Ethics - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

China Cracks Down on Knockoffs

February 7, 2015

As the world’s manufacturing superpower, China is home to thousands of factories producing millions of items each day. Keeping track of all that industrial output is far from easy, though. With little oversight to monitor them, some Chinese factories make knock-off or simply poor quality products, and then sell them to retailers as if they were up to standard.

While pirated items are mainly a headache for the company that gets ripped off, products made cheaply or without regard for Continue reading →

China, Ethics, Regulation, Manufacturing, Product Distribution, Knockoff products, Product Development, Global

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 A: Business Law

A Texas Plumber’s Terrible Truck Luck

January 23, 2015

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Jeff Oberholtzer, a plumber from Texas City, TX, thought he had seen the last of his old pickup truck when he sold it in October 2013. Unfortunately for him, the Ford F-250 he offloaded popped up more than a year later in a place he never would have expected. In mid-December 2014, a terrorist Twitter account from Syria posted a picture of two extremists firing a homemade anti-aircraft gun from the bed of a truck. While the picture normally would Continue reading →

Global, Ethics, Branding, Product Distribution, Middle East, Marketing

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 16: Place and Promotion, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

California’s Far-Reaching Chicken Legislation

January 19, 2015

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At the beginning of 2015 a new California law went into effect requiring chicken farmers to provide more living space for their hens. As of January 1, every egg sold in the state must have been laid by a bird with at least 116 square inches of room in its coop, an increase of 73 percent from the industry standard. Although the legislation is mandatory only for egg producers in California, chicken farmers across the country are quickly adapting to Continue reading →

Ethics, Food, Regulation, Product Distribution, California, Chicken

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 20: Money and Financial Institutions

Medical Histories Turned into Marketing Data

December 16, 2014

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Americans have a tendency to over share information through social media, which can lead to some off-putting online revelations. However, there’s one group of people out there who doesn’t mind reading a detailed status update about your cold symptoms: advertisers. In today’s increasingly personalized marketing landscape, companies are desperate for data about their customers. Along with standard stats like age and income, consumers’ medical histories have now become tools for target marketing.

While data miners can’t legally access confidential medical Continue reading →

Health, Marketing, Ethics, Data Mining

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 13: Marketing, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

Home Depot’s Massive Security Slip Up

December 2, 2014

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With companies both large and small becoming increasingly dependent on technology, it’s important for these firms to make sure that their information is secure. But businesses need to do more than simply install anti-hacking software and hope their defenses hold. For instance, earlier this year Home Depot faced two small security breaches before getting hit with a company-wide hack that made national news. Following the minor incidents, security contractors urged executives to implement a few unused features in the anti-hacking Continue reading →

Innovation, Security, Home Depot, Management, Ethics

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media

[VIDEO] How Does Wall Street Influence the Economy?

December 1, 2014

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Another entry in the We the Economy series, this video delves deep into Wall Street and its role as a financial hub both in the past and the present.

Questions:

What influence does Wall Street have on the U.S. economy?

What major problem does Wall Street suffer from since the financial crisis?

From We the Economy

Ethics, Finance, Regulation, Economics

Videos

[VIDEO] Supply Chain Reaction

November 15, 2014

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This video reveals some of the unpleasant origins behind the world’s most common products and highlights the importance of understanding supply chains.

Questions:

Have big companies improved work standards in their supply chains?

Should consumers be involved in making sure supply chains are managed humanely?

From We the Economy

Global, Ethics, Product Development, Distribution, Supply chains

Videos

Capturing Value: Innovation’s Vital Second Step

November 13, 2014

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When it comes to innovation in business, creating a viable and valuable product is just the first step. After all, the arrival of the portable MP3 player made many companies stand up and take notice of this revolutionary device. One of those firms was Apple, who soon came to dominate the market with the iPod. Although the signature MP3 player was released later than its competitors, the product’s dependability and stylish design quickly allowed it to capture the bulk Continue reading →

Innovation, Ethics, Value, Corporate Social Responsibility, Lifestraw, Product Development

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

Russia Shuts Down Moscow’s McDonald’s

October 15, 2014

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Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has been widely condemned by the international community. Besides strongly denouncing the nation’s actions, recent U.N. resolutions hit Vladimir Putin’s government with economic sanctions as well. The Kremlin responded to this punishment by banning the importation of food from the U.S., Canada, Australia, Norway and the European Union. Shortly after news of the ban broke, Russia also announced that it was closing down four McDonald’s locations in Moscow for “sanitary violations.”

For outsiders, the link Continue reading →

Regulation, Global, Ethics, Food, McDonald’s, Russia

Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law

Multi-Level Marketing: Safe or Scam?

October 5, 2014

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Since the onset of the financial crisis of 2008, millions of Americans have looked for ways to earn additional income. For some, multi-level marketing companies like Avon and Herbalife presented a good avenue for making extra cash. In these types of operations, individuals pay the company for a bulk amount of goods that they then sell to other people. According to multi-level marketing firms and their trade groups, the system allows consumers to purchase their favorite products at a Continue reading →

Direct Selling, Marketing, Herbalife, Ethics, Distribution

Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 15: Distribution, Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Bonus Chapter C: Managing Risk