When two businesses become integrated. Merger is for
companies that join forces and forma a bigger combined
business, while acquisition (or takeover) happens when one of
the businesses takes over the other.
Horizontal Integration
Two businesses in the same industry are integrated. E.g. Quimica Suiza and Mifarma
Backward Vertical Integration
A business integrated with another business back in the chain of production
Forward Vertical Integration
A business integrated with another business forward in the chain of production
Conglomeration
Owhen two businesses in unrelated lines integrate. E.g. Intercorp and InkaFarma
Joint Venture
When two or more businesses join forces to
finance a new business venture or
product.They agree to combine resources
for a specific period of time.
Advantages
Reduce the amount of finance needed to raise
New insights and expertise, having acces to better resources
Disadvantages
There's no equal involvement and there's lack of communication
Great imbalance and clash of cultures (beliefs, tastes and preferences)
Strategic alliances
When two or more parties relate to pursue a set
of goals or to meet a critical business need while
remaining independent organizations. E.g.
Starbucks and Barnes & Noble
Limitations
No new business is created
Individuals in the alliance remain independent
Lack of control and unequal benefits
Franchising
When a business pays for the right to sell its products on
another company. It’s popular for businesses that want to
expand globally. E.g. KFC, Subway, Tambo, Montalvo, etc.
Franchisee
It’s the person or business buying the rights. It’s a way of reducing the risk of business
failures by using the tried and tested ideas and products of an already successful business.
Franchisor
It’s the person or business selling the rights, providing a package of services in return for an
initial fee and a regular royalty payment (usually based on a proportion of sales revenue).
Impact of the
globalization
Globalization is the process by which the
world’s regional economies are becoming one
integrated global unit, having a significant
impact on businesses’ growth and evolution.
Increased competition
Large foreign businesses can force domestic producers to become more efficient as the domestic consumer has more choice.
Greater brand awareness
Domestic producers have to compete with big brand names and so need to create their own unique selling point (USP).
Skills transfer
Foreign businesses must use some local knowledge which will lead to a two-way transfer of knowledge and skills.
Closer collaboration
Domestic businesses can create new business opportunities.
Multinational companies
Businesses that operate, own, and
control resources outside their country
of origin, generating more revenues than
the country they operate in. They do also
have factories in more than one country.
E.g. Coca-Cola, Sony, P&G, etc.
Advantages
Improved communication
Dismantling of trade barriers
Deregulations of the world’s financial markets
Increasing economic and political power
Disadvantages
Remove of raw materials from the local economy
It creates a dependency on the business (economically unhealthy)
Profits often go back to the business instead of staying in the local market
SMEs are put out of business because of the multinational business’ size
Internal growth
It’s the increase of sales forced by recruiting more
sellers and/or opening more establishments. It includes
investing in more advertising, cutting prices (even if
profits fall in the short run), and developing better
production techniques so that the business can produce
its products at lower costs and therefore it can cut
prices (but not profits) and win more market share.
Diseconomies of scale
Leads with the point where businesses,
growing in size, start to experience
inefficiencies that increase average unit costs.
It’s the increase in long-term average cost of
production as the scale of operations
increases beyond a certain level.
Economies
of
scale
When a business increases its
scale of operation (volume of
outputs), it produces more in
greater volume and become
more efficient (accomplishing
something with the least waste
of resources). That situation
means that the business has
achieved economies of scale,
reducing in average unit cost as
the business increase in size.
Total cost
Measured in terms of costs of production per unit
Total costs = Fixed costs + Variable costs
Fixed costs
Are costs that don’t
change as production
changes (e.g. rent)
Variable costs
Are costs that vary as
production changes (e.g.
raw materials)
Average cost
It’s the production cost per unit of output and it’s
also known as unit cost or average cost