90 seconds with GM’s next CEO

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Description: Mary Barra, speaking at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Conference, discusses why she went into the auto industry and her ‘no more crappy cars’ mandate to employees after GM’s bankruptcy. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Dec 11, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2013/12/10/n-general-motors-next-ceo-first-female-mary-barra.cnnmoney/index.html Questions for Discussions: What did you learn about Mary Barra by watching tis… Read more »

How companies can win consumers’ trust

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Description:  Author Stephen M.R. Covey tells Gazelles CEO Verne Harnish that companies need to signal their intentions in order to win the trust of their customers. Source:  CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Dec 11, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/smallbusiness/2013/12/11/f-verne-harnish-stephen-covey.fortune/index.html Questions for Discussions: Summarize the advice presented by Covey in this report. Do you think it makes sense… Read more »

Inside Hammond’s candy-cane factory

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Description:  Watch how Hammond’s Candies has been handmaking candy canes for the last 93 years. Source:  CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Dec 11, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/smallbusiness/2013/12/10/smb-hammonds-candies.cnnmoney/index.html Questions for Discussions: How has the candy manufacturing business changed at Hammond since it began operations? Create a list of the key costs of production.  

Exclusive: The Inside Story of GM’s Comeback and Mary Barra’s Rise

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Description: Dan Akerson, the chairman and chief executive officer of General Motors (GM), arrives at the company’s Technical Center on Nov. 13 to address about 1,000 engineers and designers. Source:  Businessweek.com Date: Dec 11, 2013 Link:  http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-12-12/exclusive-the-inside-story-of-gms-comeback-and-mary-barras-rise Questions for Discussions: How was GM saved? Is the current financial structure sound? Does the firm have the… Read more »

New Lululemon Athletica Inc CEO brings pedigree in top cult brands

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Description: In naming Laurent Potdevin as its new CEO, Lululemon Athletica Inc. has found a seasoned fashion and sporting goods executive with a pedigree in top cult brands. Source: FinancialPost.com Date: Dec 10, 2013 Link: http://business.financialpost.com/2013/12/10/lululemon-laurent-potdevin/ Questions for Discussions: Do you think Laurent Potdevin can “save” the brand image? What would you suggest that he… Read more »

Making Amazon drone delivery a reality

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Description: As Amazon builds its drone delivery service, drone experts say there a few things they’ll need to build before a robot can bring you your packages. Laurie Segall reports. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Dec 03, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2013/12/03/t-amazon-drone-delivery-tech.cnnmoney/index.html Questions for Discussions: What are the concerns related to using this technology for order… Read more »

World Cup is a bonanza for big brands

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Description: Big companies like Coca-Cola and Visa are counting on capitalizing on the global exposure of being a World Cup sponsor. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Dec 04, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2013/12/06/n-world-cup-soccer-brands.cnnmoney/index.html Questions for Discussions: What are the benefits of going with a global branding event like World Cup Soccer? How does this approach fit… Read more »

Employers step in to prevent staff burnout

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Description: Volkswagen turns off some employees’ email 30 minutes after their shifts end. Goldman Sachs is urging junior staff to take weekends off. BMW is planning new rules that will keep workers from being contacted after hours. Source: VancouverSun.com Date: Dec 07, 2013 Link: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Employers+step+prevent+staff+burnout/9259561/story.html#ixzz2mnpH6D2r Questions for Discussions: What does the article say about the… Read more »

The Rise and Fall of BlackBerry: An Oral History

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Description: In 1984, Mike Lazaridis, an engineering student at the University of Waterloo, and Douglas Fregin, an engineering student at the University of Windsor, founded an electronics and computer science consulting company called Research In Motion, or RIM. For years the company tinkered in obscurity, until it focused on a breakthrough technology: an easy, secure,… Read more »