Name________________________________________ Date_______________
Economics: Mr. Rosequist
3rd Quarter Project: Business Organizations and Competition
Due Dates:
Group Writing Charts will be due on Friday, March 7th.
Class presentations will begin on Monday, March 10th.
Late written work will not receive full-credit.
It is imperative that you are present on the day that your group presents. If you are to be absent on that day (for field trip, etc.), you must see me prior to your excused absence.
If you are absent on the day of your group’s presentation, you will present your data individually to the class upon your return.
Directions:
1. Your project topics are business organizations and competition. You will be analyzing large businesses that
have been involved in mergers/acquisitions in recent years. Research these companies to understand the following:
A) Describe the origins of these particular business organizations.
B) Analyze how they have grown and merged with other business organizations.
C) Describe how these businesses have dealt with government regulations concerning competition.
D) Evaluate the effect of these mergers on labor, consumers, stock values, and control of markets.
2. This project will count towards your Tests/Projects component of your 3rd Quarter grade.
3. See the project rubric for grading criteria for this project.
4. This project has two areas: Individual/Group research and writing and Group Presentation.
Project Steps
Step 1: Getting Started
Assemble into groups and identify the business organizations that your group will be researching.
1) British Petroleum-Amoco merger/acquisition
2) Kmart-Sears merger/acquisition
3) Disney-Pixar merger/acquisition
4) North Fork Bank-Capital One merger/acquisition
5) Google-Youtube merger/acquisition
6) Sirius-XM merger/acquisition
7) Microsoft-Yahoo merger/acquisition
8) AT&T-Cingular
9) Other (see teacher)
Determine which roles each group member will assume during the research phase of your project (See below for group roles and responsibilities to understand which information you will need to find regarding your project).
1) Merger Reporter
2) Government Reporter
3) Labor and Consumer Reporter
4) Stocks and Markets Reporter
C. Group Roles and Individual Responsibilities: Research your topic and respond to the tasks below.
1. Merger Reporter
· Describe the origins of both business organizations involved in the merger/acquisition.
· Describe the growth of these business organizations prior to the merger.
· Was this (or is this) a vertical or horizontal merger? Explain.
· What goods and/or services have been provided (or will be provided) by these businesses as a result of the merger? Explain.
2. Government Reporter
· How was the government involved (or how will the government be involved) in regulating the activities or practices of these business organizations regarding this merger?
· Describe any laws that have been or will be applied to these businesses as a result of this merger.
3. Labor and Consumer Reporter
· How has labor been affected (or how will labor be affected) as a result of this merger?
· Have jobs been created or lost (or will jobs be created or lost) as a result of this merger? Explain.
· How have consumers been affected (or how will consumers be affected) as a result of this merger?
· Did prices for goods and/or services (or will prices for goods and/or services) provided by these businesses rise or fall? Explain.
4. Stocks and Markets Reporter
· How were the stock values of these companies affected as a result of this merger? (or how will the stock values of these companies be affected?)
· Provide specific data on stock values or projected stock values before and after the merger.
· Was competition in this market reduced (or will competition in this market be reduced) as a result of this merger? Explain.
· Provide specific data on percentages (or projected percentages) of market control.
Step 2: Research
Begin your individual research according to your assigned group roles/responsibilities.
You may use some of the suggested news organizations websites listed below.
It is recommended that you also utilize electronic references found on the WMHS Information Center website.
Economics: Mr. Rosequist
3rd Quarter Project: Business Organizations and Competition
Due Dates:
Group Writing Charts will be due on Friday, March 7th.
Class presentations will begin on Monday, March 10th.
Late written work will not receive full-credit.
It is imperative that you are present on the day that your group presents. If you are to be absent on that day (for field trip, etc.), you must see me prior to your excused absence.
If you are absent on the day of your group’s presentation, you will present your data individually to the class upon your return.
Directions:
1. Your project topics are business organizations and competition. You will be analyzing large businesses that
have been involved in mergers/acquisitions in recent years. Research these companies to understand the following:
A) Describe the origins of these particular business organizations.
B) Analyze how they have grown and merged with other business organizations.
C) Describe how these businesses have dealt with government regulations concerning competition.
D) Evaluate the effect of these mergers on labor, consumers, stock values, and control of markets.
2. This project will count towards your Tests/Projects component of your 3rd Quarter grade.
3. See the project rubric for grading criteria for this project.
4. This project has two areas: Individual/Group research and writing and Group Presentation.
Project Steps
Step 1: Getting Started
Assemble into groups and identify the business organizations that your group will be researching.
1) British Petroleum-Amoco merger/acquisition
2) Kmart-Sears merger/acquisition
3) Disney-Pixar merger/acquisition
4) North Fork Bank-Capital One merger/acquisition
5) Google-Youtube merger/acquisition
6) Sirius-XM merger/acquisition
7) Microsoft-Yahoo merger/acquisition
8) AT&T-Cingular
9) Other (see teacher)
Determine which roles each group member will assume during the research phase of your project (See below for group roles and responsibilities to understand which information you will need to find regarding your project).
1) Merger Reporter
2) Government Reporter
3) Labor and Consumer Reporter
4) Stocks and Markets Reporter
C. Group Roles and Individual Responsibilities: Research your topic and respond to the tasks below.
1. Merger Reporter
· Describe the origins of both business organizations involved in the merger/acquisition.
· Describe the growth of these business organizations prior to the merger.
· Was this (or is this) a vertical or horizontal merger? Explain.
· What goods and/or services have been provided (or will be provided) by these businesses as a result of the merger? Explain.
2. Government Reporter
· How was the government involved (or how will the government be involved) in regulating the activities or practices of these business organizations regarding this merger?
· Describe any laws that have been or will be applied to these businesses as a result of this merger.
3. Labor and Consumer Reporter
· How has labor been affected (or how will labor be affected) as a result of this merger?
· Have jobs been created or lost (or will jobs be created or lost) as a result of this merger? Explain.
· How have consumers been affected (or how will consumers be affected) as a result of this merger?
· Did prices for goods and/or services (or will prices for goods and/or services) provided by these businesses rise or fall? Explain.
4. Stocks and Markets Reporter
· How were the stock values of these companies affected as a result of this merger? (or how will the stock values of these companies be affected?)
· Provide specific data on stock values or projected stock values before and after the merger.
· Was competition in this market reduced (or will competition in this market be reduced) as a result of this merger? Explain.
· Provide specific data on percentages (or projected percentages) of market control.
Step 2: Research
Begin your individual research according to your assigned group roles/responsibilities.
You may use some of the suggested news organizations websites listed below.
It is recommended that you also utilize electronic references found on the WMHS Information Center website.
Save and print relevant information.
BBC World News: Business
CNN Money
Step 3: Writing
A. Compile your data and share it with your group.
B. Complete the charts provided to you by the teacher. Submit a copy to the teacher.
Step 4: Presentation
A. Present your data to the class. Presentations should be approximately 10-15 minutes per group.
Project Rubric
1. There are a total of 100 points that can be earned by your group in this project.
2. Your group will be graded according to the number of points that it earns out of 100. For example, if your group earns
80 points, your group grade will be 80 % (B).
3. See rubric hand-out in class.
Library Resources
A. Compile your data and share it with your group.
B. Complete the charts provided to you by the teacher. Submit a copy to the teacher.
Step 4: Presentation
A. Present your data to the class. Presentations should be approximately 10-15 minutes per group.
Project Rubric
1. There are a total of 100 points that can be earned by your group in this project.
2. Your group will be graded according to the number of points that it earns out of 100. For example, if your group earns
80 points, your group grade will be 80 % (B).
3. See rubric hand-out in class.
Library Resources
Online Databases
eLibrary (news, magazines, books and transcripts)
Gale Business Company Resource Center (company reports and news)
Gale Business Company Resource Center (company reports and news)
Proquest Multiple Databases (newspapers, periodicals, reference sources)
Student Resource Center
(reference sources, journals and periodicals)
(search for books in our collection)
Academic Integrity (cite your sources)
Noodletools Citation System
Noodletools Citation System
Websites
Yahoo Finance-Mergers and Acquisitions
Please consult your WHMS Information Center worksheet for home access passwords
Please consult your WHMS Information Center worksheet for home access passwords
