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Exhibit 17.7 Disaster deal #3: AT&T/NCR.<br />

As you read about these dismal transactions, can you speculate on the reasons for failure? On their<br />

faces, they seemed like strategically sound transactions. While one might question AT&T‟s push into<br />

personal computers, the other two deals were simple horizontal mergers (i.e., an extension of the<br />

existing business into new product lines or geographic markets). In hindsight, each deal failed for<br />

different reasons, but there are some common issues. The lessons learned are critical for all managers<br />

considering growth by acquisition. We now examine these colossal failures in more detail.<br />

In the Daimler/Chrysler merger, there were culture issues from the start, and it quickly became<br />

apparent that co-CEOs were not the way to manage a $130 billion global giant. Chrysler CEO Robert<br />

Eaton left quietly at the beginning of 2000, and there were other departures of high-level American<br />

executives. Morale suffered as employees in the United States realized that the so-called merger of

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