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

Description:  Consumers are sensitive to how much companies listen and respond to them online. Most US internet users across all age groups are aware that businesses frequently listen to what they say online.

Source:  eMarketer.com

Date: Mar 07, 2013

Link: http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Brand-Social-Outreach-Must-Walk-Fine-Line/1009712#Ge1HoSvKiBF4j3Eo.99

Questions for Discussions:

  • What are the highlights of this report?
  • What does the report suggest to managers who use the Internet for research?

 

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 firm and Andrew Mason’s leadership in particular?
  • Do you you think his firing will boost the stock value?
  • Is there a merger or acquisition that makes sense to you?

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 – video report

Date: Feb 27, 2013

Link: http://www.boston.com/dailydose/2013/02/27/will-marissa-mayer-yahoo-ban-work-home-increase-productivity-new-research-suggests-not/UVQFRlwnW11aMSAkD7sGpL/story.html#sthash.X4Y6Gojw.dpuf

Questions for Discussions:

  • Why do you think Marissa Mayers is changing the work-at-home arrangement at Yahoo!?
  • Do you think her decision is correct?
  • What are some possible consequences for this decision?
  • Do you think her manner of “communicating” the change is the issue?

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

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 and talked to them over the phone; here are their stories.

Source:  Businessweek.com

Date: Mar 01, 2013

Linkhttp://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-03-01/snapshots-of-a-commute-free-life#r=nav-f-story

Questions for Discussions:

  • What does this report say about those who work at home and not in an office?
  • Do you think there are some jobs, or some people, better suited for work at home or work in an office environment?

Posted by & filed under Management.

Description:  The ads resemble a highlight reel from a Nicholas Sparks movie: Couples twirl, cuddle, and walk hand in hand through golden fields. “Sometimes we wait for God to make the next move, when God is saying, ‘It’s your time to act,’?” the kind-sounding narrator says. “The next move is yours.” Finally, the trademarked slogan: “Find God’s match for you at ChristianMingle.com.”

Source:  Businessweek.com

Date: Feb 28, 2013

Link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-02-28/at-christianmingle-and-jdate-gods-your-wingman#r=hp-ls

Questions for Discussions:

  • Why do you suppose these niches are successful online categories?
  • What other categories of people do you think would warrent a separate brand and strategic plan?

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

Description:  To Hasbro, no one is too young or too old to play with a Transformers robot, watch a Transformers television show or play a Transformers video game.

Source:  NYTimes.com

Date: Mar 01, 2013

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/02/business/hasbro-expands-transformers-brand-into-new-media.html?ref=business&_r=0

Questions for Discussions:

  • Describe the strategic planning at Hasbro.
  • Do you think it is a good way to grow the company?
  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of this thinking?

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

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.

Source: WSJ.com – video report

Date: Feb 20, 2013

Link: http://on.wsj.com/WaUxSU

Questions for Discussions:

  • Summarize the communications between management, government, and the union.
  • Do you think there would be as much uproar if the criticism was from a local company rather than an  American one?
  • What does this report say about issues facing the management of international companies?
  • Do you think these parties handled the situation properly?

Posted by & filed under Management.

Description:  WSJ’s Annie Gasparro explains Whole Foods’ efforts to reign in prices and shed its reputation as an over-priced grocer caused it to take it on the chin in its latest earnings report. Photo: Getty Images.

Source: WSJ.com – video report

Date: Feb 14, 2013

Link: http://on.wsj.com/15f8G8h

Questions for Discussions:

  • Describe the change in pricing strategy.
  • Why did management make this choice?
  • Was it successful?
  • Should it be maintained?

Posted by & filed under Management.

Description:  Nearly one in four paid clicks came from a mobile device in Q4

Source:  eMarketer.com

Date: Feb 22, 2013

Link: http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Steady-Gains-Mobile-Paid-Search/1009686#EqlIRUBFwRKOmTZo.99

Questions for Discussions:

  • What does this report say about the growth of mobile search advertising?
  • How will marketing operations be expected to change as this trend grows?

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

Description:  Women-led private technology companies are more capital-efficient, achieve 35 percent higher return on investment, and, when venture-backed, bring in 12 percent higher revenue than male-owned tech companies. That’s according to new research presented at a recent conference in San Francisco organized by Women 2.0, a media company devoted to women founders in the tech industry. It indicates female entrepreneurs, who have traditionally lagged behind their male counterparts, are catching up, at least by some measures.

Source:  Businessweek.com

Date: Feb 20, 2013

Link: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-02-20/women-who-run-tech-startups-are-catching-up#r=hpt-fs

Questions for Discussions:

  • Summarize the performance of women in the tech startup environment?
  • What advice is directed to women for developing projects that would be distinguishable from those typically developed by men?