Blockbuster: Killed by Netflix

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

Description: Blockbuster’s announcement that it will close its remaining 300 video stores in the U.S. is a reminder that Netflix and other streaming sites have changed consumer habits.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: Nov 01, 2013

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2013/11/08/n-end-of-blockbuster.cnnmoney/index.html

Questions for Discussions:

  • What is the common theme presented in this report that should concern all managers?
  • How can managers deal with technology and the risk of obsolescence?

Toms’ new marketplace: More than just shoes

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

Description: Entrepreneur Blake Mycoskie discusses Toms Shoes’ ‘One for One’ program which gives free shoes to a poor children for every pair sold at retail and the company’s new digital marketplace.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: Nov 08, 2013

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2013/11/08/n-toms-shoes-blake-mycoskie.cnnmoney/index.html

Questions for Discussions:

Describe the new business model?

  • What are the critical characteristics needed in order for the model to be viable and sustainable?
  • Suggest a new product that could fit the program model.

A Founder of Twitter Goes Long

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

Description: Between downtown San Francisco and the new Twitter offices six city blocks to the west, things get sketchy. There is a strip club, a budget motel with weekly rates and, on the gentrified edge of this no-man’s land, the offices of Medium, the new venture of Evan Williams, one of Twitter’s co-founders.

Source: NYTimes.com

Date: Nov 09, 2013

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/business/a-founder-of-twitter-goes-long.html?ref=business

Questions for discussion:

  • What makes Medium unique and provides its competitive advantage in the marketplace?
  • How should it be managed?
  • Do you think it will succeed?

Taking the business case for wellness programs beyond anecdote

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

Description: Mary Lui is a seasoned accountant who has worked as a manager in various capacities for a number of fast-paced, forward-thinking organizations. Though she loves her job, she also notes that it can be demanding and can place undue stress on her health and lifestyle.

Source: FinancialPost.com

Date: Nov 07, 2013

Link: http://business.financialpost.com/2013/10/02/taking-the-business-case-for-wellness-programs-beyond-anecdote/

Questions for Discussions:

  • What are costs and benefits of wellness investments for employees and employers?
  • How should managers deal with this research?

Lululemon Lab designers push the boundaries

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

Description: It’s part store, part factory, and part design studio where shoppers flick through racks of clothes next to a designer quietly sketching at a table.

Source: GlobalNews.ca

Date: Nov 08, 2013

Link: http://globalnews.ca/news/955533/lululemon-lab-designers-push-the-boundaries/

Questions for Discussions:

  • Describe the operations at this location.
  • What are the benefits for product development?
  • What are other benefits accrue from this style of contact with customers?

Container Store keeps employees happy

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

Description: The Container Store thrives as a public company and their employees will benefit as CEO Kip Tindell says about 40% of employees own stock.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: Nov 01, 2013

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/investing/2013/11/01/investing-container-store-ceo-ipo-employees.cnnmoney/index.html

Questions for Discussions:

  • How does management differ at The Container Store?
  • How important do you think stock ownership is with respect to employee performance?

Wal-Mart: We’re proud of our jobs

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

Description: Wal-Mart U.S. CEO Bill Simon talks about his company’s plans to promote 25,000 workers and defends its labor practices.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: Oct 29, 2013

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2013/10/29/n-walmart-promotion-bill-simon.cnnmoney/index.html

Questions for Discussions:

  • Do you think Wal-Mart employees are treated fairly by management?
  • Why do you suppose the company stands out for criticism in the retail business world?
  • How should management respond to this criticism?

Riding the Hashtag in Social Media Marketing

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

Description: About once a week, Gary Vaynerchuk posts a Twitter message that reads, “Is there anything I can do for you?” He means it literally. He is inviting his roughly one million followers to send requests for any kind of help or favor. And if you respond, he will try to punch you in the face.

Source: NYTimes.com

Date: Nov 02, 2013

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/03/technology/riding-the-hashtag-in-social-media-marketing.html?ref=business

Questions for discussion:

  • What are the top three lessons managers should learn about social media from Gary Vaynerchuk?
  • How do you see social media developing as a business tool in the next few years?

Insurance Develops a New Digital Path to Purchase

Posted by & filed under Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description: Even as the US economy continues to improve, consumers remain price-sensitive when it comes to buying property and casualty (P&C) and life insurance. With insurers and aggregators making their digital properties more intuitive, it is easier than ever for consumers to conduct research, compare quotes and even buy insurance entirely through digital channels, according to a new eMarketer report, “Digital Insurance Trends: Reshaping the Insurance Path to Purchase and Beyond.”

Source: eMarketer.com

Date: Oct 28, 2013

Link: http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Insurance-Develops-New-Digital-Path-Purchase/1010337#oHigiEDrZdPff0KW.99

Questions for Discussions:

  • Summarize the highlights in this report.
  • How should managers respond to this information?

People find plenty of time for Internet — at work

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

Description: (MoneyWatch) Conventional wisdom suggests that as we spend more time on the Internet, we also spend less time on face-to-face interaction and other traditional kinds of socializing. But a new paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research suggests that these online hours come less at the expense of family and friends than they do from another source: people’s jobs.

Source: CBSNews.com

Date: Oct 29, 2013

Link: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505143_162-57609525/people-find-plenty-of-time-for-internet-at-work/?tag=nl.e857&s_cid=e857&ttag=e857&ftag=TREe00e266

Questions for Discussions:

  • What does the report say about how Internet use affects people at work?
  • How should managers deal with this phenomenon?