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UAW Reaches Tentative Agreements with Automakers

November 1, 2023

For six weeks, members of the United Auto Workers have been on strike against General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis, parent company of the car brands Chrysler, Jeep, and Ram. Demanding significant wage increases and improved job security, the union employed a bold strategy of slowly expanding its labor action to more plants as time progressed. After starting at three factories owned by each of Detroit’s Big Three automakers, the UAW gradually added more locations to the strike, confounding management and Continue reading →

[VIDEO] How Tipping Culture Took Over the U.S.

October 27, 2023

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From counter service restaurants to furniture stores, Americans are prompted to leave a tip for nearly every purchase they make. Along with looking at the history of tipping in the U.S., this video explains “price partitioning” and how it influences the ways that consumers view prices, showing that tipping is likely here to stay despite being consistently unpopular.

Questions:

What is price partitioning, and how does it influence consumers’ views on prices?
Do you think businesses should phase Continue reading →

Motivation, Entrepreneurship, Pricing, Compensation, Product Distribution, Food & Drink, Supply & Demand

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Videos

Bad Weather in Europe Leads to Higher Olive Oil Prices

October 25, 2023

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Last week, we looked at how rising sugar costs will contribute to higher candy prices this Halloween. Of course, sweets aren’t the only product affected by global supply issues. Due to poor weather conditions in Europe, olive oil prices have more than doubled over the past year. The situation is worst in Spain, the world’s largest producer of olive oil and victim of a drought that has devastated recent harvests. Bad weather across the continent has also led to Continue reading →

Supply & Demand, Operations Management, Global, Ethics, Entrepreneurship, Supply chains, Manufacturing, Product Distribution

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

[VIDEO] Why Wall Street Is Investing in Trash

October 20, 2023

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This video looks at the evolving operations of North America’s largest landfill operator, WM. Using capital provided by federal subsidies, the waste management company is investing in tech that could change the future of trash disposal, from sophisticated scanners that sort recycling to capturing methane gas to convert into fuel.

Questions:

Why is WM upgrading its operations to include more automation as well as methane gas extraction?
Do you think WM’s operational upgrades will make the company more sustainable Continue reading →

Manufacturing, Product Distribution, Supply & Demand, Recycling, Subsidies, Operations Management, Ethics, Product Development, Entrepreneurship, Energy

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Videos

Rising Sugar Prices Increase Halloween Candy Costs

October 18, 2023

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Last year, we looked at how rising candy prices and increased enthusiasm for spooky season led Americans to spend big on Halloween. And by all accounts, it looks like 2023 will be no different: not only are consumers expected to buy lots of costumes and candy, but they will also pay more for the privilege. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, candy and chewing gum prices jumped by 7.7 percent from Continue reading →

Pricing, Supply chains, Global, Product Distribution, Manufacturing, Halloween, Holidays, Food & Drink, Supply & Demand, CPI

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution

Kaiser Permanente Unions Reach Tentative Deal with Management

October 13, 2023

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From Hollywood screenwriters to American autoworkers, the last few months have seen a huge increase in union activity. Not least among these labor actions was a strike held last week by the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions, which represents 40 percent of the healthcare giant’s non-physician workforce. The unions’ 75,000 members went on strike for three days, which was how long the action was scheduled to run. But the coalition threatened to hold another strike for eight days next month Continue reading →

Medical industry, Ethics, Unions, Labor Relations, Strikes, Healthcare

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions

[VIDEO] How Electric Vehicles Could Affect the UAW’s Future

October 11, 2023

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Since the United Auto Workers (UAW) began striking against the Big Three car companies in September, the union has expanded its action to two more plants as workers continue to fight for better contracts. This video explains one of their central concerns: the expansion of automakers into the electric vehicle (EV) market. While members of the union are worried about their wages in an EV-driven future, American car companies fear that increased labor costs could make them uncompetitive with foreign Continue reading →

Electric vehicles, Global, Ethics, Product Development, Manufacturing, Cars, Unions, Transportation, Labor Relations, Strikes

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, Videos

Retailers Question the Benefit of Self-Checkout

October 6, 2023

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Shoppers have two options when it comes to ringing up their items at the grocery store: pushing their cart to a cashier or opting for a self-checkout kiosk. The latter path became particularly popular during the pandemic when overwhelmed supermarkets sought to keep customers and employees at a distance. Store owners also figured that self-checkout stations would cut down on labor costs as shoppers did the scanning and bagging themselves. Walmart, for instance, retooled its cashier lanes to accommodate more Continue reading →

Pricing, Product Distribution, Marketing, Self-checkout, Operations Management, Inventory loss, Product Development

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

“One Chip Challenge” Pulled from Store Shelves

October 4, 2023

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Over the last few years, thousands of people have attempted to go viral on social media by eating an unbelievably hot tortilla chip. Branded the “One Chip Challenge” by the Austin-based company Paqui, the super spicy snack came packaged in a coffin-shaped box that dared eaters to wait as long as possible before drinking anything after ingestion. This led to countless videos online where people pleaded for water or shoveled ice cream into their mouths as a result of this Continue reading →

Product Distribution, Food & Drink, Marketing, Promotions, Ethics, Packaging, Entrepreneurship, Legal

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

[VIDEO] Airlines Sell Legroom at a Premium Price

September 28, 2023

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In the early days of air travel, carriers provided passengers with luxurious amounts of legroom. As the video below explains, however, today’s planes have far more seats with far less space between them, potentially resulting in uncomfortable experiences for tall travelers.

Questions:

Why do modern airlines “unbundle” the costs of travel by charging additional fees for luggage and seat selection?
Do you think government regulators should require air carriers to provide passengers with “comfortable” amounts of legroom? Why or why not?

Product Development, Global, Regulation, Ethics, Transportation, Product Distribution, Air Travel, Supply & Demand

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 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Videos

Rising Sugar Prices Increase Halloween Candy Costs

Retailers Question the Benefit of Self-Checkout

CHAPTER INDEX

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