Ford to build new plant in China
Description: In a global push, the carmaker will open its third plant in China and introduce four new vehicles before 2012.
Source: CNNMoney – video report
Date: 9/25/2009
Keys: International business, management, marketing, strategic planning
Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/markets/2009/09/25/mkts_asia_ford_china_u3x.cnnmoney/
Questions for discussion:
- Why do you think Ford is building new plants in China? Explain your thinking.
- What advantages are there besides lower costs for manufacturing? Are there any disadvantages?
- Do you think the target customers for Ford automobiles could also be customers of Honda’s uni-cycle? If not, who would they be?
- Where and how could these uni-cycles be sold?
- What advantages and disadvantages do they have over other forms of personal transportation?
- Develop a simple marketing approach for one target market.
Bullish Estimates Fail to Keep Up With S&P 500 Gain
September 28, 2009 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
Description: Strategists at Wall Street’s biggest securities firms can’t keep up with the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index after the steepest surge since the 1930s.
Source: Bloomberg.com
Date: 9/23/2009
Keys: Stock markets, economy
Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=azdTAKZ2QQ7w
Questions for discussion:
- Summarize the explanations for the rise in stock markets as well as the arguments saying they are over-valued?
- Where do you think the truth lies?
- How have the markets performed since this article was published?
- Would you be a buyer or a seller today?
Silicon Valley reinvents the lowly brick
September 28, 2009 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information
Description: Forget microchips. Silicon Valley sees a profitable future in the humble brick thanks to a low-energy production process that illustrates the greening of the U.S. technology capital.
Source: Reuters.com
Date: 9/22/2009
Keys: Marketing, new product development, technology
Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE58K47220090922
Questions for discussion:
- What are the risks to builders using these new bricks? What risk is there for producers? Explain your thinking.
- Who are the likely target markets for this innovation? Explain your thinking.
Study shows U.S. bank CEO pay dwarfs rest of world
September 28, 2009 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives
Description: You wouldn’t know it by his pay stubs, but Jiang Jianqing heads the world’s largest bank. Jiang, chairman of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, made just $234,700 in 2008. That’s less than 2 percent of the $19.6 million awarded to Jamie Dimon, chief executive of the world’s fourth-largest bank, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Source: Reuters.com
Date: 9/23/2009
Keys: Management, HR, ethics
Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE58M2QU20090923
Questions for discussion:
- Do you think U.S. bank CEOs are fairly compensated? Explain your thinking.
- How else could compensation for these sorts of important managerial positions be decided? Explain your answer.
Xerox: A smooth CEO transition
September 21, 2009 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives
Description: Outgoing chief Anne Mulcahy and incoming head Ursula Burns discuss their historic CEO handoff.
Source: CNNMoney – video report
Date: 9/16/2009
Keys: Management, HR, strategic planning
Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/fortune/2009/09/16/f_mpw_xerox_transition.fortune/
Questions for discussion:
- Summarize the similarities and differences you can observe about these two CEOs.
- Do you find it strange that their educational backgrounds are so different? Explain your answer.
- Do you think technical knowledge is critical in order to be the CEO of Xerox? Explain your thinking.
Riding the bull a little longer
September 21, 2009 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
Description: The momentum that boosted the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq to nearly one-year highs looks to reassert itself in the week ahead. Fed meeting, housing reports, G-20 summit on tap.
Source: CNNMoney.com
Date: 9/20/2009
Keys: Investing, stock market
Link: http://money.cnn.com/2009/09/18/markets/sunday_lookahead/index.htm?postversion=2009092008
Questions for discussion:
- Based on the report, do you believe the stock markets will continue to rise this week? Explain your answer.
- Are you concerned that markets might be over-valued and experience a significant pull back from current levels? Explain your thinking.
Marchionne Managing Chrysler Means 5 Mobile Devices in Backpack
September 21, 2009 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
Description: To save Chrysler Group LLC, Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne has to create a mid-size sedan that can compete with the world’s best. It’s a three- to five-year job, and he may have two years to do it.
Source: Bloomberg.com
Date: 9/14/2009
Keys: Management, investing, marketing
Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=awHymjXNOYdI
Questions for discussion:
- Summarize the strategies that are supposed to fix Chrysler?
- Do you think they will be successful? Explain your answer.
- Do you think the cash plans are sufficient or will Fiat eventually invest cash into Chrysler?
Renault’s Ghosn Says Future of Electric Autos Hinges on $70 Oil
September 21, 2009 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
Description: Renault SA Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn said the future of electric cars depends on a rebound in oil prices that may boost sales of the battery-powered vehicles he’s spending 4 billion euros ($5.9 billion) to develop.
Source: Bloomberg.com
Date: 9/16/2009
Keys: Marketing, finance, technology
Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aR2eQwSe7_S8
Questions for discussion:
- Do you think Renault’s bet on $70 oil and electric autos will be successful? Explain your answer.
- What do you think the ideal auto would look like from a fuel design point of view? Explain your thinking.
Steve Jobs is back
September 14, 2009 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information
Description: Apple’s CEO makes his first public appearance in a year to unveil iPod upgrades.
Source: CNNMoney – video report
Date: 9/09/2009
Keys: Management, marketing
Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2009/09/09/f_tt_apple_steve_jobs.fortune/
Questions for discussion:
- Why is the return of Steve Jobs so important to Apple and the industry in general?
- Do you think Apple’s new product features will resonate well with customers? Explain your answer.
- What do you think will motivate buyers to trade up to iPhone? Explain your answer.
Big week ahead on Wall Street
Description: One year after Lehman Brothers, the stock market is right back where it was. Beyond the anniversary, reports on the consumer loom.
Source: CNN News
Date: 9/12/2009
Keys: Marketing, pricing, new product development, technologies
Link: http://money.cnn.com/2009/09/12/markets/sunday_lookahead/index.htm?postversion=2009091206
Questions for discussion:
- Explain why the stock market fell and returned to the current valuation during the past year?
- How do you think the stock market will perform over the next week? Next month? Next year? Explain your thinking.
