Motivation - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

UAW Begins Strike Against Big Three Automakers

September 15, 2023

While South Korean car makers Kia and Hynudai face legal action from seven American cities, domestic auto companies also have their fair share of problems on the horizon. For weeks, Detroit’s Big Three–Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis (owner of Chrysler)–have been deadlocked in negotiations with the United Automobile Workers (UAW). Representing more than 150,000 workers across the industry, the union has demanded a 36 percent raise over four years, pointing to rising inflation and big corporate profits. Carmakers, meanwhile, Continue reading →

Cars, Ethics, Labor Relations, Manufacturing, Motivation, Strikes, Transportation, Unions

Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management

Hollywood Actors Join Writers on Strike

July 19, 2023

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At the beginning of May, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) voted to strike against major Hollywood studios, citing poor working conditions and declining pay as the primary causes of the work stoppage. Although the union does not appear to be any closer to signing a new deal than they were months ago, members of the WGA have recently seen their picket lines become stocked with new faces, some of which are quite famous. That’s because last week the Screen Continue reading →

The Tricky Task of Tracking Telecommuting

April 7, 2023

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Working from home became commonplace during the pandemic as companies increasingly kept in contact with employees through platforms like Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams. As offices opened back up, though, managers started requiring workers to come in at least a few times per week. According to a recent study from the Labor Department, 72.5 percent of American businesses reported that their employees rarely or never work remotely, close to the level of 76.7 percent that preceded the pandemic.

The Continue reading →

Human Resources, Labor Relations, Management, Motivation, Office Culture, Remote Work, Telecommuting

Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 8: Organizational Culture and Structure

NLRB Rules Against Non-Disparagement Clauses

March 31, 2023

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Earlier this year, we looked at how the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a ban on noncompete clauses in employer contracts, which restrict the jobs that former staffers can take once they leave a company. Another controversial clause that some businesses place into contracts prevents ex-employees from talking bad about their old jobs if they accept a severance agreement. Labor advocates have long criticized nondisparagement clauses for infringing on the rights of workers, a point that the National Labor Review Continue reading →

Employee turnover, Ethics, FTC, Hiring, Human Resources, Labor Relations, Motivation, Noncompete clauses, Regulation, Severance

Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits

Rising Inflation Could Damage Economic Gains Made by Women

March 8, 2023

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People around the world celebrate International Women’s Day every March 8th, paying tribute to the achievements of women while also campaigning for greater gender equality. While issues like equal pay and opportunity for women have certainly received a lot of attention in recent years, companies still have a long way to go before they reach total parity. To make matters worse, economists say that women are disproportionately feeling the effects of the cost of living crisis brought on by rising Continue reading →

Compensation, Ethics, Gender equity, Global, Hiring, Human Resources, Management, Motivation, Regulation, Wage gap

Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership

[VIDEO] Making 100,000 Bagels a Week by Hand

February 22, 2023

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While last week we looked at how Domino’s relies on automation to mass produce its pizza dough, today’s video examines the operations at a company that takes the opposite approach. At Utopia Bagels in New York City, a well-trained staff of specialists make thousands of bagels by hand every day, all driven by a passionate owner whose love for his craft comes through in this video.

Questions:

What are the advantages and disadvantages of making bagels entirely by hand?
What Continue reading →

Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Motivation, Operations Management, Product Development, Product Distribution, Specialized labor, Supply & Demand, Training

Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Videos

FTC Proposes Ban on Noncompete Clauses

January 18, 2023

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For years, many major companies have depended on noncompete clauses to hang on to their most talented employees. These binding agreements prohibit individuals from taking jobs at similar firms or from striking out on their own for a specified period of time. Companies claim that they insert noncompete clauses into employee contracts in order to ensure the safety of trade secrets and other confidential data like consumer lists or contact information. According to a recent proposal from the Federal Trade Continue reading →

Employee turnover, Ethics, FTC, Hiring, Human Resources, Labor Relations, Motivation, Noncompete clauses, Regulation

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

California Passes Law Regulating Fast Food Industry

September 7, 2022

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Last week, California’s legislature passed a bill that will bring sweeping changes to fast food chains operating in the state. After being signed into law by the governor on Monday, the new legislation effectively sets a minimum wage for the industry while also establishing new safety and anti-discrimination requirements. California will create a 10-person council composed of restaurant workers and employer representatives along with two state officials, who will all review pay and safety standards across the state’s restaurant industry. Continue reading →

Compensation, Ethics, Food & Drink, Franchising, Human Resources, Labor Relations, Motivation, Operations Management

Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 5: Forms of Business Ownership, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management

Using Lego to Build Office Creativity

September 2, 2022

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Last year, the Danish building-block company Lego earned more than 7 billion euros in sales, making it far and away the top toymaker in the world. Once on the brink of bankruptcy in the early 2000s, Lego turned things around when it focused exclusively on construction bricks along with licensed sets based on popular franchises like Star Wars and Harry Potter. Now the company’s dominance extends even into the offices of the world’s biggest corporations as part of team-building exercises Continue reading →

Entertainment, Human Resources, Lego, Management, Motivation, Office Culture, Team building, Training

Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 8: Organizational Culture and Structure

“Quiet Quitting” Trend Takes off on TikTok

August 24, 2022

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Like other social networks, TikTok users share almost everything about their lives on the app, from their favorite music and TV shows to their anxieties about work. In fact, talk about the latter has increased significantly in recent weeks as videos about “quiet quitting” generate millions of views among young professionals. The phrase is meant to convey the opposite idea of “hustle culture,” another popular work-related topic on TikTok that encourages people to devote themselves entirely to their careers. Quiet Continue reading →

Company Culture, Ethics, Human Resources, Labor Relations, Motivation, Social Media, TikTok, Training

Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 8: Organizational Culture and Structure