Compensation - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

[VIDEO] Shein’s Controversial Business Model Keeps Prices Low

December 1, 2023

The Chinese e-commerce giant Shein (pronounced Shee-In) controls more than 40 percent of the U.S. fast fashion market, with more than $8 billion in sales last year. This video explores how the retailer consistently churns out cheap shirts and dresses, which includes accusations of labor exploitation that has tarnished Shein’s image with some shoppers.

Questions:

How does Shein’s “small batch” production strategy differ from other clothing companies?
How has Shein tried to recover its reputation with U.S. consumers? Do Continue reading →

[VIDEO] How Tipping Culture Took Over the U.S.

October 27, 2023

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From counter service restaurants to furniture stores, Americans are prompted to leave a tip for nearly every purchase they make. Along with looking at the history of tipping in the U.S., this video explains “price partitioning” and how it influences the ways that consumers view prices, showing that tipping is likely here to stay despite being consistently unpopular.

Questions:

What is price partitioning, and how does it influence consumers’ views on prices?
Do you think businesses should phase Continue reading →

Motivation, Entrepreneurship, Pricing, Compensation, Product Distribution, Food & Drink, Supply & Demand

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Videos

[VIDEO] How Economists Use Working Hours as a Recession Indicator

July 21, 2023

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American companies have been hiring lots of new employees this year, making economists hopeful that the country will not experience a recession anytime soon. Still, other experts claim that increased hiring is not as reliable of an economic indicator as some think. The video below explains how total working hours can provide a more detailed picture of the country’s economic health and why fears of an incoming recession could be justified.

Questions:

How do economists use “hours worked” as Continue reading →

Labor Relations, Recession, Compensation, Economics, Operations Management, Human Resources

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Videos

[VIDEO] How Streaming Changed the Business of TV Writing

June 15, 2023

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The Writers Guild of America has been on strike for more than a month and a half as they continue to demand better working conditions in modern Hollywood. This video takes an in-depth look at how streaming services like Netflix and Hulu completely changed the business of writing for television, from shorter schedules and smaller residual checks to depriving writers of vital experience by keeping them off set.

Questions:

How does spending time “on set” allow writers to gain Continue reading →

Ethics, Training, Human Resources, Entertainment, Labor Relations, Streaming, Compensation, Television, Product Distribution, Operations Management

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, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Videos

Customers Question Ethics of Self-Checkout Tipping

May 31, 2023

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The Covid-19 pandemic ushered in a new era of zero-contact transactions, with self-checkout terminals becoming ubiquitous in American grocery stores, big box retailers, sports stadiums, and many other businesses. While these stations can be convenient for customers and cost-effective for companies, there’s one feature that some people are not too happy about: prompts to leave a tip. “They’re cutting labor costs by doing self-checkout. So what’s the point of asking for a tip? And where is it going?” said Ishita Continue reading →

Marketing, Operations Management, Product Development, Ethics, Product Distribution, Compensation, Tipping, Self-checkout

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 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

[VIDEO] Why is Everything Getting So Expensive?

March 10, 2023

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Prices on everyday products like groceries and diapers have increased dramatically in the last couple of years, with inflation often being identified as the culprit. This video takes a close look at the potential causes of the post-pandemic trend of rising inflation, examining why supply chain issues and plain old markups could be responsible for ever-increasing prices.

Questions:

What are the potential causes of inflation outlined in this video? Which factor do you think is the most likely cause Continue reading →

Rising Inflation Could Damage Economic Gains Made by Women

March 8, 2023

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People around the world celebrate International Women’s Day every March 8th, paying tribute to the achievements of women while also campaigning for greater gender equality. While issues like equal pay and opportunity for women have certainly received a lot of attention in recent years, companies still have a long way to go before they reach total parity. To make matters worse, economists say that women are disproportionately feeling the effects of the cost of living crisis brought on by rising Continue reading →

Global, Ethics, Regulation, Human Resources, Hiring, Compensation, Gender equity, Wage gap, Management, Motivation

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions

[VIDEO] Why Layoffs Are Hitting Professional Workers

January 11, 2023

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As the post-pandemic economic recovery slows down, many companies are looking to trim their bottom lines through restructuring and layoffs. Unlike in previous downturns, however, professional employees have largely been on the receiving end of these job cuts. The video below examines why white collar workers are more likely to receive a pink slip than their blue collar brethren.

Questions:

Why are white collar workers facing a disproportionate amount of layoffs as the economy slows down?
How can the strong Continue reading →

Layoffs, Ethics, Recession, Human Resources, Supply & Demand, Compensation, Frontline workers

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Videos

Big Business Gets a Big Boost from Controversial World Cup

December 2, 2022

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The 2022 FIFA World Cup moves into the knockout stages this weekend, a nerve-wracking time when teams can be eliminated with a single loss. While the tournament’s soccer stars will experience a dramatic increase of tension on the field, the host country Qatar has already faced plenty of global pressure since FIFA awarded them the event in 2010. The Middle East nation has long been accused of using corruption to land the World Cup, leading to a 2015 indictment from Continue reading →

California Passes Law Regulating Fast Food Industry

September 7, 2022

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Last week, California’s legislature passed a bill that will bring sweeping changes to fast food chains operating in the state. After being signed into law by the governor on Monday, the new legislation effectively sets a minimum wage for the industry while also establishing new safety and anti-discrimination requirements. California will create a 10-person council composed of restaurant workers and employer representatives along with two state officials, who will all review pay and safety standards across the state’s restaurant industry. Continue reading →

Motivation, Operations Management, Ethics, Franchising, Food & Drink, Human Resources, Labor Relations, Compensation

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 5: Forms of Business Ownership, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions