POSTMASTER SAYS USPS MAY NEED EMERGENCY RATE HIKE

Posted by & filed under Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description: Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said Thursday his agency is in “the midst of a financial disaster” and may need an emergency increase in postage rates to keep operating.

Source: AP.com

Date: Sep 19, 2013

Link: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/postmaster-says-usps-may-need-emergency-rate-hike

Questions for Discussions:

  • What is the problem at the USPS?
  • Why is it important to keep the service going at a low cost to users?
  • Is a general rate hike a good solution or should management be looking at other ways to fix the problems?

The digital sorority of Silicon Beach

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

Description: The women working in Los Angeles’ booming tech scene are supporting each other in an industry dominated by men.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: Sep 11, 2013

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2013/09/11/t-ladies-of-silicon-beach.cnnmoney/index.html

Questions for Discussions:

  • What does this report say about networking strategies of women entrepreneurs?
  • Do you think there is a fundamental difference in managerial thinking or behavior between men and women?

Inside America’s first smartphone factory

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

Description: The Moto X smartphone is now being manufactured out of a new facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: Sep 11, 2013

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2013/09/11/t-ts-moto-x-plant-texas.cnnmoney/index.html

Questions for Discussions:

  • What are the advantages to manufacturing this device in the USA?
  • What allows management the flexibility to choose this location in Texas over one in another country?
  • How will this decision help marketing management?

Why Steve Jobs still matters

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

Description: Steve Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson says the late CEO left a lasting legacy of innovation at Apple.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: Sep 09, 2013

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2013/09/09/t-isaacson-jobs-legacy.fortune/index.html

Questions for Discussions:

  • According to Walter Isaacson, what is the managerial legacy of Steve Jobs?
  • Do you think Apple can produce a new product that revolutionizes an industry the way Steve Jobs seemed to do every few years?

Is Social Media Killing Brands?

Posted by & filed under International Business, Management.

Description: This past week, I heard something that I hope to never hear again in my life. I was at Content Marketing World, sitting in on a morning keynote, quietly sipping my coffee when I heard the keynote presenter, the “father of integrated marketing,” say, “Social media is probably killing brands.”

Source: Hubspot.com

Date: Sep 12, 2013

Link: http://blog.hubspot.com/is-social-media-killing-brands-tl?utm_campaign=blog-rss-emails&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=10259928&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_exX_tECCnItTpgHkyozbdFMxQmUAls4eFxlPal-BrrqreGiXC0Cfbp_1niUcpWkGPjheiaucaBq2zW9n7AFrvf_qseg&_hsmi=10259928

Questions for Discussions:

  • According to the report, what is the best way for management to use social media?
  • What are your thoughts on the issue of how social media affects brand identity?

Radical Fast Food Joint Doubles Down on High Wages

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

Description: So you thought $12 an hour for a burger place was revolutionary? Try $15. Daniel Gross talks to the owners of Detroit’s Moo Cluck Moo as they supersize starting wages.

Source: Thedailybeast.com

Date: Sep 09, 2013

Link: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/09/radical-fast-food-joint-doubles-down-on-high-wages.html

Questions for Discussions:

  • What do you think of management’s thinking here?
  • What does this report say about social responsibility?
  • Do you think management has made the right choice?

How Spanx’s Sara Blakely made a billion

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

Description: After failing to get into law school and overcoming criticism, Spanx founder Sara Blakely built an underwear empire.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: July 26, 2013

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2013/07/26/n-spanx-sara-blakely-billionaire-profile.cnnmoney/index.html

Questions for Discussions:

  • What does failure have to do with successful entrepreneurs?
  • How significant do you think Oprah was in this venture?

Deere: Dealer network gives us our edge

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

Description: John Deere CEO Sam Allen explains the competitive advantages Deere has over its competitors.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: Sep 03, 2013

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2013/09/03/f-leadership-deere-ceo-sam-allen-dealer-networks.fortune/index.html

Questions for Discussions:

  • According to Sam Allen, what is the basis for Deere’s competitive advantage?
  • What sort of management culture do you think operates at Deere?

Bank of America to Pay $39 Million in Gender Bias Case

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

Description: Bank of America agreed on Friday to pay $39 million to women who worked in its Merrill Lynch brokerage operation, another costly settlement of a discrimination case filed by its employees.

Source: NYTimes.com

Date: Sep 06, 2013

Link: http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/09/06/bank-of-america-to-pay-39-million-in-gender-bias-case/?ref=business

Questions for Discussions:

  • Are you surprised to see this issue in the news today at a large international American-based corporation?
  • What does this report say about the ability to change corporate culture?

Startup Hubs Don’t Spring Up Overnight

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

Description: There’s a seemingly endless fascination with the notion of startup hubs, particularly in smaller cities like Des Moines or Boulder, Colo., that aren’t always thought of as industrial centers. There’s good reason for the interest: A growing strain of economic research has highlighted the importance of fast-growth tech firms as engines of job creation.

Source: Businessweek.com

Date: Sep 04, 2013

Link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-09-04/startup-hubs-don-t-spring-up-overnight#r=nav-fst

Questions for Discussions:

  • According to the report, what is the formula for stimulating more start-up businesses?
  • Which factors are more important?
  • What does this report say to HR management in existing firms and those thinking of  creating another start-up?