...History of MG Rover The Rover Company developed through the grouping, regrouping, merger and take-over of many famous names in British motoring. In early 1994 the Rover Group was taken over by the German car maker BMW. Following six years with BMW on 16th March 2000 BMW announced fundamental reorganization plans that split the company apart and resulted in the sale of the key constituent parts of the group. The new company MG Rover Group Limited is now an independent, medium sized, British company that produces cars under the Rover and MG brands from the Long bridge Birmingham plant. In 2005, MG Rover collapsed. Reason for collapse Accountant Negligence: "Evidence Eliminator" computer software, a tax avoidance plot called "Project Slag" six figure bribes and an office affair were just some of the more outlandish ingredients revealed today by the long awaited investigation into the MG Rover scandal. The 850 page report lays bare the breathtaking lengths to which its former owners, the so called Phoenix Four went to enrich themselves before the company Britain's last large car manufacturer collapsed in April2005 with the loss of 6500 jobs. Business Secretary Negligence: MG rover was also liable for his own negligence. There is no proper check and balance on the accountant by the directors of the company. The secretary said that there has been a comprehensive and thorough investigation into the events which lead to the company falling, workers losing their jobs and creditors not...
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...Phoenix or vulture after acquiring the rover group from british aerospace in 1994, german automaker bmw set about carving up the assets of the group :the land rover division was sold to ford motor company in the united states, and the reborn mini business was established as a subsidiary of bmw based in the uk. the remaining assets were sold as mg rover in 2000 after continued losses and declining market share. having recouped some of its purchase price with the land rover sale to ford for 1.8 billion, and with an expected contribution of positive revenue from the mini subsidiary,the assets of mg rover were sold for a nominal $20 in may 2000 to a group of businessmen led by ex-rover chief executive john towers. called the 'phoenix consortium,' towers and his partners (john edwards,nick stephenson, and peter beale) received an interest-free loan of 427 million from bmw and the backing of the british government and automobile trade unions as they committed to turning around the last domestically owned mass production car company in britain. critics argued( and water later vindicated) that the project was doomed from the start. despite having purchased a large stock of unsold inventory from bmw for only 10,the new consortium lacked the financial resources to design and develop new cars that could match its global competitors. even with aggressive cost cutting measures(including cutting 3000 jobs), mg rover continued to lose money for the next four years. in june 2004, the company...
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...The closure of MG Rover REPORT BY THE COMPTROLLER AND AUDITOR GENERAL | HC 961 Session 2005-2006 | 10 March 2006 The National Audit Office scrutinises public spending on behalf of Parliament. The Comptroller and Auditor General, Sir John Bourn, is an Officer of the House of Commons. He is the head of the National Audit Office, which employs some 800 staff. He, and the National Audit Office, are totally independent of Government. He certifies the accounts of all Government departments and a wide range of other public sector bodies; and he has statutory authority to report to Parliament on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which departments and other bodies have used their resources. Our work saves the taxpayer millions of pounds every year. At least £8 for every £1 spent running the Office. The closure of MG Rover LONDON: The Stationery Office £12.25 Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed on 7 March 2006 REPORT BY THE COMPTROLLER AND AUDITOR GENERAL | HC 961 Session 2005-2006 | 10 March 2006 contents ExEcuTivE SuMMAry PArT 1 This report has been prepared under Section 6 of the National Audit Act 1983 for presentation to the House of Commons in accordance with Section 9 of the Act. John Bourn Comptroller and Auditor General National Audit Office 7 March 2006 The National Audit Office study team consisted of: Craig Adams, Tim Bryant, Alan Hartnell and Si Mathavan assisted by Santosh Gora, Daisy Hodgson, Laura Hughes, Kevin Manic and Robert...
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...BSTR/166 IBS Center for Management Research The Fall of MG Rover This case was written by K. Yamini Aparna, under the direction of Vivek Gupta, IBS Center for Management Research. It was compiled from published sources, and is intended to be used as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a management situation. 2005, IBS Center for Management Research. All rights reserved. To order copies, call +91-8417-236667/68 or write to IBS Center for Management Research (ICMR), IFHE Campus, Donthanapally, Sankarapally Road, Hyderabad 501 504, Andhra Pradesh, India or email: info@icmrindia.org www.icmrindia.org BSTR/166 The Fall of MG Rover “Rover’s demise must give us all pause for thought about how we have failed to protect our once magnificent manufacturing industry and why…”1 - Editorial, Daily Express, April 16, 2005. “The death of a factory and the end of a great tradition… the suspects...British Aerospace, BMW, the Government, Phoenix Four…”2 - Sean O'Grady, The Independent, April 26, 2005. MG ROVER SEEKS BANKRUPTCY In its lifespan of over a century, MG Rover Group Limited (MG Rover), one of the oldest and largest automobile manufacturers in the UK, went through countless mergers, takeovers and partnerships. The last merger negotiations the company went through before it folded up, took place in June 2004. This time MG Rover was negotiating with China‟s Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corporation (SAIC)3...
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...Mg Rover Collapse Seminar 1: The English Patient and the Chinese takeaway: examining social responsibilities in the MG Rover collapse 1a. Main Stakeholders: - Phoenix Group -Longbridge site owners - Employees (6500, at Longbridge -Around 9-12,000 employees from West Midlands -BMW/shareholders from BMW -financial industry in general -Unions -Local communities -Chinese state owned Shanghai Automotve Industrial Corporation (SAIC) -Chinese company Nanjing Automotive -Deloitte -Creditors -Media -Government -British Tax Payers -Competitors -Suppliers of Longbridge Theory Mitchell's framework of stakeholder salience: ‘Determines the importance of stakeholders and categorizes them on the basis of salience, defined with regard to the attributes Power, Legitimacy and Urgency’ (Grisseri & Seppala, 2010) Stakeholder Power Legitimacy Urgency ‘Phoenix Group’ H H H Employees at Longbridge L H L BMW /Shareholders H H H Deloitte L H L Unions MG Rover customers (dealers) L L L SAIC H H H Nanjing Automative M M M/H British Government M/H H M/H Creditors Competitors of MG Rover Media H H M/H Local Community L L/M L Suppliers of Longbridge L/M L/M L 2. MG Rover's actions in the case in terms of Carrol's Pyramid of CSR (responsibilities and ranking, appropriate or inappropriate in this situation, could it have done more to treat its employees ethically?) Theory Carrol's Pyramid of CSR: ‘Corporate social responsibility includes the economic...
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...MG Rover case PART A: 4. SET OUT THE MAIN STAKEHOLDERS IN THE MG ROVER BUSINESS AT THE TIME OF ITS COLLAPSE. HOW WOULD YOU DETERMINE THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR STAKE? During the troubled times at MG Rover business, the main stakeholders were: BMW The UK Government Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corporation (SAIC) Employees of MG Rover, both workers as well as employees part of the supply chain. Phoenix Four and, Nanjing Automobiles. The importance of each of the stakeholders can only be a matter of one’s opinion. The Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) says that the meaning of Stakeholders normally varies and is extremely contextual in nature. (CQI, n.d.). However, CQI (n.d) adds that in business parlay, the term ‘Stakeholder’ can be equated with any third party who has an ‘interest’ in the end result. (CQI, n.d.). The six main stakeholders at MG Rover are listed above, who had a direct interest in the economic outcomes at the business. Perhaps the most important stakeholder was the several employees at MG Rover. The corporate battles and Government interventions first provided them hope of continued employment and stability, then, squashed these very hopes. The employees did not have a direct role in the fortunes of the company. They were not the people implementing the strategies at MG Rover. However, their stake in the company was beyond any comparison. Their livelihood, future and needs for basic requirements fluctuated with the fortunes of the company...
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...finances and resources in the best way possible. The goal of every organization is to maximize its profits and minimize its costs, operations research play a crucial role in helping the company reach its goal by taking precautions and being aware because of the knowledge they have to do the problem solving. One of the most commonly known problems that can be addressed by operations research is the production problem. It could be used when the manager wants to optimize the production processes and reduce the risk of damaged or faulted products by making models that would help the manager to evaluate and analyze the various probabilities and then select the most efficient and effective one. Example: In the 1980’s when Rover cars (now known as the MG Rover) were developing the Metro at their long bridge plants, they used operations research to make the best use of their knowledge in manufacturing processes by inventing the ‘Visual Interactive Model’. Cars move along in the production line through various processes like welding, painting, trim etc. To design such a plant is a complex business. Different processes and pieces of the plant have to be merged together in a way that every operation takes the same amount of time to perform. If that’s not the case then a bottleneck will occur. Now the problem here is “Should we install three robots instead of two?” Once in a while the, a piece of plant will break down or there will be a...
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...is “to continue to sell established models in established markets, while at the same time penetrating new markets with new models,” (Crawford & Di Benedetto, 2011). After the Beetle captured attention, it was evident that reviving the Mini would fit BMW’s mission; thus it recreated the Mini. 2. Looking back at the Mini in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, I think that BMW skillfully recreated the Mini with tremendous improvements in the design, particularly the interior. In addition, BMW has attracted many customers to the Mini since it is a retro sport car. 3. BMW witnessed many modern automobiles resembling beloved retro cars. The launch of Z3 was very successful yet different from BMW’s prestigious sedans. After acquisitioning Rover Group Ltd., BMW had the right to recreate the Mini; thus the Mini was recreated to revive an old favorite as well as targeting a different segment. 4. I believe that BMW avoided the perception they were cheapening their brand by supporting their corporate identity in the Mini. Even though Mini looks nothing like other BMW cars, it still has the quality and excellence of BMW cars. The Mini’s controlling and feel reflects BMW’s high standards and thus it supports its identity. 5. I think that some arguments might occur during the Mini’s new product process, especially in the development phase. Considering the fact that the Mini has a British look but being manufactured by a German automobile company, I assume that designers and...
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...TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction............................................................................... . .....2 BMW's Strategic Leadership .........................................................................4 Conclusion.....................................................................................................12 References ..................................................................... .................13 Bibliography .....................................................................................14 Management is doing things right; Leadership is doing the right thing. -Peter F. Drucker Leaders are the ones who keep faith with the past, keep step with the present, and keep the promise to posterity - Harold J. Seymour Introduction BMW The Ultimate Driving Machine "How does one become the ultimate driving machine? Through years of investment in building and managing brand value. BMW's values are relevant and differentiated to consumers in all parts of the worlds. Interbrand has been helping BMW establish and solidify its leadership brand position for 25 years". (Anon, 2004) Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW), owner of the prestigious BMW brand, was one of the Europe's top automakers. BMW automobiles employed 82,000 workers in plants in Munich and Regensburg in Germany. Spartanburg in the US, Rosslyn and South Africa (Lencioni, 2001, cited in Johnson & Scholes, 2002). BMW was established during the First World War to manufacture...
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...BUS 599 December 16, 2012 BMW Group is considered one of the most successful companies in the world, primarily manufacturing its automobiles in its three brands: BMW, Mini, and the Rolls Royce. The company continues to be a world class performer in luxury automobiles. BMW’s success is attributed to its long-term thinking and responsible actions, establishing a strategy of ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to resource conservation. Analyze the company’s mission and vision statements against the performance of the organization. Then, evaluate how well the company lives out its mission and vision statement. Provide support from the organization’s performance in your evaluation. BMW’s mission statement is: “To be the most successful premium manufacturer in the industry.” The mission statement is mainly designed just as to help the organization to move on a better path. Mission statement is a short-term goal and objective. It is being designed in order clear the actual motto of the business. With this, the business would arrive at hopeful moves so as to make it realized. Mission statement is formed for the sake of stating the fundamental reason behind the establishment of the business. It appears to be the best possible move just as to make people aware about existence of the business. It is a must from the part of the company to get acquainted with...
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...| 5/4/2015 | | | | | | | | | | | | Impact of Leadership On Merger & AcquisitionsImportance of Leadership to M&A success or its failure | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | By Shreyash Kumar Sharma | Assignment Details 1. Scope Highlight the impact of Leadership on Mergers and Acquisition. Focus on one success and one failure story 2. Assignment Flow 3.1 Executive Summary 3.2 Failure – BMW and The Rover Company * Summary * Acquisition Details * Analysis * What Went Wrong? 3.3 Success – AkzoNobel N.V – Imperial Chemicals Industries plc. * Summary * Acquisition Details * Analysis * Success Story 3 Closure 2.1 - Executive Summary In the current knowledge based economies, in order to gain access to one of the most important intangible asset of one business – the brand –, the companies merge or acquire the targeted brand (Kumar & Blomqvist, 2004) Today’s business world deals with an increasing phenomenon of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A‟s), a process through which companies gain access to some tangible and intangible resources. The benefits of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) include, among others: * a diversification of product and service offerings * an increase in plant capacity * larger...
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...Essay No.1. Small economies in the increasing globalisation I have chosen Luxembourg as a country with a small economy and a member of BENELUX regional block. My essay consider issues of Luxembourg relations with countries from NAFTA trade block and how Luxembourg can take advantage of technological development in the contexts of market globalisation. Luxembourg’s economy is small, stable and high-income. Luxembourg’s economic success has made it one of the wealthiest countries in the world, with a per capita income that routinely ranks in the world’s top three. Canada is a member of NAFTA and it’s relations with Luxemourg are strong. Canada and Luxembourg have developed a partnership based on shared values and ongoing political dialogue on major international issues. Canada and Luxembourg have signed numerous bilateral agreements and treaties, including an Agreement regarding the Sharing of Forfeited Assets (2001), a Convention on Double Taxation and Tax Evasion (2000), an Audio-visual Co-production Agreement (1996) and a Convention on Social Security (1990). Canada and Luxembourg's long-standing friendship has also resulted in a strong economic and trade partnership. In 2011, Canada's exports to Luxembourg totalled CAD 89 million. During the same period, Canada's imports from Luxembourg reached CAD 115 million. Canada and Luxembourg also enjoy a thriving investment relationship built on natural synergies in our high-performing sectors. Luxembourg's cumulative direct...
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...The ‘English Patient’ and the Chinese takeaway: examining social responsibilities in the MG Rover collapse This case discusses the collapse of Britain’s last remaining major car manufacturer MG Rover in 2005, and the subsequent loss of 6,500 jobs in the former industrial heartland of the West Midlands. The case traces the role played by the firm’s directors as well as overseas car companies in the Rover collapse, and provides the opportunity to examine the nature of social responsibility, and the relative responsibilities of governments and corporations for safeguarding employment. The name Longbridge stands for nearly a hundred years of British car manufacturing. The huge site near Birmingham in the West Midlands area has been the stage for many of the peaks and troughs of automotive history in the UK. Once the birthplace of the sporty, Austin Healey, the legendary Mini, and the practical Metro, the site has also been associated in the 1970s with industrial unrest and union militancy. More recently, the plant had started to become a virtual synonym for industrial downturn and decay, and the reversal in fortunes of the British car industry. It was a history with ups and downs, but the plant seemed to be in for a bright future when in 1994 BMW took Longbridge over from the British car manufacturer Rover. Despite suffering from under-investment, BMW saw the Rover takeover as a suitable means of expanding its range of models beyond the luxury segment that it had become famous...
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...Business Ethics Task: Read the Rover Case and answer all 4 question-parts This is an Individual work The word limit for each part is 1000 words (+/-10%) The weight of each part is 25 marks Use the Harvard Referencing System for reference purposes Case Study: The ‘English Patient’ and the Chinese takeaway: examining social responsibilities in the MG Rover collapse This case discusses the collapse of Britain’s last remaining major car manufacturer MG Rover in 2005, and the subsequent loss of 6,500 jobs in the former industrial heartland of the West Midlands. The case traces the role played by the firm’s directors as well as overseas car companies in the Rover collapse, and provides the opportunity to examine the nature of social responsibility, and the relative responsibilities of governments and corporations for safeguarding employment. The name Longbridge stands for nearly a hundred years of British car manufacturing. The huge site near Birmingham in the West Midlands area has been the stage for many of the peaks and troughs of automotive history in the UK. Once the birthplace of the sporty, Austin Healey, the legendary Mini, and the practical Metro, the site has also been associated in the 1970s with industrial unrest and union militancy. More recently, the plant had started to become a virtual synonym for industrial downturn and decay, and the reversal in fortunes of the British car industry. It was a history with ups and downs, but the plant seemed...
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...as though Ford’s pro t for 2011 would exceed this. The recovery had been much more rapid than Booth had expected. Ford’s business plan of December 2008 projected that it would not break even until 2011.1 Booth attributed the speed of the turnaround to three factors: rst government measures in North America and Europe to stimulate demand through incentives for scrapping old cars and subsidies for purchasing new, fuel-e cient models; second, the recovery of demand in several major markets including China, India, Brazil and the US; third, Ford’s own restructuring. The “One Ford” transformation plan introduced in 2006 had closed plants, cut Ford’s workforce from 295 000 at the beginning of 2006 to 148 000 at the end of 2011, sold Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo and a large chunk of Mazda; integrated Ford’s global activities; and accelerated product development including an increasing emphasis on smaller cars. Despite these successes, Booth looked to the future with much trepidation. Ford’s performance over the next ve years would depend on three main factors: Ford’s ability to continuing success with its One Ford strategy, the state of the world economy, and developments in the global automobile industry. On the rst of these, Booth had few doubts. On the second, he realized that, for all the uncertainty, there was little that Ford could do other than closely monitor the unfolding economic situation and be prepared to adapt to unforeseeable events. On developments in the global automobile...
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