NickelsMcHughMcHugh - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

How a Smart Pallet Could Change Logistics

September 6, 2018

About a century ago, American manufacturers started stacking their goods on wooden pallets that could then be carried off by forklifts. Taking advantage of these two recent inventions allowed factories to transport products in bulk without making a lot of trips. Not much has changed since then: today more than 2 billion pallets circulate around the U.S. carrying everything from car parts to candy.

Despite its staying power, though, the classic wooden pallet certainly comes with its share of disadvantages. Continue reading →

Transportation, Product Distribution, Shipping, Operations Management, Logistics, Manufacturing, Michigan, Innovation, Supply chains

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Plastic Straw Bans Face Opposition from Accessibility Advocates

September 4, 2018

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

A couple of months ago, we took a look at Starbucks’ plan to eliminate its use of plastic straws by 2020. While the coffee chain remains the most high-profile business to ban straws, several cities throughout the country have joined the effort by passing legislation regulating their use. For instance, last month San Francisco passed an ordinance that prohibits restaurants from distributing any single-use plastic utensils or accessories. The cities of Seattle, Malibu, and Vancouver have recently put similar laws Continue reading →

Plastic Straws, Food & Drink, Accessibility, Regulation, Operations Management, Packaging, Global, Sustainability, Ethics, Product Distribution

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

[VIDEO] Why Most Orange Juice Comes From Brazil, Not Florida

August 31, 2018

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Although many American advertisements suggest that Florida remains the orange juice capital of the world, the video below shows how that’s not quite the case. Due to the state’s extreme weather and a number of other factors, the South American nation of Brazil has long stood as the globe’s top producer of OJ.

Questions:

Why has the size of Florida’s orange crop fallen so much in recent years?
What are the benefits and drawbacks of Brazil’s dominance of the orange industry?

Brazil, Operations Management, Supply chains, Global, Ethics, Florida, Food, Labor Relations

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Videos

Technology Fuels Flood of Global Tourism

August 30, 2018

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

With the summer winding down, people across the country are returning from vacation and settling back into their normal routines. And while many Americans would certainly rather be back on the beach than at work or school, many of the world’s most popular tourist destinations seem happy to see their visitors go. According to the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization, international trips increased by 6 percent in the first half of 2018. Although this amount of growth would usually be Continue reading →

Transportation, Global, Sustainability, Ethics, Amsterdam, Social Media, Airbnb, Tourism, Regulation

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Amazon Loses Ground in the Smart Speaker Market

August 28, 2018

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

A few years ago, many tech industry analysts predicted that the Amazon Echo would soon dominate the growing smart speaker market. After all, the voice-activated device accounted for more than 75 percent of market share as the company moved “tens of millions” of Echo products in 2017 alone. Consumers were also becoming more familiar with Alexa, the virtual assistant designed to answer questions and perform simple tasks like turning the lights on and off. Given these factors plus Amazon’s ever Continue reading →

Alexa, Product Development, Retail, Global, Innovation, Google, China, Amazon, E-commerce, Smart Speakers

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Study Shows that Google Could Be Constantly Tracking Your Data

August 24, 2018

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

By now it’s no secret that big tech companies routinely collect tons of data about their users’ online habits. And as Facebook’s recent scandal with Cambridge Analytica showed, sometimes they sell that information to outside parties without first telling users about it. As a result, people must always be careful about sharing too much information online. According to a new study conducted by a Vanderbilt University professor, however, even the most cautious users probably can’t escape the all-seeing power of Continue reading →

Data Mining, Facebook, Global, Security, Ethics, Legal, Silicon Valley, Google

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Uncategorized

Coca-Cola Launches Hundreds of New Drink Brands

August 23, 2018

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

For more than a century, Coca-Cola’s immense branding power has centered on its signature soft drink. But with many of today’s consumers switching from sugary sodas to healthier options, the company can no longer rely on its namesake beverage like it once did. So in order to keep up with changing tastes, last year Coca-Cola launched more than 500 new drink brands across the globe. “There are products out there in the world that perhaps we wouldn’t have tried a Continue reading →

Product Distribution, Global, Food & Drink, India, Product Development, Branding, Coca-Cola, Marketing

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” and the Fight for Radio Royalties

August 21, 2018

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Last week the legendary soul and gospel singer Aretha Franklin passed away at the age of 76. Her legacy includes a wide catalogue of classic hits that will long be remembered by music lovers, especially her signature song “Respect.” But while she earned millions of fans over the years with the anthemic tune, she unfortunately did not earn millions of dollars directly from it. That’s because all of the song’s radio royalties have gone to the estate of its writer, Continue reading →

Copyright, Entertainment, Regulation, Music, Product Distribution, Radio, Ethics

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

[VIDEO] It’s Not You. Date Labels on Food Make No Sense.

August 17, 2018

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s safe to eat eggs that have gone past their “sell-by date,” you are certainly not alone. This video looks at the confusing dates that companies place on food packaging and how they encourage consumers to throw out items that are still edible.

Questions:

Why do companies place sell-by dates on food packaging?
What can companies do to make food date labels more straightforward for consumers?

Packaging, Marketing, Sustainability, Operations Management, Ethics, Product Distribution, Food

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Videos, Uncategorized

Dallas Takes on Bike-Share Companies

August 16, 2018

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

If you live in a large or mid-sized city, you’ve probably noticed a lot of brightly colored bicycles popping up on sidewalks throughout town. Whether they’re green bikes from Lime or Ofo’s yellow models, these two-wheeled vehicles are available to rent for as little as $1 per ride. Bike-share companies claim that this business model provides cities with a wealth of transportation options that both tourists and locals alike can easily access. For communities that have been absolutely flooded with Continue reading →

Regulation, Transportation, Ethics, Product Distribution, Bike-share, Dallas, Texas, China

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Uncategorized