Posted by & filed under Communication, Control, Decision Making, Ethics & Social Responsibility, Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description: There’s only one thing you need to do to defuse a conflict. Listening isn’t it.

Source: INC.com

Date: Mar 21, 2023

Link: https://www.inc.com/debra-roberts/to-keep-a-conversation-from-becoming-a-conflict-understand-interrupt-pattern-of-escalation.html?utm_source=newsletters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=inc%20-%20this%20morning%20newsletter.newsletter%20-%20inc%20-%20this%20morning%203-21-23&leadid=261346&mkt_tok=njewluxfrs04nziaaagkoupfyr2tp4hne8xwqp-n5ofkrbtp6pk-tv00mqsvjyrvfxdf7drtomaovfuz_67txenwchsnumfawz8hp7c8nnovhi9upjxcm9vunzw

Questions for discussion:

  • What are the key points made in this article related to mitigating conflict?
  • Do you agree with this analysis and the strategic recommendations?
  • What would you add to the conversation?

Posted by & filed under Communication, Control, Decision Making, International Business, Leadership, Management, Strategy.

Description: As far as isms go, if you listen to some recent media coverage goes, the trend in the U.S. seems to be toward isolationism, even though the rest of the world appears to be going, well, in a worldwide direction. You know, globalism.

Source: MediaPost.com

Date: Mar 21, 2023

Link: https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/383548/its-morning-again-on-planet-earth.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=readmore&utm_campaign=129644&hashid=VqrNVU8KRva-05RcXzdoNQ

Questions for discussion:

  • What does the article say about the forces of globalization?
  • What does this mean for business management and operations management in particular?

Posted by & filed under Communication, Control, Decision Making, International Business, Leadership, Management, Organizational Behavior, Strategy.

Description: The burger chain will open a flagship location in Toronto in 2024

Source: Yahoo.Finance.com – video report

Date: Mar 23, 2023

Link: https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/shake-shack-announces-coming-to-canada-120010020.html

Questions for discussion:

  • Strategically, is this a good decision for growth?
  • What are the logistical and managerial implications for the firm, with respect to entry into Canada?
  • Should the firm be looking to hire senior management people in Toronto or just lower level operations personnel? Explain your thinking.

Posted by & filed under Communication, Decision Making, Ethics & Social Responsibility, International Business, Management, Strategy.

Description: How Used Hotel Soap Gets Recycled Into Brand New Bars | World Wide Waste | Insider Business

Source: BusinessInsider.com – video report

Date: Mar 20, 2023

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qJV34pcOaw

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the pros and cons of this effort to recycle hotel soap?
  • What are the financial, marketing and managerial implications for the firms involved?
  • How could the program be improved?
  • What other non-profit efforts could be tried using the same business model thinking?

Posted by & filed under Communication, Control, Decision Making, Ethics & Social Responsibility, International Business, Leadership, Management, Strategy.

Description: Author, CPA and business owner Gene Marks break down everything entrepreneurs need to know about the impact of the SVB collapse.

Source: Entrepreneur.com – video report

Date: Mar 20, 2023

Link: https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/what-does-the-banking-crisis-mean-for-small-business-owners/447997

Questions for discussion:

  • What does Gene Marks have to say about the banking crisis?
  • How should small businesses be dealing with the situation?
  • What are your thoughts about these risks and how investors and businesses should deal with them?

Posted by & filed under Communication, Control, Decision Making, Ethics & Social Responsibility, International Business, Leadership, Management, Organizational Behavior, Strategy.

Description: Experts from Wharton and Penn Engineering outline a framework for transforming ESG from a corporate obligation to an innovation engine for growth that can benefit all stakeholders.

Source: knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu

Date: Mar 13, 2023

Link: https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/the-missing-link-between-esg-and-corporate-innovation/?utm_campaign=KatW2023&utm_medium=email&utm_source=kw_campaign_monitor&utm_term=3-15-23&utm_content=The_Missing_Link_Between_ESG_and_Corporate_Innovation

Questions for discussion:

  • What does the article say about changing orientation of ESG thinking?
  • Do you agree with the framework and suggestions?
  • Why do you think leadership is key to the model’s application?

Posted by & filed under Communication, Control, Decision Making, Ethics & Social Responsibility, Leadership, Management, Organizational Behavior.

Description: Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #870. Meet Chris Bailey(who was also featured on Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast back in 2018), a writer, productivity expert, and author of the bestselling books, Hyperfocus and The Productivity Project. TED called him, “the most productive man you’d ever hope to meet” and by Fast Companysaid he’s a “productivity mastermind.” Chris brings a unique approach to productivity that is very different from the hustle culture that we are all exposed to. His latest (and most personal) book is, How to Calm Your Mind – Finding Presence and Productivity in Anxious Times. While this may seem opposite to the tenets of productivity, it is not. In fact, the birth of this book happened after Chris suffered from an on-stage panic attack. It was in the healing process that he recognized how critical it is to invest in calm at the same time that we invest in becoming more productive. He has spent the past decade experimenting with every productivity tactic under the sun and separating what works from what doesn’t. His experimentation has included meditating for 35 hours in a week, using his smartphone for only an hour a day, and working 90-hour weeks, among other things. His TEDx Talk, How to Get Your Brain to Focus, has been viewed over 14 million times. In addition to his books, Chris is the author of the Audible Original, How to Train Your Mind. He has his own newsletter on the topic as well as the podcast, Time & Attention. Enjoy the conversation…

Source: SixPixels.com – podcast

Date: Mar 12, 2023

Link: https://www.sixpixels.com/podcast/archives/spos-870-chris-bailey-on-finding-calm-in-the-productivity-chaos/

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the key suggestions presented by Chris Bailey in this discussion.
  • What do you think of these ideas and how do they relate to your own sense of managing the challenges of stress in a work environment?

Posted by & filed under Communication, Control, Decision Making, Ethics & Social Responsibility, Leadership, Management, Organizational Behavior, Strategy.

Description: The virtual assistants had more than a decade to become indispensable. But they were hampered by clunky design and miscalculations, leaving room for chatbots to rise.

Source: NYTimes.com

Date: Mar 15, 2023

Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/15/technology/siri-alexa-google-assistant-artificial-intelligence.html

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the managerial reasons for the demise of virtual assistants and rise of chatbots?
  • Where else do you see the managerial use of AI, besides the obvious area of search?

Posted by & filed under Communication, Control, Decision Making, Ethics & Social Responsibility, International Business, Leadership, Management, Strategy.

Description: WOLFSBURG, March 13 (Reuters) – Volkswagen said on Monday it will build its first North American battery cell plant in Canada, granting its cars access to U.S. subsidies which require that electric vehicles’ batteries are made with North American materials.

Source: Yahoo.Finance.com – video report

Date: Mar 11, 2023

Link: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/volkswagen-build-first-north-american-153001295.html

Questions for discussion:

  • Explain the decision to build the vehicles in South Carolina and the batteries in Canada as it relates to government incentives, supply channel challenges and costs?
  • Is this a good business and governmental deal for the countries involved?

Posted by & filed under Communication, Control, Decision Making, Ethics & Social Responsibility, International Business, Leadership, Management, Organizational Behavior, Strategy.

Description: There has been a lot of buzz about how AI might eventually replace lower-rank workers. But why not start with the highest-paid corporate executives?

Source: Thehustle.co

Date: Mar 11, 2023

Link: https://thehustle.co/should-we-automate-the-ceo/?utm_content=null&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Wednesday%20Email&utm_term=4ABCD

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize what the article says about AI in the work environment.
  • How have salaries changed over time?
  • What do you think about the arguments presented and the implications for careers, management and operations of businesses?