Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

[VIDEO] Airlines Sell Legroom at a Premium Price

September 28, 2023

In the early days of air travel, carriers provided passengers with luxurious amounts of legroom. As the video below explains, however, today’s planes have far more seats with far less space between them, potentially resulting in uncomfortable experiences for tall travelers.

Questions:

Why do modern airlines “unbundle” the costs of travel by charging additional fees for luggage and seat selection?
Do you think government regulators should require air carriers to provide passengers with “comfortable” amounts of legroom? Why or why not?

Product Distribution, Air Travel, Supply & Demand, Product Development, Global, Regulation, Ethics, Transportation

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, 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, Videos

WGA and Hollywood Studios Reach Tentative Agreement

September 26, 2023

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For 146 days, members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have picketed in front of Hollywood movie and television studios, demanding increased financial security and more control over their work. Talks mostly broke down as the months stretched on, until last week when the two parties met over five straight days and brokered a tentative deal. Although this agreement still needs to be written into a contract and ratified by the WGA’s more than 11,000 members, industry observers Continue reading →

Management, Motivation, Product Development, Ethics, Entertainment, Unions, Streaming, Strikes, Film & Television, WGA

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Unimpressive Instacart Debut Decreases Confidence in IPOs

September 22, 2023

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For years, going public on the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq was the culmination of a longtime dream for many companies. After all, initial public offerings (IPOs) gave stakeholders a good chance to get rich quick while also bringing in new capital to expand their businesses even further. Unfortunately, this has not been the case for the last 18 months as rising inflation and growing economic uncertainty has created a poor environment for IPOs. In recent weeks, though, several Continue reading →

Regulation, Global, Interest Rates, Ethics, IPO, Inflation, Stock Exchange, Instacart

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 5: Forms of Business Ownership, Chapter 19: Securities Markets, Chapter 20: Money and Financial Institutions, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

UAW Begins Strike Against Big Three Automakers

September 15, 2023

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While South Korean car makers Kia and Hynudai face legal action from seven American cities, domestic auto companies also have their fair share of problems on the horizon. For weeks, Detroit’s Big Three–Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis (owner of Chrysler)–have been deadlocked in negotiations with the United Automobile Workers (UAW). Representing more than 150,000 workers across the industry, the union has demanded a 36 percent raise over four years, pointing to rising inflation and big corporate profits. Carmakers, meanwhile, Continue reading →

Motivation, Cars, Ethics, Transportation, Manufacturing, Strikes, Unions, Labor Relations

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions

American Cities Sue Automakers over Increased Car Theft

September 13, 2023

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On the massively popular app TikTok, searching for the trending topic “Kia boys” will result in hundreds of videos of people joyriding in cars. These aren’t overly enthusiastic owners, however: these users take advantage of the South Korean automaker’s lax security standards to steal vehicles for fun and Internet clout. For example, one video shows a gloved hand easily starting a car using just a screwdriver and a USB cable while a computerized voice repeats the phrase “this is why Continue reading →

Product Distribution, South Korea, Product Development, Global, Cars, Ethics, Regulation, Manufacturing, Transportation, Crime, Legal

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

Product Returns Drive a Multi-Billion Dollar Resale Industry

August 30, 2023

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America’s biggest retailers have often embraced product returns as a key aspect of their business, starting with J.C. Penney and his namesake company in the early 20th century. Allowing customers to return any product with no questions asked, other big companies like Walmart and Amazon would go on to follow his example in the years to come. “It’s a hallmark of successful American retail,” said Dale Rogers, business professor at Arizona State University. “If you make it easy to shop, Continue reading →

[VIDEO] Inside American Trucking’s Largest Bankruptcy

August 18, 2023

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The trucking company Yellow filed for bankruptcy in July after struggling for years with mounting debts and slim profit margins. The video below looks at how this low-cost carrier butted heads with unions while also failing to integrate acquisitions into its existing business, leading to the collapse of this century-old company.

Questions:

What are some factors that led Yellow to declare bankruptcy last month?
Why is it difficult for low-cost carriers like Yellow to operate in the competitive trucking industry?

Unions, Labor Relations, Product Development, Transportation, Product Distribution, Bankruptcy, Operations Management

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Videos

Wildfires Cause Multibillion Dollar Destruction in Maui

August 16, 2023

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Last week, wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui caused unprecedented destruction, killing 106 people and leveling thousands of buildings. The worst damage occurred in the resort town of Lahaina, which will cost billions of dollars and several years to rebuild. Like many other Hawaiian communities, Lahaina relies heavily on the tourism industry, drawing 2 million visitors annually. Of course, thousands of tourists and residents have evacuated the town and the western side of Maui in recent weeks as dry Continue reading →

Economics, Operations Management, Tourism, Ethics, Regulation, Entrepreneurship, Product Distribution, Hawaii, Natural Disasters

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Bonus Chapter C: Managing Risk

MrBeast Sues Food Delivery Partner for “Low-Quality” Products

August 4, 2023

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The YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, is the video-sharing platform’s most popular creator, boasting more than 172 million subscribers and counting. Donaldson has parlayed his massive success on YouTube into numerous other businesses, including food brands like the snack line Feastables and MrBeast Burger. He co-founded the latter in 2020 after partnering with Virtual Dining Concepts, a company that specializes in serving food through “ghost kitchens.” These ventures take up residence in the kitchens of established restaurants Continue reading →

Hollywood Actors Join Writers on Strike

July 19, 2023

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At the beginning of May, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) voted to strike against major Hollywood studios, citing poor working conditions and declining pay as the primary causes of the work stoppage. Although the union does not appear to be any closer to signing a new deal than they were months ago, members of the WGA have recently seen their picket lines become stocked with new faces, some of which are quite famous. That’s because last week the Screen Continue reading →