Health - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Trolls World Tour’s On-Demand Success Could Change the Movie Industry

May 7, 2020

In early March, the movie studio Universal had already spent millions of dollars marketing its upcoming title Trolls World Tour in anticipation of its April 10th release. When the coronavirus pandemic shut down theaters across the nation, though, Universal made the bold decision to release the movie through on-demand platforms like Apple TV and Amazon. The gamble paid off handsomely for the movie studio: after three weeks on the market for $20 per rental, Trolls World Tour brought in more Continue reading →

How Office Plans Could Change in a Post-Coronavirus World

May 5, 2020

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Over the last two decades, many businesses have adopted open office plans that remove barriers like cubicle walls in order to create more space for employees to interact. According to recent studies, though, some modern office plans can actually discourage communication since so many employees go out of their way to avoid interacting with other staffers. Of course, the coronavirus pandemic has made these distinctions irrelevant as offices across the country remain closed and employees work from home.

But while Continue reading →

Health, Open Offices, Office Culture, Office infrastructure, Coronavirus, Motivation, Human Resources

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management

[VIDEO] How One Business Pivoted to Fighting Coronavirus

April 30, 2020

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Although many companies remain closed during the ongoing pandemic, some businesses have been able to alter their operations to produce increasingly vital supplies. This video looks at how Dogfish Head Brewery managed to keep its employees on the payroll while also supplying local hospitals with hand sanitizer.

Questions:

How did Dogfish Head Brewery change its operations to make hand sanitizer?
What is the three-step process that Dogfish Head Brewery used to engage with their community during the coronavirus crisis?

Operations Management, Ethics, Product Development, Entrepreneurship, Health, Human Resources, Manufacturing, Product Distribution, Coronavirus

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Videos

New Round of Small Business Relief Arrives with Similar Problems

April 28, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Last week, legislators approved of another round of small business loans after funding failed to reach thousands of companies the first time. Unfortunately, many of these desperate businesses are encountering the same problems as they did a few weeks ago. Shortly after going online on Monday, the Small Business Administration’s electronic loan portal crashed due to high demand. “The SBA’s systems were not designed to and are not capable of handling the volume of loans banks processed over the last Continue reading →

Loans, Regulation, Operations Management, Health, Ethics, Small Business, Entrepreneurship, Financing, Coronavirus

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 20: Money and Financial Institutions, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Another 4.4 Million Americans Filed for Unemployment Last Week

April 23, 2020

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This morning, the Labor Department announced that another 4.4 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week. That brings the official number of jobless people to 26.5 million over the past month, effectively erasing almost all of the new jobs created since the 2008 financial crisis. To make matters worse, many state unemployment processing systems have become overwhelmed after receiving record numbers of requests. As a result, experts predict that the actual number of jobless Americans could be much higher Continue reading →

Regulation, Health, Hiring, Ethics, Coronavirus, Human Resources, Unemployment

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Major Chains Receive Loans Meant for Small Businesses

April 21, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

A few weeks ago, legislators approved a $2 trillion stimulus package that set aside $349 billion for small businesses that have drastically altered operations during the pandemic. After a poor rollout left many companies unable to petition for relief, however, the fund dried up last weekend with thousands of businesses still in need of loans. What’s more, among the companies that received relief included major chains with thousands of employees and numerous locations across the country.

For example, the Continue reading →

Financing, Food & Drink, Coronavirus, Loans, Stimulus Bill, Regulation, Health, Small Business, Ethics

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 5: Forms of Business Ownership, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 20: Money and Financial Institutions, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

[VIDEO] How the Oil Bust Could Reshape Global Markets

April 17, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

With millions of cars off the road and thousands of airplanes sitting idle on tarmacs, oil consumption has plummeted since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. This has led to a drastic drop in petroleum prices that could have an enormous impact on the global economy in the months to come. This video looks at how trade tensions caused prices to fall before the Covid-19 crisis and how oil producing nations are now rethinking their priorities.

Questions:

How has Continue reading →

Retail Sales Plummet with Worst Monthly Loss on Record

April 16, 2020

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With thousands of stores closed around the country, U.S. retailers saw sales plunge by 8.7 percent in March. That represents the worst monthly decline on record as millions of consumers stopped visiting restaurants, bars, and shopping malls due to stay-at-home orders for coronavirus containment. While sales of cars, furniture, and electronics all experienced double digit drops, spending at clothing stores plummeted by more than 50 percent. Manufacturing capacity and oil production also fell to their lowest rates since the end Continue reading →

Spread of Coronavirus Disrupts Food Supply Chains

April 14, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Last week, we looked at how dairy and egg suppliers that primarily work with restaurants are struggling to adapt to a radically changed business environment. And while food companies that service supermarkets are better equipped to deal with the current crisis, many suppliers are now facing labor shortages as an increasing number of employees fall ill with coronavirus. Experts predict that the nation’s food supply chains will be disrupted in the coming weeks, potentially resulting in local shortages of certain Continue reading →

Coronavirus, Regulation, Supply chains, Health, Operations Management, Product Distribution, Ethics, Food & Drink, Supply & Demand

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

Farmers Dump Milk and Eggs as Restaurant Demand Falls

April 10, 2020

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Over the last few weeks, shoppers at supermarkets across the country have stocked up on versatile staples like milk, bread, and eggs that are well-suited for hunkering at home. But as many meat and dairy producers ramp up production to satisfy this increasing demand, food companies that serve clients like restaurants and schools are drastically scaling back. With many eating establishments now closed or take-out only due to coronavirus containment, food suppliers have seen demand for their services plummet. As Continue reading →

Product Development, Economics, Regulation, Operations Management, Packaging, Ethics, Health, Product Distribution, Supply & Demand, Coronavirus

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 B: Technology and New Media