Rovio, Angry Birds Maker, Valued at $1 Billion in I.P.O.

Posted by & filed under Change, Entrepreneurship, Global Management, New product, Strategy, Technology.

Description: LONDON — It turns out Angry Birds is a billion-dollar idea. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Sep 28, 2017 Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/business/dealbook/rovio-angry-birds-ipo.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fbusiness&action=click&contentCollection=business&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront Questions for discussion: What is the basis for the valuation? How else can the firm generate revenues?

Trivago Turns to AI as Travelers Increasingly Book Directly

Posted by & filed under Global Management, Innovation/Creativity, Management, Operations Management, Strategy, Technology.

Description: tripl purchase follows aggressive advertising moves in Europe Source: eMarketer.com Date: Sep 28, 2017 Link: https://www.emarketer.com/Article/Trivago-Turns-AI-Travelers-Increasingly-Book-Directly/1016540 Questions for discussion: How is the online travel business changing? How are businesses like Trivago responding? What other ideas could be applied to the challenges facing the industry?

Nestlé Makes Billions Bottling Water It Pays Nearly Nothing For

Posted by & filed under Environment, Ethics, Global Management, Management, Operations Management, Social Responsibility.

Description: The company’s operation in Michigan reveals how it’s dominated the industry by going into economically depressed areas with lax water laws. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: Sep 20, 2017 Link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-09-21/nestl-makes-billions-bottling-water-it-pays-nearly-nothing-for Questions for discussion: What are the ethical issues presented in this article? Do you believe the firm is doing anything improper?

Before Wisconsin, Foxconn Vowed Big Spending in Brazil. Few Jobs Have Come.

Posted by & filed under Compensation & Benefits, Decision Making, Ethics, Global Management, Human Resource Management, Management, Negotiation, Operations Management, Planning, Strategy, Technology.

Description: Before the Taiwanese manufacturing giant Foxconn pledged to spend $10 billion and create 13,000 jobs in Wisconsin, the company made a similar promise in Brazil. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Sep 20, 2017 Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/20/business/foxconn-trump-wisconsin.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fbusiness&action=click&contentCollection=business&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront Questions for discussion: What does the report have to say about strategic management thinking from different parts of the world? Is there… Read more »

New York’s Silicon Alley Is (Still) No Match for Silicon Valley

Posted by & filed under Change, Global Management, Human Resource Management, Innovation/Creativity, Leadership, New product, Technology.

Description: Numbers don’t lie: West beats East, although New York is coming along nicely. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: Sep 12, 2017 Link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-12/new-york-s-silicon-alley-is-still-no-match-for-silicon-valley Questions for discussion: What does the report say about the competition between east and west coasts technology development? How much influence do you think this new school will have on management decisions to… Read more »

Apple’s Real Advantage Is What’s Inside the New iPhones and Watch

Posted by & filed under Global Management, Management, New product, Planning, Technology.

Description: When Apple Inc. unveiled a trio of new iPhones, an Apple Watch and TV set-top box on Tuesday, much was made of the products’ elegance, new features and luxury-level prices. But perhaps the more important story is what’s under the hood: semiconductor technology that could keep Apple ahead of rivals and force people with older phones to… Read more »

Who Will Save These Dying Italian Towns?

Posted by & filed under Entrepreneurship, Ethics, Global Management, Leadership, Management, New product.

Description: Near-empty villages try to hold on to an endangered way of life— and some of the country’s most important artisanal traditions. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Sep 07, 2017 Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/t-magazine/abandoned-italian-towns.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=wide-thumb&module=mini-moth&region=top-stories-below&WT.nav=top-stories-below Questions for discussion: Which strategies seem to offer the chance for rejuvenating the economies of these towns and sites? What other ideas can you suggest… Read more »

Sharp differences over labor surface at NAFTA talks in Mexico

Posted by & filed under Chapter 12 - Changes to the Union or the Employer, Compensation & Benefits, Decision Making, Global Management, Industrial Relations, Social Responsibility.

Description: MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Tensions over sharp differences in pay between Mexican workers and their Canadian and U.S. counterparts surfaced on Sunday as negotiators discussed labor market rules in talks to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement. Source: Reuters.ca Date: Sep 03, 2017 Link: https://ca.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idCAKCN1BF00H-OCABS Questions for discussion: Summarize the advantages Mexican auto workers enjoy… Read more »

Apple Is Losing Its Cool Factor And That’s A Problem If They Want To Break Into TV.

Posted by & filed under Decision Making, Global Management, Innovation/Creativity, Leadership, Management, New product, Operations Management, Planning, Technology.

Description: Apple spent much of the 00s riding high on a wave of cool. Whether it was MP3 players, smartphones, tablets or laptops, Apple was the brand that everyone wanted and anything else seemed like the “sensible” (read: uncool) pair of sneakers your parents forced you wear in sixth grade. (Growing up in New York… Read more »

Amazon Is Planning a Second Headquarters With 50,000 Jobs

Posted by & filed under Global Management, Human Resource Management, Management, Operations Management, Planning, Social Responsibility, Strategy, Teams, Technology.

Description: Amazon said on Thursday that it was searching for a second headquarters in North America, a huge new development that would cost as much as $5 billion to build and run, and would house as many as 50,000 employees. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Sep 07, 2017 Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/technology/amazon-headquarters-north-america.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news Questions for discussion: What criteria has Amazon… Read more »