Corporate Restructuring : Finance in Times of Crisis

Technological progress and globalization have completely changed the overall conditions and rules of entrepreneurial engagement. The speed of this modern high performance economy has accelerated, competition is fiercer than ever, and the battles are no longer fought in the domestic or intra-European arena, but on a global level. To keep up with their rivals and increase their productivity, bu- nesses must be able to efficiently manage their processes and structures. However, strategies and business models must be developed simultaneously to set the stage for a successful and sustainable course of expansion. Driven by these forces, the management and focus of restructuring measures has also changed in recent years: in the past, the primary objective was to implement solutions to improve the operational end of the business – and, ultimately, to cut costs. The strategic revamping of the company is closely linked to this type of operational restructuring. Since then, however, another financial dimension has been added to this restructuring approach. In other words, the restructuring pr- ess – and the respective demands it imposes on stakeholders, such as managers, financial partners, and consultants – has evolved substantially from pure cost cutting measures (often associated with "rightsizing") to consulting on the brink of insolvency (planned insolvency method) and growth-oriented financial restr- turing.