Managers tasked with the overall management of a company may
thirst for additional lines of business, particularly those that are related to
any of the company’s existing lines. Lest it be concluded that an expansive
tendency flows straight out of a business calculus, the infamous “empire-building”
urge, which is premised on the assumption of being capable of managing or doing
anything, is often also in play. Interestingly, this instinct can operate even
at the expense of profit satisficing or maximizing. In this essay, I assess
Google’s sale of its Motorola (cellular phone manufacturing) unit.
The full essay is at Institutional Conflicts of Interest, available in print and as an ebook at Amazon.
