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

Description: Government incentives and an Ohio venture capital fund focused on Israel have drawn Israeli entrepreneurs to a state with top research clinics and a flourishing health-care industry.

Source:  Businessweek.com

Date: 11/18/2010

Link: http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/nov2010/sb20101117_584843.htm?chan=smallbiz_special+report+–+focus+on+entrepreneurs+november+2010_special+report+–+focus+on+entrepreneurs+november+2010

Questions for discussion:

  • What are the reasons motivating these parties to collaborate in this effort?
  • What are the basic benefits for each party?
  • What other types of technologies would likely find international collaboration for the same reasons?

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

Description: With just a week before the official kickoff of the year’s biggest shopping season, consumers are hitting the dozens of websites that track holiday sales and finding TVs, eBook readers and other items at their deepest discounts of the year.

Source: Marketwatch.com
 
Date: 11/18/2010

Link: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/unwrapping-black-friday-deals-2010-11-18?siteid=nwtwk

Questions for discussion: 

  • How important is “Black Friday” for retailers?
  • What does the report suggest about the buying and selling mood this year?
  • What do you think the holiday shopping season will be like for retailers?
  • Which retailers do you think will do best financially?
  • Which retailers do you think will perform poorly?

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

Description: Rebecca Jarvis and Barrons associate editor Michael Santori discuss the recent increase in private sector jobs and what we can expect in the future.

Source:  BNET.com – video report

Date: 11/12/2010

Link: http://moneywatch.bnet.com/economic-news/video/jobs-outlook-looking-better/481539/

Questions for discussion: 

  • Summarize the reasons companies are starting to hire back more workers now?
  • What does this say about these companies, their industries, and the economic recovery?

Posted by & filed under Part 1 Business in a Global Environment, Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description: Tweezerman founder Dal LaMagna says his company grew by being frugal with money and keeping stakeholders interests at heart.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report
 
Date: 11/11/2010

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/smallbusiness/2010/11/11/sbiz_tweezerman_dal_lamagna_500_dollars.cnnmoney/

Questions for discussion: 

  • Explain the global success of this game?
  • What does its success suggest about consumer behavior?
  • What need does this product satisfy for consumers?
  • How do you explain the appeal of Monopoly in this age of electronic gadgetry?

Posted by & filed under Part 2 Starting and Growing Your Business, Part 4: Marketing Management.

Description:  Barry Diller, who has spent the better part of a decade amassing a collection of Internet companies — a search engine here, a dating Web site there — has figured out how to help make the Internet work a little better for him. He is going into the magazine business.

Source: NYTimes.com
 
Date: 11/12/20

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/13/business/media/13mag.html?ref=business

Questions for discussion:

  • What are the pros and cons of this merger?
  • Do you think there are good synergies between the two organizations that suggest they can succeed?

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

Description: California philanthropists Lynda and Stewart Resnick own a pistachio empire twice the size of Sacramento. Now they’re facing lawsuits over water control and the health claims of Pom Wonderful.

Source:  Businessweek.com

Date: 11/11/2010

Link: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_47/b4204068352545.htm

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the business, legal, and moral issues in this report?
  • Who do you side with in this argument? Explain your reasoning?

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

Description:  The iPhone was an also-ran for Monica Amilpas when she chose her first smartphone last year. She opted for the BlackBerry Curve because it had an instant- messaging feature the Apple Inc. device lacked.

Source: Bloomberg.com
 
Date: 11/11/2010

Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-11/rim-taps-teens-messaging-mania-to-top-apple-in-latin-america.html

Questions for discussion: 

  • Why is RIM’s Blackberry more successful in this market?
  • What does this mean for RIM as teens grow up and eventually become adult customers?
  • What can Apple do about this competitive advantage enjoyed by RIM?

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

Description: Anglo Irish Bank’s unfinished head office pokes into the sky on Dublin’s North Wall Quay, a silent testimony to the rise and fall of the Celtic Tiger.

Source:  TheGlobeandMail.com
 
Date: 11/12/2010

Link:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/the-slaying-of-the-celtic-tiger/article1797583/

Questions for discussion: 

  • Summarize the history of the Irish economic experience.
  • What do you think will happen to Irish markets over the near future?

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

Description: A special look inside the Monopoly factory as the legendary board game celebrates its 75th anniversary. 

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report
 
Date: 11/05/2010

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2010/11/05/n_monopoly_birthday_factory.cnnmoney/

Questions for discussion: 

  • Explain the global success of Monopoly?
  • What does its success suggest about consumer behavior?
  • What need does this product satisfy for consumers?
  • How do you explain the appeal of Monopoly in this age of electronic gadgetry?

Posted by & filed under Part 6 Managing Financial Resources.

Description: Business and economics correspondent Rebecca Jarvis explains why Wall Street is doing well while unemployment is still high.

Source:  BNET.com – video report

Date: 11/05/2010

Link: http://moneywatch.bnet.com/investing/video/wall-street-soars-after-election/481308/?tag=col1;fd-banner-roto

 Questions for discussion: 

  • Summarize the key points presented in the report.
  • Why did the stock market respond so favorably?
  • What do you think will happen to markets for the balance of the year?