Chapter 3: Globalization - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

[VIDEO] Why the iPhone Can’t Be Made in the US

September 29, 2017

Last week Apple released the iPhone 8, the latest version of its iconic smartphone. The company’s flagship product has brought in billions upon billions of dollars over the years, prompting some to wonder why Apple doesn’t move iPhone production to the U.S. After all, it could definitely afford the increased labor costs that comes with doing business domestically. But as this video shows, looking after the bottom line is far from the only reason why Apple keeps its manufacturing operations Continue reading →

Product Development, China, Operations Management, Smartphones, Global, Mobile, Manufacturing, iPhone, Apple

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Hurricane Maria Deals Major Damage to Puerto Rico

September 28, 2017

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Over the last month hurricanes have torn through America’s southern coast, inflicting massive amounts of damage to Texas, Florida, and other states in the region. Of course, the U.S. mainland is far from the only place that’s been harmed by these major weather emergencies. Along with devastating Caribbean islands like Barbados and Barbuda, recent tropical storms have also hammered the American territory of Puerto Rico. First it had to endure Hurricane Irma, which only clipped the island’s northern portion Continue reading →

Natural Disasters, Risk Management, Hurricanes, Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico, Ethics

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Bonus Chapter C: Managing Risk

Adidas Claims Number Two Spot in Sneaker Sales

September 22, 2017

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In 2015 the future was looking bleak for Adidas. The Germany-based apparel company had experienced years of declining sales as they lost market share to Nike’s growing dominance. A new batch of competitors like Under Armour and Skechers took their toll as well, causing Adidas to lose its position as the world’s second most popular seller of sportswear and footwear.

But just as analysts began to write off Adidas as a dying brand, the company set off on a major Continue reading →

Product Development, Branding, Nike, Footwear, Marketing, Adidas

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

[VIDEO] Tulip Mania: The First Bubble

September 15, 2017

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In the 17th century citizens of the Netherlands enjoyed an historic era of art and prosperity known as the Dutch Golden Age. Wealthy merchants spent lavishly on all sorts of luxuries, including a new flower imported from Turkey called the tulip. Demand for tulips reached incredible heights until the bottom suddenly fell out of the market. This short video looks at what many economists consider to be the first market bubble to burst.

Questions:

How does the Dutch tulip craze Continue reading →

Value, Economics, Product Distribution, Global, Market Bubble, Netherlands, Tulip Mania, Product Development

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 19: Securities Markets

[VIDEO] What Impact Could a Remade NAFTA Have On You?

September 1, 2017

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Along with being one of the most groundbreaking trade pacts in history, the North American Free Trade Agreement is also considerably controversial. NAFTA has especially faced criticism recently, leading representatives from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to meet and discuss the future of the deal. This video looks at how NAFTA currently impacts supply chains in North America and how changes to the agreement could affect commerce.

Questions:

What do American opponents of NAFTA want to change about the deal? Continue reading →

North America, Supply chains, Product Distribution, NAFTA, Free Trade, Protectionism, Global

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Videos

General Electric Goes Local to Stay Global

August 17, 2017

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After its founding in 1892, General Electric spent decades growing into one of the country’s most successful companies. It continued to expand in the years following World War II, only this time GE began thinking globally rather than domestically. The company built its first international supply chains by establishing manufacturing centers in industrialized nations like France and Japan. By the 1990s GE moved on to developing economies like India and China where the company could produce items like jet engines Continue reading →

India, Regulation, Supply chains, Product Distribution, Global, General Electric, Manufacturing, Trade Protectionism

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

American Movie Theaters Struggle After Weak Summer

August 8, 2017

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Last week we looked at how Netflix has loaded on debt while developing a new slate of original content. Although the streaming giant is taking a big risk with this strategy, many entertainment industry insiders still think Netflix is in a much stronger position than traditional movie theaters. With attendance down 3 percent from 2016, AMC Entertainment recently downgraded its outlook for the rest of the film industry’s year. The announcement sent theater stocks tumbling and caused the top four Continue reading →

Entertainment, China, Netflix, Marketing, Product Distribution, Global, Movies

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

Wedding Dress Company’s Closing Causes Brides to Panic

July 24, 2017

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From now until the end of October, wedding season will be in full swing in the U.S. All over the country thousands of engaged couples are either ready to tie the knot or caught deep in the throes of the planning process. Of course, anyone who has taken part in a wedding knows just how agonizing they can be to organize. Whether it’s last minute cancellations from guests or caterers who can’t find the venue, weddings have a unique way Continue reading →

Product Distribution, Bankruptcy, Management, Weddings, Ethics, Alfred Angelo Bridal, Liquidation, Legal

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Smartphones Sweep the Nation of Myanmar

July 14, 2017

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This week we’ve taken a look at the effect mobile technology has had on Chinese businesses, both for better and worse. Of course, China is far from the only Asian nation to undergo drastic changes thanks to the rise of smartphones. From India to Indonesia, mobile technology has altered the ways that both consumers and businesspeople go about their lives. Still, perhaps no other place on the continent has been as fundamentally changed by smartphones as the country of Continue reading →

Asia, Myanmar, Product Development, Economics, Pricing, Global, Innovation, Smartphones, Mobile

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Innovative Retailers in China Plot the Future of the Industry

July 13, 2017

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As we’ve covered a couple of times already, this has been a difficult year for many American retailers. While brick-and-mortar stores struggle to compete with e-commerce outlets, online retailers as well must grapple with the ever-increasing might of Amazon. These seismic shifts in power have led many to wonder what the future of the industry might look like. Amazon has recently been experimenting with cashierless stores, but observers say the company still has a lot of work to do Continue reading →

Innovation, Operations Management, China, Amazon, Product Distribution, Mobile, E-commerce, Retail

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media