Ethics - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Amazon Employees Can Listen to What Customers Tell Alexa

April 16, 2019

Last year consumers around the globe purchased more than 78 million smart speakers like the Amazon Echo. The e-commerce giant’s hit product is powered by Alexa, a voice-activated digital assistant that can respond to spoken commands. For example, ask Alexa what the weather is like and she will respond with the temperature as well as the chance for rain. In its marketing materials, Amazon says that Alexa “lives in the cloud and is always getting smarter.” But while many customers Continue reading →

Global, Ethics, Product Development, Amazon, Internet of Things, Alexa

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

Fake Influencers Can Cost Companies Millions of Dollars

April 12, 2019

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By 2020, experts estimate that companies could pay social media influencers as much as $10 billion annually to market products online. These Internet personalities leverage their enormous followings on platforms like Instagram to earn big money through sponsored content. For instance, last year a British fashion influencer named Jess worked with 22 brands, charging $1,000 for every sponsored post that went out to her more than 230,000 Instagram followers.

But while the money that marketers paid Jess was real, the Continue reading →

Marketing, Ethics, Social Media, Branding, Promotions, Instagram, Fraud, Influencers

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

[VIDEO] Why You’re Recycling Wrong

April 11, 2019

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Although Americans have become enthusiastic recyclers in recent years, many people still have trouble telling the difference between what’s recyclable and what isn’t. In fact, approximately 25 percent of the material that U.S. citizens toss in their recycling bins can’t actually be recycled. This video takes a look at the possible causes of this trend and provides viewers with some simple waste-sorting advice: “when in doubt, throw it out.”

Questions:

How does single-stream recycling contribute to the high rate of Continue reading →

Operations Management, Ethics, Sustainability, Recycling

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Videos

Microsoft Closes eBook Store and Takes Customers’ Books with It

April 9, 2019

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Last week Microsoft announced that its eBook platform would soon close down. This news didn’t really come as a shock to many in the business world since the company struggled from the start to attract a dedicated audience of readers. First of all, Microsoft tied the platform exclusively to its Edge web browser, which accounts for only 4.4 percent of the total browser market. The company’s e-reader app also launched without key features such as highlighting, sticky notes, and titled Continue reading →

Ethics, Product Development, Licensing, Retail, Legal, Product Distribution, eBooks, Microsoft

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

Music Publishers Sue Peloton for Copyright Infringement

April 4, 2019

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Since launching a few years ago, the New York-based startup Peloton has grown into a $4 billion company by offering its high-end clientele a “private indoor cycling studio in your home.” For $2,000 plus a $39 monthly membership fee, customers receive a Peloton stationary bike equipped with a touchscreen that can stream more than 13,000 live and on-demand cycling classes. These workout sessions are often driven by upbeat songs from well-known artists to keep bikers peddling with enthusiasm.

But while Continue reading →

Ethics, Product Development, Copyright, Legal, Intellectual Property, Reputation, Health & Fitness, Peloton

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

Brexit Confusion Does Damage to U.K. Businesses

April 2, 2019

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In 2016 a majority of U.K. voters chose to leave the European Union, a controversial decision that led to years of confusion and infighting among lawmakers. In fact, British officials were supposed to have all the details of “Brexit” hammered out by March 29, 2019. They missed that deadline, of course, and unfortunately aren’t any closer to brokering a deal to leave the European economic community. Now the nation faces the risk of crashing out of the EU with no Continue reading →

Global, Ethics, Manufacturing, Europe, Currency, Regulation, Product Distribution, Brexit, EU, U.K.

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 20: Money and Financial Institutions, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Green Products Are Too Expensive for Many Americans

March 28, 2019

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From metal water bottles to sustainable comforters, green-minded companies have created a wealth of options for today’s eco-friendly consumers. But while many of these products are good for the environment, they’re often too expensive to make a big impact on the marketplace. For instance, a startup named LARQ sells a stainless-steel water bottle with an ultraviolet light in the cap that purifies any water poured through it. Although this product is meant to serve as an alternative to $2 plastic Continue reading →

Economics, Marketing, Ethics, Entrepreneurship, Product Development, Pricing, Sustainability, 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

Disney Completes Merger with 21st Century Fox

March 22, 2019

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On Wednesday, the Walt Disney Company purchased all of the film and TV assets owned by the historic movie studio 21st Century Fox for $71.3 billion. Along with taking hold of successful film franchises like the Alien movies and Marvel’s X-Men, Disney also now controls the rights to TV shows like The Simpsons, This Is Us, and Modern Family. All told, the entertainment giant has gained thousands of new titles to join its other legendary properties such Continue reading →

Ethics, Entertainment, Streaming, Television, Disney, Product Distribution, Movies, Layoffs, Mergers & Acquisitions

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 5: Forms of Business Ownership, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

[VIDEO] How the Hindenburg Killed an Entire Industry

March 15, 2019

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With stories about the Boeing 737 Max 8’s potentially fatal flaws dominating the news, some consumers may start to lose trust in the safety of air travel. As this video shows, that’s what happened in the 1930s when the Hindenburg airship plummeted in flames on a journey from Germany to the U.S. Although it wasn’t the first nor the deadliest airship crash, footage of the burning Hindenburg shocked the public and destroyed almost all confidence in the budding airship industry. Continue reading →

Global, Ethics, Transportation, Security, Air Travel, Consumer Confidence

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 13: Marketing, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Videos

Update: U.S. Grounds All Boeing 737 Max 8 Planes

March 14, 2019

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On Tuesday we looked at how countries around the world responded to the tragic crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. Initial investigations showed similarities between this disaster and the crash of a Lion Air flight five months ago, which also involved a Boeing 737 Max 8 model jetliner. As a result, China and Indonesia almost immediately pulled the aircraft from use while countries like the U.K., India, and Egypt quickly followed suit. But not every country joined the international Continue reading →

Global, Ethics, Regulation, Transportation, Air Travel, Safety

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