Is Boeing 787 Really a Dreamliner?
February 20, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management
Description: The Boeing 787 “Dreamliner” was billed as a revolution for travelers, offering a more humid, comfortable cabin and lighting that would lessen fatigue, dry eyes and jet lag. Scott McCartney on Lunch Break looks at the validity of those claims.
Source: Moneywatch.com – video report
Date: 02/15/2012
Questions for discussion:
- What are the important selling features to managers of airlines buying these planes?
- What are the features that would be important to passengers?
Look to weaknesses to find your leadership strengths
February 20, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives
Description: (MoneyWatch) Steve Jobs, General Patton, and Mother Teresa. They were leaders who broke the mold, using their uniqueness to do what no one else could do. What they had in common was that they were unique.
Source: MoneyWatch.com
Date: 02/08/2012
Questions for discussion:
- Summarize the ideas expressed in this article about leadership?
- What is your opinion of this line of thinking?
250,000 ask Apple to change its labor ways
Description: Petitions with over 250,000 signatures were delivered to Apple stores calling for reforms to working conditions in its suppliers’ factories.
Source: CNNMoney.com – video report
Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2012/02/09/t-ts-change-org-signatures.cnnmoney/
Questions for discussion:
- Do you think Apple is being singled-out when the concerns likely apply to any company manufacturing in China?
- How should Apple’s management deal with group?
An Idea for Fixing Education: Skip College, Work at a Startup
February 13, 2012 by Brahm Canzer
Filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives
Description: Skip college, work at a startup. That’s the idea behind a new two-year program called Enstittue that started accepting applications Tuesday.
Source: Mashable.com
Date: 02/02/2012
Link: http://mashable.com/2012/02/07/enstitute/
Questions for discussion:
- What do you think of these arguments for learning on the job?
- For which careers is attending college a better choice for more efficient learning?
How Zuckerberg changed the game
Description: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg grew the college dorm room startup to a global tech giant with more users than most countries’ populations.
Source: CNNMoney.com – video report
Date: 02/03/2012
Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2012/02/02/f_game_changers_facebook.fortune/
Questions for discussion:
- Who is Mark Zukerberg?
- Do you think his engineering background affected the way he managed the development of the company?
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?
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?
