Archives posted in: Corporate

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The Best and the Brightest – J.C. Penney-Style

By James T. Berger May 5, 2014

Having a skilled, intelligent team that isn’t afraid to innovate against the grain is a thing that a great many firms either desire or value highly. So why did that work out so badly for J.C. Penney?

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College Scholarship Athletes – Students or Employees

By James T. Berger April 2, 2014

In a rather remarkable decision, the National Labor Relations Board has ruled that football scholarship athletes at Northwestern University should be considered employees and therefore are to be given the right to unionize and bargain collectively. The implications of this ruling are enormous and far-reaching, and the ruling seems to raise more questions than it answers.

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America’s Love/Hate Relationship With Smoking

By James T. Berger March 6, 2014

In an intriguing move, CVS, the nation’s No. 2 pharmacy, announced it would stop selling cigarettes as well as all tobacco products at its 7,600 stores across the country. The move will reduce revenues by $2 billion a year…

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Abenomics: Why, What, and Now What?

By Anirban Sengupta March 6, 2014

Economic policies advocated by Japan prime-minister Shinzo Abe, since his return to the helm after the 2012 general elections, are referred to as Abenomics. This article aims to provide a first-level understanding of the principles of Abenomics and its effects on the global business environment.

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Will the Sysco and US Foods Merger Lead to Higher Prices?

By Mary DeBoni February 5, 2014

Why is the government concerned with the Sysco and US Foods merger? See the key questions to track in following this potential merger.

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Minimum Wage Laws and Pricing: Are They Connected?

By Mary DeBoni January 7, 2014

On 1 January 2014, 12 states raised their minimum wages, making 21 states in total that have a minimum wage above the federal rate. What is the effect of this increase in minimum wage rates on pricing?

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IPO Announcement Sets Wall Street A-Twitter

By James T. Berger October 2, 2013

Twitter is going public. Will the IPO properly value the company and reward investors? Will profits flow?

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The Taste of Crow: Facebook’s Incredible Profitability Surge

By James T. Berger September 9, 2013

Like many marketing professionals, I was highly skeptical when Facebook did its Initial Public Offering about a year ago. My feeling was that Facebook had no clear-cut business model that would lead to sustainable profits and earnings. How wrong one can be!

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‘Shark Tank’ Offers Valuable Insight into Marketing, Entrepreneurship

By James T. Berger May 30, 2013

Many budding entrepreneurs are filled with “ideas.” Of course, ideas are the germ of innovation, but an idea without a plan to make money is useless. I have often told my students, the difference between an idea and a profit-making business is the difference between an amoeba and a human being.

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Procter & Gamble Trumps Church & Dwight: An Example of the Customer Orientation Overtaking a Medieval Business Strategy

By Tim J. Smith, PhD April 30, 2013

CEOs Robert McDonald of P&G and James Craigie of Church & Dwight are facing off in the laundry soap business, and one of them is slinging mud. Recent executive comments and division performance reports highlight that the battle in the soap aisle isn’t just about soap, it’s about the fundamental purpose of businesses in competitive markets.

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