When the world economy is booming, many corporate bosses love nothing more than buying each other's companies. Takeovers, mergers and acquisitions soar but evidence tends to suggest that many of the arrangements are a waste of time. So why are deals so seductive? Evan Davis and guests discuss why deals go right and what happens when they go wrong.

Evan's guests are: Sir George Buckley, former CEO of 3M and currently chairman designate of the engineering group Smiths; Sir Michael Rake, chairman of BT Group and deputy chairman of Barclays; and Juergen Maier, MD of Siemens UK and Ireland. Show less