Small Business Exports Edge Up
Description: Small businesses have increased their share of exports in the two years since President Obama set a goal to double U.S. sales abroad by 2015, according to new federal data.
Source: Businessweek.com
Date: 02/02/2012
Questions for discussion:
- What are the reasons for the improved exports by small businesses?
- Can this be sustained? If so, how?
Kaiser CEO: Time to end piecemeal healthcare
Description: George Halvorson, CEO of non-profit healthcare insurer Kaiser Permanente, says the current U.S. healthcare system will drive the economy into the ground.
Source: CNNMoney.com – video report
Date: 01/26/2012
Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2012/01/26/n_davos_halvorson_health.cnnmoney/
Questions for discussion:
- Describe how the not-for-profit and for-profit healthcare businesses work?
- How should healthcare work, according to CEO George Halvorson?
- How could it be better?
- What managerial issues are stopping the for-profit industry from adopting these policies?
- How does consumer psychology affect this business?
Amazon’s Hit Man
Description: Larry Kirshbaum was the ultimate book industry insider—until Amazon called
Source: Businessweek.com
Date: 01/25/2012
Link: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/amazons-hit-man-01252012.html?chan=magazine+channel_top+stories
Questions for discussion:
- Describe the changes that management is dealing with in the publishing industry.
- How has management at Amazon been affected by technological changes?
- Do you think management decision-making has been responsive?
Six Strategy Insights RIM’s New CEO Can Use
Description: The usual moves won’t work when new technologies and rivals dramatically shake up the field
Source: Businessweek.com
Date: 01/24/2012
Link: http://www.businessweek.com/management/six-strategy-insights-rims-new-ceo-can-use-01242012.html
Questions for discussion:
- What are the recommendations made in this report?
- Do you agree with them?
- What else would you suggest to RIM’s top management?
How the U.S. Lost Out on iPhone Work
January 30, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
Description: When Barack Obama joined Silicon Valley’s top luminaries for dinner in California last February, each guest was asked to come with a question for the president. But as Steven P. Jobs of Apple spoke,President Obama interrupted with an inquiry of his own: what would it take to make iPhones in the United States?
Source: NYTimes.com
Date: 01/22/2012
Link to article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/business/apple-america-and-a-squeezed-middle-class.html?hp
Link to video: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/01/20/business/the-iphone-economy.html?ref=business
Questions for discussion:
- How does Apple illustrate the global nature of business today?
- Why, according to the report, will these manufacturing jobs never return to the U.S.?
- Do you agree with this view?
- What does this report suggest managers do in order reduce the loss of manufacturing employment?
- How can future employees – in the U.S. and elsewhere – prepare for work in a global market for jobs?
- Is there a role for governments here?
Leaving the plastic (and fees) behind
Description: Dwolla, of Des Moines, Iowa, is taking on credit cards by allowing users to transfer money and pay for items on their phones for a small fee.
Source: CNNMoney.com – video report
Date: 01/17/2012
Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2012/01/13/t_dwolla_credit_cards.cnnmoney/
Questions for discussion:
- Describe why this business is better than competitors?
- What are the problems managers will have to overcome in order to succeed on a large scale?
Apple Unveils IBooks 2 to Help Boost IPad Usage in Schools
January 23, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information
Description: Apple Inc. introduced a service to make digital versions of textbooks available on the iPad and beef up the education content for the tablet computer as it gains popularity in classrooms.
Source: Businessweek.com
Date: 01/20/2012
Questions for discussion:
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of this sort of technology?
- Do you think this strategy will be successful?
- What are the issues that must be reconciled with students, schools, teachers, and authors?
7 Charged as F.B.I. Closes a Top File-Sharing Site
January 23, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources
Description: In what authorities have called one of the largest criminal copyright cases ever brought, the Justice Department and the F.B.I. have seized the Web site Megaupload and charged seven people connected with it with running an international enterprise based on Internet piracy. Source: NYTimes.com
Date: 01/20/2012
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/21/technology/megaupload-indictment-internet-piracy.html?ref=business
Questions for discussion:
- What are the conflicting issues in this situation?
- Where do you stand on these arguments over copyright?
- What do you think will eventually emerge as an attempt to resolve the problems?
If Apple made a TV …
January 16, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information
Description: TV makers at CES say they are not worried about Apple breaking into their business. But should they be?
Source: CNNMoney.com – video report
Date: 01/11/2012
Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2012/01/11/t_ces_apple_tv.cnnmoney/
Questions for discussion:
- What sort of features would you expect if and when an Apple TV is introduced to the marketplace?
- How might consumers change their TV viewing behavior?
- Do you think an entry into the TV market by Apple would disrupt the industry?
Park City Eatery Balks at Credit Card Fines in Rare Court Fight
Description: Stephen and Cissy McComb say they managed their Italian eatery in Park City, Utah, for more than two decades without running afoul of security rules of Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. — until they were accused of mishandling data and opening the door to $1.26 million in fraud.
Source: Bloomberg.com
Date: 01/1o/2012
Questions for discussion:
- What are the legal and social issues involved in this report?
- How can small businesses deal with the problems related to credit card companies and their policies?
