Description: Despite Kodak’s bankruptcy, the photography company has influenced many small to midsized companies in Rochester, N.Y.

Source: CNNMoney.com – video report

Date: 01/26/2012

Link: http://money.cnn.com/video/smallbusiness/2012/01/26/sbiz_kodak_startups.cnnmoney/

Questions for discussion:

• What does this report have to say about the relationship of large corporations and small business start-ups?
• Why do you think Kodak management never ventured in the products that essentially spunout of their facilities?

Description: SEVENTY-TWO hours before Facebook’s big moment, Sheryl K. Sandberg was half a world away, hobnobbing with the likes of Bill Gates and the Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Source: NYTimes.com

Date: 02/03/2012

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/business/sheryl-sandberg-of-facebook-staying-on-message.html

Questions for discussion:

• How would you describe Sheryl Sandberg?
• Do you think her gender has helped, hurt, or made no difference in her success?

Description: Our Weekly Read column features Fortune staffers’ and contributors’ takes on recently published books about the business world and beyond. We’ve invited the entire Fortune family — from our writers and editors to our photo editors and designers — to weigh in on books of their choosing based on their individual tastes or curiosities. In this installment, reporter Daniel Roberts reviews Who Cares Wins, a new take on corporate social responsibility and social media by senior advertising executive David Jones.

Source: Fortune.com

Date: 02/03/2012

Link: http://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2012/02/03/who-cares-wins-david-jones/?iid=SF_F_River

Questions for discussion:

• Summarize the commentary on the book.
• What is your position on these issues?

Description: When Barack Obama joined Silicon Valley’s top luminaries for dinner in California last February, each guest was asked to come with a question for the president. But as Steven P. Jobs of Apple spoke,President Obama interrupted with an inquiry of his own: what would it take to make iPhones in the United States?

Source: NYTimes.com

Date: 01/22/2012

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/business/apple-america-and-a-squeezed-middle-class.html? _r=2&scp=2&sq=Charles%20Duhigg&st=cse

Questions for discussion:

• How does Apple illustrate the global nature of business today?
• Why, according to the report, will these manufacturing jobs never return to the U.S.?
• Do you agree with this view?
• What does this report suggest managers do in order reduce the loss of manufacturing employment?
• How can future employees – in the U.S. and elsewhere – prepare for work in a global market for jobs?
• Is there a role for governments here?

Description: I work for a great company! We have a culture that we’ve worked hard to establish and continuously improve …. we have an extremely low turnover rate and, for the most part, great feedback scores from our employees. Unfortunately, one of the things we seem to have an area of opportunity on is “employees feeling comfortable providing their opinion.” What could be behind this? How can we ensure that employees feel that they can talk with us?

Source: Moneywatch.com

Date: 01/23/2012

Link: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-57362962/5-reasons-employees-arent-sharing-their-ideas/?tag=nl.e857

Questions for discussion:

• Which reason do you believe is most common in organizations?
• Do you believe that this problem is more problematic in certain industries?
• How can management mitigate this communication issue?

Description: Larry Kirshbaum was the ultimate book industry insider—until Amazon called

Source: Businessweek.com

Date: 01/25/2012

Link:  http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/amazons-hit-man-01252012.html

Questions for discussion:

• Describe the changes that management is dealing with in the publishing industry.
• How has management at Amazon been affected as a result of technological changes?
• Do you think management decision-making has been responsive?

Description: Cleveland-based entrepreneur Tom Lix found a way to produce quality whiskey in a fraction of the normal time. He sees this as one step toward restoring the balance of trade between the United States and foreign competitors.

Source: T. Breckenridge, “Startup Company’s Speedier Process for Making Whiskey Could Life Cleveland’s Spirits,” The Plain Dealer

Date: July 22, 2010

Article Link: http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/07/startup_companys_speedier_proc.html

Questions for discussion:

1. Conduct a SWOT analysis for Cleveland Whiskey. How does your analysis look? Is Mr. Nix positioned for success?
2. Using Porter’s Five Forces Model, analyze the distilled spirits industry. Is this an attractive industry for Cleveland Whiskey? Why or why not?
3. The article characterizes what Mr. Nix is doing as innovation. What do you think? What type of business innovation might this be?
4. What innovation roles does Mr. Nix fulfill?

Description: In the latest episode of poor sports(manship), players from the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University prematurely ended their basketball game by fighting.

Source: A. Katz, “Cincinnati, Xavier Reveal Suspensions,” ESPN

Date: December 11, 2011

Article Link: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/7341744/cincinnati-bearcats-suspend-four-players-brawl-xavier-musketeers (see also http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2011/12/cincinnati-suspends-3-for-6-games-for-brawl-vs-xavier/1)

Questions for discussion:

1. Reports suggest that tensions started when players from both teams began using Twitter to “call out” the other team. What communication barriers came into play?
2. What type of conflict is represented by this rivalry? The fight?
3. Review both the actions taken and potential future remedies. What structural approaches have been/will be implemented?
4. Was the discipline that followed the game fair, consistent, and systematic? Was it progressive? Was it consistent with the “hot stove rules?” Explain. What do you think about Cincinnati Coach Mick Cronin’s additional measures?

Description: Dartmouth Professor Vijay Govindarajan has a vision of creating affordable housing for the world’s poor. He just does not know how to do it. Hear him discuss a competition designed to inspire creative thinking.

Source: WSJ.com

Date: December 5, 2011

Related Link: http://www.300house.com/

Questions for discussion:

1. Think about the problem of world-wide poverty and housing for the poor. Why is creativity needed to solve this problem?
2. The idea advanced by Professor Govindarajan is clearly social innovation. Should business be involved? Why or why not?
3. Review the stages listed on the $300 House web page. Is this a good approach? How do these stages compare to the innovation process in your text?

Description: In Asian countries and some parts of the Middle East, fast food giants McDonald’s and Yum Brands see rising sales from delivery, not restaurant dining.

Source: J. Jargon, “Asia Delivers for McDonald’s,” Wall Street Journal

Date: December 13, 2011

Article Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204397704577074982151549316.html

Questions for discussion:

1. Discuss what global management means for companies like McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Be sure to consider how (and why) these companies are adapting their traditional western business model.
2. Is cultural intelligence important in developing these new business models? Why or why not?
3. What level of strategy does delivery represent for Yum Brands? Can you argue for more than one level?
4. What operating objectives would you associate with this growth strategy?