Terence Corcoran: Jerry Dias’s Oshawa GM battle can’t stop an auto-industry revolution

Posted by & filed under Chapter 4 - The Structure of Canadian Unions, Chapter 8 - The Collective Bargaining Process, Global Management, Human Resource Management, Industrial Relations, Management, Planning, Social Responsibility, Strategy.

Description: It’s hard to see what Unifor’s national president is hoping to achieve Source: FinancialPost.com Date: Jan 16, 2019 Link: https://business.financialpost.com/opinion/terence-corcoran-jerry-diass-oshawa-gm-battle-cant-stop-an-auto-industry-revolution Questions for discussion: What is the situation facing GM management, the union, and the governments? What would you advise each of them, given the constraints?

Amazon is on a hiring spree in India, even as new restrictions on foreign sellers loom

Posted by & filed under Communication, Decision Making, Global Management, Human Resource Management, Innovation/Creativity, Leadership, Management, Operations Management, Planning, Social Responsibility, Strategy, Teams, Technology.

Description: Amazon could soon face a tighter market in India, as new government restrictions are set to kick in next month. But the company remains undeterred in its India expansion based on at least one measure: job openings. Source: CNBC.com – video report Date: Jan 16, 2019 Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/16/amazon-india-hiring-spree-new-restrictions-foreign-sellers-coming.html Questions for discussion: What is significant about… Read more »

Hedge fund billionaire Ray Dalio: ‘Capitalism basically is not working for the majority of people’

Posted by & filed under Communication, Compensation & Benefits, Control, Decision Making, Entrepreneurship, Ethics, Global Management, Human Resource Management, Leadership, Management, Motivation, Social Responsibility, Strategy.

Description: With just over $18 billion to his name, capitalism has been good to Ray Dalio: He started his hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, out of a two-bedroom New York City apartment in 1975 and it now manages $160 billion in assets and is the largest hedge fund in the world, according to Forbes. Source: CNBC.com – video… Read more »

Health care industry spends $30 billion a year on marketing

Posted by & filed under Communication, Compensation & Benefits, Conflict, Control, Decision Making, Ethics, Global Management, Leadership, Management, Motivation, Operations Management, Planning, Social Responsibility, Strategy, Teams.

Description: Critics say patients are often misled by ads that advocate high-priced drugs, unapproved stem cell treatments or genetic tests. Source: NBC.com Date: Jan 08, 2019 Link: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/health-care-industry-spends-30-billion-year-marketing-n956251 Questions for discussion: Summarize the criticisms leveled at the health care industry in this report? Do you agree with the assessments? How should the industry, governments, and… Read more »

Facebook Advertising Profiles Are a Mystery to Most Users, Survey Says

Posted by & filed under Communication, Control, Ethics, Global Management, Innovation/Creativity, Management, Planning, Social Responsibility, Strategy, Technology.

Description:  The scrutiny of Facebook’s collection and use of consumer data in recent years has prompted the tech giant to repeatedly defend its efforts around transparency and privacy. Source: NYTimes.com Date: Jan 16, 2019 Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/16/business/media/facebook-advertising-transparency-users.html Questions for discussion: Summarize the highlights in this report. What do you think is motivating FB to publicize this… Read more »

Hey Siri, What Are Hearables?

Posted by & filed under Ethics, Global Management, Innovation/Creativity, Leadership, Management, New product, Planning, Social Responsibility, Technology.

Description:  A new category of wearable emerges Source: eMarketer.com Date: Jan 09, 2019 Link: https://www.emarketer.com/content/hey-siri-what-are-hearables?ecid=NL1009 Questions for discussion: Why is the development of hearable technology a game changer for the industry? What sorts of devices and applications can you image in the future?

Inside the $3 billion race to kill plastic

Posted by & filed under Communication, Environment, Ethics, Global Management, Innovation/Creativity, Leadership, Management, Planning, Social Responsibility, Technology.

Description: These startups are capitalizing on consumer anxiety about climate change to market reusable straws, food wrap, and storage bags. Can they compete with plastic industry giants? Source: FastCompany.com Date: Jan 16, 2019 Link: https://www.fastcompany.com/90290048/inside-the-3-billion-race-to-kill-plastic Questions for discussion: How are startups challenging the giant consumer products companies in this arena? Why is this a particularly… Read more »

Lockout at one of Canada’s largest smelters drags into 2nd year, with no end in sight

Posted by & filed under Chapter 10 - Third-Party Intervention, Chapter 11 - The Grievance Arbitration Process, Chapter 7 - Defining and Commencing Collective Bargaining, Communication, Conflict, Decision Making, Industrial Relations, Management, Negotiation, Social Responsibility.

Description: With pickets outside Alcoa’s aluminium plant in Bécancour, Que., output has been reduced to trickle Source: CBC.ca – video report Date: Jan 11, 2019 Link: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/lockout-at-one-of-canada-s-largest-smelters-drags-into-2nd-year-with-no-end-in-sight-1.4973943 Questions for discussion: What does the report have to say about the history of this labour dispute? What would you advise the parties involved in order to settle… Read more »

Inside Facebook’s ‘cult-like’ workplace, where dissent is discouraged and employees pretend to be happy all the time

Posted by & filed under Communication, Conflict, Control, Decision Making, Environment, Ethics, Global Management, Human Resource Management, Leadership, Management, Motivation, Operations Management, Social Responsibility, Teams.

Description: At a company-wide town hall in early October, numerous Facebookemployees got in line to speak about their experiences with sexual harassment. Source: CNBC.com – video report Date: Jan 08, 2019 Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/08/facebook-culture-cult-performance-review-process-blamed.html Questions for discussion: Summarize the managerial culture at FB. How are conditions affecting the company and its empoyees? How should management respond to… Read more »

How Starbucks went from one coffee bean store to an $80B business

Posted by & filed under Decision Making, Entrepreneurship, Global Management, Innovation/Creativity, Leadership, Management, New product, Operations Management, Planning, Social Responsibility, Strategy, Teams.

Description:  In its 47-year history, Starbucks has transformed from a single coffee bean store in Seattle to a 30,000 cafe international coffee power house. But massive expansion hasn’t come without growing pains. How Starbucks went from one coffee bean store to an $80B business from CNBC. Source: CNBC.com – video report Date: Jan 07, 2019… Read more »