Federal Trade Commission and Merger - Arbitron, Nielsen Research Paper

Federal Trade Commission and Merger - Arbitron, Nielsen - Research Paper Example This implies that for any merger to be acceptable it must comply with the business laws as provided by the government. For example, in US, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an agency that has been established by the government to ensure unfair business practices are avoided. Additionally, FTC is responsible for prevention of fraudulent business strategies that would jeopardize not only the shareholders investments but also the consumer’s money. Another notable function of FTC is to create a competitive business atmosphere. In this way, the negativities of monopoly as well as price discriminative policies are addressed. During the merging and acquisition processes, it is imperative for managers and directors to engage all the stakeholders that include the shareholders, creditors, auditors and other investors. This paper aims at discussing the merger between Arbitron, and Nielsen companies and the implications of FTC on the merger. Nielsen Holdings is an American based firm that deals in providing its local and global clients with information regarding the behaviors of their consumers in the market. With its headquarters based in New York and in Netherlands, the company operates in more than 100 countries in various regions world wide. In this regard, the company enjoys wide market segment that places it at a competitive position. Key people who oversee the operations of the company includes David Calhoun and Rick Kash, the CEO and the vice chair respectively. Other individuals in the management team include Brian West, Steve Hasker, Mary Liz, Mitchell Habib and Itzhak Fisher among others. One of the notable aspects that have contributed to the success of the company is the establishment of quality services that are highly demanded by companies that are focused at facing off the various challenges in the local and international markets. The three key products by Nielsen include provision of consumer information, market measurement as well as consumer resea rch. Nielsen has been involved in a number of business strategies that have not only positive impact on its capital base but also in its marketing strategies. These include strategic alliances, mergers as well as acquisitions. Some of the companies that the company has either acquired or formed a merger with include WPP Group, VNU, Buzzmetrics, Blackstone Group, IAG Research, The Cambridge Group and more recently Arbitron among others1. Arbitron is a US based firm with its headquarters in Columbia, Maryland. Having been founded in 1949 by Jim Seiler, the company original services included collection of television ratings that it adopted during the research process2. Just like Nielsen Holdings, Arbitron is engaged in a number of mergers immediately after it was established. Some of the notable companies that the company has merged with include Cooper, Clay and Coffin. In a deal that was aimed at making the company more competitive in the global market, Arbitron merged with Nielsen Ho ldings in 2012 resulting into change of names to Nielsen Audio. Key person who oversee the acquisition process was Sean Creamer, the company chief executive officer. Summary about the merger between Arbitron and Nielsen Arbitron and Nielsen Companies have for a long time been used by firms to provide with information regarding the consumption of their brands. Based on the need for two firms to improve their market

Occupy wall street movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Occupy wall street movement - Essay Example The sentiment becomes contagious and spreads to all countries of the world. 1. What are the Moral and economic implications involved in the movement?   Moral implications of the movement reflect in recklessness on the part of few powerful corporations as in the case of Enron or powerful industry like financial services as in the case of subprime crisis which has not only affected various stakeholders and the nation, but destroyed the fabric of the system. The government’s policies in dealing with the crises have been in favour of the corporations at the cost of the common man. Pittman (2008) states that â€Å"Without the government money, Goldman, Merrill Lynch & Co.,  Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank AG and other firms could have become some of the biggest creditors in a bankruptcy filing by AIG, the world's largest insurer, because of its billions in losses on  subprime bonds  and corporate debt.† Disintegration of the system over a period of time is the root cau se of various economic and social issues which led to the uprising of this movement. The decay in the system erodes the values of democracy and demoralizes our capitalist society. The renaissance in thinking which forms the basis for the movement indicates the spiritual strength of the society and the nation which calls for a change. Economic development in a country is possible and sustainable only in a healthy society with equality in opportunities. Moral and economic implications are inseparable. Tax cuts to the rich corporate companies in the name of encouraging industrial development, and subsidies in the name of social welfare to protect insurance companies and financial deregulation measures in the garb of liberalization, hitherto gone unnoticed by the public or misinterpreted in press to the benefit of big corporate entities have been brought under public debate. This has given rise to the questions related to issues such as morality of the corporations and relevance of the capitalism. Greed of the companies, for example pharmaceutical companies and the patent laws which protect them in their exploitation of the general public has become the common subject for public discussion. The dilemma of common men in prioritizing their resources even between rent and food under inflationary conditions led them to unite under â€Å"We are the 99%† that reflects the economic inequality and lack of distribution of wealth. It is now believed that increase in wealth of 1% can be equated to the losses of the rest. Since Wall Street symbolizes the economic power of 1%, it lends focus to the agitations. Poverty has become the single most economic issue to be tackled by the nation, and obviously, this responsibility cannot be left to the 1%, going by the experience. The technological innovations in the field of software development and telecommunication though increased the complexities in the manipulation of the system by the corporations on the one hand the same developments and rise of social networks have opened new opportunities and avenues for cohesiveness in the society and its self-realization. 2. How can we theoretically analyze the implications? According to utilitarian theory, good actions form the basis for overall happiness. The underlying cause of actions in the case of subprime crisis or other major financial scams is greediness on the part of the corporate companie