Strategies and tactics of Chinese contract manufacturers and western OEMs (2001-2011)

As policy makers seek to draw lessons from the growth of Chinese manufacturing, we need to better understand the evolving strategies adopted by Chinese manufacturers since the economic reforms of the 1980s. Focusing on the apparel and electronics sectors, we look at how Chinese manufacturers sought to move to higher value-adding parts of the supply chain in different ways during the period 2001–2011 and how their western OEMs responded. As a first step towards understanding the co-evolving strategies and tactics of Chinese contract manufacturers and western OEMs, we use a simple game-theoretic framework of contract manufacturer and OEM strategies to look at the actual tactics many Chinese contract manufacturers adopted. Our findings are that Chinese contract manufacturers ended up co-operating, competing, or co-opetiting (i.e., cooperating and competing at the same time) with western OEMs. Also, western OEMs used their position in the supply chain to devise counter-measures, possibly ending with win–win solutions for both sides

Large mergers and acquisitions of European brewing groups-event study evidence on value creation

Acquisitions have been the growing trend in recent years, giving brewers the opportunity to enhance their degree of internationalization and market share remarkably through diverse one-off deals. Larger brewers are faced with low prospects for volume growth in developed markets leading them to seek growth either via acquisition of other brewers or by aggressive participation in developing markets or both. This study employs event study analysis to examine 31 mergers and acquisitions among leading European brewing groups. Differences regarding the brewers' corporate success can be determined within the European peer group. The results are discussed by additionally comparing the performance of companies that experienced M&As and companies that did not. Managerial implications as well as future research propositions conclude this article. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Agribusiness 23: 377-406, 2007.