Videos - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

[VIDEO] Why Affordable Houses Are Hard to Find These Days

August 27, 2021

Across the country housing prices are skyrocketing to record highs, effectively pricing millions of people out of buying their first homes. This video looks at how this lack of supply in the face of soaring demand can be attributed partly to American zoning laws, which can have the cumulative effect of raising housing costs for everybody.

Questions:

How have American zoning laws contributed to the current lack of affordable starter homes?
Do you think zoning laws against multi-family housing Continue reading →

Ethics, Real Estate, Product Development, Demographics, Product Distribution, Supply & Demand, Housing

Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Videos

[VIDEO] How Top Banana Moves Over One Million Pounds of Bananas per Week

July 30, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Most people probably don’t think about how bunches of bananas make it from farms in Central America to store shelves in the U.S. That’s certainly not the case at Top Banana, a company that handles more than one million pounds of fruit every week. This long but fascinating video takes a look at how Top Banana ripens and ships an enormous amount of bananas through sophisticated logistical processes.

Questions:

Why does Top Banana constantly check to ensure that its Continue reading →

Economics, Operations Management, Global, Supply chains, Product Distribution, Logistics, Food & Drink

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 15: Distribution, Videos

[VIDEO] Why the Western Drought Will Have Major Ripple Effects

July 21, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Over the last month, communities across the Western United States have imposed restrictions on water use as a major drought wreaks havoc on the region. This video looks at how the drop in the supply of surface water has hurt California farmers and why their pain could soon ripple out across the country.

Questions:

How has the drought in the Western U.S. affected farmers in the region?
Do you think regulators should place restrictions on the use of groundwater Continue reading →

Operations Management, Ethics, Regulation, Supply chains, Product Distribution, Agriculture, Natural Disasters, Farming, Supply & Demand, Drought

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, Videos

[VIDEO] Why the Global Chip Shortage Is Hard to Overcome

June 22, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Last month, we looked at how the global shortage of microchips has severely restricted production of everything from video game consoles to dog washing stations. This video examines the manufacturing process for these precious components and explains why semiconductor production cannot be easily increased.

Questions:

Why is it difficult for manufacturers to speed up production on microchips and semiconductors?
What are some possible solutions for increasing global microchip production?

Economics, Operations Management, Global, Manufacturing, Automation, Product Distribution, Supply & Demand

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 15: Distribution, Videos

[VIDEO] The Economics of IKEA: Why Does Labor Lead to Love?

May 28, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

The Swedish company IKEA is famous across the globe for its meatballs and its wide array of furniture that customers must assemble at home. This video looks at how the retailer encourages sales by creating the “IKEA effect” with its winding floor plan that causes customers to snake through a series of product showrooms.

Questions:

What sort of strategies does IKEA use to keep costs low?
How does the “IKEA effect” encourage customers to purchase furniture and home goods?

Economics, Operations Management, Global, Retail, Packaging, Product Distribution, IKEA

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Videos

[VIDEO] How Roblox Became a $45 Billion Public Video Game Company

May 13, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

As the pandemic forced millions of people to stay indoors, virtual worlds like Roblox boomed in popularity with gamers as well as investors. This video looks at how the platform appeals to more than 30 million active monthly users, including independent creators who can earn big bucks by building games within Roblox.

Questions:

Why did games like Roblox explode in popularity last year?
What sort of challenges does Roblox face as it looks to expand its user base?

Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Product Development, Entertainment, Product Distribution, Video Games, Roblox

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Videos

[VIDEO] How Bilateral Trade Agreements Are Obstructing the Global Vaccination Process

April 29, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

The current vaccine rollout that is going strong throughout the country is largely the result of multi-billion dollar deals struck between economic powers like the U.S. and U.K. with pharmaceutical giants like Pfizer and Moderna. But while bilateral trade agreements across the globe allowed for the largest vaccine rollout in history, this video looks at why these deals are also delaying the vaccination process in struggling countries like Brazil and India.

Questions:

What are the advantages and disadvantages of bilateral Continue reading →

Operations Management, Global, Ethics, Supply chains, Product Distribution, Coronavirus, Pandemic, Trade Agreements

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Videos

[VIDEO] Supply Chain Problems Lead to Traffic Jam in Port of L.A.

April 20, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

On any given day since mid-2020, the Port of Los Angeles has had as many as 30 container ships anchored outside and waiting to eventually dock. This video looks at how the pandemic inspired a boom in online purchases while also causing a shortage of shipping workers, leading to the transportation crisis currently taking place at ports across the world.

Questions:

How did the pandemic lead to supply chain problems that caused traffic jams at major ports around the Continue reading →

Operations Management, Global, Transportation, Product Distribution, Shipping, Supply & Demand, Coronavirus, Pandemic

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 15: Distribution, Videos

[VIDEO] How NFTs Are Fueling a Boom in Digital Art

March 19, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Last month, we looked at how NBA Top Shot sells digital basketball cards for thousands of dollars through its online marketplace. Since then, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) like Top Shot cards have skyrocketed in value, with one viral gif selling for $600,000 while a NFT artwork was sold through Christie’s auction house for tens of millions. This video explains how NFTs operate along with their possible drawbacks.

Questions:

How did some NFTs come to be worth thousands or even millions Continue reading →

Marketing, Ethics, Entrepreneurship, Product Development, Pricing, Value, Product Distribution, E-commerce, Blockchain, Supply & Demand

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Videos

[VIDEO] How Options-Trading Redditors Fed the GameStop Frenzy

February 2, 2021

NickelsMcHughMcHugh

Last week, GameStop stock shot through the roof as users on forums like Reddit bought up shares in droves after some hedge funds shorted the stock by as much as 240 percent. This video takes a look at how both professional and at-home options traders upended expectations for many market observers.

Questions:

Why did GameStop’s stock price skyrocket last week?
Do you think stock trading apps like RobinHood should have restricted users from buying shares in GameStop? Why or why not?

Economics, Ethics, Entertainment, GameStop, Stock Market, Options trading, Volatility

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 19: Securities Markets, Videos