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

Vancouver Places Tax on Foreign Home Buyers

August 4, 2016

In North America’s biggest cities, skyrocketing property values have led to a surge of home purchases from wealthy foreign buyers. But while this real estate boom is a blessing for savvy investors, locals looking to buy a home are increasingly confronted with an inaccessible market. For instance, the average cost of a detached house in British Columbia, Canada, rose to $1.2 million in June, representing a 39 percent increase from the year before. “There is evidence now that suggests that Continue reading →

Canada, Vancouver, Foreign Home Ownership, Global, Ethics, Real Estate

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

[VIDEO] Does the U.S. Have the Highest Corporate Tax Rate?

July 29, 2016

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While the U.S. corporate tax rate looks tough on paper, this brief video demonstrates how large companies can use legal loopholes to drastically decrease what they owe to Uncle Sam.

Questions:

1. Should companies be able to exploit legal loopholes to lower their tax rate?

2. Would corporations be more likely to leave the U.S. if the government enforced stricter corporate tax standards?

Corporate Tax Rate, Loopholes, Ethics, Regulation, Taxes

Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 17: Accounting, Videos

Study Shows CEOs with Highest Salaries Lead Lowest Performing Companies

July 28, 2016

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For years, CEOs at large corporations have attracted the public’s anger due to the exorbitant salaries that many executives earn. Companies counter these complaints by explaining that high-level employees only make their millions if they perform well on the job. After all, the stock options and bonuses that often form the bulk of CEO pay only become available once the company clears a certain set of financial benchmarks. This supposedly gives executives more incentive to do a good job since Continue reading →

Executive Compensation, CEO, Leadership, Management, Ethics, Compensation

Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 10: Motivation

Updates: Pokémon Profits Underwhelm and Chipotle Still Recovering

July 26, 2016

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As anybody with a social media presence knows well, Pokémon Go’s massive popularity has only grown since it landed in American app stores earlier this month. On July 22 the augmented reality game launched in Asia, racking up ten million downloads in Japan on a single day. Still, not everything about the app’s Asian expansion was ideal: Pokémon Go remains banned in China, by far the region’s most lucrative market.

And that’s not the only bad news currently confronting the Continue reading →

Global, Product Development, Promotions, Chipotle, Nintendo, Pokémon Go, Update

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Chapter 19: Securities Markets, Chapter 20: Money and Financial Institutions, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Citigroup Sues AT&T for Saying “Thanks”

July 12, 2016

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One of the first phrases children are taught to say is “thank you.” This simple expression of gratitude then sticks with us throughout life, acting as the appropriate response to a range of situations both simple and serious. In the eyes of Citigroup, however, “thank you” is more than just a common reply. Since 2004 the banking giant has operated a rewards program called “ThankYou” that allows customers to earn points from their purchases. As a result, the company trademarked Continue reading →

Trademark, Product Development, Marketing, Copyright, Ethics, Promotions, Regulation, Citigroup, AT&T

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Court Rules in Led Zeppelin’s Favor in “Stairway to Heaven” Suit

July 6, 2016

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Two years ago Led Zeppelin made headlines after the band got hit with a lawsuit concerning their most iconic song. According to the complaint, songwriters Robert Plant and Jimmy Page stole the opening guitar riff to “Stairway to Heaven” from a short instrumental called “Taurus” by the American psychedelic band Spirit. While Led Zeppelin’s members denied any wrongdoing, cultural commenters pointed to the band’s history of plagiarism and previous legal battles. What’s more, the lawsuit appeared just months before another Continue reading →

Entertainment, Regulation, Music, Ethics, Led Zeppelin, Authorship, Product Development, Copyright

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Uncertainty Abounds After Brexit

July 1, 2016

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A week has passed since more than 17 million voters in Great Britain chose to leave the European Union, leading to confusion and plummeting stock markets throughout the world. And while the immediate economic fallout from the “Brexit” decision has tapered off in that time, political leaders as well as regular people still don’t know what will happen next. In fact, British citizens aren’t even sure who will be running their country in a few months. Prime Minister David Cameron Continue reading →

Brexit, EU, Politics, Europe, Economics, Immigration, Global, Government, Ethics

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 20: Money and Financial Institutions, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Starbucks Faces Latte Lawsuit

June 23, 2016

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Starbucks has long reigned as the king of coffee shops, providing millions throughout the world with their caffeine fix every day. But according to a new lawsuit, those who prefer a latte for their morning pick-me-up may want to take their business elsewhere. The complaint alleges that Starbucks’ latte recipe skimps on steamed milk, ultimately leaving customers with a drink that is smaller than advertised. Although the Seattle-based chain denies these claims, this week a federal judge upheld the suit Continue reading →

Product Development, Starbucks, Legal, Product Distribution, Ethics

Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

The Startup That Wants to Streamline Divorce

June 21, 2016

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Few legal procedures are more emotionally charged than divorce. Former couples often bring the worst out in one another as they contentiously divide their assets in the presence of lawyers. According to the startup Wevorce, however, ending a marriage shouldn’t place such a large strain on anyone’s finances or feelings. Instead, the company hopes to transform divorce from a drawn-out legal nightmare into a civil, streamlined division of property and possessions.

For those who have experienced the devastating effects of Continue reading →

Startups, Legal, Divorce, Ethics, Wevorce, Entrepreneurship

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Ad Blockers Make a Dent in Online Profits

June 17, 2016

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For years advertising has been the central source of revenue for the online world. It’s also been a nuisance to many users for just as long. From early pop-up ads to the modern era of loud auto-playing videos, online ads have the irritating ability to distract web surfers from the content they were actually looking for. As a result, millions of users across the globe have installed ad blockers to remove these annoying images from their online experience.

In fact, Continue reading →

India, Global, Innovation, Ethics, Advertising, Mobile, Internet, Ad Blockers, Indonesia

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media