Abstract
This document offers exercises intended for students studying accounting, finance or business management. They include exercises calling on a variety of skills such as written and oral comprehension, vocabulary...
Extract
[...] Highview will lead the way . Highview will set a new standard / (asking for questions at the end, in a different phrasing than the language box uses) VII. Presentation: You are the managing director of Eastman Property and want to buy one of these businesses: a travel agency / a shopping mall / a business equipment store / a cinema complex / a sports and leisure center. Choose one, make a brief presentation to investors explaining why you want to buy the business, and which plans for its future development (simple, no more than 5 minutes reading). [...]
[...] They both have high-quality products and control, and very strong positions in their fields. They also have strong and fast profit growth records, are in fast-growing markets and sell to a wide range of customers. Nevertheless, HBP's profit margins have reduced due to an increasingly strong competition from low-cost products, and the management team is consensual and slow in decision-making. As for MHP, it also faces very strong competition that has slowed down sales already, and the management team includes only a small number of experienced members. [...]
[...] The businesses involved here are in both cases mass media and entertainment companies, involving (but not only) cinema and television industries. Both companies were very successful before it happened. Now, the acquisition will be done for good during the year, but it probably will lead to a continuing success for the Walt Disney Company since it broadens its spectrum. III. Listening: making acquisitions The three reasons Scott gives for the lack of success of some mergers and acquisitions are the fact that the planning can be inadequate (not appropriate and not thinking about the future enough); the fact that the target company is not investigated enough (not enough thinking about the reasons for their success or failure is done); and the fact that once the merger deal is done, there is not enough planning for the integration period to help the transition. [...]
[...] No full ownership possible. ? Hondo Beauty Products: Would expand market in Asia. Supplying major companies in Korea + buyers in US and Europe. Ultra modern, very high quality control and flexibility. Fast profit growth in past 3 years. / 100% ownership possible but hard negotiation ahead. Increasingly strong competition from low-cost producers in future, profit margins could reduce. Consensual management style. Slow decision-making. ? Good Earth: would expand market in South America. [...]
[...] / sold exclusively to beauty salons. Production in low-cost developing countries. Profit margins have declined. Little experience selling in global markets. Bad press for paying very low wages to employees overseas in production. IX. Report to Chief Executive of RI The four company profiles present both advantages and disadvantages: several of them would allow us to expand our market in fast-growing countries in South Asia or South America, and they mostly have leading positions in their field. The only US-based company is Sheen Hair Products: it presents lots of well-known strong brand names, which has allowed it to maintain its share in the market in spite of strong competition, and have had steady profits in the past 3 years, though not very high. [...]
