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

Description: Barry Turner, co-founder and CEO of Lenny & Larry’s, discusses the company’s organic foods and expansion plans with Pimm Fox on Bloomberg Television’s “Taking Stock.” (Source: Bloomberg)

Source: Businessweek.com – video report

Date: May 06, 2014

Link: http://www.businessweek.com/videos/2014-05-06/from-american-gladiator-to-organic-food-co-founder#r=nav-f-video

Questions for Discussions:

  • How important is Barry Turner’s identity as a body builder for the success of this company?
  • What characteristics does Turner possess that suggest his chances for success in business are better than average?

Posted by & filed under International Business, Management.

Description: As consumers switch between multiple devices daily, advertisers are looking to cross-device advertising to track and target users across channels. According to data released in February 2014 by Conversant, 59% of US senior-level marketers and agency decision-makers cited cross-device advertising as a digital channel they planned to use this year. This trailed second-place video by just 2 percentage points.

Source: eMarketer.com

Date: May 09, 2014

Link: http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Cross-Device-Advertising-Hot-Topic-2014/1010824/3#sthash.afJNm3L8.dpuf

Questions for Discussions:

  • What does this report say about trends in digital advertising?
  • What is the explanation?
  • How should managers respond?

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

Description: The network’s extension through 2032 has media outlets gaping at the scope of this big gamble on the future of the Games. But the deal is anything but surprising.

Source: Fortune.com

Date: May 09, 2014

Link: http://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2014/05/09/for-nbc-a-bet-on-the-olympics-is-anything-but-a-game/?iid=SF_F_River

Questions for discussion:

  • According to the report, what motivated NBC management to make this deal?
  • What are the risks and rewards related to this deal for the NBC brand?

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

Description: Informatica CEO Sohaib Abbasi experienced the last bubble, but says technology ‘is a much more mature industry’ that is ‘delivering value in many ways.’ He also talks about cyber security.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: May 01, 2014

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2014/05/01/t-informatica-ceo-tech-bubble-data-security.cnnmoney/index.html

Questions for Discussions:

  • What does Sohaib Abbasi have to say about big data, security, and the management of technology?
  • Do you believe we are in a technology bubble similar to the one we experienced in 1999?

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

Description: Sprint customers will now get a free Spotify trial and it’s all part of CEO Daniel Ek’s strategy of reaching ‘all of the U.S.’ while still innovating in the digital music industry.

Source: CNN.com – video report

Date: Apr 30, 2014

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2014/04/29/t-spotify-sprint-mobile-music-industry-video-ipo-capital.cnnmoney/index.html

Questions for Discussions:

  • How has partnering benefited both companies?
  • Describe the direction of the music industry and the role firms like Spotify and Sprint can play.

Posted by & filed under International Business, Management.

Description: More than 70% of digital coupon users will use a mobile device to redeem a discount in 2014

Source: eMarketer.com

Date: May 02, 2014

Link: http://www.emarketer.com/Article/US-Mobile-Users-Turn-Smartphones-Tablets-Redeem-Coupons/1010801/3#sthash.dgenTtF0.dpuf

Questions for Discussions:

  • What does this report suggest to marketing managers concerned with their coupon strategy?
  • Do you think this trend in behavior will continue?
  • What opportunities are presented for entrepreneurs focused on coupon usage?

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

Description: A year ago, every public school student in New York State fell under the watchful eye of InBloom, a data analytics company. Schools sent the company an enormous batch of data spanning 400-odd fields that included a wide range of personal details, from test scores and special-education enrollment to whether kids got free lunches. The idea was to compile enough information so teachers or software could tailor assignments to each student’s needs.

Source: Businessweek.com

Date: May 01, 2014

Link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-05-01/inbloom-shuts-down-amid-privacy-fears-over-student-data-tracking

Questions for Discussions:

  • Is the research gained by this project valid and worthwhile?
  • Could management have found a strategy to assure client users that their privacy would be secure?
  • What is the lesson learned here for other organizations responsible for securing client users’ data?

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

Description: This is going to be pleasant. We are going to talk about philosophy and classical music. We are going to appreciate things. I know this before I even see Blue Bottle Coffee founder James Freeman approach in his cardigan, tie, and glasses, a neat puff of gray hair bobbing professorially, looking like the guy PBS producers would have sent in to calm Mr. Rogers down. I anticipated the civility simply by looking around his new cafe in Oakland, Calif. Everything is tidy. Calm. Simple. Exact. You cannot order your espresso to go, choose a beverage size, or get your bag of coffee beans pre-ground. Oh no. This is not because Freeman wants to inform you of his superior ways but because he can’t bear to be responsible for an imperfect experience. Because he so deeply cares.

Source: Businessweek.com

Date: May 01, 2014

Link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-05-01/blue-bottle-coffee-and-the-next-wave-of-artisanal-coffee-shops

Questions for discussion:

  • What did you learn about the management and leadership styles of James Freeman?
  • Why do you suppose he has been an entrepreneurial success?

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

Description: Is this why executive compensation is out of control? Warren Buffett disagreed with Coca-Cola’s latest plan, but he abstained from the vote instead of using the power of his millions of shares.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: Apr 25, 2014

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2014/04/24/n-warren-buffett-coca-cola-compensation-excessive-board-of-directors.cnnmoney/index.html

Questions for Discussions:

  • What did Warren Buffet say about the way boards make compensation decisions?
  • What message do you think Buffett sent by abstaining?
  • What does this report say to you about the way higher management makes decisions?

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

Description: Online video services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon are allowing consumers to gorge themselves with seemingly unlimited hours of viewing content on everything from TVs, to tablets, to smartphones.

Source: CNN.com – video report

Date: Apr 22, 2014

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2014/04/23/t-binge-tv-watching-netflix-showtime-amazon-streaming-video.cnnmoney/index.html

Questions for Discussions:

  • Describe the changes taking place in the digital entertainment industry.
  • How should strategic management at established big media firms respond if they expect to survive the shakeup caused by new technologies and changes in audience viewing behavior?