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

Description: Microsoft Corp lost its appeal against an EU decision penalizing it for defying an antitrust ruling, bringing nearer to an end a decade-long battle with the European Commission over the U.S. software group’s business practices.

Source: Reuters.com

Date: June 27, 2012

Link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/27/us-eu-microsoft-idUSBRE85Q0B720120627

Questions for Discussions:

  • Summarize the case against Microsoft and the current decision.
  • Do you agree with the decision?
  • What lessons are there for managers to learn about that concern  international business laws and government regulations?

 

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

Description:  Encana Corp. has launched an internal investigation after the State of Michigan said it is examining allegations that the company worked with rival Chesapeake Energy Corp. to avoid competing in state land auctions for shale gas.

Source: GlobeandMail.com

Date: June 26, 2012

Link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/encana-probes-collusion-accusation/article4368056/

Questions for Discussions:

  • What are the financial implications for both firms if collusion is found to be true?
  • How should management control for this sort of risk?
  • Do you believe there is a case to be made?

Posted by & filed under Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description:   Linkedin CEO Jeff Weiner explains how he and founder Reid Hoffman split responsibilities at the company.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: June 18, 2012

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2012/06/07/ctd-linkedin-weiner-hoffman.fortune/

Questions for Discussions:

  • What does the interview tell you about leadership and managerial relationships in the firm?
  • Do you think decisions about operations should belong to the CEO exclusively in this company?

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

Description:  Fashion brand Bayo’s latest ad campaign is causing a furor because of its racially charged content. Weeks earlier, the company had to pull an earlier phase of its advertising campaign. The WSJ’s Patrick Barta tells Deborah Kan what the controversy is all about.

Source: Marketwatch.com – video report

Date: June 18, 2012

Link: http://live.wsj.com/video/bayo-in-hot-water-over-controversial-ads-again/B06B0867-917E-4A8A-8F2D-299DD51C900A.html

Questions for Discussion:

  • What does this report say about risks managers take when dealing with cultural issues?
  • Do you suspect this might have been a “planned” controversy in order to generate greater publicity?

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

Description: Is it worth daring to be great?  No buzzwords, no ambiguity, just a simple question that couldn’t matter more.

Source: Fortune.com

Date: Jun 21, 2012

Link: http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/06/21/the-hardest-question-any-leader-can-ask/?iid=SF_F_River

Questions for Discussions:

  • Summarize the highlights in this report.
  • What do you think about them?

 

Posted by & filed under Management, Organizational Behavior, Uncategorized.

Description: The pay TV business thinks it’s about to cash in on a new revenue stream.

Source: Businessweek.com

Date: June 21, 2012

Link: http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/gigaom/articles/2012_06_20_comcast_vod_ad_impressions_set_to_increase_tenfold.html?iid=SF_F_River

Questions for Discussions:

  • What are the managerial implications for the shifts taking place?
  • How would you advise managers in each segment of the industry to negotiate division of the revenue pie?

 

Posted by & filed under Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description:  Squarespace founder Anthony Casalena didn’t necessarily know he wanted to start a business, but he did have a clear concept of what he wanted. “I was trying to make my personal website and I wasn’t satisfied with any of the existing services” said Casalena in interview, “I had a very clear concept of what I wanted to create and how I wanted to do it, so becoming an entrepreneur was the natural next step.”

Source: Sprouter.com

Date: June 20, 2012

Link: http://sprouter.com/blog/know-where-the-money-is-going/?utm_source=MadMimi&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20+June+2012+%2F%2F+Squarespace+founder+Anthony+Casalena%2C+Hot+StartUps%2C+Events+%26+Resources&utm_campaign=Sprouter+Weekly%3A+June+20%2C+2012&utm_term=_0D_0AKnow+Where+the+Money+Is+Going+Before+You+Ask+for+It_0D_0A 

Questions for Discussions:

  • What should drive the decision to start a new company, according to Casalena?
  • What does Casalena have to say about the way to handle growth of a start-up?
  • What does he have to say about managing the operations of the firm and the value of outsourcing services?
  • How does Casalen view financing and investors?

 

 

Posted by & filed under Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description:    Workers who exercise regularly earn 9% higher pay on average than those who don’t. Jack Hough on Lunch Break explains why.

Source: Marketwatch.com – video report

Date: June 08, 2012

Link: http://www.marketwatch.com/video/asset/want-a-9-raise-hit-the-gym/175E5A0D-F5A3-4B43-A7D9-3FB63B74671C

Questions for Discussions:

  • Why do people who exercise earn more, according to the report?
  • Can you suggest other reasons?

 

Posted by & filed under Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description:  In this video I interview Lauren Vargas, who is the Community Management Strategist at Aetna. Lauren shares how Aetna is to building a corporate presence on social media instead of focusing on a campaign approach in their marketing efforts as they have done in the past.

Source: Socialmediaexaminer.com – video report

Date: June 15, 2012

Link: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-aetna-is-building-a-social-media-presence/

Questions for Discussion:

  • Evaluate Aetna’s strategic use of social media?
  • What other things could they be doing with social media to improve operations?

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

Description: Rajat Gupta, who reached the pinnacle of corporate America as managing partner of McKinsey & Co. and as a director at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Procter & Gamble Co. (PG), was convicted by a federal jury of leaking inside information to hedge-fund manager Raj Rajaratnam.

Source: Bloomberg.com

Date: June 15, 2012

Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-15/rajat-gupta-convicted-of-insider-trading-by-u-s-jury.html

Questions for Discussions:

  • Do you believe the publicity surrounding this case will affect managers’ thinking or their behaviors?
  • What does this story say about the public image of people and the law?