First Class Character Education Activities Program: Ready-to-Use Lessons and Activities for Grades 7 - 12

Foreword xi

Preface xvii

Part One Strategic Perspective on M&A Planning 1

1 “Marketing Due Diligence” in Strategic Mergers and Acquisitions 1

Traditional Due Diligence: Strategic Shortcomings 2

Valuation Process: Role of Marketing Intangible Assets 5

Marketing Intangibles: Where They Are Found 7

Revenue Enhancement Opportunities 13

Identifying Sources of Value 14

Postmerger Integration: Protecting and Cultivating Sources of Value 16

Summary 17

2 Quest for Strategic Advantage through Mergers and Acquisitions 21

Strategic Fit 22

Strategic Advantage 23

Nonstrategic Advantage 23

Strategic Drivers 24

The Nonstrategic Driver 31

Identifying Multiple Strategic Drivers 32

Strategic Drivers: Case Studies 33

Summary 43

3 Essence of Stragetic Mergers and Acquisitions: Focusing on Revenue Enhancement 45

REO Synergies: Overlaps versus Overlays 46

REOs as an Acquisition Criterion 48

REO Analysis: Areas of Exploration 49

Target Company’s “Marketing Mind-Set” 53

REO Analysis: Other Considerations 54

Filling the REO Pipeline 58

Summary 60

Part Two Analyzing Target Companies 61

4 Evaluating Market Dynamics: Starting Point of Target Company Examinations 61

M&A-Focused Market Analysis: Areas of Investigation 62

Evaluating the Target’s “Strategic Effectiveness” 72

“Merged-Company Perspective” 77

Forecasting the Competitive Environment: The M&A Perspective 79

Summary 81

5 Analyzing a Target Company’s Products and Product-Development Capabilities 82

Analyzing Products and Product Lines 83

Quantitative, Qualitative, and Operational Factors 85

Product Development History and Processes 94

Summary 98

6 Analyzing a Target Company’s Customer Base 99

Role of Customer Analysis in Growth Planning 100

Customer Base Analysis: A Process Perspective 101

Qualitative Areas 102

Quantitative Areas 104

Identifying Customer Base Strengths and Weaknesses 107

Comparing Customer Information: Merged-Company Perspective 110

Integrating Customer Information: Strategies and Applications 112

Customer Databases 114

Summary 116

7 Evaluating a Target Company’s Employees: A Skills-Based Approach to Personnel Decision Making 118

Social and Organizational Context 119

Analyzing the Company’s “Social Fabric” 121

Assessing Personnel Needs: Strategic Perspective 124

Employee Retention Strategies 132

Summary 134

8 Analyzing the Target Company’s Management Functions and Processes 137

Analyzing the Marketing and Sales Functions 137

Core Management Functions: Internal View 144

Core Managements Functions: External View 154

Summary 155

Part Three Strategies for Integration 157

9 Understanding and Acting on the Challenges of Postmerger Integration 157

Integration-Driven by Strategic Vision 158

Organizational Control 158

Twelve Key Challenges of Integration 162

Summary 176

10 Analyzing and Aligning Corporate Cultures 178

Defining Corporate Culture 179

Organizational Value 191

Gathering Data on Corporate Culture 195

Observations on Aligning Cultures: Situational Factors 196

Observations on Aligning Cultures: Critical Success Factors 198

Summary 199

11 Aligning Products and Product Management Processes 201

Challenge of Product Alignment 202

Understanding Your Product Strategy 203

Analyzing Product and Service Lines: Strategic Planning Orientation 204

Making Product and Service Line Decisions 206

Product Mix Management: Critical First Steps 214

Summary 219

12 Employee and Organizational Communication Strategies 221

Preclosing Communication Strategies: The First Wave 222

Communication Challenges Presented by Mergers and Acquisitions 226

Postclosing Communication Strategies: The Second Wave 231

Long-Term Communication Strategies: The Third Wave 238

Media Selection and Development 240

Summary 241

13 Training: Catalyst of Integration and Skills Transfer 243

Course Subject Matter 245

Training: A Staff Classifications Perspective 250

Training Methods and Approaches 253

Individualized Training 256

Training: Timing Considerations 258

Summary 258

14 Reward and Recognition Programs and Employee Motivational Techniques 260

Goals of reward and Recognition Programs 261

Core Strategy: Building Widespread Employee Commitment 263

Actions Meriting Reward and Recognition 264

Designing Reward and Recognition Programs 267

Team-Based and Group Rewards 272

Keys to an Effective Reward Program 273

Summary 275

15 Postmerger External Communication Strategies Supporting the Merger’s Launch 277

Differentiating Audience Segments 278

Setting Communication Objectives 280

Message Development 282

Selecting Communications Rollout 287

Timing Your Communication Strategies 291

Summary 296

16 Designing the Merged Firm’s Organizational Structure: A Framework for Decision Making 297

Iterative Process of Merging Strategy and Design 298

Organizational Design: Traditional versus Strategic Approaches 298

Interorganizational Design: The Strategic Approach 300

Final Thoughts on Organizational Design 307

Summary 309

Appendix Researching Acquisition Candidates: Information Requirements, Sources, and Data-Collection Techniques 311

Index 324