Europe’s Impact on U.S. Stocks

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

Description:     Barrons.com Stocks Editor Bob O’Brien makes a stop on Mean Street to discuss the relationship between the European debt crisis and the U.S. economy.

Source: Moneywatch.com – video report

Date: 11/07/2011

Link:  http://www.marketwatch.com/video/asset/europe-impact-on-us-stocks/0F5C104D-4734-404D-BED8-E6A1618F8A1E

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the reasons presented for concern over the European debt crisis.
  • How is the global economy affected by the situation?
  • Do you agree with the commentary presented?
  • What do you think will happen over the next 12 months?

Robot army helps run warehouses

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

Description:  The future of warehouses may be one with fast shipments and few human employees if robots like Kiva Systems continue to invade the workplace.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report com

Date: 11/09/2011

Link:  http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2011/11/08/ts_kiva_robotics_robot.cnnmoney/

Questions for discussion:

  • How can this system improve productivity in a warehouse?
  • How would a financial manager make a decision to install the system or continue with human workers only?
  • How do you think this system might change the work environment for employees?

To Win Customers, Get Out of the Way

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:  Advice from Hawaiian Airlines executive Charles Nardello

Source: Businessweek.com

Date: 11/11/2011

Link:  http://www.businessweek.com/management/to-win-customers-get-out-of-the-way-11112011.html

Questions for discussion:

  • What does Charles Nardello have to say about management?
  • Do you agree with his thinking?

2012 could be a good year for the markets

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

Description: Commentary: With incumbent in presidential race, stocks gain

Source:  Marketwatch.com

Date: 11/11/2011

Link:   http://www.marketwatch.com/story/2012-could-be-a-good-year-for-the-markets-2011-11-11

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the reasons 2012 could be a good year.
  • Do you agree with these arguments?

Analysts like Demand Media. Its writers? Not so much

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:  The company turned in solid quarterly results that analysts cheered. But the site’s writers are telling a very different story.

Source:  Fortune.com

Date: 11/11/2011

Link:  http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/11/11/demand-media-writers/?iid=SF_F_Lead

Questions for discussion:

  • Describe the business model for this firm.
  • How is production controlled?
  • Do you think Google’s actions were fair-minded?
  • What should the company do in the future in response to the current competitive environment?

Groupon: Investor Beware!

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

Description:  In his On the Mark segment, Evan Newmark says Friday’s Groupon IPO should be waded through with caution by investors, because it is another example of Wall Street shenanigans.

Source: Marketwatch.com – video report

Date: 11/04/2011

Link:  http://www.marketwatch.com/video/asset/groupon-investor-beware/5DE4D58B-F543-470C-880B-4F2183A8AE19

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the reasons presented why investors should stay away from this stock.
  • Do you believe the rocket rise in IPO launch-value motivates investors to enter the stock market or keeps them away?

From failure to Facebook

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

Description:    Facebook’s Carolyn Everson explains how she learned from the failure of her startup Pets.com.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: 11/04/2011

Link:  http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2011/11/03/ts_40_u_everson_facebook.fortune/

Questions for discussion:

  • What did you learn about business success and failure by watching this clip?
  • Do you think Carolyn Emerson is a better corporate executive at Facebook due her earlier entrepreneurial failure?

Apple’s Supply-Chain Secret? Hoard Lasers

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:  The iPhone maker spends lavishly on all stages of the manufacturing process, giving it a huge operations advantage

Source: Businessweek.com

Date: 11/03/2011

Link:  http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/apples-supplychain-secret-hoard-lasers-11032011.html

Questions for discussion:

  • Why does Apple have a competitive advantage in R&D over other firms?
  • How important is the scale of production to Apple’s success in R&D and production?

The TV business model is doomed

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

Description: Commentary: How much will you pay to regain personal time?

Source:  Marketwatch.com

Date: 11/04/2011

Link:   http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-tv-business-model-is-doomed-2011-11-04

Questions for discussion:

  • Do you believe the current business model is doomed?
  • Do you believe there is a sizable segment of the market that would be willing to pay $1 per hour of commercial-free television?
  • Where do you see the industry headed in the next 10 years as technology changes the game?

Apple Doles Out $60M Stock Grants to Execs

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:  Apple Inc. (AAPL), seeking to retain its management team in the wake of former Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs’s death last month, gave $60 million restricted-stock grants to most of its senior vice presidents.

Source:  Bloomberg.com

Date: 11/04/2011

Link:  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-04/apple-doles-out-stock-grants-to-several-of-its-top-executives.html

Questions for discussion:

  • Do you believe this is a wise financial planning decision at Apple?
  • How do you think it will be received by other employees at the firm and by the stockholders?
  • Do you believe this is the sort of activity being protested by the “Occupy Wall Street” protesters?
  • How is it the same or different than what is being protested?