Group Assignment Guide Note

Weigh/Value: 30%.

Due Dates: 22 May (Wednesday) 23:55 pm, Week 12

Submission: One written report per group via Moodle submission link

Group formation:
Thank you for forming your group. If you still do not have a group, please contact the CE.

Overview
Conduct your own research about past business acquisition cases and select (at least) one
example case where the acquisition was successful and (at least) one example case where the
acquisition was not successful. Your task is to report & explain these successful and
unsuccessful business combination cases in the written report. The evaluation of your report
will be critically based on the depth of your team’s knowledge regarding those cases. Given it
is an open-ended question, you may choose any format/structure for your report. But, please
make sure that your written report successfully/effectively includes the following discussions:
• The details of the acquirer’s and acquiree’s business at the time of acquisition
• Background information of those industries in which the acquirer and acquiree are in
• Why did the acquirer buy the acquiree? What was the intention of the acquirer?
• The details of the acquisition deal (e.g., price, payment methods, goodwill recognized,
contingent consideration, etc.)
• Why was the deal successful? Unsuccessful? In what sense? The concept of “success”
in a business combination is a subjective term. You define and explain your own
definition of “success” in a business combination. One of many ways would be to
investigate whether the acquirer reported impairment of goodwill after the business
combination.
• Any other useful accounting/non-accounting information about the deal, etc.

You may choose any companies in either Australia or the U.S. You are expected to draw on
your readings, research as well as any theories to develop your analyses.

You can access Australian companies’ annual reports from the company’s website or
DatAnalysis Premium (database accessible from Monash University Library via your Monash
account). You can access U.S. companies’ annual reports from the company’s website or
EDGAR system (https://www.sec.gov/edgar/search-and-access) via the internet.

Written report
Each group will submit one group report via Moodle. The report can be structured in
whatever way your group believes is informative and again you are encouraged to be
creative. That said, make sure your report addresses the key issues outlined above. The word
limit is up to 3,200 words (excluding any tables, references, and/or appendices), but the limit
is not totally strict (i.e., a report with slightly more than 3,200 words will be allowed).
These assessment criteria are expressed for the written report, but similar criteria will be
applied to the presentation.

Assessment Mark Exemplary Satisfactory Unsatisfactory

criteria
Clarify of approach 25 The report addresses all The report addresses The report fails to
parts of the assignment, most parts of the address key parts of the
includes all necessary assignment, includes assignment, excludes
background most background important background
information, clearly information, clearly information, does not
identifies and states all identifies and states identify or fail to state
the aims and purposes most of the aims and the aims and purpose of
of the report. purpose of the report. the report clearly.

Analysis 50 Analysis is thorough, Analysis is mostly Analysis is incomplete,

logical and thorough, logical and illogical and/or poorly
communicated clearly communicated clearly communicated. Key
and professionally. All and professionally. assumptions, findings,
key assumptions, Most key assumptions, methods, and choices
findings, methods, and findings, methods, and are not clearly
choices are clearly choices are clearly articulated.
articulated. articulated. Conclusions are often
Conclusions are fully Conclusions are mostly not explained and not
explained and explained and usually consistent with findings.
consistent with consistent with
findings. findings.

Writing quality and 25 Report is easy to read, Report generally flows Report is difficult to
presentation: logical and flows smoothly but is a bit understand. Ideas and
smoothly. brief (or ‘wordy’) in sections are disjointed
Work presentation of a places. and do not flow
high quality and Work presentation is smoothly. Work suffers
spelling and/or satisfactory. Only from frequent
grammatical errors minor spelling and/or grammatical and
virtually non-existent. grammatical errors. spelling errors.

All visual aids are Most visual aids are

properly formatted, properly formatted, Visual aids are poorly
visually coherent, visually coherent, formatted, visually
appropriate for the appropriate for the incoherent,
information displayed; information displayed; inappropriate for the
and are accurate. and are accurate. information displayed;
Presentation is clear, Presentation is and are often inaccurate.
coherent, and effective. somewhat clear, Presentation is
coherent, and effective. somewhat difficult to
follow and ineffective.