Description: BlackBerry hopes to woo back former business customers with its new Passport smartphone, which has a square-shaped touchscreen. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Sep 25, 2014 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2014/09/25/blackberry-passport-smartphone.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Who is the target market for the Passport model? Use SWOT analysis to analyze the current situation at BlackBerry. Do you think… Read more »
Monthly Archives: September 2014
Motivating Employees Has Everything To Do With Giving Them Feelings Of Ownership
Description: We’ve all dealt with employees who were great at their jobs, and with employees who couldn’t have cared less. To maintain a competitive advantage in today’s fast-paced world, organizations need to motivate and engage all their employees. Source: Forbes.com Date: Sep 25, 2014 Link: http://www.forbes.com/sites/datafreaks/2014/09/25/motivating-employees-has-almost-nothing-to-do-with-their-attitude-and-almost-everything-to-do-with-feelings-of-ownership/ Questions for Discussions: Summarize the key points presented in… Read more »
How SNL Became the Most Successful Comedy Show Ever
Description: There’s a fun game I like to play called “Spot the Saturday Night Live Alum.” It’s a simple game, usually played when I’m watching a TV show or movie and suddenly think, “Was Billy Murray on Saturday Night Live or was he just friends with everyone who was?” (Answer: Of course he was. It’s… Read more »
Rothschild Makes Comeback With London Cab App to Rival Uber
Description: Nathaniel Rothschild, whose ancestor helped bankroll Britain’s war against Napoleonic France 200 years ago, is backing London cabbies in their battle against Uber Technologies Inc. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: Sep 25, 2014 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-25/rothschild-makes-comeback-with-london-cab-app-to-rival-uber-1-.html Questions for Discussions: How will this system compete against Uber and regular taxi services? Do you think it can find a… Read more »
Can Predictive Technology Make Us Less Predictable?
Description: Over at the NY Times, Anna North asks if we can become more creative by using an unusual search engine called Yossarian that purports to help us see things in new ways—ways that go beyond the predictable associations we’re inclined to make when thinking about people, things, ideas, events, etc. Source: Forbes.com Date: Sep… Read more »
Oracle’s Larry Ellison steps down as CEO
Description: He founded the company that would become Oracle in 1977. He’s worth over $50 billion dollars. Now Larry Ellison is stepping down as the company’s CEO. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Sep 18, 2014 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2014/09/18/larry-ellison-steps-down-oracle-ceo.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Why is it so surprising that Larry Ellison is stepping aside at Oracle? What… Read more »
How Alibaba works: explained with 280 pairs of pants
Description: Alibaba’s IPO could be the biggest in history. Bloomberg’s Sam Grobart explains how Alibaba works through the experience of ordering 280 pairs of pants manufactured overseas. Video by: Dan Przygoda, David Yim (Source: Bloomberg) Source: Bloomberg.com – video report Date: Sep 15, 2014 Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/video/alibaba-how-it-works-explained-with-280-pairs-of-pants-YkEKoSTHT3qV5qDnQthiWA.html Questions for Discussions: Summarize the operations of Alibaba as… Read more »
How immigrant entrepreneurs are making it
Description: For immigrant-owned small businesses in the U.S., ties to their home countries can be very lucrative. Source: CNNMoney.com Date: Sep 18, 2014 Link: http://money.cnn.com/2014/09/18/smallbusiness/immigrant-entrepreneurs-exports/index.html?iid=HP_River Questions for Discussions: How can immigrant entrepreneurs leverage their skills and knowledge to grow their businesses? What are some characteristics common to the entrepreneurs profiled in this report?
Robots Work Their Way Into Small Factories
Description: Robots aren’t just for the big guys anymore. A new breed of so-called collaborative machines—designed to work alongside people in close settings—is changing the way some of America’s smaller manufacturers do their jobs Source: WSJ.com Date: Sep 17, 2014 Link: http://online.wsj.com/articles/robots-work-their-way-into-small-factories-1410979100 Questions for Discussions: How have robots improved productivity, as illustrated in the report?… Read more »
The Government Keeps Helping People Buy Failing Cold Stone Creamerys
Description: Would you loan someone money to buy a Cold Stone Creamery franchise if you knew that more than a quarter of those loans default? If you’re the U.S. government, the answer is yes. Source: Businessweek.com Date: Sep 16, 2014 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-09-16/franchises-the-government-keeps-helping-people-buy-failing-brands#r=nav-fst Questions for Discussions: Why do you suppose the SBA loans continue to be… Read more »
