Full Strategic Management Concepts Competitiveness and Globalization 12Th Edition Hitt Solutions Manual Online PDF All Chapter

You might also like

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 57

Strategic Management Concepts

Competitiveness and Globalization 12th


Edition Hitt Solutions Manual
Visit to download the full and correct content document: https://testbankdeal.com/dow
nload/strategic-management-concepts-competitiveness-and-globalization-12th-edition
-hitt-solutions-manual/
More products digital (pdf, epub, mobi) instant
download maybe you interests ...

Strategic Management Concepts Competitiveness and


Globalization 12th Edition Hitt Test Bank

https://testbankdeal.com/product/strategic-management-concepts-
competitiveness-and-globalization-12th-edition-hitt-test-bank/

Strategic Management Concepts and Cases Competitiveness


and Globalization 12th Edition Hitt Solutions Manual

https://testbankdeal.com/product/strategic-management-concepts-
and-cases-competitiveness-and-globalization-12th-edition-hitt-
solutions-manual/

Strategic Management Concepts Competitiveness and


Globalization 11th Edition Hitt Solutions Manual

https://testbankdeal.com/product/strategic-management-concepts-
competitiveness-and-globalization-11th-edition-hitt-solutions-
manual/

Strategic Management Concepts and Cases Competitiveness


and Globalization 12th Edition Hitt Test Bank

https://testbankdeal.com/product/strategic-management-concepts-
and-cases-competitiveness-and-globalization-12th-edition-hitt-
test-bank/
Strategic Management Competitiveness and Globalization
Concepts 8th Edition Hitt Test Bank

https://testbankdeal.com/product/strategic-management-
competitiveness-and-globalization-concepts-8th-edition-hitt-test-
bank/

Strategic Management Concepts Competitiveness And


Globalization 11th Edition Hitt Test Bank

https://testbankdeal.com/product/strategic-management-concepts-
competitiveness-and-globalization-11th-edition-hitt-test-bank/

Strategic Management Concepts and Cases Competitiveness


and Globalization 11th Edition Hitt Solutions Manual

https://testbankdeal.com/product/strategic-management-concepts-
and-cases-competitiveness-and-globalization-11th-edition-hitt-
solutions-manual/

Strategic Management Concepts and Cases Competitiveness


and Globalization 10th Edition Hitt Solutions Manual

https://testbankdeal.com/product/strategic-management-concepts-
and-cases-competitiveness-and-globalization-10th-edition-hitt-
solutions-manual/

Strategic Management Concepts And Cases Competitiveness


And Globalization 10th Edition Hitt Test Bank

https://testbankdeal.com/product/strategic-management-concepts-
and-cases-competitiveness-and-globalization-10th-edition-hitt-
test-bank/
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

Chapter 6
Corporate-Level Strategy

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Define corporate-level strategy and discuss its purpose.


2. Describe different levels of diversification achieved using different corporate-level
strategies.
3. Explain three primary reasons firms diversify.
4. Describe how firms can create value by using a related diversification strategy.
5. Explain the two ways value can be created with an unrelated diversification strategy.
6. Discuss the incentives and resources that encourage diversification.
7. Describe motives that can encourage managers to over diversify a firm.

CHAPTER OUTLINE

Opening Case: Disney Adds Value Using a Related Diversification Strategy LEVELS
OF DIVERSIFICATION
Low Levels of Diversification
Moderate and High Levels of Diversification
Reasons for Diversification
VALUE-CREATING DIVERSIFICATION: RELATED CONSTRAINED AND
RELATED LINKED DIVERSIFICATION
Operational Relatedness: Sharing Activities
Corporate Relatedness: Transferring of Core Competencies
Market Power
UNRELATED DIVERSIFICATION
Efficient Internal Capital Market Allocation
Restructuring of Assets
Strategic Focus: GE and United Technology are Firms that Have Pursued Internal
Capital Allocation and Restructuring Strategies
Strategic Focus: Ericsson’s Substantial Market Power
VALUE-NEUTRAL DIVERSIFICATION: INCENTIVES AND RESOURCES
Incentives to Diversify
Resources and Diversification
Strategic Focus: Coca Cola’s Diversification to Deal with Its Reduced Growth in Soft
Drinks

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-1
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

VALUE-REDUCING DIVERSIFICATION: MANAGERIAL MOTIVES TO


DIVERSIFY
SUMMARY
MINI-CASES
REVIEW QUESTIONS
MINDTAP RESOURCES

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-2
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

LECTURE NOTES

Chapter Introduction: Chapters 4 and 5 looked at strategy at the level of the business
and focused on the factors and approaches that can lead to competitive advantage and
superior performance. Chapter 6 takes this a step further by standing back to consider
strategy at a higher level - corporate strategy. The concern here is for the performance
benefits that are derived from putting together an effective “portfolio of businesses” - that
is, putting businesses together in a way that makes sense and can generate synergies
between units. The discussion of this chapter builds toward a summary presented in
Figure 6.4. It might be helpful to review that figure carefully before starting into the
material of the chapter.

OPENING CASE
Disney Adds Value Using a Related Diversification Strategy

The Walt Disney Company has pursued a related diversification strategy by using its
movies to create franchises and platforms around its popular cartoon and action movie
figures. While competitive content providers have weakened to lower TV ratings, Disney
was strengthened through its other businesses including consumer products, interactive
consumer products, interactive parks and resorts, and studio entertainment parks, and a
strong cable franchise. Disney’s strategy is successful because its corporate strategy,
compared to its business level strategy, adds value across its set of businesses above what
the individual businesses could create individually. In addition, the corporation has broad
and deep knowledge about its customers that is a corporate level capability in terms
advertising and marketing. This capability allows it to cross sell products highlighted in
its movies through its media distribution outlets, parks and resorts, as well as consumer
product businesses.

Teaching Note
While many content creating competitors are facing revenue losses due to lower
TV ratings, The Walt Disney Company is growing through a related
diversification strategy by using its movies to create franchises and platforms
around its popular cartoon and action movie figures. Ask students to evaluate
these related franchises and platforms to support its movie content. Why is this
strategy successful in creating value?

1 Define corporate-level strategy and discuss its purpose.

Remember that in Chapters 4 and 5 the discussion centered on selecting and implementing a
business-level or competitive strategy - actions a firm should take to compete in a single
© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-3
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

industry or product market - and the actions and responses that affect the competitive
dynamics of a single industry or product market.

In contrast, when a firm diversifies its operations by operating business in several industries,
corporate-level strategy becomes a primary focus. This means that a diversified firm has two
levels of strategy: business-level (or competitive) and corporate-level (or company-wide), the
latter of which entails selecting a strategy that focuses on the selection and management of a
mix of businesses.

Corporate-level strategies detail actions taken to gain a competitive advantage through the
selection and management of a mix of businesses competing in several industries or product
markets. Primary concerns of corporate-level strategy are:
 What businesses should the firm be in?
 How should the corporate office manage its group of businesses?
 How can the corporation as a whole add up to more than the sum of its business parts?

The ultimate measure of the value of a firm’s corporate-level strategy is that the businesses in
the firm’s portfolio are worth more under current management (and by following the firm’s
corporate-level strategy) than they would be under different ownership or management.

Teaching Note
Indicate to students that the unique organizational structure that is required by this
strategy is discussed in Chapter 11.

LEVELS OF DIVERSIFICATION

Diversified firms vary according to two factors:


 The level of diversification
 Connection or linkages between and among business units

Figure Note
Five levels of diversification are listed and each is defined in Figure 6.1. It is
recommended that you refer students to Figure 6.1 as you begin to discuss levels of
diversification in more detail.

FIGURE 6.1
Levels and Types of Diversification

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-4
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

Figure 6.1 should be used as a reference point during your discussion of diversification
types. Students’ attention should be directed to inter-unit linkages depicted on the right side
of Figure 6.1.

Levels and types of diversification defined in Figure 6.1 and discussed in more detail in the
next sections of this chapter are:

Low levels of diversification:


 Single business
 Dominant business

Moderate to high levels of diversification:


 Related-constrained diversification
 Related-linked diversification (mixed related and unrelated)

Very high levels of diversification:


 Unrelated diversification

Describe different levels of diversification achieved using


2
different corporate-level strategies.

LOW LEVELS OF DIVERSIFICATION

Firms that follow single- or dominant-business strategies have low levels of diversification.
A single business is a firm where more than 95 percent of its revenues are generated by the
dominant business. Firms such as the Wrigley Co. are examples of single-business firms.
Wrigley Co. has dominated the global gum-related industry as the largest manufacturer of
chewing gum, specialty gums, and gum bases. Its brands, Doublemint, Spearmint, and Juicy
Fruit, led the market.

Teaching Note
Wrigley has chosen to focus its attention on its historic (since 1915) core business. It
competes effectively (and successfully) against large diversified firms, including RJR
Nabisco (Beechnut and Carefree) and Warner-Lambert (Trident and Dentyne).
Focusing on its core business has enabled Wrigley’s top-level managers to maintain
strategic control of the business. As a result, Wrigley maintains a clear, strategic
focus and is highly competitive in its core business (though it is beginning to
diversify somewhat in recent years).

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-5
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

A dominant business is a firm that generates between 70 and 95 percent of its sales within a
single business area.

Teaching Note
UPS is an example of a dominant business firm because, although 22 percent of
revenue comes from international operations, it generates 60 percent of its revenue
from its US package delivery service.

Moderate and High Levels of Diversification

A related-diversified firm is one that earns at least 30 percent of its revenues from sources
outside the dominant business and whose units are related to each other - e.g., by the sharing
of resources and by product, technological, and distribution linkages.

Related-constrained firms also earn at least 30 percent of their revenues from the dominant
business, and all business units share product, technological, and distribution linkages, as
illustrated in Figure 6.1. Kodak, Procter & Gamble, and Campbell’s Soup Company are
related-constrained firms.

Related linked (mixed related and unrelated) firms, such as Campbell Soup and P&G,
generate at least 30 percent of their total revenues from the dominant business, but there are
few linkages between key value-creating activities.

Unrelated-diversified (or highly diversified) firms do not share resources or linkages, as


illustrated in Figure 6.1. Firms that pursue unrelated diversification strategies - often known
as conglomerates - include United Technologies, Samsung, and Textron.

Though there are more unrelated diversified firms in the US than in most other countries,
conglomerates (firms following unrelated diversification strategies) dominate the private
sector economy in Latin America and in several emerging economies (such as China, South
Korea, and India).

Teaching Note
Many firms that have at one time pursued unrelated diversification strategies are
restructuring to focus on a less diversified mix of businesses, a move that may reflect:
 An inability to manage high levels of diversification
 Recognition that a lower level of diversification would improve the match between
the firm’s core competencies and environmental opportunities and threats

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-6
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

3 Explain three primary reasons firms diversify.

REASONS FOR DIVERSIFICATION

Teaching Note
The content of this section of the chapter generally is limited to a discussion of Table
6.1, which provides some of the reasons that firms implement diversification
strategies. The various value-related motives for diversification are discussed in more
detail in the remainder of the chapter as specific diversification strategies are
discussed.

Firms may implement diversification strategies to enhance or increase the strategic


competitiveness of the overall organization, and thus the value of the firm increases.

Value can be created through either related or unrelated diversification if the strategies
enable the firm’s mix of businesses to increase revenues and/or decrease costs when
implementing business-level strategies.

Firms may implement diversification strategies that are either value neutral or result in
devaluation of the firm. They may attempt to diversify:
 To neutralize a competitor’s market power
 To reduce managers’ employment risk (i.e., risk of the CEO being unemployed when a
dominant-business firm fails as compared to this risk when a single business fails when it
is only one part of a diversified firm)
 To increase managerial compensation because of the positive relationships between
diversification, firm size, and compensation

Table Note
Reasons or motives for implementing diversification strategies are presented in Table
6.1. They are discussed in the following chapter sections.

TABLE 6.1
Reasons for Diversification

Firms follow diversification strategies for many reasons. These can be grouped into three
broad sets of motives:

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-7
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

Motives to create value:


 Economies of scope (related diversification) through activity-sharing and the transfer of
core competencies
 Market power motives (related diversification) by vertical integration or blocking
competitors via multipoint competition
 Financial economies motives (unrelated diversification) to improve efficiency of capital
allocation through an internal capital market or by restructuring the portfolio of
businesses

Motives that are value-neutral with respect to strategic competitiveness are used to:
 avoid violations of antitrust regulations
 take advantage of tax incentives
 overcome low performance
 reduce the uncertainty of future cash flows
 reduce overall firm risk
 exploit tangible resources
 exploit intangible resources

Managerial or value-reducing motives are used to:


 diversify managerial employment risk
 increase managerial compensation

Figure Note
As illustrated in Figure 6.2, firms seek to create value by sharing activities and
transferring skills or corporate core competencies. This figure can help students
organize their thoughts about the options firms have to exploit various forms of
relatedness.

FIGURE 6.2
Value-Creating Strategies of Diversification: Operational and Corporate Relatedness

Firms seek to create value from economies of scope through two basic kinds of operational
economies: sharing activities and transferring skills (corporate core competencies). However,
the levels of the two will lead to different corporate strategies with different advantages
associated with each.

Combinations of Economies Resulting Strategy Economies for Advantage

High operational/ Vertical integration Market power


Low corporate
© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-8
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

Low operational/ Unrelated diversification Financial economies


Low corporate
High operational/ Both operational and Rare capability and can create
High corporate relatedness diseconomies of scope
High operational/ Related-linked Economies of scope
High corporate diversification

VALUE-CREATING DIVERSIFICATION:
RELATED CONSTRAINED AND RELATED LINKED DIVERSIFICATION

Firms implement related diversification strategies in order to achieve and exploit economies
of scope and build a competitive advantage by building on existing resources, capabilities,
and core competencies.

For firms that operate in multiple industries or product markets, economies of scope
represent cost savings attributed to entering an additional business and sharing activities or
using capabilities and core competencies developed in another business that can be
transferred to a new business without significant additional costs.

The difference between activity sharing and core competence sharing is based on how
different resources are used jointly to create economies of scope:
 To create economies of scope, tangible resources such as plant and equipment or other
business-unit physical assets often must be shared. Less tangible resources, such as
manufacturing know-how, also can be shared.
 Know-how transferred between separate activities with no physical or tangible resource
involved is a transfer of a corporate-level core competence, not an operational sharing of
activities.

A key to creating value through sharing essentially separate activities is to share know-how
or skills rather than physical or tangible resources.

Operational Relatedness: Sharing Activities

Because all of its businesses share product and technological and distribution linkages,
activity sharing is common among related-constrained diversified firms, such as Procter &
Gamble.

P&G’s paper towel and disposable diaper units can share many activities due to their
common characteristics:

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-9
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

 Each business uses paper products as a key input, so they are likely to share key facets of
procurement and inbound logistics, as well as primary manufacturing activities.
 Because all three businesses produce consumer products that are sold in similar (if not the
same) outlets, they will likely share outbound logistics, distribution channels, and possibly
sales forces.

Firms also must recognize that although activity sharing is intended to reduce costs through
achieving economies of scope, there are incremental costs related to sharing activities (costs
that are created by sharing). These costs must be recognized and taken into account when
planning activity sharing or scope economies may not result.

Activity sharing can also result in new risks since closer linkages between business units
create tighter interrelationships and/or interdependencies. For example, if two business units
share production facilities and sales in one unit’s products decline to the point that revenues
no longer cover the costs of shared production, then each business unit’s ability to achieve
strategic competitiveness may be adversely affected.

Regardless of the risks that accompany activity sharing, research indicates that activity
sharing - or the potential for activity sharing - can increase the value of the firm. Some
findings are summarized here:
 Acquiring firms in the same industry - a horizontal acquisition - where sharing of
activities and resources is implemented results in improved performance and higher
returns to shareholders.
 Selling off units where resource sharing is a possible source of economies of scope results
in lower returns to shareholders than does selling off business units unrelated to the firm’s
core business.
 Firms with more related units have less risk.

Describe how firms can create value by using a related


4
diversification strategy.

CORPORATE RELATEDNESS: TRANSFERRING OF CORE COMPETENCIES

Over time, most firms develop intangible resources that can become a foundation for
corporate-level core competencies that are competitively valuable. In diversified firms, these
core competencies generally are made up of managerial and technical knowledge,
experiences, and expertise.

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-10
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

There are at least two ways the related linked diversification strategy helps firms create
value:
 Any costs related to developing the competence have already been incurred
 Competencies based on intangible resources, such as marketing know-how, are less visible
and therefore are more difficult for competitors to understand and imitate

Teaching Note
As an example, Philip Morris acquired Miller Brewing at a time when competition in
the brewing industry was focused on establishing efficient operations.
 Philip Morris used marketing competencies coming from the competitive cigarette
industry.
 No brewing firm used marketing capabilities as a source of competitive advantage.
 By transferring its marketing competence to Miller, Philip Morris introduced
marketing as a source of competitive advantage to the brewing industry.
 Because its primary competitor, Anheuser-Busch, was unable to develop the
capability to respond for several years, Miller’s strategic action (mostly effective
advertising campaigns) let Miller achieve a temporary competitive advantage and
earn above-average returns.

Other firms have focused on transferring a variety or resources/capabilities across businesses


in their control.
 Virgin has transferred its marketing skills across travel, cosmetics, music, drinks, and
other retail businesses.
 Thermo Electron has employed its entrepreneurial skills in starting up a number of new
ventures and maintaining a new venture network.
 Honda has developed and transferred across its businesses its expertise in small and now
larger engines for a number of vehicle types - from motorcycles and lawnmowers to its
range of automotive products.

One way that firms can facilitate the transfer of competencies between or among business
units is to move key personnel into new management positions in the receiving unit.
However, research suggests that transferring expertise often does not lead to performance
improvement.

Teaching Note
It is good to help students understand the human dimensions of strategic decisions -
e.g., expertise transfers may be difficult or costly because of the following:
 A business-unit manager of an older division may be reluctant to transfer key
people who have accumulated knowledge and experience critical to the business
unit’s success.
© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-11
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

 Managers able to facilitate the transfer of core competencies may come at a


premium.
 The key people involved may not want to transfer.
 The top-level managers from the transferring division may not want the
competencies transferred to a new division to fulfill the firm’s diversification
objectives.

Market Power

Firms also may implement related diversification strategies in an attempt to gain market
power.
 Market power exists when a firm is able to sell its products at prices above the existing
competitive level or decrease the costs of its primary activities below the competitive
level, or both.
 Market power through diversification may be gained through multipoint competition, a
condition where two or more diversified firms compete in the same product areas or
geographic markets.

Firms also might gain market power by following a vertical integration strategy, which exists
when a company produces its own inputs (backward integration) or owns its own distribution
system (forward integration). A vertical integration strategy may be motivated by a firm’s
desire to strengthen its position in its core business relative to competitors by increasing its
market power.

Vertical integration enables a firm to increase market power by:


 Developing the ability to save on its operations
 Avoiding market costs
 Improving product quality
 Protecting its technology from imitation by rivals
 Having strong ties between their assets for which no market prices exist

Note
Establishing a market price would result in high search and transaction costs, so firms seek
to vertically integrate rather than remain separate businesses.

Teaching Note
As an example of vertical integration, CVS, a Walgreen’s competitor, recently
merged with Caremark, a pharmaceutical benefits manager. This represents a vertical
move for CVS from a retail-only firm to broader-based health care. However, CVS

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-12
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

risks alienating Walgreen’s, which may then choose to align with another benefits
manager.

However, like other strategies that create value and aid the firm in achieving strategic
competitiveness, vertical integration may not be the perfect answer because of risks and costs
that accompany it.
 Outside suppliers may be able to provide inputs at a lower cost (and, possibly also of a
higher quality).
 The costs of coordinating vertically integrated activities may exceed the value of the
control realized.
 Vertical integration may result in the firm losing strategic competitiveness if the internal
unit does not keep up with changes in technology.
 To vertically integrate, the firm may need to build a facility with capacity that exceeds the
ability of its internal units to absorb, forcing the selling unit to sell to outside users in
order to achieve scale economies.

Many manufacturing firms no longer pursue vertical integration. In fact, deintegration is the
focus of most manufacturing firms, such as Intel and Dell, and even among large automobile
companies, such as Ford and General Motors, as they develop independent supplier
networks. Solectron Corp., a contract manufacturer, represents a new breed of large contract
manufacturers that is helping to foster this revolution in supply-chain management. Such
firms often manage their customers’ entire product lines, and offer services ranging from
inventory management to delivery and after-sales service.

E-commerce allows vertical integration to turn into “virtual integration,” permitting closer
relationships with suppliers and customers through electronic means of integration. This lets
firms reduce transaction costs while boosting supply-chain management skills and tightening
inventory control.

Ericsson’s Substantial Market Power

Ericsson is the largest global manufacturer of mobile telecommunications networks


equipment (with 38 percent global market share in 2012). It has a presence in 108 countries
and their business unit support system provides charging and billing service for 1.6 billion
people. Ericsson has three primary businesses: business unit networks, business unit support
systems, and business unit global services. As these businesses are all related to some degree
it is clear that Ericsson is following a related-constrained diversification strategy. Ericsson is
facing formidable competition from Huawei and Samsung. To stay ahead of competitors
Ericsson makes ‘major’ investments in R&D to develop new technologies and products. It
estimates that 5G wireless, federated networked cloud services, and 3D visual

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-13
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

communications will be needed in the near future and it is positioning itself to be a leader in
all of these areas.

Simultaneous Operational and Corporate Relatedness

As Figure 6.2 suggests, some firms simultaneously seek operational and corporate
relatedness to create economies of scope. Because simultaneously managing two sources of
knowledge is very difficult, such efforts often fail, creating diseconomies of scope.

A Bit of Disney History: A Mini-Case

By using operational relatedness and corporate relatedness, Disney made $3 billion


on the 150 products that were marketed with its movie, The Lion King. Sony’s Men in
Black was a super hit at the box office and earned $600 million, but box office and
video revenues were practically the entire success story. Disney was able to
accomplish its great success by sharing activities regarding The Lion King theme
within its movie, theme park, music, and retail products divisions, while at the same
time transferring knowledge into these same divisions, creating a music CD, Rhythm
of the Pride Lands, and producing a video, Simba’s Pride. In addition, there were
Lion King themes at Disney resorts and Animal Kingdom parks. However, it is
difficult for analysts from outside the firm to fully assess the value-creating potential
of the firm pursuing both operational relatedness and corporate relatedness. As such,
Disney’s assets as well as other media firms such as AOL Time Warner have been
discounted somewhat because “the biggest lingering questions is whether multiple
revenue streams will outpace multiple-platform overhead.”

Explain the two ways value can be created with an unrelated


5
diversification strategy.

UNRELATED DIVERSIFICATION

Firms implementing unrelated diversification strategies hope to create value by realizing


financial economies, which are cost savings realized through improved allocations of
financial resources based on investments inside or outside the firm.

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-14
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

Financial economies are realized through internal capital allocations (that are more efficient
than market-based allocations) and by purchasing other companies and then restructuring
their assets.

Efficient Internal Capital Market Allocation

Although capital generally is efficiently distributed in a market economy through the capital
markets, large diversified firms may be able to distribute capital more efficiently to divisions
and thus create value for the overall organization. This generally is possible because:
 Corporate offices have more detailed and accurate information on actual division
performance and future prospects.
 Investors have limited access to internal information and generally can only estimate
division performance.

One implication of increased access to information is that the internal capital market may be
able to allocate resources between investment opportunities more accurately (and at more
adequate levels) than the external capital market. There are several reasons for this:
 Information disclosed to capital markets through annual reports may not fully disclose
negative information, reporting only positive prospects while meeting all regulatory
disclosure requirements.
 External capital sources have limited knowledge of what is taking place within large,
complex firms.
 While owners have access to information, full and complete disclosure is not guaranteed.
 An internal capital market may enable the firm to safeguard information related to its
sources of competitive advantage that otherwise might have to be disclosed. Through
disclosure, the information could become available to competitors who might use the
information to duplicate or imitate the firm’s sources of competitive advantage.

Other advantages of internal capital markets:


 Corrective actions may be more efficiently structured and underperforming management
can be more effectively disciplined through the internal capital market than through
external capital market mechanisms. Thus, the internal capital market is more capable of
taking specific, finely tuned corrective actions compared to the external market.
 If external intervention is required, only drastic alternatives generally are available, such
as forcing the firm into bankruptcy or forcing the removal of top-level managers.
 With an internal capital market, the corporate office can adjust managerial incentives or
can suggest strategic changes to make the desired corrections.

Research suggests that in efficient capital markets, the unrelated diversification strategy may
be discounted. Stock markets have applied what some have called a “conglomerate discount”
© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-15
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

reflected in the valuation of diversified manufacturing conglomerates at 20 percent less, on


average, than the value of the sum of their parts.

The Achilles heel of the unrelated diversification strategy is that conglomerates in developed
economies have a short life cycle because financial economies are more easily duplicated
than are the gains derived from operational relatedness and corporate relatedness. This is less
of a problem in emerging economies, where the absence of a “soft infrastructure” (e.g.,
effective financial intermediaries, sound regulations, and contract laws) supports and
encourages use of the unrelated diversification strategy. In fact, in emerging economies such
as those in India and China, diversification increases performance of firms from large
diversified business groups.

STRATEGIC FOCUS
GE and United Technology are Firms that Have Pursued Internal Capital Allocation
and Restructuring Strategies

General Electric is a diversified company with a storied past. While GE’s businesses
compete in a number of different industries, because of similarities among some of them,
they are currently grouped into four divisions: GE Capital, GE Energy, GE Technology
Infrastructure, and GE Home and Business Solutions. In recent years, however, more
than 50 percent of GE’s annual revenue came from the GE Capital division. Though it
has enjoyed success throughout its history, recent performance has been unimpressive.
NBC never achieved expected success (and was recently sold) and the performance of its
financial services business has been weak since 2008 (although in 2012 it produced
revenue and profit growth). Stock price has been down for over a decade. GE appears to
be placing large acquisition bets on its green energy business and making substantial
investments to be a force in the new industrial Internet industry. It is also beginning to
see strong growth from some of its international investments.

United Technologies Corporation, an unrelated firm, has allocated resource internal


according to their best and most efficient use. Similar to GE, it often it has bought
restructured and operated businesses until it made sense to sell them. United
Technologies owns Otis Elevator, building fires and security system brands Chubb and
Kidde, Pratt & Whitney jet engines, and Carrier air conditioners besides Sikorsky
Aircraft.

Both GE and United Technology has used internal capital allocate resources among its
diversified business units efficiently. Also, both business have used the restructuring
strategy to make their business more efficient and when appropriate sold them on the

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-16
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

open market, either through selloff to another acquirer or through spinoffs where two
stock prices are created, one for the legacy business and one for the spinoff firm

Restructuring of Assets

A restructuring approach to creating value in an unrelated diversified firm involves the


buying and selling of other companies (and their assets) in the external market.

Following the asset sale and layoffs, underperforming divisions (those acquired in the
purchase) are sold to other firms and remaining divisions are placed under strict budgetary
controls accompanied by the reporting of cash inflows and outflows to the corporate office.

Tyco International: A Question of Ethics


Under former CEO Dennis L. Kozlowski, Tyco International, Ltd. excelled at
exploiting financial economies through restructuring. Tyco focused on two types of
acquisitions: platform, which represented new bases for future acquisitions, and add-
on, in markets where Tyco currently had a major presence. As with many unrelated
diversified firms, Tyco acquired mature product lines. However, completing large
numbers of complex transactions resulted in accounting practices that are not as
transparent as stakeholders now demand. In fact, many of Tyco’s top executives,
including Kozlowski, were arrested for fraud, and the new CEO, Edward Breen, has
been restructuring the firm’s businesses to overcome “the flagrant accounting, ethical,
and governance abuses of his predecessor.” Actions being taken in firms such as Tyco
suggest that firms creating value through financial economies are responding to the
demand for greater transparency in their practices. Responding in this manner will
provide the information the market needs to accurately estimate the value the
diversified firm is creating when using the unrelated diversification strategy.

Success in implementing unrelated diversification strategies usually requires that firms:


 Focus on firms in mature, low technology industries
 Avoid service businesses because of their client- or sales-orientation

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-17
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

Discuss the incentives and resources that encourage


6
diversification.

VALUE-NEUTRAL DIVERSIFICATION: INCENTIVES AND RESOURCES

As mentioned earlier, not all firms diversify to increase the value of the overall firm. Some
attempts at diversification are implemented to prevent the value of the firm from decreasing.

Incentives to Diversify

In most instances, managers have a choice regarding the level of diversification that their
firm should implement. In addition, both the external and internal environments are sources
of incentives or reasons that managers might use to justify diversification choices.

Antitrust Regulation and Tax Laws

In the 1960s and 1970s, government policies - in the form of antitrust enforcement and tax
laws - provided US firms with incentives to diversify the mix of businesses controlled by the
firm. Because of these policies, the vast majority of mergers during the period represented
unrelated diversification. They were classified as conglomerate mergers.

Conglomerate mergers (unrelated diversification) were encouraged in large part by the


Celler-Kefauver Act, which discouraged horizontal and vertical mergers. That is, federal
legislation (and enforcement by the US Department of Justice) discouraged market power
boosting via related diversification. As one measure of the effectiveness of official
“discouragement,” almost 80 percent of mergers during 1973–1977 were conglomerate
mergers.

During the 1980s, enforcement of antitrust laws slackened and firms chose to implement
horizontal merger strategies (or mergers with firms in the same [or a related] line of
business).

At the same time, investment bankers aggressively promoted merger and acquisition activity
to the extent that many acquisitions were classified as unfriendly or hostile takeovers.

Firms that had diversified (in an unrelated fashion) in the 1960s and 1970s began to
implement strategies to refocus their firms, and an era of restructuring began.

When firms generate more cash than they are able to profitably reinvest in the firm’s primary
activities, the excess funds, or “free cash flows,” should be returned to shareholders in the

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-18
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

form of dividends. However, during the 1960s and 1970s, dividends were taxed more heavily
than ordinary personal income. (Dividends are taxed twice: once when the firm pays taxes on
its operating income and a second time when net income is paid out to shareholders in the
form of dividends as shareholders pay a tax on dividends received at their personal income
tax rate.)

In 1986, the perspective shifted once again, as the Tax Reform Act of 1986 reduced the top
personal income tax rate from 50 percent to 28 percent. Capital gains rules were changed so
that capital gains would be taxed at the ordinary personal income tax rate, and personal
interest deductibility was eliminated.

These changes in federal tax laws that affected individual tax rates for dividends and capital
gains (with the former decreasing and the latter increasing), have created an incentive for
shareholders to favor reduced levels of diversification (after 1986) unless funded by tax-
deductible debt.

The recent changes recommended by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB),
regarding the elimination of the “pooling of interests” method for accounting for the acquired
firm’s assets and the elimination of the write-off for research and development in process,
reduce some of the incentives to make acquisitions, especially related acquisitions in high-
technology industries.

Although there was a loosening of federal regulations in the 1980s and a retightening in the
late 1990s, a number of industries have experienced increased merger activity due to
industry-specific deregulation activity, including banking, telecommunications, oil and gas,
and electric utilities.

Low Performance

When firms are able to earn above-average or superior returns in a single business, they have
little incentive to diversify (as previously discussed in the Wrigley Co. example).

However, low performance may provide an incentive for diversification as a low-performing


firm may become more risk seeking in an effort to improve overall firm performance.

In response to low returns (or poor performance), firms often choose to seek greater levels of
diversification. At some point, however, poor performance slows the pace of diversification,
often resulting in restructuring divestitures of businesses to lower the level of firm
diversification.

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-19
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

Strategic Focus Coca-Cola’s Diversification to Deal with Its Reduced Growth in Soft Drinks
Changing consumer tastes have caused The Coca-Cola Company to diversify its drink
offerings in order to combat falling revenue and profits, which dropped noticeable from 2013
to 2015. The company is responding to a consumer demand for “healthier, tastier, more
unique and less mass market” products. Among its strategies, Coca-Cola launched its
“venture and emerging brands” (VEB) to cultivate relationships and ultimately to purchase
some of these small start-ups. Through this process, it now owns Fuse Tea, Zibo coconut
water, and the organic brand Honest Tea. It has also tinkered with other approaches such as
its Freestyle soda fountain machine “that offers more than 100 different drink choices; some,
such as Orange Coke, aren’t available in cans.” It now has these drink machines in fast food
chains such as Five Guys and Burger King. This approach has consistently raised drink sales
by double-digits every year, mostly because the volume is higher.

Figure Note
The relationship between level of performance and diversification (for firms that
already have diversified) is illustrated in Figure 6.3.

FIGURE 6.3
The Curvilinear Relationship Between Diversification and Performance

As Figure 6.3 illustrates, firms exhibiting low performance in their dominant businesses
often implement related-constrained diversification strategies that, to a certain point, result in
increased performance.

In search of even higher performance, related-diversified firms may continue to diversify, but
elect to acquire unrelated businesses.

When a firm’s core competencies do not create value in unrelated businesses, firm
performance decreases.

Teaching Note
DaimlerChrysler had to deal with the challenges that were created partly by its failed
diversification efforts. The firm faced the task of reversing this strategy, which started
with the sale of its electronics operation, divesting a 34 percent stake in Cap Gemini
(a French software services company), and liquidating Fokker (a Dutch aircraft
manufacturer). The firm also eliminated a layer of upper-level executives and shaped
a culture of responsibility and entrepreneurship, with innovation (using cross-
functional project teams) as the force supporting the new culture.

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-20
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

Uncertain Future Cash Flows

Firms also may implement diversification strategies when their products reach maturity (in
the product life cycle) or are threatened by external factors that the firm cannot overcome.
Thus, firms may view diversification as a survival strategy.

In the 1960s and 1970s, railroads diversified because of the threat from the trucking industry
to reduce demand for rail transportation.

Uncertainty can be derived from supply, demand, and distribution sources. For example, at
one time PepsiCo acquired Quaker Oats to fortify its growth with Gatorade and healthy
snacks, on the projection that these products would experience greater growth rates than
Pepsi’s soft drinks.

Synergy and Firm Risk Reduction

As you will recall from the discussion earlier in this chapter, firms that diversify in pursuit of
economies of scope take advantage of linkages between primary value-creating activities to
realize synergy from sharing.

Synergy exists when the value created by business units working together exceeds the value
the units create when working independently.

These linkages - and the inter-relatedness or interdependencies that result - produce joint
profitability between business units, and the flexibility of the firm to respond may be
constrained, increasing the risk of failure.

To eliminate this risk, firms may do one of two things:


 Operate in more certain environments to reduce the level of technological change and
choose not to pursue potentially profitable, yet unproven product lines
 Constrain or reduce the level of activity sharing, thus forgoing the potential benefits of
synergy

However, these decisions could lead to further diversification


 To diversify into industries where more certainty exists
 To additional, but unrelated diversification

Research suggests that a firm using a related diversification strategy is more careful in
bidding for new businesses, whereas a firm pursuing an unrelated diversification strategy
may be more likely to overprice its bid, because an unrelated bidder may not have full

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-21
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

information about the acquired firm. However, firms using either a related or an unrelated
diversification strategy must understand the consequences of paying large premiums.

Resources and Diversification

In addition to having incentives to diversify, a firm also must possess the correct mix of
resources - tangible, intangible, or financial - that makes diversification feasible.

However, remember that resources create value when they are rare, valuable, costly to
imitate, and non-substitutable. In other words, resources that do not have these
characteristics can be more easily duplicated (or acquired) by competitors. Thus, it may
not be possible to create value using such resources.

The excess capacity of tangible resources may be used to justify diversification, especially
when the firm sees opportunities for activity sharing. However, value-creation may be
possible only in related diversification. Remember, using tangible resources also creates
interrelationships through its activity linkages in production, marketing, procurement, and
technology, and these interdependencies often reduce firm flexibility and may, in fact,
increase the risk of failure.

Ideally, as discussed earlier, a firm’s intangible resources - because they are less visible and
less understood by competitors - should be used to facilitate and create value from
diversification.

Describe motives that can encourage managers to


7
over diversify a firm.

VALUE-REDUCING DIVERSIFICATION:
MANAGERIAL MOTIVES TO DIVERSIFY

Some managers may be motivated to diversify their firms even if there are no incentives, and
a lack of resources can constrain inclinations toward diversification. Managers’ motives for
diversification include the following:
 Diversification may enable managers to reduce employment risk (the risks related to the
loss of their jobs or a reduction in compensation) because by diversifying the firm (i.e., by
adding a number of additional businesses), managers may be able to diversify their
employment risk, as long as profitability does not decline greatly as a result of the
diversification.

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-22
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

 Diversification allows managers to increase their compensation because of positive


correlations between diversification, firm size, and executive compensation (based on the
logic that large firms are more difficult to manage).

Teaching Note
Indicate to students that corporate governance is covered in much greater detail in
Chapter 10. The discussion in this chapter is introductory in nature.

If properly structured and used, governance structures - such as the firm’s board of directors,
performance monitoring, executive compensation limits, and the market for corporate control
- may provide the means to exert control over managers’ tendencies to over diversify because
of self-interest motives.

However, if a firm’s internal governance structure is not strong (or functions imperfectly);
managers may diversify the firm beyond the optimal level. As a result, the overall firm may
fail to earn average returns (illustrated by Figure 6.3).

When the internal governance structure fails to restrain managers from over diversifying (and
performance declines), external governance mechanisms, such as the takeover market, may
come into play.

In the takeover market (also known as the market for corporate control), improved levels of
diversification (and improved performance) are achieved by replacing incumbent or current
managers and restructuring the firm. However, managers may be able to avoid takeovers
through defensive tactics, such as golden parachutes, poison pills, greenmail, or increasing
the firm’s leverage ratio.

In spite of the preceding comments, most managers take positive strategic actions (such as
those related to diversification) that result in overall firm profitability and contribute to the
strategic competitiveness of the firm.

In addition to the internal and external governance mechanisms discussed, managers also
may be provided with incentives to limit firm diversification to optimal levels by a concern
for their personal reputations in the labor market and the related market for managerial talent
(also known as the market for managers).

One signal that the firm may be over diversified is when operating diversified businesses
reduces, rather than improves, the overall performance of the firm.

Figure Note

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-23
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

It is useful to note that two factors appearing in Figure 6.4 are discussed in greater
detail in future chapters. Governance structures in Chapter 10 and strategy
implementation is covered in Chapter 11. The overall relationship between reasons
for diversification, governance, and firm performance is provided in Figure 6.4.

FIGURE 6.4
Summary Model of the Relationship Between Diversification and Firm Performance

As shown in Figure 6.4, a firm’s diversification strategy is determined by several inter-


related factors,
 Value-creating influences (economies of scope, market power, financial economics)
 Value-neutral influences (resources and incentives)
 Value-reducing influences (managerial motives to diversify)
 Internal governance
 Capital market intervention and the market for managerial talent

The relationship between diversification strategy and firm performance is moderated by:
 Capital market intervention and the market for managerial talent with which the
diversification strategy is implemented
As noted in this chapter, diversification strategies can be used to enhance a firm’s strategic
competitiveness and enable it to earn above-average returns. However, positive outcomes
from diversification are possible only when the firm achieves the appropriate level of
diversification, given its resources, capabilities, and core competencies, and taking into
account the external environmental opportunities and threats.

Mini-Case
Sany’s Highly Related Core Businesses

Sany Heavy Industry Company, Ltd. Is China’s largest producer of heavy equipment (and 5th
largest globally). Sany’s businesses consist of cranes, road construction machinery, port
machinery, and pump over machinery. Some technologies used in the production and in its
products are similar which makes transferring knowledge across these businesses easier to
accomplish. Additional similarities exist in customers and markets served. Sany invests 5
percent of sales in R&D and through the end of 2012 held 3,303 patents. It has developed
new post-doctoral research centers to attract top research scientists. Sany is positioning itself
to improve its global position through acquisitions, the establishment of subsidiaries in many
countries, and the relocation of its headquarters.

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-24
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

ANSWERS TO MINI CASE DISSCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What is corporate-level strategy and why is it important?

Corporate-level strategies are strategies that detail actions taken to gain a competitive
advantage through the selection and management of a mix of businesses competing in
different product markets. They are concerned with what businesses the firm should be in
and how the corporate office should manage its group of businesses.

Corporate-level strategies are important to the diversified firm because developing and
implementing multibusiness strategies is necessary for effective utilization of resources,
capabilities, and core competencies across multiple businesses to create value. In the final
analysis, a corporate-level strategy’s value is ultimately determined by the degree to which
the businesses in the portfolio are worth more under the management of the company than
they would be under any other ownership.

2. What are the different levels of diversification firms can pursue by using different
corporate-level strategies?

Low levels of diversification. Single- and dominant-business firms represent those for which
at least 95 percent and 70 percent of total sales, respectively, come from a single business.
Several advantages accrue to these firms. For example, managers of single- and dominant-
business firms may be more capable of understanding the competitive dynamics of the
smaller number of industries in which their business (es) compete. Furthermore, managers in
these firms can develop more specialized skills, concentrating on formulating and
implementing a narrower range of business-level strategies and managing synergies between
businesses that may be easier to identify and master. However, these firms must also
overcome a number of disadvantages. For example, single- and dominant-business firms are
affected more negatively by an economic downturn that affects their single or dominant
industry. In addition, by focusing their operations, these firms cannot enjoy the advantages
that are realized only by diversified firms

Moderate to high levels of diversification. A firm generating more than 30 percent of its
revenue outside a dominant business and whose businesses are related to each other in some
manner uses a related diversification corporate-level strategy. When the links between the
diversified firm’s businesses are rather direct, a related constrained diversification strategy is
being used.

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-25
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

The diversified company with a portfolio of businesses with only a few links between them is
called a mixed related and unrelated firm and is using the related linked diversification
strategy. Compared with related constrained firms, related linked firms share fewer resources
and assets between their businesses, concentrating instead on transferring knowledge and
core competencies between the businesses. As with firms using each type of diversification
strategy, companies implementing the related linked strategy constantly adjust the mix in
their portfolio of businesses as well as make decisions about how to manage their businesses.

Very high levels of diversification. A highly diversified firm that has no relationships
between its businesses follows an unrelated diversification strategy. These businesses are not
related to each other, and the firm makes no effort to share activities or to transfer core
competencies between or among them.

3. What are three reasons firms choose to diversify their operations?

Firms may choose to move from a single- or dominant-business position to a more


diversified position for three general reasons. First (value creating), they do this to enhance
strategic competitiveness via increased economies of scope (e.g., by sharing activities and
transferring core competencies), market power (e.g., by blocking competitors through
multipoint competition or implementing vertical integration), and financial economies (e.g.,
from efficient internal capital allocations and business restructuring). Second (value-neutral),
firms may diversify in response to incentives. For example, they may do so to respond to
advantages from tax law, to overcome a low performance trend, or to balance out uncertain
future cash flows. Finally (value reducing), unrelated acquisitions also may be made for
managerial reasons (either to diversify managerial employment risk or to increase managerial
compensation). It is important to note that diversification is not always pursued in an effort to
enhance the firm’s strategic competitiveness; in fact, diversification may have neutral or even
negative effects on firm performance.

4. How do firms create value when using a related diversification strategy?

Activity sharing and transferring core competencies are used to obtain economies of scope
while pursuing a related diversification strategy because cost savings are attributed to
entering an additional related business using capabilities and competencies developed in one
business that can be transferred to another business without significant additional costs. In
other words, it may be possible for related firms to share production facilities or distribution
networks, or a core competency such as marketing expertise might be transferred between
related business units. However, related firms also must take into account the costs related to
activity sharing and core competency transfers, namely the cost of coordination and sharing

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-26
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

of control created by the interdependencies that result or the savings imputed to economies of
scope may not be realized.

Firms using a related diversification strategy may gain market power when successfully
using their related constrained or related linked strategy. Market power exists when a firm is
able to sell its products above the existing competitive level or to reduce the costs of its
primary and support activities below the competitive level, or both.

Some firms using a related diversification strategy engage in vertical integration to gain
market power. Vertical integration exists when a company produces its own inputs
(backward integration) or owns its own source of output distribution (forward integration).

5. What are the two ways to obtain financial economies when using an unrelated
diversification strategy?

Two ways to obtain financial economies when pursuing an unrelated diversification strategy
are by establishing an efficient internal capital market and by restructuring the assets of
purchased businesses.

Financial economies can be achieved by establishing an efficient internal capital market that
enables corporate managers - because they have access to more detailed and more accurate
(or more relevant) information - to make better (more value-enhancing) capital allocation
decisions relative to those made by the market. Restructuring focuses exclusively on buying
and selling other firms’ assets in the external market. This usually entails selling off
corporate headquarters facilities, laying off corporate staff, selling underperforming divisions
to other firms that may be able to enhance the division’s strategic competitiveness, and
managing the remaining business units to maximize net cash flow.

6. What incentives and resources encourage diversification?

Incentives that encourage diversification include antitrust regulation, tax laws, low firm
performance, uncertain future cash flows, and opportunities to reduce overall firm risk.
Resources that encourage diversification include both tangible and intangible resources such
as plant and equipment (excess productive capacity) and financial resources (free cash flows)
for which no attractive (positive) investment opportunities are available as the firm is
currently structured.

7. What motives might encourage managers to over diversify their firm?

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-27
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

Managers might be encouraged to push a firm toward a more diversified position to reduce
the risk of job loss by diversifying employment risk (so long as profitability does not suffer
excessively) or to increase their compensation. Increased levels of diversification are strongly
correlated with firm size, and firm size in turn is strongly correlated with managerial
compensation because of the increased complexity that results from increases in firm size
and diversification level.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES

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

Application Discussion Questions

1. This chapter suggests that there is a curvilinear relationship between diversification and
performance. Ask students how this relationship can be modified so that the negative
relationship between performance and diversification is reduced and the downward curve
has less slope or begins at a higher level of diversification.
2. The Fortune 500 firms are very large, and many of them have significant product
diversification. Ask students if they believe these large firms are over diversified. Do
they experience lower performance than they should?
3. What is the primary reason for over diversification? Is it industrial policies, such as taxes
and antitrust regulation, or do firms over diversify because managers pursue their own
self-interest through increased compensation, and a reduced risk of job loss? Why? Have
students explain.
4. One rationale for pursuing related diversification is to obtain market power. In the United
States, however, too much market power may result in a challenge by the US Justice
Department (because it may be perceived as anticompetitive). Ask students in what
situations related diversification might be considered unfair competition.
5. Tell students they have two job offers, one from a dominant-business firm and one from
an unrelated diversified firm (suppose the beginning salaries are virtually identical).
Which offer would they accept and why?
6. Ask students if they believe that by the year 2015 large firms will be more or less
diversified than they are today. Why? Will the trends regarding diversification be
identical in Europe, the United States, and Japan? Explain.
7. Will the Internet make it easier for firms to diversify? Why or why not?

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-28
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

Ethics Questions

1. Propose the following statement: “Those managing an unrelated diversified firm face far
more difficult ethical challenges than do those managing a dominant-business firm.”
Based on their reading of this chapter, do the students this statement true or false? Why?
2. Is it ethical for managers to diversify a firm rather than return excess earnings to
shareholders? Have students provide their reasoning in support of their answers.
3. What unethical practices might occur when a firm restructures? Ask students if they
believe that ethical managers are unaffected by the managerial motives to diversify
discussed in this chapter. If so, why? In addition, do they believe that ethical managers
should help their peers learn how to avoid making diversification decisions on the basis
of the managerial motives to diversify? Why or why not?

INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES FOR MINDTAP

Cengage offers additional online activities, assessments and resources inside MindTap,
our online learning platform. The following activities can be assigned within MindTap
for students to complete.

INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES FOR EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISES

Revolution or Evolution: Strategizing To Gain Competitive Advantage

The introduction to this chapter defines corporate-level strategy as “actions a firm takes
to gain a competitive advantage by selecting and managing a group of different
businesses competing in different product markets.” In this group exercise, students will
analyze the corporate-level strategy for a publically traded firm and how those strategies
increase the company’s value.

 Select an established publically traded firm


 Research and critique the firm’s corporate level strategy-evolution
 Create a timeline or infographic to share with the class sharing the research and
critique
 Create and deliver a presentation to the class discussing the company’s current
corporate level strategy, different levels of diversification and one background
story

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-29
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

Students will form a research consultancy, providing large firms with background on
corporate-level strategies and your recommendations for strategy for their firms. In this
group project, you will have the opportunity to practice valuable strategic management
skills, including research management, strategic thinking and teambuilding.

To modify this project as an individual assignment, consider requiring just one


deliverable – a poster, a presentation or a paper.

To enhance the project, the instructor may also challenge the students to discuss how the
company is building brand loyalty through its differentiations and/or market
segmentation using different business-level strategies.

INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES FOR BRANCHING EXERCISE

Branching Exercises are real-world activities that allow each student to work through
challenges by choosing from different decision-making options. These exercises provide
students with the opportunity to practice strategic management in a business scenario
utilizing company case studies. Students are placed in the role of a decision maker and
asked to consider the needs and priorities of stakeholders as they determine strategy
recommendations for a company.

Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin is a global aerospace, defense, security and advanced


technologies company. The U.S.-based company is a top U.S. government contractor and
employees 16,000 people across the globe.

Students will choose among competing strategies for developing an international


diversification international strategy as Lockheed Martin’s primary customer, the U.S.
government consumes less of its services. It is important to guide the discussion to focus
on themes presented throughout the chapter including related and unrelated
diversification strategies; as well as business and corporate-level strategies that could
exist. In particular, be sure that the class is addressing issues such as different corporate
level strategies, the risks and rewards of innovation, and the challenges of vertical
integration and the transfer of competencies.

Students will review these concepts:


 Related and Unrelated Diversification in value creation
 Different levels of Innovation

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-30
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

 Innovation and Research and Development


 Reasons firms diversify
 Vertical Integration vs. Transfer Competencies

The ideal path that earns a perfect score is the following:


 Choose a related diversification strategy
 Begin a venture in the private sector for space tourism
 Collaborate with an established space tourism firm, specifically Virgin Galactic
 Share activities across the current business units to produce the new shuttle
components and equipment and compile them into a complete product
 Final: Entering into a collaborative arrangement with Virgin Galactic was an
excellent plan. The other firm has established competencies in many of the areas
required to be successful that you do not have – such as customer service and
marketing. By sharing activities across your firm, you are increasing the chances
of Lockheed Martin’s success of a venture in private sector space tourism.

INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES FOR VIDEO EXERCISES

The media quiz offers additional opportunities for students to apply the concepts in the
chapter to a real-world scenario as it is described in news reports.

Title: Starbucks Buys Bakery Chain to Improve Food Quality


RT: 2:30
Topic Key: International strategy, Business-level strategy, Corporate-level strategy,
National advantage

Starbucks built a top international brand by offering coffee-related drinks. However, it


has struggled to sell its coffee drinkers on food. The corporation recently took a $100
million gamble by purchasing a small San Francisco bakery chain, retaining its French-
born owner to train partner bakers across the country. The new baked goods will fill all
8,000 U.S.-based Starbucks stores.

Suggested Discussion Questions and Answers

1. By purchasing La Boulange what competitive advantage, does Starbucks hope to


gain?

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-31
Chapter 6: Corporate-Level Strategy

In implementing a corporate-level strategy, Starbucks redefines its business model


to allow it to increase its competitive advantage in its changing industry by
offering high-quality bakery items

2. How does Starbucks’ current market power increase its chances for success in
expanding its product offerings to include bakery items?

Starbucks’ premium brand enables it to charge higher prices for its beverage
products. Its current market power in its beverage offerings gives Starbucks the
ability to implement those same premium price points for its new bakery items.

3. Starbucks’ previous attempts to include food in its product offerings have met
with mediocre results. Currently, only one-third of customers buy food products
at Starbucks. How does using vertical integration increase Starbucks’ financial
risk by buying and operating its own bakery supplier?

Starbucks’ premium brand enables it to charge higher prices for its beverage
products. Its current market power in its beverage offerings gives Starbucks the
ability to implement those same premium price points for its new bakery items.

© 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a
publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
6-32
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
Chauvinière astahti kirjoituspöydän luo, kuten häntä oli käsketty,
veti tuolin sen eteen ja istahti, varakreivin yhä tähystäessä häntä
kohti pistooli ojennettuna.

Hänen kynänsä rapsutti ripeästi paperilla muutaman


silmänräpäyksen, mutta ei puoleksikaan niin ripeästi kuin hänen
joustava roistonälynsä toimi etsien pääsyä tästä satimesta, keinoa,
jolla voisi pettää sanansa ja kääntää valtit niitä kahta vastaan, jotka
pitivät häntä pilkkanaan.

Vihdoin hän piirsi koukeroon päättyvän nimikirjoituksensa. Hän otti


kirjelapun ja työnsi sen monsieur de Corbalin silmien eteen läheltä
— niin läheltä, että hänen vasen kätensä, jolla hän sitä piteli, oli vain
kolmen tuuman päässä varakreivin oikeasta, jossa tähdätty pistooli
oli.

»Lukekaa itse», sanoi hän käheästi.

Hetkiseksi katsahti monsieur de Corbal alaspäin lukeakseen


paperin, mutta sillä hetkellä arkki heilahti ja putosi pois hänen
silmiensä alta; ja ennenkuin hän aavistikaan, mitä tapahtui, tarttuivat
sitä pidelleet vasemman käden sormet hänen ranteeseensa ja
taivuttivat sen herpaavalla puristuksellaan sivulle, niin että
varakreivin ase oli nyt vaarattomasti toisaalle käännettynä.

Corbal näki edusmiehen oikean käden pujahtavan hänen


leveäkäänteisen takkinsa poveen ottamaan sieltä pistoolia ja kuuli
hänen ilkkuvan äänensä lausuvan:

»Ehkäpä minä teenkin tämän pikku kepposen, rakas


aatelissyntyiseni. Tilaisuus ei koskaan jää tarjoutumatta miehelle,
joka osaa sitä käyttää.»
Ja hänen naurunsa raikui kirkkaana ja vihlovana äkkiä
hukkuakseen pyssynpamaukseen, joka tärisytti huonetta.

Tukehtuen naurussaan Chauvinière hellitti otteensa varakreivin


ranteesta ja tuupertui taaksepäin, samalla kun pistooli, jonka hän oli
ollut vetämäisillään esille, putosi hänen hervottomasta kourastaan.
Hän nojasi olkapäillään seinään, painaen vasempaan kylkeensä
käden, joka melkein heti punertui sormien välitse tihkuvasta verestä.

Hänen tukiessaan itseään siinä vääntyivät hänen piirteensä


suonenvedon tapaiseen virnistykseen. Hän yritti puhua, mutta se
katkesi yskäksi kirpeän ruudinsavun tunkeutuessa hänen
kurkkuunsa ja sieraimiinsa. Yskä syveni. Se muuttui vimmatuksi
ponnistukseksi, jolla hän yritti puhdistaa keuhkojaan voidakseen
hengittää, ja veristä vaahtoa kuohahti hänen huulilleen. Hän
sätkytteli vielä hetkisen, hänen jäsenensä vääntelehtivät, ja vihdoin
hän luisui seinälaudoitusta pitkin lattialle hievahtamattomaksi
mykkyräksi, josta polvet pistivät terävästi esille.

Se kaikki tapahtui niin nopeasti, ettei varakreivi ollut ehtinyt


liikahtaa paikaltaan pöydän takaa eikä mademoiselle huoneen
toiselta sivulta, missä hän seisoi kasvot kalpeina tuijottaen uhriinsa,
savuava pistooli yhä kädessään.

On kummallista, että herra Corbalin ensimmäinen lause koski


vähäpätöisintä seikkaa.

»Kuolemansa hän kohtasi nauru huulillaan», sanoi hän


kauhistuneella äänensävyllä.

»Muistelen», virkkoi mademoiselle, »hänen kerran ennustaneen


itselleen jotakin sellaista». Hänen äänensä oli omituisen pingoittunut.
Varakreivi jatkoi mietelmäänsä.

»Hän saattaisi nauraa vielä ja hyvällä syyllä, jollet olisi kiristänyt


minulta toista pistoolia omien mahdollisten tarpeittesi varalle. En
suinkaan aavistanut, että se hätätila olisi omani. Sinä ehdit juuri
ajoissa, Cléonie; minä katselin jo kuolemaa silmästä silmään.»

»Ainoastaan se», vastasi tyttö änkyttäen, »minut siihen


oikeuttikin». Häntä puistatti, hän pudotti pistoolin vihdoinkin lattialle,
kätki kasvot käsiinsä ja alkoi suonenvedontapaisesti nyyhkyttää.
Samassa oli varakreivi hänen vieressään, käsivarret hänen hennoilla
hartioillaan, pää kumartuneena hänen päätänsä kohti, ja puhui
hänelle lohdun ja rohkaisun sanoja. Sitten hän kantoi neitosen
huoneesta, sulkien oven, jonka taakse ruumis jäi virumaan, ja vei
hänet halliin, jossa Filomène heitä odotti säikähtyneenä.
KYMMENES LUKU

Istuen hallin viileässä hämärässä korkeaselkäisellä puisella penkillä


harmaata seinää vasten mademoiselle de Montsorbier sai vähitellen
malttinsa takaisin.

Hän käänsi katseensa Filomènesta, joka olematta enää


epätietoinen vieraan sukupuolesta oli polvistuneena hänen
jalkojensa juuressa, silitellen hänen toista kättään, herra Corbaliin,
joka kumartui hänen puoleensa niin hartaan huolehtivana, että hän
hetkiseksi unohti kaiken muun.

»Ystäväni, suo anteeksi tämä heikkous, joka tällä hetkellä ei ole


paikallaan. Kyynelten ylellisyys on turvallisia varten.» Neitonen
kuivasi silmänsä. »Me olemme suuressa vaarassa nyt ja
tarvitsemme kaiken neuvokkuutemme siitä suoriutuaksemme.»

Mutta monsieur de Corbal hymyili luottavaisesti. »Sinun


neuvokkuutesi on sen jo järjestänyt, rakkaani. Ne rivit, jotka käskit
hänen kirjoittaa tuomioistuimen jäsenille, riittävät täydellisesti
selittämään hänen viipymisensä, kun taas hänen poistumisensa
raivaa tieltä ainoan esteen… minulta vaadittuihin vihkiäisiin siinäkin
tapauksessa, että… että sinä…»
Neitonen keskeytti hänet, kohottaen silmänsä heikon hymyn
välähtäessä valkoisilla kasvoilla. »Sitä voit nyt pitää varmana,
Raoul.»

»Älkäämme sitten hukatko aikaa. Filomène hakee sinulle


tarvitsemasi vaatteet, ja me lähdemme heti lakitupaan.
Tuomioistuimen jäsenet ovat omasta puolestaan ystävällisiä minua
kohtaan. Ainoastaan Chauvinièren vaikutusvalta ja hänen heissä
herättämänsä pelko jäykensi heidät minua vastaan tässä
vallankumouksellisessa naimisasiassa. Chauvinièren poissa ollessa
he sallivat minun kernaasti valita itse morsiameni, kunhan vain
noudatan määräystä. Eikä Chauvinière itsekään olisi voinut mennä
niin pitkälle, että olisi pakottanut minua vaimon valinnassa, jos vain
olin halukas sellaisen ottamaan, varsinkin kun hän olisi ollut alhaista
syntyperää, kuten sinä olet olevinasi. Tule siis. Matkalla keksimme
sinulle kotipaikan samoinkuin nimenkin.»

»Kuinka sinä ryntäät eteenpäin!» vastasi toinen ja melkein nauroi


sydämenkivistyksestään ja äsken tehdyn työn yhä herättämästä
kauhusta huolimatta.

»Se on välttämätöntä. Aika on täpärällä, tule!»

»Malta, malta!» sanoi neitonen käskevästi. »Älä salli kiireen


kannustaa meitä harkitsemattomuuteen. Ajattele ensin minkä täytyy
olla seurauksena. Chauvinièren tiedonanto tyydyttäisi kyllä
tuomioistuinta nyt. Mutta kuinka pitkäksi ajaksi? Päivän, parin päästä
ryhdytään tiedusteluihin…»

Varakreivi keskeytti säikähtyneen tytön puheen. »Sinä et tunne


Poussignotia. Minä tunnen. Olen elänyt täällä kaiken ikäni. Luota
minun arvostelukykyyni tässä suhteessa. Chauvinièren läsnäolo on
ollut seudun painajaisena. Hänen poissaolonsa tuottaa huojennusta,
palautumista tavallisiin oloihin, mikä tunne alati kasvaa hänen
poissaolonsa pitkittyessä. Varsin pian on poussignotilaisten ainoana
huolena pelko Chauvinièren palaamisesta, Poussignot ei tee mitään
sitä kiirehtiäkseen ja elää tyytyväisenä siihen asti, kun se ei
tapahdu.»

»Sinä olet kovin luottavainen.»

»Minulla on syytä siihen.»

Varakreivin vakuuttelu aikoi jo tehota. »Entä kirjelappu?» kysyi


neitonen. »Miten toimitat sen tuomioistuimelle?»

»Oh, olen minä sitäkin ajatellut. Sen majatalon tallirenki, jossa


Chauvinière asuu, on isännöitsijäni Fougereotin veljenpoika,
jumalaapelkääväinen nuorukainen, joka inhoo kaikkia
kumousmiehiä. Fougereot vie kirjeen hänelle, ja hän toimittaa sen
perille, — varsin luonnollinen viestinviejä.»

Tytön kasvot kirkastuivat vihdoinkin. »Sinä olet ajatellut kaikkea»,


virkkoi hän hyväksyvästi. »Chauvinièren kuolema siis…»

»On paras, mitä voisi tapahtua maailmalle yleensä ja meille


erikoisesti. Ja itse hän syöksyi surmaansa vehkeillen, kunnes
vehkeily kääntyi hänen omaksi turmiokseen. Nouda Fougereot
pelloilta, Filomène. Sillä välin minä haen kirjelapun.»

Tyttö lähti asialleen, ja varakreivi palasi kirjastoon. Yksikseen


omiin mietteisiinsä jääneenä mademoiselle de Montsorbier sai taas
hetkellisen pöyristyskohtauksen ja kätki kasvot käsiinsä sulkeakseen
pois silmistään Chauvinièren sellaisena kuin oli hänet viimeksi
nähnyt. Tässä tilassa monsieur de Corbal tapasi hänet palatessaan.
Neitonen kuuli hänen sulkevan kirjaston oven ja kiertävän avainta
lukossa. Sitten varakreivi, nähdessään hänet lyyhistyneenä, riensi
hänen luokseen.

»Rakkaani, rakkaani! Rohkeutta! Rohkeutta!»

»Kyllä minä sitä tarvitsenkin.» Hänen kalpeat huulensa olivat


kiertyneet hymyyn, puoliksi kaameaan, puoliksi veitikkamaiseen.
»Minä en ole tottunut ihmisiä tappamaan.»

»Kunpa olisin voinut sinut siitä säästää!» huudahti toinen. »Mutta


sinulla ei ole mitään syytä moittia itseäsi.» Ja hän selitteli kauan
karkoittaakseen rakkaansa mielestä kauhun, jonka vallassa huomasi
hänen olevan. Vihdoin hänen hellät ponnistuksensa saavuttavatkin
tuloksen.

»Niin, niin. Sinä olet oikeassa. Tämä on pelkkää heikkoutta. Eikä


sellaiseen nyt ole aikaa. Onko sinulla se kirjelappu?»

Varakreivi näytti sitä ääneti. »Lue se minulle. Tarkastakaamme,


mitä hän on kirjoittanut.»

Päivä oli hämärtymässä. Hän harppasi risti-ikkunalle ja olkapää


käännettynä tyttöä kohti kohotti arkkia niin, että valo lankesi siihen.
Siinä asennossa hän viipyi kauan liikkumattomana ja ääneti, kunnes
neitosen kärsivällisyys vihdoin loppui.

»No», kehoitta viimemainittu, »luehan se minulle!» •

Varakreivi kääntyi häneen yhä äänettömänä, ja tyttö näki, että


hänen kasvonsa olivat liidunvalkoiset.
»Mitä nyt?» huudahti neitonen, äkkiä säikähtyneenä. Toinen
naurahti katkerasti, toivottomasti.

»Muistelen roiston sanoneen, että kepponen oli hänen. Kepponen


tosiaan.
Tulehan tänne.»

Tyttö astui heti hänen luokseen. »Katso itse, mitä hän on


kirjoittanut, se on katkeraa ilveilyä». Neitonen otti arkin hänen
kädestään ja luki:

»Rakas entinen ylimys, — täten vakuutan Teille, että seuraavien


neljänkolmatta tunnin kuluessa tapahtuu kaksi Teille mielenkiintoista
asiaa: Teidät mestataan ja viehättävä, liukas Montsorbier kuuluu
vihdoinkin minulle. Minulla on syytä kiittää Teitä huvituksesta, jonka
minulle täällä tänään valmistitte.»

Hän vilkaisi monsieur de Corbaliin kauhusta ymmällä. Varakreivi


nyökkäsi, nauraen katkerasti. »Hän luotti rohkeasti siihen, että tekisi
minulle kepposen, niinkuin tekikin, se ovela koira, — niin rohkeasti,
ettei epäröinyt käyttää häijyä huumoriaan, vaikka pistoolini oli
tähdätty hänen päätänsä kohti.»

»Niin», sanoi neitonen. »Sellainen hän oli. Ja hänen huumorinsa


oli hänen kuolemansa.»

He vilkaisivat toisiinsa avuttomasti, melkeinpä epätoivoisesti, kun


heiltä oli riistetty sauva, johon he niin luottavaisesti olivat aikoneet
nojata.

He näkyivät palanneen tilanteeseen, jossa olivat olleet sinä


iltapäivänä ennen Chauvinièren tuloa. Mutta nyt heillä oli
lisätaakkana edusmiehen ruumis. Enää ei voinut olla puhettakaan
niistä vallankumousvihkiäisistä, jotka kuuluivat heidän laskelmiinsa.
Sillä kun asialle ei ollut mitään hyväksyttävää selitystä, täytyi
Chauvinièren katoamisen pian johtaa tiedusteluihin. Kuulustelu
saattoi alkaa millä hetkellä tahansa. Jollei hän ehkä ollut kellekään
maininnut aikomuksestaan käydä Corbalin luona, olivat jotkut
saattaneet nähdä hänen tulevan tänne päin. Hän ei ollut mies, jonka
liikkeet jäivät huomaamatta. Hän ei voinut liikkua missään tulematta
havaituksi. Jäljet, vaikkapa paikoittain heikotkin, johtaisivat kyllä
lopuksi Corbalin linnaan. Varakreiville tehtäisiin kysymyksiä, joihin
hän ei voisi vastata. Ruumiin kätkeminen ei häntä hyödyttäisi.
Häneltä vaadittaisiin elävää Chauvinièrea. Ja jollei hän voinut tuoda
häntä esille, oli johtopäätös selvä. Heidän ei tarvinnut tuhlata sanoja
tuon kaiken pohtimiseen. Kumpikin käsitti sen selvästi.

»Vain yksi asia on nyt mahdollinen», sanoi varakreivi. »Minun


täytyy lähteä. Minun täytyy lähteä heti, ennenkuin metsästys alkaa.»

Tyttö vilkaisi häneen, kirkkailla kasvoilla päättäväinen ilme.

»Tarkoitat, että meidän täytyy lähteä.»

Varakreivi pudisti päätänsä. »Luuletko, että minä sidon sinut


pyydystettävään mieheen?»

»Sinua pyydystellään minun tekoni tähden.»

»Entä sitten? Sinä teit tekosi pelastaaksesi minut. Se kävi


välttämättömäksi minun oman huolimattomuuteni tähden.
Vastuunalaisuus teosta on minun. Minulla oli joka tapauksessa
aikomus hänet surmata. Ainoastaan sattuma, oma typeryyteni sen
esti.»
»Kaiken tuon pohtiminen ei maksa vaivaa», virkkoi toinen. »Onhan
tärkeämpiä asioita mietittävinä.» Ja että hän niitä mietti, todistavat
hänen tiukkaan puristuneet kulmakarvansa.

»Niin, niin», myönsi varakreivi. »Sinun täytyy nyt pitää huolta


itsestäsi, rakkaani. Sinun ei olisi viisasta jäädä tänne. Minä koetan
keksiä jotakin sinun hyväksesi. Kaikki, mitä tällä hetkellä ymmärrän
— vaikka sen sanominen murtaakin sydämeni — on se, että sinä et
millään muotoa saa lähteä minun mukaani.»

Taaskin neitonen katsahti häneen, tällä kertaa heikosti, surullisesti


hymyillen. »Kuinka pitkälle luulet pääseväsi pakenemaan tässä
mielipuolten maassa?»

»Juuri siksi, juuri siksi», vastasi Corbal intohimoisesti. »Minä


tiedän, että minulla on tuskin ollenkaan mahdollisuuksia.»

»Ilman minua ei sinulla ole ainoatakaan. Siksi sinä tarvitsetkin


minua entistä enemmän. Meidän on määrä mennä avioliittoon. Siitä
olemme keskenämme sopineet. Päästäisinkö minä aviomiehen
livahtamaan sormieni välitse, yrittämättä häntä pidätellä?»

»Voitko sinä laskea leikkiä, Cléonie?» Hänen äänensä värähti


tuskasta.

»Ah, osaan minä olla vakavakin», sanoi neitonen, nyt omituisen


hellästi. Hän laski kätensä toisen olkapäille ja katsahti kalpeihin,
huolestuneihin kasvoihin. »Uskotko sinä kohtaloon, rakkaani?»

»En minä tiedä, niihin minä uskon.»

»Ajattele siis. Luuletko vain sokeaksi sattumaksi, että sinut ja


minut, jotka sitä tietämättä olemme etsineet toisiamme elämämme
alusta asti, on tuotu yhteen tällä omituisella tavalla, tällä omituisella
ajankohdalla, olosuhteissa, jotka eivät suoneet meille tilaisuutta
tavanmukaiseen kosintaan? Rakkaani, etkö näe, että kohtalo nyt on
liittänyt meidät yhteen? Jollen minä olisi tullut silloin, kun tulin, olisit
sinä varmasti joutunut hukkaan. Jollen minä olisi tavannut sinua
silloin, kun tapasin, on luultavaa, että hukka olisi perinyt minutkin.
Voitko tämän havaitessasi otaksua, että elämämme loppuu täällä,
nyt kun olemme toisemme tavanneet?»

Neitosen totisuus järkytti miestä, ja osittain hän taipui uskomaan


vihjausta, kuten on ihmisten tapa — varsinkin epätoivoisessa
asemassa — että kaikkia ihmiskohtaloita ohjaamassa on valvova
Järki, jonka määräyksiä ei voida vastustaa. Lemmittynsä takia hän
kuitenkin, käsittäen häntä uhkaavan vaaran, vielä vastusteli, vaikka
nyt jo heikommin, sitä suunnitelmaa, että he pakenisivat yhdessä.

»Mutta jos me eroamme, niin eroamme iäksi», jatkoi neitonen


murheellisen varmana, »eikä kummallakaan meistä ole
pelastumismahdollisuutta. Minä tunnen sen, minä tiedän sen.
Yhdessä me saattanemme voittaa. Ja jos emme, niin ainakin
pysymme yhdessä loppuun asti, niinkuin on kohtalon tarkoitus. Ja
luja uskoni on, että meille on varalla onnellisempi liitto kuin ne
järjettömät vallankumoushäät, joihin olisit tyytynyt.»

Varakreivi katsoi häneen syvässä hiljaisuudessa, katsoi kirkkaisiin,


vakaviin, pelottomiin silmiin ja taipui vihdoin hänen rohkean,
säikkymättömän sielunsa edessä. Hän veti tytön luokseen ja suuteli
häntä hellästi.

»Olkoon niin, rakkaani. Minä jätän itseni sinun — sinun ja kohtalon


haltuun.»
Tyttö välähdytti hänelle nopean hymyn ja muuttui heti reippaaksi ja
käytännölliseksi. Hän pyysi saada vapaasti käyttää Corbalin
pukuvarastoa löytääkseen miehenvaatteet, jotka paremmin
soveltuivat hänen aikomansa osan näyttelemiseen. Luonnollisesti
varakreivi halusi tietää, millainen se osa oli ja mikä suunnitelma
hänellä oli mielessä.

Neitonen laski hänestä keveää leikkiä. »Luulit tietysti, että


haluaisin ottaa osaa sokeaan, hapuilevaan pakoon, joka veisi meidät
päätähavin turmioon. Mutta minä ehdotan perääntymistä hyvässä
järjestyksessä. Tuuma on täällä.» Hän napautti kultakutrista
päätänsä. »Yksityiskohdat ovat vielä harkittavat. Sen teen pukua
muuttaessani. Älä kysele minulta mitään nyt, ystäväni. Usko minuun
ja jätä itsesi minun haltuuni, kuten juuri vastikään sanoit tekeväsi.»

Corbal menetteli jalomielisesti sivuuttaessaan tästä puolinaisesta


luottamuksesta johtuvan kiusaantumisen tunteen. »Pidä sitten pääsi,
rouva Kohtalotar», virkkoi hän; »minä olen antautunut ilman ehtoja».
YHDESTOISTA LUKU

Luovutettuaan hänen käytettävikseen vähäisen vaatevarastonsa jätti


monsieur de Corbal hänet ja lähti tekemään omia valmistaksiaan
pian alkavaa matkaa varten. Hän keräsi mitä rahoja hänellä oli,
pienen salaisen kultasäästön, jonka hän kätki onttoon vyöhön
lähinnä ruumistaan, sekä muutamia vallankumousajan seteleitä
käytettäviksi matkalla rajalle, koska ne sen tuolla puolen olisivat
hyödyttömiä, jos he sinne koskaan pääsisivätkään. Oli myöskin
joitakuita perheen jalokiviä, jotka — koska tunteen täytyy väistyä
välttämättömyyden edestä — voitaisiin myöhemmin ulkomailla
muuttaa rahaksi, ja lopuksi muutamia velkakirjoja ja muita
arvopapereita, jotka nykyisin edustivat varsin epävarmoja
omistuksia, mutta tulisivat jälleen arvokkaiksi, jos Ranska kerran
heräisi ja pudistaisi tasavaltalaisen painajaisen niskastaan. Koska ei
voinut tulla kysymykseen ottaa kaikkia, kävi välttämättömäksi valita
tärkeimmät, ja se valitseminen vei jonkun verran aikaa.

Lähes tunti oli kulunut, ennenkuin hän saapui alas halliin


kannussaappaissa, kantaen viittaa ja matkalaukkua, sillä neitonen oli
hänelle sanonut, että he ratsastaisivat julkisesti niin pian kuin oli
tullut pimeä. Se oli nyt tullut, ja kynttiläsarjan valossa hän tapasi
toverinsa jo odottamassa pukeutuneena vaatteisiin, jotka
naurettavasta väljyydestään huolimatta antoivat hänelle hiukan
samaa nuorenherran ilmettä kuin ennen Chauvinièren kirjurina. Kun
otamme huomioon, mitä merkillistä hän oli saanut aikaan saksilla ja
neulalla, näytti hänen ripeytensä laittautua kuntoon niin lyhyessä
ajassa ihan ihmeelliseltä. Ja näytti siltä, että hänen valmistuksensa
olivat päättyneet jo vähän aikaisemmin ja että hän sitten oli ryhtynyt
järjestelyihin, joista oikeastaan olisi varakreivin tullut huolehtia. Sillä
juuri kun Corbal astui portaita alas, kuuli hän neitosen puhuvan
Fougereotille, joka sillä hetkellä saapui ulkoa sisälle.

Hänen äänensä kajahti kimakasti. »Tulette juuri ajoissa,


Fougereot.
Tuolta saapuu herra varakreivi. Oletteko laittanut kaikki valmiiksi?»

»Kaikki on tehty niinkuin mademoiselle käski», vastasi mies, siten


ilmaisten herra Corbalille, ettei neitonen ainoastaan ollut ilmoittanut
sukupuoltaan ja säätyään hänen väelleen, vaan myöskin antanut
heille lähtöä koskevia määräyksiä.

»Entä teidän perheenne?»

»Odottaa pihalla Filomènen kanssa.»

»Ja hevoset?»

»Valmiiksi satuloituina, mademoiselle.»

»Vyöhikkö ja hattu?»

»Ne ovat tuolilla tuossa, mademoiselle.»

Monsieur de Corbal pysähtyi hänen viereensä kuulustelun tällä


kohdalla. Hän huomasi, että neitonen oli jokseenkin kalpea ja hiukan
hengästynyt, mutta niin reipas ja päättäväinen sävyltään, että hänen
ihmettelynsä yhä kasvoi hänen tarkatessaan ja kuunnellessaan. Hän
havaitsi taaskin samaa sisua, jota Chauvinière oli niin paljon ihaillut.

Naurettavan isoissa, mutta salaa heinillä jalanmukaisiksi


täytetyissä ratsassaappaissa neitonen astahti sivulle ottaakseen
kolmivärisen vyöhikön ja kokardilla koristetun töyhtöhatun — ne oli
anastettu Chauvinièrelta, joka ei niitä enää tarvinnut. Sitten hän
ojensi ne varakreiville.

»Nämä ovat sinulle.»

Tämä säpsähti melkein kauhuissaan.

»Sinun täytyy käyttää niitä, ystäväni», tiukkasi tyttö. »Se on


välttämätöntä. Tästä lähin sinä olet kansalainen edusmies
Chauvinière.»

»Siihen tarvitaan jotakin enemmän…» aloitti toinen.

»Minulla on enemmän.» Hän napsautti poveaan. »Luota minuun


hiukan, ystäväni. Älkäämmekä millään muotoa viivytelkö. Tule.»

Corbal totteli neitosen käskyä ja salli hänen auttaa virkavyöhikön


sitomisessa ja sitten taluttaa itsensä ulos, Fougereotin seuratessa
matkalaukkua kantaen.

Pihalla hevosten luona, jotka voitiin nähdä avoimesta ovesta


tulvivassa valossa, seisoivat Fougereotin vaimo, heidän kaksi isoa
poikaansa ja Filomène. Sanottiin lyhyet, mutta liikuttavat jäähyväiset
kartanonherran ja hänen vähentyneen »perheensä» välillä. Kaikilla
neljällä Fougereotilla oli kyyneleet silmissä, ei ainoastaan varakreivin
lähdön tähden, vaan senkin vuoksi, mitä vielä oli tehtävä. Tämä ja
Filomènen katkonainen nyyhkytys liikuttivat häntä niin syvästi, ettei
hän rohjennut puhua. Ääneti hän puristi jokaisen kättä vuoronsa
jälkeen ja nousi sitten satulaan. Mademoiselle de Montsorbier puhui
hänen puolestaan.

»Te pidätte huolta tiluksista», sanoi hän heille, »ja käsittelette niitä
ominanne, kunnes herra varakreivi saapuu vaatimaan niitä takaisin».

»Jumala suokoon, että se tapahtuu pian!» virkkoi Fougereot ja


lisäsi tukehtuneella äänellä jotakin, mitä varakreivi ei ymmärtänyt
»Me rakennamme talon uudestaan teille.»

»Jumala suojelkoon teitä, herra varakreivi!» huudahti Fougereotin


vaimo ja toiset toistivat sen hänen jälkeensä.

Tämän onnentoivotuksen vielä kaikuessa hänen korvissaan


kannusti Corbal, yhä puoleksi huumaantuneena, hevosensa raviin, ja
sitten hän ratsasti Poussignotin pientä kaupunkia kiertävää polkua
pitkin hämärässä kauniin, hennon, mutta päättäväisen toverinsa kera
Burgundia kohti.

He nousivat kaupungista itään päin kohoavaa vierua myöten ja


pysähtyivät puolitoista tuntia myöhemmin kukkulalle salliakseen
hevostensa hengähtää ja katsoakseen taaksensa.

Laakso oli alhaalla pimennon peitossa. Mutta kahdeksan


kilometrin päässä idässä halkaisi leimuava merkkituli pimeyden ja
osui Corbalin silmään. Eikä ainoastaan silmään. Hän tähysti
hetkisen, kurottaen päätänsä ja henkeään pidätellen.

»Taivaan Jumala!» huudahti hän vihdoin. »Se on Corbal! Se


palaa!» Jos hän itse olisi palanut polttoroviolla, olisi hänen
äänessään tuskin voinut värähtää ahdistavampaa tuskaa.

Mademoiselle, hänen kyynärvartensa vieressä, huoahti ennenkuin


vastasi.

»Niin, rakkaani, se on Corbal. Corbal, ja kaikki, mitä siellä on, on


sytytetty Chauvinièren kuolinkokoksi.»

Tytön äänessä oli jotakin, mikä muistutti hänelle Fougerotin


salaperäistä lausetta: »Me rakennamme talon uudestaan.» Hän
kumartui satulassaan tuijottaakseen tyttöön pimeässä.

»Sinä tiesit sen!» huudahti hän melkein moittivasti. »Se tehtiin


minun käskystäni.»

»Sinäkö käskit?» Hänen äänessään värähti kummastusta. »Ja ne


tottelivat sinua?»

»Vain siksi, että he käsittivät sen välttämättömäksi sinun ja heidän


oman turvallisuutensa vuoksi.»

»Välttämättömäksi? Mikä välttämättömyys? Ja miksei minulle


ilmoitettu?»
Varakreivi oli suuttumuksen ja valituksen välimailla.

»Sinä olisit voinut epäröidä, ja olisi ehkä kulutettu aikaa sinua


suostuttelemalla. Ehkä sinä luonnollisesta rakkaudestasi isiesi taloa
kohtaan et olisi suostunut, ennenkuin se olisi ollut liian myöhäistä.
Fougereot käsitti sen myöskin. Siksi hän minua totteli.»

»Mutta mikä pakko siihen oli?» toisti varakreivi.


»Oli pakko hävittää kaikki todistukset tapahtumasta, ei ainoastaan
takaa-ajon ehkäisemiseksi, vaan myöskin taloon jääneen väkesi
turvallisuuden vuoksi, heitä kun muutoin olisi voitu syyttää.
Kuuntelehan, rakkaani. Nyt ovat Fougereotit Poussignotissa
kertomassa tarinaa, jonka minä heille opetin. He kertovat, että he
hämärissä palatessaan peltotöistä näkivät linnan palavan. Muuta he
eivät tiedä. Poussignotissa arvellaan sinne tänne, otaksutaan
kymmeniä mahdollisuuksia, niiden joukossa sitäkin, että sinä itse
tuhouduit liekeissä, jotka he ehkä aavistelevat — Fougereotit siihen
viittailevatkin — sinun itsesi sytyttäneen. Saatetaan myöskin otaksua
yhtä ja toista Chauvinièresta, varsinkin jos jotkut tietävät hänen sinä
iltana saapuneen Corbaliin. Mutta älä salli sen itseäsi häiritä. Aamun
sarastaessa me olemme etäällä täältä.»

»Sinä teet asian minulle selväksi», sanoi hän. »Suo anteeksi


tylsyyteni.» Corbal katseli laakson yli noita hulmahtelevia liekkejä, ja
niitä katsellessa hänen silmänsä sumenivat. »Niin, se oli
välttämätöntä, kun ottaa kaikki asianhaarat huomioon, mutta voi,
hyvä Jumala!»

Kului hetkinen ennenkuin neitonen hänelle vastasi ja samalla laski


kätensä hänen käsivarrelleen.

»Tässä maailmassa, Raoul, kaikki omistamisen arvoinen on


ostettava ja maksettava. Tuo kokko on sinun henkesi hinta. Ei kai se
hinta ole liian kallis?»

Corbal kääntyi heti lemmittynsä puoleen ja ponnistautui irti


kaikesta heikkoudestaan.

»Ei suinkaan, vaikka se olisi tuhatkertainen, jollei minua vielä


nolata — jos sillä hinnalla saan ostaa elämän ja lemmen.»
»Sinua ei nolata, rakkaani. Minä olen luvannut sinulle molemmat
enkä kummassakaan suhteessa sinua petä.» Neitonen irroitti
kätensä hänen käsivarrestaan ja puhui toisessa, reippaammassa
äänilajissa. »Rientäkäämme, tästedes sinä olet kansalaisedustaja
Chauvinière, virkamatkalla Sveitsiin, ja minä sinun sihteerisi
Antoine.»

Varakreivi huokasi, yhä epäröiden. »Niin, mutta jos meidät


vaaditaan se todistamaan?»

Tyttö ojensi hänelle öljyttyyn silkkikankaaseen käärityn ja rihmalla


sidotun mytyn. »Parasta, että sinä pidät näitä hallussasi», sanoi hän.
»Ne ovat turvallisuuskomitean edusmies Chauvinièrelle ja hänen
kirjurilleen antamat passit, joissa käsketään kaikkia avustamaan
heitä ja kielletään millään tavoin heidän matkaansa häiritsemästä
yhden ja jakamattoman tasavallan nimessä, ja siellä on muitakin
tärkeitä papereita, joissa vaaditaan, että kaikki siviilivirkailijat heitä
tottelevat. Menettelin viisaasti siepatessani edusmiehen salkun, kun
pakenin hänen luotaan La Charitéssa. Mutta koskaan en aavistanut,
että jälleenkin esiintyisin hänen kirjurinaan, kun en luullut löytäväni
Chauvinièrelle viransijaista, mikä hänen eläessään ei olisikaan ollut
helppoa.»

Varakreivi oli vaiti pitkän aikaa silkasta ihmettelystä tällaisen älyn


ja kekseliäisyyden vuoksi. Sitten hän huokasi, mikä päättyi
naurahdukseen.

»Minun olisi pitänyt tietää paremmin kuin luulotella, että sinä toivoit
meidän pääsevän rajan yli vain umpimähkään. Tämä tekee asiat
helpoiksi — varmoiksi! Oi, se on uskomatonta, yhtä käsittämätöntä
kuin sinä olet itse, Cléonie!»
Hän kuuli neitosen vastausnaurun pimennosta. »Rientäkäämme
eteenpäin, rakkaani. Olemme kai varmemmalla pohjalla kuin mitä
sinun tasavaltalaiset hääsi olisivat tarjonneet.»

Corbal käänsi hevosensa seuraamaan neitosen ratsua.

»Häät olivat sentään myöskin sopimuksessa», virkkoi hän.

Tyttö vastasi hänelle taaskin nauramalla, mutta tällä kertaa hyvin


pehmeästi ja hellästi. Ja vihkiäiset tapahtuivat viikkoa myöhemmin
Lausannessa, jossa he olivat ystävien parissa.

You might also like