Description: In an effort to create a better experience for its guests, Affinia-owned hotels are training employees to recognize and respond to body language.

Related Video: http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/how-to-read-body-language/6nas8vn?src=v5:share:sharepermalink:&from=sharepermalink

Source: C. Jones, “Face Off: Hotel Staff Taught to Read Guests’ Body Language,” USA Today

Date: October 24, 2011

Article Link: http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/story/2011-10-24/Face-off-Hotel-staff-taught-to-read-guests-body-language/50896514/1

Questions for discussion:

1. Examine the figure associated with Katz’ essential managerial skills. Discuss the relative importance of each skill. How do the article and video reinforce what the chart tells you and what do they suggest about need for emotional intelligence?
2. Discuss how analyzing and responding to body language affects communication effectiveness and efficiency. What are the tradeoffs involved?
3. Active listening and proxemics are two concepts not specifically mentioned in the article. Are these important in customer management? Discuss.

Description: Wall Street Journal Assistant Editor Jennifer Valentino-DeVries discusses the impact of software tools in a networked society. While the discussion centers on crime solving, the applications extend to business.

Source: WSJ.com

Date: November 4, 2011

Questions for discussion:

1. All information is data, but not all data is information. Why is this statement true? How is software changing the balance between these two? How might these new software, if applied to business, affect the five criteria for usefulness?
2. Software is becoming more sophisticated in terms of processing information. Can software replace managers as information processors and problem solvers? Be sure to incorporate systematic and intuitive thinking into your discussion.
3. Discuss the value of software for data analysis and decision making in terms of structured problems/programmed decisions. What are the implications in terms decision-making bias?

Description: Long-range forecasts suggest a decline in the unemployment rate due to a number of aging workers leaving the workforce. While this is good overall for the economy, let’s consider it from the standpoint of individual companies.

Source: J. Lahart, “Aging Population Eases Jobless Rate,” Wall Street Journal

Date: November 4, 2011

Article Link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203716204577018052859354454.html

Questions for discussion:

1. The opening chapter describes talent as a key factor of working today. Discuss the importance of talent from the standpoint of competitive advantage. Do believe talent is becoming more or less important for American companies? Why?
2. What SWOT elements could be affected by changes in the pool of available workers?
3. What aspects of the human resource management process are affected by the trend reported in the article?
4. Do retiring older workers and fewer available workers put more pressure on external or internal recruitment? If you respond internal, discuss the impact on training and development.

Description: Conventional baseball wisdom holds that teams leading their divisions on Labor Day make the playoffs. The St. Louis Cardinals were not leading the National League Central nor were they even in contention for the wildcard. Yet today the Cardinals are world champions, completing improbable comebacks to gain a playoff berth and then advance through each round.

Source: B. Nightengale, “Cardinals’ Improbable Run Results in 11th World Series Title,” USA Today

Date: October 28, 2011

Link: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/story/2011-10-28/world-series-game-7-rangers-cardinals/50986246/1

Questions for discussion:

1. The “never say die” attitude reflects what aspect in the general definition of motivation?
2. What needs would be satisfied by making the playoffs/winning the World Series? How might the needs satisfied vary from player to player?
3. No doubt the Texas Rangers wanted to win the Series as much as St. Louis. Using Expectancy Theory, discuss how Cardinals’ performance in the last two months of the season may have given them more motivation to win it all.
4. Imagine you are Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa. How would you use Goal-Setting Theory to increase your team’s chances of winning again next season?

Description: Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner is an engineering marvel, but is also seen as the future of affordable luxury.

Source: B. Mutzabaugh, “First Dreamliner Passengers Sing New Jet’s Praises,” USA Today

Date: October 27, 2011

Link: http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/story/2011-10-27/First-Dreamliner-passengers-sing-new-jets-praises/50963896/1

Questions for discussion:

1. The Boeing 787 is a technological marvel. What type of manufacturing technology does Boeing utilize? Be sure to keep in mind the different configurations customers are likely to want.
2. Is Boeing engaging in continuous improvement? Can you provide evidence using the 787 as an example?
3. Discuss the importance of process reengineering for the manufacture of the Dreamliner. Hypothesize why Boeing was late delivering the first model.

Description: Weeks of disruptions by union employees resulted in a decision by Qantas Airlines to ground all flights and lock out workers. The Australian government held an emergency hearing to consider whether to order the airline to resume flights.

Source: Associated Press, “Qantas Airlines Grounds Global Fleet in Employee Lockout, Says Strikes Are ‘Crisis’ for Airline,” Washington Post

Date: October 29, 2011

Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/qantas-airways-grounds-its-entire-fleet-due-to-industrial-action-by-staff/2011/10/29/gIQALJXNRM_story.html?sub=AR

Questions for discussion:

1. What are some of the general environment conditions that are contributing to actions by both labor and management in this situation?
2. Consider the role of competitive advantage for an airline. What are some ways Qantas might maintain a competitive advantage? How might union activities negatively affect competitive advantage?
3. What are the keys to organizational effectiveness for Qantas? What impact would strikes, work slowdown, and unwillingness to work overtime have on effectiveness?
4. Discuss the pros and cons of using the various weapons available to each side.

Description: It is that time of year again – when people want to be scared to death and will pay for the experience.

Source: L. Petrecca, “Economy Doesn’t Keep Visitors From Haunted Houses,” USA Today

Date: October 19, 2011

Link: http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/story/2011-10-17/halloween-haunted-houses/50806578/1

Questions for discussion:

1. The concept of the haunted house has been around for decades. What role do creativity and innovation have for keeping customers coming back?
2. Experienced-based businesses are services (i.e., there is no tangible product that the customer takes home). What type of service technology is utilized by a haunted house like that at Universal Studios?
3. Based on your reading of the article, how well do haunted houses satisfy the basic demands of customer relationship management?

Description: Tim Tebow’s storied collegiate career has yet to propel him to stardom in the National Football League, but when he starts, he wins – in dramatic fashion.

For Video: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=7141158

Source: ESPN.com

Date: October 23, 2011

Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=311023015

Questions for discussion:

1. The jeering crowd seemed to believe that Tim Tebow was incapable of performing as a professional quarterback. To what would you attribute his performance problems then successes?
2. Describe the role of attitudes in Tebow’s reaction to game situations leading up to the end of the fourth quarter. Did the way that Tebow reacted to negative factors have anything to do with the team’s performance late in the game?
3. Discuss how stress affected Tebow’s performance. If so, in what way? What type of stress did he most likely experience?
4. Based on the article, what sources of power is Tebow able to draw upon?

Description: New dot com startup TaskRabbit seeks to provide safe, reliable help (for any circumstance) to customers in need of assistance.

Source: FoxNews.com (Business Section)

Date: October 15, 2011

Link: http://video.foxnews.com/v/1219460049001/new-website-aims-to-make-life-easier/

Company website: http://www.taskrabbit.com/

Questions for discussion:

1. Which leaf of Handy’s Shamrock Organization do workers like Neville Clubwala represent? Is Neville consistent with Handy’s notion of the portfolio worker? If so, how? Is the TaskRabbit idea scalable (i.e., could it be expanded)?
2. How does the TaskRabbit model of business address the changing nature of organizations?
3. With dot com businesses springing up everywhere, what is TaskRabbit’s competitive advantage? Is it sustainable?
4. Conduct a very basic SWOT analysis for TaskRabbit. What are the strengths of the business? What are the opportunities? Do strengths match up with opportunities in this case?

The annual World Wide Developer Conference is a much anticipated event because it has been the venue of choice for Steve Jobs to announce new offerings by Apple. However, this year’s event has been preceded by carefully timed “leaks” of information indicating that the new announcement by Jobs will relate to the launch of iCloud, a service providing remote access to media. The service will replace the dismal MobileMe.

QUESTIONS:

1. Does Apple need/have social capital? If so, with whom? How might the timing and location of product/service announcements influence social capital?
2. From the standpoint of effective and efficient communication, discuss why Apple historically prefers to announce the launch of new products and services at the World Wide Developer Conference. Do you have any idea why Apple chose to make a pre-announcement?
3. Steve Jobs will temporarily suspend his medical leave of absence to attend WWDC and make Apple’s product/service announcement. Why (i.e., why is it important for Mr. Jobs to make these announcements)?
4. Discuss how beta testing, pre-announcements, and announcements to developers are consistent with the notion of feedback.

SOURCE: J. Berkow, “Launch of iCloud Seen as a Major Shift for Apple,” National Post (Retrievable online at http://business.financialpost.com/2011/06/06/launch-of-icloud-seen-as-a-major-shift-for-apple/)