Archive for May, 2009

Do women really want equality?

asked:


It appears that women want to have all of the things that men have, including an equal number of upper management jobs. Why is it that they only choose the good things and not the bad things?

Here is what they will need to do to gain equality:

Commit suicide at 4-5 times their current rate. Men are way ahead in this area so women will need to step up their act if they want to be equal.

Find guys who have fallen on hard times, are unemployed, and need someone to give them a break, a house, a new job opportunity etc. Currently only men “rescue” women, and not the other way around. When I fall on hard times and some woman comes and pays for everything and sets up a new job for me, etc, I will consider your application for equality.

Quit your cozy little “customer service” jobs and go work in a coal mine doing hard labour all day rather than updating your status on facebook while the boss isn’t looking.

Spend your days asking men out and being rejected in an unpolite fashion.

Work while the men sit at home playing with the kids.

Work much longer than you are now. Currently men work almost twice as many hours as women (not including housework). We will clean the sink while you work in the pressure cooker corporate landscape engaging in highstakes mergers.

Any takers?

SANTANA

question about the Gemstar buyout; need help?

toodles_1399 asked:


Gemstar has been offered a takeover at 6.35 per share buyout of 55% of the outstanding stock, and 45% will be converted to the equivalent of .2548 shares of Macrovision stock.

i have 1600 shares of Gemstar, the average cost-4.84

what does this mean for me?

obviously i need to take the cash, not the stock conversion. how do i do this, when the deal is completed?

thank you

SYBIL

Dynasty Resources Reverse Merger and Spac

m.jeya asked:


A special purpose acquisition corporation, commonly known as a “SPAC,” and formally a “development stage company,” is generally incorporated with the primary objective of raising funds through a public offering of its securities primarily for purpose of acquiring one or more operating companies. SPACs, Special Purpose Acquisition Companies, are investments vehicles that allow public investors to invest in areas sought by private equity firms. The SPAC must sign a letter of intent for a merger or an acquisition within 12 to 18 months of the IPO. Special Purpose Acquisition Companies raise blind pool money from the public for an unspecified merger, sometimes in a targeted industry.

 

A SPAC is similar to a reverse merger. However, unlike reverse mergers, Special Purpose Acquisition Companies come with a clean public shell company, better economics for the management teams and sponsors, certainty of financing/growth capital in place, a built-in institutional investor base and an experienced management team. SPACs are essentially set up with a clean slate where the management team searches for a target to acquire. This is contrary to pre-existing companies in reverse mergers.

 

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies Corporate finance are shell or blank check companies that have no operations but that go public with the intention of merging with or acquiring a company with the proceeds of an initial public offering. A SPAC is similar to a reverse merger. However, unlike reverse mergers, SPACs come with a clean public shell company, better economics for the management teams and sponsors, certainty of financing/growth capital in place, a built-in institutional investor base and an experienced management team. SPACs are set up with a clean slate where the management team searches for a target to acquire. This is contrary to pre-existing companies in reverse mergers. Please visit online http://www.dynastyresources.net in NewYork city.



BEV

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Why different sects of Abrahamic faith fight each other so bitterly ?

guru asked:


Is it because they all are trying to claim only true ownership to a common assets ? To clarify my question, a brief is presented as follows:
Jews, Christians and Muslims all belong to Abrahamic faith. Anyway, as per available knowledge, the Jews were the first ones. Then came along Jesus as the King of Jews, in the lineage of David and Solomon, being the Messiah as predicted. Ruling lobby of Jews (at that time) refused to accept this and tried to eliminate Jesus. After this, followers of Jesus broken away from Jews traditions and started their own religion and church, which due to Jesus’ sacrifice has became a great success. Then came along Mohamed, who built a lineage with Abraham through Ishmael and claimed that his version is the most correct one, denouncing Jews and Christians on the way.
Does not it look like a corporate battle with de-merger of corporation, hostile take over, use of white knight (romans) etc. Please comment on my summary and respond to my question.
About the suggestions to read Bible and Quran – I have read both as well as Gita. And I am not placing one sect over the other. And I have not claimed that Muslims are linked to Abraham, I have reiterated their claim (much in the same manner as the Jews’ and Christians’ claims). My desire is to know the reason of that much bloodshed which is not stopping even after thousands of years and may lead to judgement day sooner than what God has planned ?

NETA

Mergers and Acquisitions

Rachel Hewlett asked:


This article is grounded on research of the requirements of successful mergers and the issues faced by companies at the time of a merger or an acquisition. This article will be significant in a number of ways. First, the article will analyze the effects of Mergers and Acquisitions on the wealth creation for the shareholders. The research will also expand the literature in the areas of potential problems associated with Mergers & Acquisitions and provide information on the required competencies for successful deals in the concerned area.

 

Normally, the purchased firm managers then report to the management team of the acquiring firm. The general underlying principle behind mergers or acquisitions of businesses is to generate additional worth through the new alliance than could be created by the concerned firms’ working as individual units. A merger can be related, concentric, vertical or horizontal. Mergers which are made within the same industry are known as related mergers. Concentric mergers take place when two firms from different but “adjacent” industries merge. For example, if an auto manufacturer and a motorcycle manufacturer merge, the merger is a concentric one.

 

Although both industries serve the transportation needs of their customers, the two are quite unique in their competitive structures. Usually, the merging firms determine some similarities in their technology or marketing. Vertical mergers are the ones in which a company buys one of its suppliers (backward merger) or merge with one of its customer firms.

 

The motivation for buying a supplier can be to guarantee availability of some scarce resource on which the firm is highly dependent. Another motivation for a backward merger can be to obtain cheaper supplies, since no profit margin is added to the products of an internal supplier. On the other hand, the firm may choose to merge forward in order to absorb the margin in its customer’s line of business. Horizontal mergers involve the purchase of as many unrelated businesses as possible. These were the most popular types of mergers in the 1950s and the 1960s. Beatrice Foods and ITT are good examples of firms following this strategy. Although not as popular these days, horizontal mergers are still a very viable option for firms intending to diversify.



ERICKA

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G W: the most worst president?

Epictetus asked:


I really couldn’t care less what some of you think, are you all in middle school? Anyways, King George stands for everything our founder fathers were against! AND he is a HORRIBLE christian. he WASN’T elected, why do people stand for this (I already know the reason).

He has horrible family values, is a drug abuser (heavy drugs)(still is). He stands for half the things he was against in the 2000 election. He admitted to lying about umm . . . 100% of what he stood behind as justification for the war. He is making a joke of the office itself by telling the senate he’ll sign their bills but not follow the law. He RAN as an isolationist! He admitted to being a tool of capitalism (which is the merger of gov’t and corporate forces = facism). And NO you don’t know what you’re getting with Facism. You might not realize it but the US annexes territory ALL THE TIME. And when he DOES decide to follow the law it’s to his own advantage (Katrina). Even if the war were legal (it’s not) it’s still bad

LASHAWN

Research Report on the Mergers and Acquisitions of Chinese Fruit Juice Drink Industry, 2009

Alice Chen asked:


In China, the fruit juice drink refers to the drunken straight drink, made of fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, the production of fruit and vegetable liquid products, and added water, sugar and acidulates etc to the fruit juice, concentrated fruit juice and vegetable juice (In China, the fruit content in the fruit juice drink is no less than 10%, if lower, it belongs to the other category drink)

 

China is abundant in the fruit resources. The total fruits yields stand the first in the world, apple yields ranking the first, and orange, pear and peach yields also ranking the front in the world. Although with a large population in China, the consumption volumes are very low, less than 10 kg annual per-capita fruit juice consumption. In 2008, the yields of Chinese fruit juice drink were 11.8 million tons, increased by 9.26% of 2007 but cut down sharply in the growth speed. It was mainly affected by the international financial crisis. On the one hand, the export growth speed declined. On the other hand, the growth speed of domestic market tended towards stability. In 2008, the scales of Chinese fruit juice drink market were about 50 billion Yuan (7.14 billion USD), up by about 10% of 2007.

 

If calculated by the world’s average per-capita fruit juice drink consumption volumes, there still exists huge development space of the fruit juice drink in China. In recent years, Chinese fruit juice drink market showed the rapid growth trends. It is inseparable between the rapid growth in the fruit juice market and the awareness of consumers` health sense. Nowadays, when the consumers choose the drink, they not only buy the drink to quench their thirsty, but put more attentions on nutrition, health and safety.  For example, the previous popular carbonated drink in Chinese market is regarded as the unhealthy products by the consumers.  But the fruit juice drink is rich in vitamins, favorable to the body health, becoming more and more popular.  

 

The competitions among Chinese fruit juice drink enterprises are fiercer and fiercer. The major three competition groups are: first, the Taiwan-funded enterprises, such as Uni President ,Master Kong, success by the package creation and taste; second, the local famous enterprises, including China Huiyuan Juice Group Limited, Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co., Ltd.; third, the multiple enterprises, such as Coca Cola, and PEPSICO., Inc etc. At present, many famous brands exist in Chinese fruit juice drink market, such as Wahaha, Huiyuan, Nongfu Spring, Munite Maid and Tropicana etc.

 

By the end of 2008, more than 300 fruit juice drink enterprises were in China, most of which were medium and small enterprises. The annual revenues of 70 percent enterprises were less than 100 million Yuan (14.2 million USD). The mergers and acquisitions in Chinese fruit juice drink industry became one of the development trends. In Chinese fruit juice drink industry, many local and foreign funded potential enterprises tried to merge, going around the whole industry chains. Strengthening the control of the upstream raw material industry and the downstream channel control were all included in the development strategy plans of the fruit juice drink enterprises.  

 

In February of 2009, Chinese government approved the Adjustment and Revitalization of Light Industry, clearly putting forward the policy supports to the light industry, involved the fruit juice drink industry, such as the reorganization of food processing industry, the improvement of entry conditions, the supports of mergers and acquisitions and the promotion of industry concentration etc. 

 

On 3rd September, 2008, Coca Cola announced that they would merge China Huiyuan Juice Group Limited with 17.9 HKD (2.4 USD). If realized, 30 to 40 percent market shares of the sales revenues would be occupied by Coca Cola in Chinese fruit juice drink market, the largest giant of Chinese fruit juice drink market. On 18th March, 2009, Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China officially announced that the acquisition of China Huiyuan Juice Group Limited by Coca Cola was prohibited in accordance with Article 20 of the Antitrust Laws of the People’s Republic of China, which was the first unsuccessful merger and acquisition case since the implementation of Antitrust Laws of the People’s Republic of China on 1st August, 2008.  Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China measure made the mergers and acquisitions in Chinese fruit juice drink industry to use a new manner but not simply acquisition.

 

Under the influences of international financial crisis and the Antitrust Laws of the People’s Republic of China, the mergers and acquisition in Chinese fruit juice industry still went on because the large quantities of medium and small enterprises in Chinese fruit juice drink industry. The key points researched in this report are what manners to merge and what direction to go for these enterprises.

 

The author wrote this report by the investigation into Chinese fruit juice drink industry and the references to the experts’ suggestions.

 

More following information can be obtained in this report:

-Development Environments of Chinese Fruit Juice Drink Industry

- Present Development Situations of Chinese Fruit Juice Drink Industry

- Yield Capacity of Chinese Fruit Juice Drink Industry

- Merger and Acquisition Cases of Chinese Fruit Juice Drink Industry

- Success Elements of Mergers and Acquisitions in Chinese Fruit Juice Drink Industry

-Influences of International Financial Crisis on Merger and Acquisition Cases of Chinese Fruit Juice Drink Industry

- Major Enterprises and the Operations of Chinese Fruit Juice Drink Industry

- Development Trends of Chinese Fruit Juice Drink Industry

- Merger and Acquisition Trends of Chinese Fruit Juice Drink Industry

- Recommendations for the Mergers and Acquisitions of Chinese Fruit Juice Drink Industry

 

To get more details, please visit Research Report on the Mergers and Acquisitions of Chinese Fruit Juice Drink Industry, 2009



KAROLINE

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Failure of Mergers: Examples

Rachel Hewlett asked:


Corporate culture is the way an organization views itself, or its written and unwritten policies and procedures. Experts urge that in order to get a good organizational fit, one should look at its own corporate culture and try to acquire similar companies. One thing that can tear a merger apart is the attitude of “us versus them”. This attitude is the reason of failure for most of the mergers. It is believed that if culture is the problem in a merger, it can have overwhelming effects on the newly formed company.

 

According to Paul Temple Organizational fit is “the match between administrative practices, cultural practices and personnel characteristics of the target and acquirer. It influences the ease with which two organizations can be integrated during implementation”. It is believed that the major reason for the failure of mergers and acquisitions is the clash between corporate cultures.

 

There have been more than a few acquisitions which did not come up to the mark due to the conflict of corporate culture of the firms involved. For instance, in the year 1994, Quaker Oats purchased Snapple Beverage Co. for a total cost of $1.7 billion but the Snapple business was sold off after a period of three years for a loss of $1.4 billion. The main reason of this failure was the conflict between the corporate cultures. Quaker had an extremely focused, mass-market working approach and on the other hand Snapple’s style was eccentric, commercial and tilted towards its distributors.

 

Another example of the failure of merger due to problems with cultural integration can be seen in the case of Daimler-Chrysler. The merger of Daimler-Benz and Chrysler became a straight out clash between the business cultures of the two firms. The differentiation in corporate culture of the firms involved was the main reason for the non success of this alliance. While the management style of Daimler-Benz’s was more of a formal and planned out sort, Chrysler’s management was more tilted towards a stress-free, unrestrictive style. Additionally, the views of both the firms on key factors, for instance pay scales, benefits and travel expenditure, were completely different from each other. As a result the company’s shareholders had to bear the burden of the collision.



SHIZUE

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The importance of the PMO – Project Management Officer for Mergers and Acquisitions

Rogerio de Mello Pires, PMP, CSM asked:


Mergers and acquisitions and corporate restructuring are a big part of today’s corporate world.  Nowadays, today’s media is reporting about many financial transactions such as automobile,  housing, and etc…bringing different companies together to form larger ones. With restructuring mergers and acquisitions, numerous diversified and different projects will spring up.

 

In a global environment increasingly competitive and dynamic, companies have the need to be increasingly more agile and organized. Thus, companies are seeking to formalize and improve the conduct of their projects. In that context the PMO – Project Management Office, appear as a structure of great importance. The office of projects is the organizational unit responsible for conducting integrated projects of the organization, as well as responsible for providing products and services to these projects. In addition, the implementation of office projects contributes to the alignment of the objectives of the projects with the strategic objectives of the organization, in addition to contributing to the approximation of conducting high driven projects. With the increased global environmental competition, there is a bigger need of companies to become more organized and agile.

 

The Project Management Office (PMO) is the entity that generally defines and maintains the process standards, within the organization. The PMO’s role within an organization is to gain an understanding of the current project management culture, practices, and challenges through an analysis of the organization’s project management practices.

 

In economical uncertain times, however, the PMO is being asked to do more with less, providing even more spending visibility, to continually demonstrate value to their clients, delivering the right services on time, on budget and on spec – and also managing a complex technological environment and people.

 

However, many organizations still rely on fragmented and siloed project management processes such as spreadsheets or home-grown systems. As a result, they are struggling with multiple systems to track costs, thus making it almost impossible to align IT spending with business priorities. This practically impacts all aspects of IT financials, from project cost   accounting to fiscal budgeting and planning and ultimately merging client satisfaction.

 

Take a look at the following report which I have recently come across which published the following statistics at http://ca.com/gb/ppmvalue/ that reveals the findings such as 86% of organizations with a centralized Project Management Office (PMO) emphasizing it to be a strategic enabler of business change.

The implementation and maturity of the office for projects in the organizations are of great importance, playing the role of integrated project control, in addition to aiding the control of resource sharing, implementation and distribution of management project tools, development and control of methodologies and standards for management, storage and distribution of information and knowledge acquired in the implementation of projects.



KESHA

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Ford Announces New Round of Buyouts

wlkytv asked:


A new buyout proposal at the Louisville Ford truck plant is expected to reduce the workforce to less than half of what it was a decade ago.

MARYLIN