Companies may become diversified by entering into new businesses on its own, by merging with another company or by acquiring a company operating in another field or service sector. One of the challenges facing diversified companies is the need to maintain a strong strategic focus to produce solid financial returns for shareholders instead of diluting corporate value through ill-conceived acquisitions or expansions.
Some of the most well-known American diversified companies are GE, 3M, Sara Lee and Motorola. European diversified companies include Siemens and Bayer; Asian diversified companies include Hitachi, Toshiba, and Sanyo Electric.