Question

A horizontal merger between two firms occurs when: __________

a. the products of the merging firms were not related in any manner before the merger.
b. one firm is a producer of products, and the other firm is a producer of services.
c. one firm is a domestic firm, and the other is a foreign company
d. the firms stood in a buyer-seller relationship before the merger.
e. the merger partners were competitors.

Answer 1

Answer:

e

Explanation:

A merger can be described as the absorption of one firm by another firm.

When a merger occurs, one of the firms would not exist as a separate entity while the other firm would continue to exist.

Types of merger

1. Horizontal merger : this is a type of merger that occurs between firms in the same industry. The firms are usually competitors.

Reasons for an horizontal merger

• It is done to increase the market power of a firm
• This type of merger is done to achieve economies of scale.

An example of an horizontal merger is the merger between Mobil and Exxon in 1999.

2. Vertical merger : this is when a firm purchases another firm in the same production line. e.g. a baker purchases a pastry distributing company

Reasons for a vertical merger

• Cost savings
• It provides the firm acquiring a greater control of the production process.

Types of vertical merger

a. Backward integration : it is when the acquiring firm purchases a firm ahead of it in the production process. e.g. a baker purchases a pastry distributing company

b. Forward integration : it is when the acquiring firm purchases a firm that is behind it in the production process. e.g. a baker purchases a firm that supplies grains

3. Conglomerate merger : This occurs when the products of the merging firms were not related in any manner before the merger.