Description: Nordstrom Inc. is trying an unusual approach to get busy New York City shoppers in its doors: Letting them return merchandise they bought online—from other retailers. Source: Fortune.com Date: Sep 06, 2019 Link: https://fortune.com/2019/09/06/nordstrom-tests-accepting-online-returns-from-rivals-such-as-macys/ Questions for discussion: Is this a good idea? What is the benefit to customers and to Nordstrom? Would an “any-brand”… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Operations Management
15 Minutes to ‘Mayhem’: How a Tweet Led to a Shortage at Popeyes
Description: The “chicken sandwich wars” with Chick-fil-A captivated the internet and drove record sales. Then they became a logistical headache. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Aug 29, 2019 Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/29/business/popeyes-chicken-sandwich-shortage.html Questions for discussion: What does the report say what happened? Was this a “problem”? Do you think it was planned? What should the firm do about the… Read more »
Elon Musk and Jack Ma agree: This existential threat is getting overlooked, and it’s not those killer robots
Description: There are almost 8 billion people on Earth and, if United Nations projections play out, that number is expected to balloon to 10 billion by 2057. That’s a lot… but maybe not enough, at least according to the two tech visionaries who tangled on stage for almost an hour at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in… Read more »
Who’s behind the smiling faces of some Airbnb hosts? Multimillion-dollar corporations
Description: Personable biographies or even fake photos obscure the operations of big businesses Source: CBC.ca Date: Apr 30, 2019 Link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/biggest-airbnb-hosts-canada-corporations-1.5116103 Questions for discussion: What are the managerial implications for Airbnb if the brand becomes associated with “bigger-businesses”? Would Airbnb benefit if management created a visible category of rentals from “bigger-businesses”?
How Social Media Users Have—and Have Not—Responded to Privacy Concerns
Description: The Facebook Cambridge Analytica revelations changed the way people in the US think about online privacy. And it should come as no surprise that many have grown wary over the mishandling of personal information. Source: eMarketer.com Date: Apr 29, 2019 Link: https://www.emarketer.com/content/how-social-media-users-have-and-have-not-responded-to-privacy-concerns?ecid=NL1001 Questions for discussion: Summarize the highlights presented in this article. Do you… Read more »
Amazon on pace to spend $7 billion on video and music content this year, according to new disclosure
Description: Amazon disclosed on Friday that it spent $1.7 billion on video and music content in the first quarter, providing a new number that investors have previously been forced to predict. Source: CNBC.com – video report Date: Apr 26, 2019 Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/26/amazon-on-pace-to-spend-7-billion-on-video-and-music-content.html Questions for discussion: What competitive advantage does Amazon have in this marketplace? What strategy… Read more »
Inside Tesla’s 100% renewable design for the Gigafactory
Description: The factory, which currently makes battery packs and electric motors for the Model 3, will eventually be the biggest building in the world–with the world’s largest rooftop solar array. Source: FastCompany.com Date: Apr 15, 2019 Link: https://www.fastcompany.com/90334858/inside-teslas-100-renewable-design-for-the-gigafactory?utm_source=postup&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Fast%20Company%20Daily&position=1&partner=newsletter&campaign_date=04162019 Questions for discussion: How has Tesla designed for sustainability at the plant? Do you think that by… Read more »
McDonald’s will no longer lobby against minimum wage hikes
Description: McDonald’s will no longer take part in efforts to lobby against raising the minimum wage at the federal, state or local level, the fast-food giant told the National Restaurant Association Tuesday. Source: CNBC.com Date: Mar 27, 2019 Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/27/mcdonalds-reportedly-to-stop-lobbying-against-minimum-wage-hikes.html?__source=iosappshare%7Ccom.apple.UIKit.activity.Mail Questions for discussion: What does this decision mean for the firm and the industry at large?… Read more »
KFC Aims to Keep Its China Edge With AI Menu, Robot Ice Cream Maker
Description: In Shanghai’s southeastern district of Xujiahui, Colonel Sanders’s smiling visage looms over the restaurant entrance, as it does at thousands of KFC locations around the globe. But step inside, and it quickly becomes clear that this is no ordinary KFC. Source: Bloomberg.com Date: Mar 20, 2019 Link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-20/yum-china-is-building-the-kfc-of-the-future?srnd=businessweek-v2 Questions for discussion: What is motivating… Read more »
Facebook’s Crisis Management Algorithm R
Description: One year after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Mark Zuckerberg says the company really cares. Then why is there an endless cycle of fury and apology? Source: Bloomberg.com Date: Mar 16, 2019 Link: https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2019-facebook-neverending-crisis/?srnd=businessweek-v2 Questions for discussion: What are the problems generated by FB and how has management dealt with them? How do you think… Read more »
