Lululemon seeks a leg up on knockoffs

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Description: Lululemon Athletica Inc. has filed a lawsuit in a U.S. federal court in Illinois targeting a sealed list of unidentified defendants that it says are China-based knockoff artists selling fake versions of its ubiquitous yoga pants and other merchandise online. Source: BNN.com – video report Date: July 19, 2014 Link: http://www.bnn.ca/News/2014/7/19/Lululemon-seeks-a-leg-up-on-knockoffs.aspx Questions for Discussions:… Read more »

Arrogance Is Good: In Defense of Silicon Valley

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Description: Sam Altman sits behind his desk with his knees pulled up to his chest, eating dried apricots. He’s 29, but even the most laissez-faire bartender would card him. His hand is forever grabbing his hair while he thinks, making it stick up in Einsteinian tufts. Source: Businessweek.com Date: August 07, 2014 Link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-08-07/silicon-valley-tech-entrepreneurs-behind-the-stereotype Questions… Read more »

Big-box stores may see dark days ahead

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Description: Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) gained dominance by offering everything from groceries to children’s toys, often putting smaller, local stores out of business in the process. Now, it’s the revenge of the smaller retailers. Source: CBSNews.com Date: July 19, 2014 Link: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/are-there-dark-days-ahead-for-big-box-stores/?tag=nl.e713&s_cid=e713&ttag=e713&ftag=TRE4cf7aca Questions for discussion: What is happening in retailing today that is reflected… Read more »

How two ‘hippies’ created Whole Foods

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Description: Co-CEO of Whole Foods John Mackey discusses his original vision for the health foods market. Source: Fortune.com – video report Date: June 05, 2014 Link: http://fortune.com/video/2014/06/06/how-two-hippies-created-whole-foods/ Questions for Discussions: What is your impression of John Mackey as an entrepreneur and leader? Do you think his character has impacted on the culture within the organization?

For a Decade, G.M. Response to a Fatal Flaw Was to Shrug

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Description: Just six months ago, a group of senior General Motors executives gathered to review a series of PowerPoint slides concerning a question that had been smoldering inside G.M. for a decade: Should the company recall hundreds of thousands of small cars because of a dangerous defect? Source: NYTimes.com Date: June 05, 2014 Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/06/business/gm-response-to-a-fatal-flaw-was-to-shrug.html?ref=business… Read more »

15 Years After Napster: How the Music Service Changed the Industry

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Description: Fifteen years after Napster launched, we asked a dozen music journalists and editors to give their thoughts on the service that revolutionized the way we share and listen to songs. Source: The DailyBeast.com Date: June 4, 2014 Link: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/06/15-years-after-napster-how-the-music-service-changed-the-industry.html Questions for Discussions: How was the music industry affected by the introduction of new technologies?… Read more »

Salesforce: L.A. Clippers of software

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Description: Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is buying the Clippers. But new CEO Satya Nadella just inked a key partnership with cloud software firm Salesforce. And that might be the smarter deal. Source: CNN.com – video report Date: May 30, 2014 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2014/05/30/investing-the-buzz-microsoft-nadella-salesforce-clippers-steve-ballmer.cnnmoney/index.html Questions for Discussions: How does the Microsoft deal with Salesforce make sense?… Read more »

Look out Lululemon, this exploding Australian fitness brand aims to eat your lunch

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Description: An activewear brand with a cult following in Australia is planning a massive global expansion in the U.S., Asia and Europe. Source: NationalPost.com Date: May 29, 2014 Link: http://business.financialpost.com/2014/05/29/look-out-lululemon-this-exploding-australian-fitness-brand-aims-to-eat-your-lunch/ Questions for Discussions: How does this report reflect growing globalization and international business? How should managers approach the challenge? Does the home country of a… Read more »

Top 5 reasons why your CEO just got a big fat raise… and 5 reasons why you didn’t

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Description: WASHINGTON — Pay for globe-trotting CEOs has soared to new heights, even as most workers remain grounded by paychecks that are barely budging. Source: NationalPost.com Date: May 27, 2014 Link: http://business.financialpost.com/2014/05/27/the-ceo-of-your-company-just-got-a-huge-raise-you-didnt-heres-why/ Questions for discussion: Summarize the overall explanation provided in this report for the wide gap in pay. Do you agree? Should anything be… Read more »

What the heck is going on with GM?

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Description: General Motors has now set a company record with the number of vehicles recalled in a single year. But will it cost the auto giant sales or the new CEO her job? Source: CNN.com – video report Date: May 22, 2014 Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2014/05/22/gm-recall-hits-record.cnnmoney/index.html Questions for Discussions: How does the report answer the question posed… Read more »