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 »

Will Marissa Mayer’s Yahoo ban on work at home increase productivity? New research suggests not

Posted by & filed under Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description:  In the selfish spirit of one who works at home quite a bit, I’m tempted to pile on with all the other telecommuters to spew vitriol at Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer for requiring all Yahoo employees to come to work every day — no exceptions, even to wait for the cable guy. Source:  Boston.com –… Read more »

Snapshots of a Commute-Free Life

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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 »

CEO to France: ‘How Stupid Do You Think We Are?’

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Description: The CEO of U.S. tire maker Titan International delivered a blistering critique of French working habits, writing to France’s industry minister that his company would be “stupid” to take over a Goodyear factory in France. WSJ’s Grainne McCarthy joins The News Hub to discuss the potential fallout for President Hollande’s labor-reform plans. Photo: AP…. Read more »

Why Women ­in Hollywood Can’t Get Film Financing

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Description:  At last month’s Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, some film financiers met for nachos at the Wasatch Brew Pub to toast their comedy, Ass Backwards—a Dumb and Dumber-esque tale of two women who enter a beauty pageant. Dori Sperko, who’d been dabbling in Hollywood funding since selling her Florida-based payroll services company… Read more »

Taxes crush small businesses in Italy

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Description:  Increased taxes due to austerity measures are forcing some small businesses in Italy to close for good. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Feb 05, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2013/02/05/n-italy-small-business-squeezed.cnnmoney/ Questions for Discussions: Why has austerity caused small businesses to close more so than bigger firms? How should managers handle the situation? Is there any reason… Read more »

BGI’s Young Chinese Scientists Will Map Any Genome

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Description:  When the workday ends at BGI’s factory in Shenzhen, the headquarters of the largest genome mapping company in the world, it’s like a bell has gone off at math camp. The company’s scientists and technicians spill out of the doorways of the building, baby-faced and wearing jeans and sneakers Source:  Businessweek.com Date: Feb 07,… Read more »

Bill Gates: U.S. is throwing talent away

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Description: Bill Gates says immigration reform is needed to allow ‘high talent’ people to stay and work in the country after they get a U.S. education. Source: CNNMoney.com – video report Date: Jan 30, 2013 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2013/01/30/n-bill-gates-immigration.cnnmoney/   Questions for Discussions: What is the problem for HR managers looking to recruit graduates? Why do you… Read more »

From the start, Dreamliner jet program was rushed

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Description:  The 787 Dreamliner was born in a moment of desperation. It was 2003 and Boeing — the company that defined modern air travel — had just lost its title as the world’s largest plane manufacturer to European rival Airbus. Its CEO had resigned in a defense-contract scandal. And its stock had plunged to the… Read more »

Outsourcing to surge in 2013: study

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Description:  Love it or hate it, outsourcing is here to stay as a standard business practice. Source:  SmartPlanet.com Date: Jan 28, 2013 Link: http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/outsourcing-to-surge-in-2013-study/11466?tag=nl.e660&s_cid=e660 Questions for Discussions: Why is outsourcing popular? How does outsourcing relate to productivity? What are the risks and limits to outsourcing?