Will U.S. Holiday Shoppers Reward Companies for Doing Good?

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

Description: The recent Bentley-Gallup Force for Good study found that most Americans are willing to pay a premium for products from companies that have a reputation for doing good. Specifically, majorities of at least 60% said they would be willing to pay extra for a simple consumer good — a T-shirt — if the company that made it was known for making a positive difference in four specific areas.

Source: Gallup.com

Date: Dec 07, 2022

Link: https://news.gallup.com/opinion/gallup/405794/shoppers-reward-companies-doing-good.aspx

Questions for discussion:

  • What does the research say about consumer decisions and management strategies?
  • How should companies use this information, in your opinion, to advance the firm’s brand?

Tim Cook says Apple will use chips built in the U.S. at Arizona factory

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

Description: CEO Tim Cook confirmed that Apple will buy U.S.-made microchips at an event in Arizona on Tuesday, where President Joe Biden also spoke.

Source: CNBC.com – video report

Date: Dec 06, 2022

Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/06/tim-cook-says-apple-will-use-chips-built-in-the-us-at-arizona-factory.html?__source=iosappshare%7Ccom.apple.UIKit.activity.Mail

Questions for discussion:

  • Why is Apple doing this?
  • What are the implications for future global supply channels?
  • What does this decision signal to other industries, in your opinion?

Job cuts rise in November, causing employees to shift focus to ‘career cushioning’ 

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

Description: The rate of job cut announcements at U.S. employers in November was more than five times greater than a year ago, according to a report by Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Overall, U.S.-based firms announced 76,835 job cuts in November, led by the technology sector. So far this year, tech companies have announced nearly 81,000 cuts.

Source: CNBC.com – video report

Date: Dec 01, 2022

Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/01/employees-to-shift-focus-to-career-cushioning-as-job-cuts-rise.html

Questions for discussion:

  • What is happening in the job market and how are employers and employees adjusting?
  • What comment and advice would add to this discussion?

These Are the 4 Most Toxic People You’ll Find in the Workplace — And How To Handle Them

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

Description: An NYU psychologist offers critical guidance for dealing with a jerk at work.

Source: Entrpreneur.com

Date: Nov 30, 2022

Link: https://www.entrepreneur.com/leadership/the-4-most-toxic-people-at-workand-how-to-handle-them/440083

Questions for discussion:

  • Who are these co-workers and the recommended means to handle them?
  • Do you agree with the analysis and recommendations?
  • What else would you advise employees and management do to deal with these sorts of toxic co-workers?

SPOS #853 – Dr. Heidi K. Gardner On Smarter Collaboration At Work

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

Description: Here it is: Six Pixels of Separation – The ThinkersOne Podcast – Episode #853. If you’re studying the current (and future) state of work, there is no doubt that when we talk about “back to office,” the main reason to do this is for better collaboration. But what does that mean… and is that true? Well, let’s ask the expert on smarter collaboration, Dr. Heidi K. Gardner. Heidi is an advisor, keynote speaker, and facilitator for organizations. Named by Thinkers50 as a Next Generation Business Guru, she is a Distinguished Fellow at Harvard Law School and former professor at Harvard Business School. She is currently the faculty chair and instructor in multiple executive education programs at both institutions. She has authored (or co-authored) more than 100 books, chapters, case studies, and articles. This includes the Washington Post best-selling book, Smart Collaboration – How Professionals and Their Firms Succeed by Breaking Down Silos and the newly published, Smarter Collaboration – A New Approach to Breaking Down Barriers and Transforming Work. Her research has received the Academy of Management’s prize for Outstanding Practical Implications for Management and has been selected multiple times for Harvard Business Review’s “best of” collections. If you’re trying to figure out how to make the work flow better in your work, please take a listen. Enjoy the conversation…

Source: SixPixels.com – podcast

Date: Nov 13, 2022

Link: https://www.sixpixels.com/podcast/archives/spos-853-heidi-k-gardner-on-smarter-collaboration-at-work/

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the key points about collaboration and the office environment.
  • Do you agree with this analysis?

These Young Workers Are ‘Romanticizing’ the Return to Office

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

Description: As many others chafe against employer mandates, creators on TikTok —  some new to the work force — are trying to show that the office can be fun.

Source: NYTimes.com

Date: Nov 27, 2022

Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/27/business/tiktok-office-influencers.html?smid=em-share

Questions for discussion:

  • How can Tik Tok influencers help attract employees back to office?
  • What are the risks associated with using this social media platform for HR related issues like publicizing work environments?

In defensive interview, Sam Bankman-Fried claims he’s broke and committed no fraud

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

Description: Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, in possibly the understatement of 2022, said Wednesday, “I’ve had a bad month.” The former billionaire added that he “didn’t do a good job” at upholding his responsibilities to regulators, customers and investors in a hotly anticipated conversation with CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin at the DealBook Summit.

Source: CNBC.com – video report

Date: Dec 01, 2022

Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/30/former-ftx-ceo-sam-bankman-fried-says-i-didnt-ever-try-to-commit-fraud.html

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize your understanding of the events that lead to the collapse of FTX.
  • How would you characterize public perception of Bankman-Fried’s behavior and explanations.
  • How do you think this story will impact business decision-making in the future?

Have the Anticapitalists Reached Harvard Business School?

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

Description: Social justice joins discounted cash flows on the syllabus as essential knowledge for aspiring corporate leaders.

Source: NYTimes.com

Date: Nov 28, 2022

Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/28/business/business-school-social-justice.html?smid=em-share

Questions for discussion:

  • What are the main arguments presented in this article?
  • Where do you stand on these questions?
  • What do you believe are the obligations of the corporation to society?

New Report: How Companies Are Faking Their DEI Strategy and Making It Worse for Workers

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

Description: While more employers truly care about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), it is just a box to tick for many others

​Source: INC.com

Date: Nov 21, 2022

Link: https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/new-report-how-companies-are-faking-their-dei-strategy-making-it-worse-for-workers.html

Questions for discussion:

  • Summarize the research presented.
  • Do you agree with the analysis and explanations for the results presented?
  • What does this report say about the status of DEI to management and employees?
  • What would you advise employers and employees?

Bob Iger returns as Disney CEO, replacing Bob Chapek after a brief, tumultuous tenure

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

Description: Bob Iger is back. Disney, in a shocking late Sunday announcement, said it had reappointed Iger as chief executive, effective immediately, after Iger’s hand-picked successor as CEO, Bob Chapek, came under fire for his management of the entertainment giant.

Source: CNBC.com

Date: Nov 21, 2022

Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/21/bob-iger-named-disney-ceo-effective-immediately.html

Questions for discussion:

  • What does this story say about the managerial roles of the board of directors and the CEO?
  • Do you believe Bob Iger bears some responsibility for the selection of Bob Chapek?
  • How should the board and CEO now go about selecting the next CEO, given the two-year window available?
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