In an attempt to boost sagging sales, General Motors partnered with online seller eBay to offer a limited set of new vehicles for sale in California. The program (called an “experiment” by GM) ended September 30, with the auto maker reporting limited interest and unrealistically low offers. Dealers, however, indicated that the program ended too… Read more »

ARTICLE SUMMARY: Disney created quite a stir in the entertainment industry by acquiring Marvel Entertainment. While some analysts contend that Disney overpaid, many believe the fit is good and Disney is poised to create plenty of value provided it can work out existing licensing agreements. Proponents of the deal see this as an opportunity for… Read more »

eBay CEO says that the payment site’s revenue will eclipse that of the online auction site soon. Embedded video from CNNMoney.com Video Source: CNNMoney.com Date: 7/24/2009 Keys: Strategy, planning, growth, organization structure, innovation, global dimensions Link:  http://money.cnn.com Questions for discussion: Explain why PayPal is expected to grow larger than eBay? Given this change, what are… Read more »

International Business Machines Corp plans to buy technology services company SPSS Inc for about $1.2 billion in cash, the companies said on Tuesday. Source:  Reuters.com Date: 7/28/2009 Keys: Strategy, planning, mergers & acquisitions, organization structure Link: http://www.reuters.com Questions for discussion: Organizations can grow through mergers with and the acquisitions of other organizations. This strategy works… Read more »