(AUTUMN)
UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX
BUSINESS SCHOOL
ASSIGNMENT - EB 904(AUTUMN, 2009)
Module Leader: Dr. Ping Zheng
Course: Masters in International Business & Entrepreneurship
Prepared by: -Mr. Soumyodiptha Saha
Student I.D - 0949159
Qs. Google, the widely popular Internet search-engine, has been on a buying spree in recent years and has acquired a number of smaller companies for the development of technology and new products, e.g. DoubleClick in 2008; acquisition of Postini in 2007 and dMarc Broadcasting in 2006. Why would those innovative smaller firms have agreed such acquisitions or merger with Google? Using the growth theories critically evaluate the growth of smaller firms in relation to the influence of larger firms and identify specifically how Google’s strategy constitutes entrepreneurial growth.
INTRODUCTION
In the recent years Google, the most popular internet search engine has acquired a number of small companies named as DoubleClick, Postini, dMarc Broadcasting, Feedburner, AdMob etc. in order to develop the technology and new products. Google’s acquisitions have helped her to grow and spread her activities in all the related fields of World Wide Web. However, the smaller companies whom Google has acquired in the recent years have their own and different aspects of growth and these aspects have been critically dealt with in this essay. The analysis of the growth of these small enterprises leads to the discussion of the various growth models proposed by Greiner, Churchill & Lewis and Storey. On the other hand, an attempt has been made to identify the different aspects and specifically the strategic aspect of Google’s growth. In this essay, I have tried to put forward a detailed study of growth attained by the small firms as well as by Google through its acquisitions and have therefore, segmented the analysis and discussions in different parts.
GOOGLE’S HISTORY & HER ACTIVITIES
Google, the most popular internet search