Benchmarking – Mergers and AcquisitionsBusinesses and organizations face daily decisions that can provide unlimited opportunities internally and externally. Finances and maximizing growth also play an important role in these decisions. Leaders and managers must make decisions on how resources will be appropriated, how to increase profits, sales and the overall business portfolio of the company. Businesses are able to determine what is working and what is not by analyzing their financial statements. Sometimes financial statements tell a lot about an organization and its financial situation or history. When companies start losing profits or sales, they are at a point where they could potentially be taken over or go bankrupt. The current benchmarking document that Team C is focusing on is the mergers and acquisitions that other organizations across various industries have faced. As LEI and Shang-wa potentially face takeovers, we wanted to look at organizations that have merged or joined forces in order to maintain business continuity. Next, Team C will explore several companies that have dealt with mergers or acquisitions. Airlines The first mergers and acquisitions we will discuss include American Airlines, Comair and Delta. companies, and in 1930 the Aviation Corporation was incorporated into American Airways. In 1934, American Airways became American Airlines, Inc. (American, 2002). In 1937, American reached a milestone by carrying its millionth passenger. Over the years, American has gone through its own stages and changes with the addition of new routes, different aircraft and even a reorganization within the company. In 1982, shareholders approved a reorganization plan and formed a new holding company AMR Corporation, which became the parent company of American Airlines, Inc. While American was doing well in the industry and the base of Consumers were increasing, they decided to look for smaller airlines. and see if they could develop their business. In 1998, American Airlines announced the acquisition of Reno Air and American Eagles' acquisition of Business Express. By August 1999, Reno Air was fully integrated. However, American is not done growing its business and customer base. On September 21, 1998, American and four other airlines joined alliances to launch a customer-focused global alliance called One World, which launched a multimillion-dollar program aimed at raising the standard of global travel..