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News Corporation and Dow Jones & Company...

Bourgeois, L. J. I...

Case

News Corporation and Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

Bourgeois, L. J. III; Hammaker, Paul M.; Kapur, Divyaksh; Mussio, Michael

BP-0534 | Published November 13, 2008 | 6 pages Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

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Billionaire Rupert Murdoch, CEO of News Corporation, has purchased the Dow Jones & Company, which includes the Wall Street Journal, from the Bancroft family after many family discussions about the sale. At issue is whether Murchoch, known for his involved and hands-on management style, will impose his will on the editorial personnel and policies of the WSJ and risk destroying the very intellectual capital he has just acquired.

Application of resource-based-view principles to an aquisition: When buying the WSJ, News Corp bought a brand, a mailing list, and an editorial tradition with an established set of capabilities. How will Murdoch realize the value of his acquisition without imposing at least some of his managerial methods, and at the same time preserve the very intellectual capital that is the foundation of the paper?