Description: Yahoo! Inc. is leaning toward selling its Asian assets and redistributing the proceeds to shareholders, rather than selling itself to a group of buyers, according to five people familiar with the situation. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: 10/29/2011 Link:  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-28/yahoo-said-to-lean-toward-dividend-buyback-instead-of-sale.html Questions for discussion: Summarize the main points presented in this report. Do you think the decision… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Part 1 Business in a Global Environment
$25,000 for a child’s playhouse?
Description: Lilliput Play Homes feature replicas of everything a full-size house does, including the kitchen sink. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 10/21/2011 Link:  http://money.cnn.com/video/pf/2011/10/21/pf_lilliput_play_homes.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Explain the success of this firm? Who are the target customers? What are some other “concepts“ for production, besides playhouses, that this company might consider producing?
A Comeback for the Much Maligned Murphy Bed
Description:   California Closets and other furniture sellers have seen a spike in demand for Murphy beds, which fold down from the wall. As Elizabeth Holmes explains on Lunch Break, the design of these beds has evolved from awkward and obvious to sleek. Source: Marketwatch.com – video report Date: 10/21/2011 Link: http://www.marketwatch.com/video/asset/a-comeback-for-the-much-maligned-murphy-bed/5C8AF728-40E7-4BD7-8CF8-18250F1FB2D0 Questions for discussion: Who… Read more »
The Green Bay Packers Have the Best Owners in Football
Description: The fans are shareholders. The CEO is a union leader and ex-player. The city is a dot on the map. The bizarre anomaly of the franchise that rules the NFL Source: Businessweek.com Date: 10/20/2011 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/the-green-bay-packers-have-the-best-owners-in-football-10202011.html Questions for discussion: Explain the strategic success of the team from a managerial, marketing, and financial point of… Read more »
Can bank stocks bail out your portfolio?
Description: Year’s tumble lures value seekers, but they could be a trap Source: Marketwatch.com Date: 10/21/2011 Link:  http://www.marketwatch.com/story/can-bank-stocks-bail-out-your-portfolio-2011-10-21 Questions for discussion: Summarize the main points presented in this report. Do you agree with the analysis and conclusions?
Occupy Wall Street Loves Capitalism’s Pearls: William D. Cohan
Description: It was probably inevitable that the Occupy Wall Street movement would be rife with contradictions. Back on Sept. 15, two days before the first protest began in lower Manhattan, an organizing principle of sorts appeared on the Adbusters website. “Hey President Obama, get ready for our one demand!†the post announced. Source: Bloomberg.com Date:… Read more »
Rent a $2,300 outfit for $175
Description: Startup Rent the Runway is a company born out of the recession where you can rent high-end designer fashion for a fraction of retail prices. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 10/14/2011 Link:  http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2011/10/13/n_rent_the_runway.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: Explain the success of this firm? Who are the target customers? Do you think this business model… Read more »
Gas pipeline CEO backs more regulation
Description:  Enbridge CEO Pat Daniel says that more regulation of oil pipeline safety will give the public greater confidence in the oil industry. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: 10/13/2011 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2011/10/12/n_enbridge_oil_sands_pipeline.cnnmoney/ Questions for discussion: What are the advantages and disadvantages of a pipeline supplying energy? Do you think a pipeline delivering energy from Canada’s… Read more »
Language Line Plans a Roll-Up as Translation Demand Soars
Description: The University of California Medical Center in San Francisco spends more than $3 million a year on translation services for thousands of patients who don’t speak English. Since 2009, the demand for foreign language interpreters from the center’s medical personnel has risen by a third, for languages ranging from Farsi to Mongolian. Source: Bloomberg.com… Read more »
The Shadowy World of iPhone Cases
Description: Smartphone case makers rely on rumors and leaks to get their products on the market first Source: Businessweek.com Date: 10/14/2011 Link:  http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/the-shadowy-world-of-iphone-cases-10132011.html Questions for discussion: What did you learn in this report about risk-taking and the planning process? How would you make decisions in this business environment?
