Task 1: AOL Time Warner: Deal of the Century Turns into Disaster of a Lifetime
Questions:
- Why did the media refer to the merger as the deal of the century?
- Why was Time Warner eager to merge with AOL?
- What challenges did AOL and Time Warner face as a merged company?.
- Visit the TimeWarner Website (https://www.timewarner.com). Review the site to get the latest news about the fate of the merger. How is the company doing financially? How much turnover has occurred among high-level executives? If any parts of the business have been sold off, what has the acquiring company said about future prospects?
Task 2: Harley-Davidson Drives from Dysfunctional to Cross-Functional
Questions:
- During Teerlink's tenure as Harley's Chief Financial Officer, was the organization structure flat or tall? Centralized or decentralized?
Explain your answers.
- As Chief Executive Officer, how did Teerlink change the organizational structure?
- Why does Harley-Davidson include outside suppliers on its cross-functional teams?