Description: With no permanent replacement since the firing of CEO Carol Bartz, many at Yahoo are questioning the direction of the company. Internally, employees see reasons to stay, but worry that the lack of leadership signals the company is not in a position to compete with rivals.

Source: A. Efrati, “Yahoo Battles Brain Drain,” Wall Street Journal

Date: December 5, 2011

Article Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204083204577078403954893904.html

Questions for discussion:

1. Review the various ways for compensating employees beyond base pay and compare these with the benefits mentioned in the article. How is Yahoo doing? Is this enough to keep employees motivated and productive? Why or why not?
2. Check out the definition for leadership then discuss why the lack of a permanent replacement for former CEO Carol Bartz is causing problems at Yahoo.
3. You can have loads of talent (as Yahoo does), but vision is necessary to get that talent moving in the right direction. Comment. How is the leadership situation at Yahoo affecting this?

Description: North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il’s death leaves questions about the future of the country and the state of affairs in the Far East.

Source: Anonymous, “North Korea’s Kim Jong Il Dies at 69,” USA Today

Date: December 19, 2011

Article Link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2011-12-18/north-korea-leader-dies/52058036/1

Questions for discussion:

1. The video shows various scenes from Kim Jong Il’s nearly two decades in power. What are your general perceptions of his leadership? Was he an effective leader?
2. From what bases of power did Kim operate?
3. How would you characterize Kim’s leadership style?

Description: Tech Stars provides a crash course in how to start and grow a business idea. These business accelerators are seen as an alternative to traditional college education for budding entrepreneurs.

Source: A. Jordan, “Boot Camp or Bust? A Young Entrepreneur Tries to Make His Mark,” Wall Street Journal

Date: December 8, 2011

Article Link: http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2011/12/08/boot-camp-or-bust-a-young-entrepreneur-tries-to-make-his-mark/

Questions for discussion:

1. Research suggests that there is a well-defined set of characteristics associated with entrepreneurial leanings. Review this list, as well as the early life experiences typical of entrepreneurs and then discuss whether formal education is critical for someone like Dan Herman.
2. It has been said that “necessity is the mother of invention.” Your text suggests that necessity drives entrepreneurial activity, particularly for individuals that may have been limited in traditional business settings. What “necessities” might drive a 20 year-old to become an entrepreneur?
3. Review the common reasons small businesses fail. What does this suggest about the need for small business accelerators like Tech Stars? What kinds of information/training are essential for accelerators to provide new entrepreneurs to ensure a better chance of success?
4. Is an unproven company like iChat more likely to attract venture capitalists or angel investors? Why? How might making it through several stages of the small business accelerator increase Dan Herman’s chances for attracting investors?

Description: Forecasts for corn harvests and stockpiles by the U.S. Department of Agriculture have been increasingly inaccurate over the past two years. This makes it difficult to predict prices and determine whether and how much to plant.

Source: L. Pleven & T. McGinty, “Faulty Forecasts Roil Corn Market,” Wall Street Journal

Date: December 5, 2011

Article Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203752604576641561657796544.html

Questions for discussion:

1. Describe the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s job in terms of data and information. Based on what you learn from the article/video, assess how the USDA is doing in terms of the five criteria of useful information.
2. Discuss the importance of reliable information from the standpoint of farmers (both corn producers and corn consumers), ethanol companies, and foreign governments (corn buyers). Note: It may be helpful to think about individuals associated with these entities as information processors and problem solvers.
3. What type of managerial decision does Mike Yost (a consumer of corn) face? Identify the decision environment he faces.
4. Examine the planning process. Now imagine yourself in one of the following roles: feed buyer for a dairy farm, purchasing agent for an ethanol manufacturing plant, commodities buyer for an international government. Which steps of the planning process are most affected by inaccurate USDA forecasts?
5. What type(s) of tools/techniques could you use to reduce your business’ risk in the above situation?

Description: Video interviews with a variety of Minnesota residents reveals general advantages and disadvantages of today’s technologies.

Source: J. Graham, “Most Say Technology Has Improved Our Lives,” USA Today

Date: December 2, 2011

Article Link: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/talkingyourtech/story/2011-12-01/how-has-technology-improved-lives/51582432/1

Questions for discussion:

1. Look at the definition for technology. Discuss the ways technology changes over time and how these changes moved our economy from predominantly manufacturing-based to service-based. Does technology produce the change or is it a result of the change?
2. Now review the definition for productivity. Has technology improved our productivity? If yes, in what ways (remember the definition)? If no, why not?
3. Without doubt, access to relatively low-cost digital technologies has its advantages, but what about competitive advantages? Identify ways that technology produces competitive advantages for companies. Try to think about successful companies that are capitalizing on the unique benefits of today’s technology (as users not as providers). It might help to review the definition for value creation before responding.

Description: The drawbacks of digital technology are discussed. Digital natives seem to have different ideas about what is and is not appropriate in today’s workplace than do digital immigrants.

Source: Wall Street Journal Online

Date: December 2, 2011

Questions for discussion:

1. Discuss the implications for communication effectiveness and efficiency between today’s popular media (e.g., texting, Twitter), slightly older media (e.g., e-mail), and the ever-present face-to-face meeting.
2. What type of communication barriers are created by digital technology?
3. How does the use of digital technology in meetings affect (the perception of) active listening? Why would this matter?
4. Review the graphic on channel richness. Why is Anna Post correct when she says definitely fire someone in person and not by e-mail? What forms of organizational communication would be appropriate for digital technologies?

Description: Godiva, one of the leading gourmet chocolate makers, is implementing new strategies to increase chocolate consumption.

Source: E. Holmes, “Breeding a Nation of Chocoholics,” Wall Street Journal

Date: November 30, 2011

Article Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204262304577068191047284320.html

Questions for discussion:

1. Examine Porter’s competitive strategies framework. In what quadrant would you place Godiva prior to this new strategy? Is the new strategy attempting to reach a different quadrant? If so, which one? What is your rationale?
2. For Godiva, the problem is how to get people, particularly women, to eat more of their chocolate. Does the solution reported here rise to the level of innovation? What type of business innovation might this represent?
3. What is your perception of Godiva? Is the company’s new strategy working to change consumers’ perceptions? Is this important?
4. It could be said that eating chocolate satisfies an individual’s need. Have a little fun with this. Think again about your perception of Godiva. It might be helpful to compare this perception to your perception of Hershey’s chocolate. If you were going to purchase Godiva chocolate, what level of needs would you be attempting to satisfy? Toward the end of the article, Godiva CEO Jim Goldman discusses the company’s strategy for placing chocolate in grocery stores. Is the company trying to force a shift in need level satisfied? Why might this be important in terms of getting people to eat more chocolate?

Description: Rock and roll bands have more to worry about than whether fans like their music. The volatility of international markets and currencies can make it difficult to schedule concerts, pay bills, and maximize profits.

Source: N. Shah, “Overweight in Metal, This Band Tries to Play Tunes in Forex,” Wall Street Journal

Date: December 5, 2011

Article Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204630904577056123331660042.html

Questions for discussion:

1. Do bands like Metallica have to be concerned about global management? Why or why not? Make a case for why Metallica needs a manager and why someone like Cliff Burnstein must be a global manager.
2. After reading the story about Duff McKagan’s suit purchase, discuss the importance of cultural intelligence even for band members.
3. Discuss the ways that rock and roll bands are global businesses. The article ends with Mr. Burnstein saying that his bands are a U.S. export. Do you agree? Why or why not? Are playing concerts the only ways bands have to “go global?” What other options might exist?

Description: Fast food giant Wendy’s, the number three chain in America, is looking to rebound from years of lackluster performance following the death of founder Dave Thomas in 2002. Former Wendy’s exec Emil Brolick was hired recently as CEO and charged with restoring the company’s image.

Source: T. Turner, “Wendy’s Works to Restore ‘Luster’ Under New Leadership,” Columbus Dispatch

Date: November 17, 2011

Article Links: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2011/11/17/wendys-family-says-company-will-turnaround.html (see also http://online.wsj.com/article/AP9c505ffb3b7e4a0c854983b19578da7f.html)

Questions for discussion:

1. What is Wendy’s competitive advantage? Is it sustainable?
2. Identify the grand and other strategies suggested by Wendy’s recent actions and statements.
3. The video associated with this topic is simply one of the latest Wendy’s advertisements. However, it speaks to Wendy’s strategy. How is Wendy’s trying to position itself vis-à-vis its competitors? What business-level strategy is represented?
4. How do greater involvement of the Thomas family and bringing back Emil Brolick as CEO speak to the issues of strategic control and strategic leadership?

Description: After five months without a labor contract, the National Basketball Association is ready to resume play. As is typical with strikes/lockouts, the two sides bitterly contested the issues. In the end, both recognized a deal was necessary for the survival of professional basketball.

Source: K. Clark, “NBA’s Owners Win Big,” Wall Street Journal

Date: November 28, 2011

Article Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203802204577064613900138258.html

Questions for discussion:

1. All major professional athletes are represented by some type of players union. Review the short section on labor-management relations in Chapter 11. Discuss how the collective bargaining process can break down and lead to a lockout like the NBA had.
2. Did communication, or lack thereof, have anything to do with the eventual lockout? What communication barriers may have been involved?
3. What antecedent conditions led to this most recent professional sports conflict?
4. Prior to the lockout, the players received 57 percent of annual revenues. The agreement now gives them 50 percent. What conflict management style(s) might have produced this result? Note: be careful not to quickly assume this was compromise.
5. From what you can determine, evaluate the effectiveness of this negotiation. Did it satisfy all three criteria for effectiveness?