Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description:  Apple Inc.’s shares are now down nearly 15% since they briefly passed the $700 mark in mid-September.

Source:  Marketwatch.com

Date: Nov 01, 2012

Link:  http://www.marketwatch.com/story/is-apple-starting-to-unravel-without-jobs-2012-11-01?siteid=nwtwk

Questions for Discussions:

  • What does this report suggest is the reason for Apple’s stock performance?
  • Do you agree with this assessment?
  • Do you see a managerial solution or is there no problem at the moment?

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources, Uncategorized.

Description: While the return of cult comedy series Arrested Development is coming to Netflix, a disastrous earnings report has investors fleeing.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: Oct 24, 2012

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2012/10/24/investing-netflix-arrested-development.cnnmoney/

Questions for Discussions:

  • Why is Neflix disappointing investors?
  • How can managers differentiate Netflix from the competitors mentioned in the report?
  • Do you think Netflix can succeed in the long run?

 

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description: A father-son connection to the “Gangnam Style” music video has triggered an almost 500 percent rally in shares of DI Corp. since mid-July in Seoul.

Source: Bloomberg.com – video report

Date: Oct 17, 2012

Link: http://bloom.bg/Raq9XR#ooid=QzMXM4NjoT1LDBTKtodI_xi0ejyLWL73

Questions for Discussions:

  • How has the popularity of Gangnam influenced stock market values of some companies? Explain this phenomenon.
  • Do you think the price increases are sustainable?
  • What else might influence these stocks?

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information.

Description:  If it weren’t for the fine print, you’d never known the two were connected.  On the entire Dark Rye website, the Whole Foods logo is nowhere to be seen. And yet, Vadan Less, co-founder of Dark Rye, says the online magazine does not mean to hide that it’s published by Whole Foods Market.

Source: SmartPlanet.com

Date: Oct 26, 2012

Link:  http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/pure-genius/q-a-is-whole-foods-market-spearheading-a-new-form-of-advertising/8951

Questions for Discussions:

  • Describe the concept of this new form of advertising.
  • Do you think it will become a more common format and platform for businesses in the future? Explain your thinking.

 

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description:  Brian Rinfret likes imported beer from Germany. He sometimes buys Spaten. He enjoys an occasional Bitburger. When he was 25 years old, he discovered Beck’s, a pilsner brewed in the city of Bremen in accordance with the Reinheitsgebot, the German Purity Law of 1516. It said so right on the label. After that, Rinfret was hooked.

Source: Businessweek.com

Date: Oct 25, 2012

Link:  http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-10-25/the-plot-to-destroy-americas-beer#r=hp-lst

Questions for Discussions:

  • Describe the global beer industry today.
  • How has national branding shifted to global branding?
  • What are the other industry trends today?

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment.

Description:  The mother of China’s prime minister was a schoolteacher in northern China. His father was ordered to tend pigs in one of Mao’s political campaigns. And during childhood, “my family was extremely poor,” the prime minister, Wen Jiabao, said in a speech last year.

Source:  NYTimes.com

Date: Oct 25, 2012

Link:  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/26/business/global/family-of-wen-jiabao-holds-a-hidden-fortune-in-china.html?ref=business

Questions for Discussions:

  • What does this article have to say about the relationship between government officials and businesses in China?
  • How different do you think this behavior is in other parts of the world?
  • Is there a solution to control this sort of behavior?

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description: CNN’s Fareed Zakaria reports that cars have gotten increasingly heavier and looks at one scientist’s design for the lighter car of the future.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: Oct 19, 2012

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2012/10/19/t-cars-guzzlers-diet.cnnmoney/

Questions for Discussions:

  • What are the design implications of moving to the manufacturing of automobiles using light-weight materials?
  • Do you think it would be an easy transfer for customers?
  • What marketing message would you send out to buyers?

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description: Southwest Airlines’ Gary Kelly says the outlook for fuel prices in the fourth quarter is getting worse.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: Oct 18, 2012

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2012/10/18/n-southwest-gary-kelly.cnnmoney/

Questions for Discussions:

  • Summarize the state of business affairs at Southwest.
  • How is Gary Kelly planning to deal with rising fuel costs over the next few years?

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management, Part 5 Managing Technology and Information.

Description:  Like most women, Tina Hines has her size — an 8 — and then she has her list of clothes that actually look good on her. Side pockets are out (they make her hips look too wide). Halter tops are difficult (she needs to wear a bra). Defined waists are good, and she likes a bit of Lycra to accentuate her curves.

Source: NYTimes.com

Date: Oct 19, 2012

Link:  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/20/business/rent-the-runway-uses-real-women-to-market-high-fashion.html?ref=business

Questions for Discussions:

  • Describe the concept of this website.
  • Who is the target customer?
  • Why do you think the site is successful?
  • How else would you generate revenues from this operation?

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 3 Management: Empowering People to Achieve Business Objectives, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description:  Following Nike’s (NKE) abrupt reversal on sticking by disgraced brand ambassador Lance Armstrong, as well as Armstrong’s own resignation today as chairman of the charity he founded, author Daniel Coyle took to Twitter to solicit suggestions for renaming the Lance Armstrong Center at Nike headquarters.

Source: Businessweek.com

Date: Oct 17, 2012

Link:  http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-10-17/lance-armstrong-gets-the-paterno-treatment-at-nike-hq#r=hpt-fs

Questions for Discussions:

  • Do you agree with Nike’s decision?
  • How would you deal with the publicity at Nike?
  • What would you advise the foundation?
  • What would you advise Lance Armstrong?