Big Brother Is (Definitely) Watching

Posted by & filed under Control.

Following the protests in Egypt and the fall of Hosni Mubarak, many are questioning how the Egyptian government chose to respond to social media and the internet. Rather than harnessing its power or, at least minimally, trying to manage it, Mubarak’s regime simply tried to shut it down. Other governments take different approaches, some going… Read more »

Flaming Hot Management in Calgary

Posted by & filed under Management.

Until recently, the Calgary Flames were not considered a playoff contender. Shortly after Christmas, General Manager Darryl Sutter was relieved of duty and replaced by Jay Feaster. Suddenly, things began to change. The team is on an incredible winning streak and everyone, from the administrative offices on down, comments about what a different atmosphere exists… Read more »

The Technological Side of Social Upheaval

Posted by & filed under Communication.

When former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak shut down internet access in the country, most thought it was just an attempt to control what was being reported about the situation. What we may just now be realizing is the important role that social media played in the protests and the eventual toppling of the president. Different… Read more »

Canada’s (Prescription) Drug War

Posted by & filed under Environment.

Concerns over the skyrocketing cost of health care, particularly prescription medication resulted in laws to regulate the industry. One such law prohibits manufacturers of generic drugs from paying professional allowances (rebates) to pharmacies. Rather than fight the ruling, large discount pharmacies such as Shoppers Drug Mart are instead focusing on boosting their own private-label drug… Read more »

In the Driver’s Seat

Posted by & filed under Motivation.

Ken Mikalauskas spent 15 years working in the corporate world and never felt satisfied. He wanted more control. His first move was to leave the big city and then he eventually struck out on his own. He realized that being in business for himself was not without risks, but that he had to face those… Read more »

Big Bonuses in Detroit

Posted by & filed under Human Resource Management.

After a near collapse of the United States automobile industry and record bailouts by the U.S. Government, automakers are offering huge bonus payments to their UAW employees. Workers believe the move is justified because they made equally large concessions to help their employers get through tough times. The payments are being made in advance of… Read more »

The Canucks Are Special

Posted by & filed under Teams.

The Vancouver Canucks are having a good season and are dominating the Dallas Stars, primarily through their special teams play. What makes this a bit surprising is that the lineup features five rookie players. QUESTIONS: The main focus of the article is on the Canucks special teams play. This is only one aspect of the… Read more »

China’s Cotton Club

Posted by & filed under Operations Management.

Chinese cotton farmers are holding on to their harvest from the past season waiting for prices to climb. Estimates suggest the amount of cotton being held off the market may be close to two million metric tons representing nine percent of the world supply. This hoarding coupled with a lack of production reporting throughout Asia… Read more »

Preparing for a Retail Invasion

Posted by & filed under Planning.

The landscape in Canadian retailing is changing, in part due to landlords’ desires to add stronger tenants and foreign companies looking to expand into an attractive, and relatively untapped, Canadian market. While Canadian consumer debt is high, competition among retailers is not nearly as fierce as it is south of the border. That has retail… Read more »

The Creativity Mystery

Posted by & filed under Innovation/Creativity.

One of the reasons that North America continues to dominate the global economy is that conditions are right for innovation to flourish. Creativity is the basis for innovation. Scientists have been studying creativity for years in an attempt to understand its origins. So far, this research tells us that creativity does not emerge from a… Read more »