Document Type

Thesis

Publication Date

1995

Disciplines

Business

Advisor

John Hasselberg

Abstract

In the 1980s, there was a controversy regarding whether takeovers should be regulated more, and takeovers were more complex with target companies defending themselves better. The debate over regulation centered on state laws that were being passed to protect local companies and on pressure for the federal government to adopt uniform laws regulating takeovers. Takeovers were more difficult because of the strategy now required to be successful. There were many protective strategies that target companies could adopt to defend themselves. A takeover that illustrated the controversy and complexity was the attempted takeover of Dayton Hudson by the Dart Group in 1987. This takeover was unusual because it was ended by the stockmarket crash in October 1987.

There are two points that I intend to prove. The first is that the Dart Group, controlled by the Haft family, was not interested in greenmail in this takeover, which it had a reputation for, and only wanted control of Dayton Hudson. The second, most important, point is that Dayton Hudson and Dart both used the best options available to them during the takeover.

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Business Commons

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