Victim of merger mania? A qualitative study on German media giant Bertelsmann AG's international strategies and growth opportunities

The developments in technology and resulting uncertainty in the global media marketplace have put media companies in search of successful business models. This qualitative research studied Bertelsmann AG, one of the world's largest media conglomerates, and its realignment from an external-growth-oriented media company to a company concentrating on organic growth initiatives in core business areas. This research attempted to assess the company's outlook and to evaluate, whether Bertelsmann's repositioning could be seen as a model for success in a global economy.; For this purpose, interviews with nine industry experts were conducted. The results show that Bertelsmann has a strong record in remaining profitable, but its conservative approach may pose a threat to its global top-tier position. But the findings also indicate that Bertelsmann's approach could be a key for success in a global economy. These findings can provide further studies a point of reference when evaluating the growth strategies of global media companies.