Can JC Penney be saved from itself?

Posted by & filed under Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description:   JC Penney ousts CEO Ron Johnson, replacing him with the company’s former CEO. Is this a sign that JC Penney will be taken private? Source:  CBBMoney.com – video report Date: Apr 09, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2013/04/09/investing-the-buzz-jc-penney-ron-johnson.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: What are the possible reasons for bringing back Ron Johnson? How might this affect overall management… Read more »

Is the U.S. Manufacturing Renaissance a Myth?

Posted by & filed under International Business, Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description: On today’s “Reganomix,” Bloomberg View Columnist Alan Tonelson and Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul debate the revival of U.S. manufacturing on Bloomberg Television’s “Street Smart.” (Source: Bloomberg) Source: Bloomberg.com – video report Date: Apr 10, 2013 Link: http://bloom.bg/YlHzae#ooid=xvMjN2YTqywyRZQs1zShNAxyh2k4Je0H Questions for Discussions: What does this report say about the trends in manufacturing? What… Read more »

What the HP board should do next

Posted by & filed under International Business, Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description:  Ray Lane has stepped down as HP’s chairman, but he needs to leave the board entirely. And interim chairman Ralph Whitworth needs to rework the board’s composition. Source:  Fortune.com Date: Apr 04, 2013 Link: http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2013/04/05/hp-board-lane-whitworth/ Questions for Discussions: Summarize the situation and reasons for the advice presented. Do you agree with the arguments?

Best Buy turns the tables on ‘showrooming’

Posted by & filed under International Business, Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description:  Investors are cheered by deal to feature Samsung in-store shops Source:  Marketwatch.com Date: Apr 04, 2013 Link:  http://www.marketwatch.com/story/best-buy-turns-the-tables-on-showrooming-2013-04-04?siteid=nwtwk Questions for Discussions: How has Best Buy responded to the challenges related to e-commerce? How has this response changed the traditional channels of distribution? Do you think this strategy will succeed?

Provocateur Comes Into View After Cyberattack

Posted by & filed under International Business, Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description:  Sven Olaf Kamphuis calls himself the “minister of telecommunications and foreign affairs for the Republic of CyberBunker.” Others see him as the Prince of Spam. Source:  NYTimes.com Date: Mar 29, 2013 Link:  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/30/business/global/after-cyberattack-sven-olaf-kamphuis-is-at-heart-of-investigation.html?ref=business&_r=0 Questions for Discussions: Describe the issues related to the cyber-conflicts between parties in this report? How does it resemble a conflict… Read more »

50 greatest business rivalries of all time

Posted by & filed under International Business, Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description:  These stories of no-holds-barred competition, contempt, and all-out conflict shaped the modern business world. Here’s what you can learn from them. Source:  CNNMoney.com Date: Mar 22, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/gallery/news/companies/2013/03/21/greatest-business-rivalries.fortune/index.html Questions for Discussions: What can you learn from a review of these cases? What do these stories tell you about management over the years?

How to be the ‘disrupter’ and not the ‘disrupted’

Posted by & filed under International Business, Management.

Description:  In his eye-opening 1970 book, Future Shock, Alvin Toffler said that changes in technology and trends were happening so fast that people and society could no longer psychologically keep up. Now, even the most innovative and technologically advanced companies can’t keep up with the pace of change — markets are now being disrupted in… Read more »

Andrew Mason’s quirky legacy at Groupon

Posted by & filed under International Business, Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description:  Groupon founder and former CEO Andrew Mason was known for his eccentric interviews, but the company he leaves behind will need a turnaround. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Mar 01, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2013/03/01/t-mason-groupon-quirky.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Do you thinbk the decline of Groupon share value was primarily due to the management of the… Read more »

Snapshots of a Commute-Free Life

Posted by & filed under International Business, Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description:  Ever since Yahoo! (YHOO) Chief Executive Officer Marissa Mayer issued a company-wide telecommuting ban, the practice of “working from home” has come under scrutiny. What’s the reality of the commute-free, office-free life? Is it a bold frontier in tech-enabled productivity—or a green light to play Angry Birds full-time? We tracked down some full-time telecommuters… Read more »