit to the
dolphin Beluga, who is a great friend of mine. He usually lives in the
polar seas, but on account of his health, he has come to warmer
waters. We shall return this evening, if all be well. Meet us near
those two mountains which are so close together that they form a
gorge. You may take a walk with Globicephalous, but be sure to be
at that spot to-night.”
“I am ashamed to be seen with a servant,” began Pinocchio.
“You are a fine fellow,” answered Tursio, with sarcasm. “Do you
know what you should do? Buy a cloak of ignorance and a throne of
stupidity, and proclaim yourself King of False Pride of the Old and
the New World!”
With this remark Tursio turned to his pupil, and the two swam away.

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