(Strategic alliances) In their annual reports, companies provide brief descrip¬ tions of their most important contracts, including strategic alliances. Select a large publicly traded company and obtain a copy of its most recent annual report (in hard copy, on the company’s Web site, or on the EDGAR portion of the SEC’s Web site). Review the portions of the annual report that discuss strategic alliances. Based on your review, prepare an oral report in which you discuss the following points:

a. motivations for establishing strategic alliances.

b. extent to which strategic alliances are used to conduct business.

c. relative financial success of the strategic alliances.

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