Innovation - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Farmers Find a New Purpose for Alpacas

April 3, 2018

With their fuzzy frames and quizzical expressions, alpacas might be one of the world’s goofiest looking animals. Of course, these llama-like creatures have much more to offer than just their funny faces. Alpaca fleece ranks as one of the finest textile materials available, similar to sheep’s wool only warmer and without any prickliness. In the 1990s these key qualities fueled a boom in alpaca fleece production that also encouraged many Americans to purchase their own animals for breeding. Once called Continue reading →

Innovation, Agriculture, Economics, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Product Development

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price

How Streaming Apps Could Backfire Against TV Networks

March 29, 2018

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The runaway success of Netflix has proved to many media companies that the future of entertainment lies with streaming content. After all, why pay around $75 a month for cable when you can instantly access thousands of titles on Netflix for a fraction of the cost? This thinking has led to the creation of dozens of streaming services, ranging from big players like Hulu and YouTube TV to more specialized operations like the apps for Food Network or the WWE. Continue reading →

Disney, Product Distribution, Product Development, Entertainment, Innovation, Netflix, Streaming, Television

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

[VIDEO] Apple, Google and Amazon Seem Unstoppable. Now What?

March 23, 2018

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In the aftermath of Facebook’s data sharing scandal, critics of the company are calling on lawmakers to discuss ways that the social network could be regulated. To these concerned citizens, Facebook has grown too large to be trusted with so much of the public’s information. The video below looks at how America’s tech giants became so big and the ways that regulators could possibly target these companies in the future.

Questions:

Do you think big tech companies like Facebook, Continue reading →

Innovation, Regulation, Economics, Facebook, Ethics, Amazon, Silicon Valley, Security, Google, Apple, Monopolies

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Videos

Ebook Sales Have Been Slumping since 2015

March 16, 2018

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As we saw yesterday with the sad state of Toys ‘R’ Us, the last few years have not been kind to brick-and-mortar retailers. The rise of online commerce has encouraged an increasing number of consumers to do their shopping at home, leaving many companies worried that they could be the next to go under. But while this is a new feeling for some, others like independent bookstore owners have had to deal with such fears for a long time. Continue reading →

Innovation, Product Distribution, E-commerce, Entrepreneurship, Books, Product Development, Retail

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

“Hyperscale” Data Centers Give New Life to Small Town

March 9, 2018

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With a userbase of more than 2 billion people, Facebook drives an astonishing amount of Internet traffic every day. So how exactly does the social network manage to succeed without collapsing under the weight of all that data? Like other tech giants, Facebook depends on enormous data centers packed with computer servers to keep the constant stream of information flowing. In fact, these “hyperscale” structures are just as important to the tech industry as factories or mines are to manufacturers. Continue reading →

Oregon, Facility Location, Operations Management, Silicon Valley, Innovation, Facebook, Apple

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

[VIDEO] How a Steel Box Changed the World: A Brief History of Shipping

March 8, 2018

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Last year the shipping industry transported more than $4 trillion worth of goods all over the world on huge container vessels. Although these mighty boats are now the backbone of global supply chains, shipping wasn’t always so efficient. This video takes a look at how these metal behemoths revolutionized an ancient industry and the ways they continue to innovate today.

Questions:

How did large container vessels revolutionize the shipping industry?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using large container Continue reading →

Operations Management, Global, Product Distribution, Shipping, Innovation, Supply chains, Transportation, Sustainability

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Videos

[VIDEO] Smartphones Are Designed to Be Addicting

February 23, 2018

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If you’ve ever thought that you check your smartphone too much, you’re certainly not alone. In fact, the 2.5 billion people around the globe who currently own smartphones likely share the same problem as you. That’s because tech companies design their products to be as attention-grabbing as possible. Along with detailing the ways that smartphones and apps can monopolize your focus, this video also demonstrates a few techniques to limit your phone use.

Questions:

Is it ethical for tech companies Continue reading →

Product Development, Innovation, Smartphones, Mobile, Ethics

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Videos

[VIDEO] American Shopping Malls Struggle to Survive

February 9, 2018

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Last week, we looked at how property owners are trying to combat the decline of shopping malls by appealing to non-retail tenants like gyms and fitness centers. This video provides more background on this downward spiral, showing footage of American malls thriving in their heyday as well as the decaying, abandoned structures that some have become. But the video isn’t entirely doom and gloom: it also gives a lot of screentime to an Atlanta-area shopping center called Plaza Fiesta that Continue reading →

Retail, Innovation, Demographics, Product Distribution, Malls, Atlanta

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Videos

The Year Begins Badly for Bitcoin

February 2, 2018

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When we last looked at Bitcoin in December, the cryptocurrency’s price had skyrocketed to about $16,500 after starting the year at just $985. At its peak a couple of weeks later, a single Bitcoin became worth a whopping $19,511. The ever-increasing success of the cryptocurrency and others like it convinced some investors that the future of money was taking shape before their eyes. Many remained wary of Bitcoin’s boom, however, fearing that the bottom could fall out at any time. Continue reading →

Economics, Global, Ethics, Product Development, Innovation, Currency, Regulation, Bitcoin

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 19: Securities Markets, Chapter 20: Money and Financial Institutions, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

[VIDEO] The Meaning of Life According to Google

January 26, 2018

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More than 90 percent of global Internet searches occur on Google, making it one of the world’s most trusted sources for gathering information. Many of the questions fielded by the site can be solved with a single obvious answer, such as “When is Thanksgiving this year?” or “What is the capital of Canada?” Recently, though, the search engine has begun to provide answers for increasingly abstract inquiries concerning religion, politics, and even the meaning of life. This video takes a Continue reading →

Product Distribution, Ethics, Google, Product Development, Innovation

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Videos