Box 5.3 Example: the case of Rover Car Company, Longbridge, West Midlands, UK

Context Develop a pupil-centred exercise designed to explore the cause and effect of the break-up of the Rover Car Company by its parent company BMW. BMW is based in Munich, Bavaria, in Germany. The rationalisation of the Longbridge works, the decision to sell the profitable Land Rover works at Solihull, and to maintain car production at Cowley, could be considered. Students examine the processes by which multinational companies, governments, workers and unions sought to influence events following BMW’s announcement in March 2000 of its decision to sell its Rover subsidiary.