Description: The federal government’s plan to hike excise taxes on beer every year will result in consumers paying more for the alcoholic beverage and business owners investing less in their operations, says an industry association fighting the change. Source: NationalPost.com Date: Jan 16, 2018 Link: http://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/beer-canada-calls-on-feds-to-axe-increasing-beer-tax-as-consumption-trends-down Questions for discussion: What does the article say about… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Operations Management
‘Right thing to do’: JJ Bean gives Ontario minimum wage to Vancouver staff
Description: The company increased the price of products to offset the cost of wage increases Source: CBC.ca Date: Jan 12, 2018 Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/jj-bean-coffee-wage-increase-hike-1.4486070 Questions for discussion: How has this firm adjusted to minimum wage laws? Do you think this strategy will work or will business decline?
Welcome to the machine: Why white-collar jobs are safe from AI — for now
Description: Artificial intelligence can perform certain specific tasks far better than humans, but it still has a long way to go before it can replace humans Source: FinancialPost.com Date: Dec 28, 2017 Link: http://business.financialpost.com/technology/welcome-to-the-machine-why-white-collar-jobs-are-safe-from-ai-for-now Questions for discussion: Summarize the key points that managers should undersatnd about AI and how it is likley to affect business… Read more »
Unfiltered Fervor: The Rush to Get Off the Water Grid
Description: SAN FRANCISCO — At Rainbow Grocery, a cooperative in this city’s Mission District, one brand of water is so popular that it’s often out of stock. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Dec 29, 2017 Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/29/dining/raw-water-unfiltered.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Ftechnology&action=click&contentCollection=technology®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront Questions for discussion: What is driving the development of this industry? How should managers establish prices for their product? How can… Read more »
Older Canadians forgoing retirement, working through golden years, census shows
Description: The latest census data show more and more Canadians are choosing to eschew the traditional retirement age, whether for their health, their finances or just for the fun of it Source: FinancialPost.com Date: Nov 29, 2017 Link: http://business.financialpost.com/personal-finance/retirement/older-canadians-forgoing-retirement-working-through-golden-years-census-2 Questions for discussion: Summarize the highlights in this report. What should HR managers do with this… Read more »
The 2018 Fortune Crystal Ball: 59 Predictions for the Year Ahead
Description: Good businesses keep up with the hottest trends. Great ones anticipate them. To help you discern what’s coming next, we’ve mined the forecasts, predictions, and projections from countless sources and polled Fortune’s in-house experts to bring you this look at the coming year. Source: Fortune.com Date: Nov 30, 2017 Link: http://fortune.com/2017/11/20/predictions-2018-future-business/ Questions for discussion: What… Read more »
Vice Media Fires 3 Employees After Harassment Complaints
Description: Vice Media fired three employees for behavior ranging from “verbal and sexual harassment to other behavior that is inconsistent with our policies, our values, and the way in which we believe colleagues should work together,” a company executive said in a memo to employees. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Dec 02, 2017 Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/01/business/media/vice-media-harassment-fires-three-employees.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fbusiness&action=click&contentCollection=business®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=12&pgtype=sectionfront Questions for… Read more »
Forewarned is forearmed: Train all management to handle harassment issues
Description: “One is never too old to yearn” goes the charming Italian proverb — as long as you keep such thoughts concealed. In today’s workplace, open unrequited love is a recipe for a rapid descent into unemployment. Source: FinancialPost.com Date: Dec 01, 2017 Link: http://business.financialpost.com/executive/careers/1128-biz-hl-levitt-wkpld Questions for discussion: Summarize the advice presented to companies and… Read more »
Opinion: Matt Lauer is a litmus test for every workplace
Description: Executives and employees need to be on the same page about a company’s ethics and image Source: MarketWatch.com Date: Dec 01, 2017 Link: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/matt-lauer-is-a-litmus-test-for-every-workplace-2017-12-01 Questions for discussion: What does the report suggest to management and employees about setting policies on ethical behaviors? What other thoughts do you have on setting policies?
Air Transat failed passengers stuck on 2 flights at Ottawa airport, agency decides
Description: The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has ruled Air Transat broke its agreement with passengers when it left them in two planes stranded on the tarmac of the Ottawa International Airport on July 31. Source: CBC.ca Date: Nov 30, 2017 Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/air-transat-delay-decision-day-1.4426687 Questions for discussion: Summarize the attribution of blame set out in the report?… Read more »
