Groupon Back on Track for Its I.P.O. - NYTimes.com

Groupon Back on Track for Its I.P.O. - NYTimes.com

Yahoo CEO is Fired: First Mover, No Advantage

Closed in Error on Google Places, Merchants Seek Fixes - NYTimes.com

Uh-Oh!!

Closed in Error on Google Places, Merchants Seek Fixes - NYTimes.com

In E-Mail Age, Postal Service Struggles to Avoid a Default - NYTimes.com

How to save this dinosaur? Mine goes from the mail box to the recycling box:

In E-Mail Age, Postal Service Struggles to Avoid a Default - NYTimes.com

The Fiat 500 Hopes for a Rebirth in the U.S. Market - NYTimes.com

Global Business: An Italian car company owns an American firm building cars in Mexico with engines from Michigan for a car launch back in the US:

The Fiat 500 Hopes for a Rebirth in the U.S. Market - NYTimes.com

U.S. Moves to Block AT&T Merger with T-Mobile - NYTimes.com

Big news for Mergers and Acquisitions - US takes rare step to block one:

U.S. Moves to Block AT&T Merger with T-Mobile - NYTimes.com

Job's Resigns CEO Position

Karl Marx was Right

"...you can not keep on shifting income from labor to capital without not having an excess capacity and a lack of aggregate demand. We thought that markets work. They are not working. What's individually rational ... is a self-destructive process."

Supply and Demand, Baby!

Markets become saturated, farmers profits decline and pull back from markets. A (true) free market at work!

Google to Buy Motorla Mobility

Time for Plan C?

Know what you are getting into before starting out on your own.

Going Woes Loom Over Biden Visit to China

Going to China to be spanked - slipping into servanthood.

Int'l Financial Mgt: Italy and Spain

Cut debt? Expand economic activity to increase revenues (generate taxes)?
Which way to go? Good description of how global finances work.

Credit Rating Downgrade

US Slips Again...

Attempt to Weaken the Yen vs. the USD

Note the reasons - the continued decline of the US has investors 'demanding' Yen, raising its's value.

Buying Swiss Francs w. Relish

With the US and EU mired in debt and economic malaise, investors turn to Switzerland.

Triple-A

What is all the fuss about a Triple-A credit rating for the US government?

New vision for the local video store

Reviving a neighborhood staple, with a new strategic focus:

World-wide impact of debacle in DC

World-wide impact of debacle in DC - being admonished by China to 'grow up':

Amazon's Net Declines as Stock Rises

Future beats present - investment for tomorrow drives down profit today, and raises stock price.

Future of Hulu

Technology, Strategy, Alliances, Consumer Preference - oh, this has it all!

EU Summit on Greek Debt

This is a story going on now for 2 - 3 years, and still we must be familiar with what's happening and its' impact.

Social Media Background Checks

Let's be smart, and careful - out there!

An Accordion Epicenter Shrinks and Thrives - NYTimes.com

My daughter purchased an accordion while in Austria recently, so this article interested me. When I finished reading it it was clear the story was as much about IB/Globalization as it was about music. Read to the end!

An Accordion Epicenter Shrinks and Thrives - NYTimes.com

China’s Swift Trains Are a Boon to Development, but a Costly One - NYTimes.com

Tying China's inland cities to its metropolitan areas and seaports - modernizing rural life:

China’s Swift Trains Are a Boon to Development, but a Costly One - NYTimes.com

I.B.M. at 100 - Lessons in Tech Longevity - NYTimes.com

Evolution:

I.B.M. at 100 - Lessons in Tech Longevity - NYTimes.com

Internet Start-Ups Find New Metrics to Look Profitable; - NYTimes.com

Why knowing how to read Financial Statements matter:

Internet Start-Ups Find New Metrics to Look Profitable; - NYTimes.com

Wall St. Stumbles on Economic Data - NYTimes.com

Continuing global economic turmoil rattles stock markets, threatens US banks and recovery:

Wall St. Stumbles on Economic Data - NYTimes.com

Stores Emphasize New Looks for Mannequins - NYTimes.com

No Dummies: Mannequins get a makeover -
Stores Emphasize New Looks for Mannequins - NYTimes.com

Pandora IPO surges on first day of trading - Jun. 15, 2011

Pandora goes public. Watch the video and consider the future of 'radio':

Pandora IPO surges on first day of trading - Jun. 15, 2011

Fred Rosen, Who Built Ticketmaster, Now Tries to Unseat It - NYTimes.com

An entrepreneur with moxy - and doing it again!

Fred Rosen, Who Built Ticketmaster, Now Tries to Unseat It - NYTimes.com

Muddy Waters Research Is a Thorn to Some Chinese Companies - NYTimes.com

Buyer (of Chinese companies) beware!

Muddy Waters Research Is a Thorn to Some Chinese Companies - NYTimes.com

Chaos in Yemen Drives Economy to Edge of Ruin - NYTimes.com

Political chaos, Economic catastrophe. Struggle to survive in Yemen.

Chaos in Yemen Drives Economy to Edge of Ruin - NYTimes.com

Retailers Move to Greener, Easier-to-Open Packaging - NYTimes.com

Reducing costs, environmentally-friendly, and customer desired - sounds like a win-win-win!

Retailers Move to Greener, Easier-to-Open Packaging - NYTimes.com

Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’ Shows Album’s New Role - NYTimes.com

Is it the music, or the marketing? Continued dissection of the business of being GaGa.

Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’ Shows Album’s New Role - NYTimes.com

Americans Will Need To Lower Their Expectations, Ex-GM Executive Says

The Future, Your Future:

Americans Will Need To Lower Their Expectations, Ex-GM Executive Says

Lady Gaga Album Zooms to Megahit Status - NYTimes.com

Check out the marketing behind the sales fiqures (at end...) Selling the CD at a Hudson News kiosk - Genius!

Lady Gaga Album Zooms to Megahit Status - NYTimes.com

Wal-Mart Pressed on How Global Suppliers Treat Workers - NYTimes.com

Working conditions in Third World countries under review:

Wal-Mart Pressed on How Global Suppliers Treat Workers - NYTimes.com

PayPal sues Google for stealing employees and trade secrets - May. 27, 2011

A real-life Intellectual Property and trade secrets squabble, mixed with breaches of employment contracts - oh, what fun!

PayPal sues Google for stealing employees and trade secrets - May. 27, 2011

Chasing Riches From Africa to Europe and Finding Only Squalor - NYTimes.com

Fascinating. Note the cultural imperative "to save face", which created an illusion of Europe for this fellow by his uncle, is perpetuated by him - as he lives in squalor.
What role for truth?

Chasing Riches From Africa to Europe and Finding Only Squalor - NYTimes.com

New Clue in Obesity Epidemic Points to Workplace - NYTimes.com

Work is not only killing us, it's making us fat!

New Clue in Obesity Epidemic Points to Workplace - NYTimes.com

Rifts in Europe Grow Wider Over Greece - NYTimes.com

Economic crisis spreading across Europe -

Rifts in Europe Grow Wider Over Greece - NYTimes.com

Delta-Northwest Merger’s Long and Complex Path - NYTimes.com

The nitty-gritty of business operations as seen in merging two airlines:

Delta-Northwest Merger’s Long and Complex Path - NYTimes.com

Are We Cutting Fat or Bone? - NYTimes.com

View from the trenches: Focusing on cutting costs and/or boosting revenue.

Are We Cutting Fat or Bone? - NYTimes.com

In Greece, Despair Is Tearing the Social Fabric - NYTimes.com

Economic despair while a country deals with its' debt crisis (forerunner of the US?):

In Greece, Despair Is Tearing the Social Fabric - NYTimes.com

TV Industry Takes Second Look at Older Viewers - NYTimes.com

A new look on how ad dollars are spent - targeted to where the money, and the employed, are. Be sure you track these demographic changes!

TV Industry Takes Second Look at Older Viewers - NYTimes.com

Skype Said to Have Demanded Over $7 Billion in Talks - Bloomberg

Done Deal: Tech and Talk merger -

Skype Said to Have Demanded Over $7 Billion in Talks - Bloomberg

Microsoft in Talks to Acquire Skype for $8.5 Billion - NYTimes.com

Marriage, break-ups, gossip and rumours - kind of like the "Housewives of Silicon Valley", billionaire edition!

Microsoft in Talks to Acquire Skype for $8.5 Billion - NYTimes.com

'Superjobs': Why You Work More, Enjoy It Less - WSJ.com

The New Work-Environment: prepare to do more, get less noticed, for no more pay -

'Superjobs': Why You Work More, Enjoy It Less - WSJ.com

The ‘Facebook Class’ Built Apps, and Fortunes - NYTimes.com

Modern, tech start-ups - how it is done. (Hint: Besides a cute idea, you need to know how to write code!)

The ‘Facebook Class’ Built Apps, and Fortunes - NYTimes.com

Trying to Game Google on ‘Mother’s Day Flowers’ - NYTimes.com

Trying to game the (Google) system - companies attempt to rise above to prosper. Is it proper?

Trying to Game Google on ‘Mother’s Day Flowers’ - NYTimes.com

Commodity Prices Tumble - NYTimes.com

Underlying producer and consumer prices are prices of commodities (coffee, gold, oil, etc...). These prices have a big impact on the economy as well, such as Inflation:

Commodity Prices Tumble - NYTimes.com

Portugal Interest Rate Show Investor Fears, Despite Bailout - NYTimes.com

Relevent to this weeks discussion of Regional Economic Integration, Portugal, after international bailout, continues to struggle.

Portugal Interest Rate Show Investor Fears, Despite Bailout - NYTimes.com

Small-business star StreetGlow entangled in debt and litigation - NorthJersey.com

Trials and Troubles of starting up a company, especially when young, with no education :(

Small-business star StreetGlow entangled in debt and litigation - NorthJersey.com

Chinese Investment Could Bypass U.S., Report Says - NYTimes.com

Foreign Direct Investment - China has money to invest, but is it welcome in the US? does the US want it?

Chinese Investment Could Bypass U.S., Report Says - NYTimes.com

U.S. Economic Growth Slows to 1.8% Rate in Quarter - NYTimes.com

Economic news: US still struggling.

U.S. Economic Growth Slows to 1.8% Rate in Quarter - NYTimes.com

Renesas in Japan Scrambles to Make a Critical Car Chip - NYTimes.com

Oh, the perils of the Global Supply chain, and an over-reliance on one critical parts maker:

Renesas in Japan Scrambles to Make a Critical Car Chip - NYTimes.com

Retailers Try Velvet Glove in Raising Prices - NYTimes.com

Price increases, which started in commodities last year, are now presenting themselves at the nation's retailers. Responding to higher costs with rising prices may mean a consumer backlash when most Americans are concerned about their economic prospects. Savvy?

Retailers Try Velvet Glove in Raising Prices - NYTimes.com

Sales of ‘Green’ Household Products Fall as Consumers Cut Spending - NYTimes.com

Consumer tastes, preferences and budgets are impacting the adoption of environmentally sensitive products:

Sales of ‘Green’ Household Products Fall as Consumers Cut Spending - NYTimes.com

Travel Anthology Looks at Arab Views of U.S. - NYTimes.com

Fascinating look through cultural lenses, AT the USA.

Travel Anthology Looks at Arab Views of U.S. - NYTimes.com

Soaring Inflation Poses Risks Beyond China’s Borders - NYTimes.com

China's impact on the world economy is major, and its fight with inflation has global implications. This article enlightens us on many aspects of international business and
the role of economics play. A good review of principles learned many of your classes.

Soaring Inflation Poses Risks Beyond China’s Borders - NYTimes.com

Retailers Retool Sites to Ease Shopping via Mobile Phone - NYTimes.com

Sometimes business's are so '00's - falling behind cultural and technological trends. Would you purchase off your phone?

Retailers Retool Sites to Ease Shopping via Mobile Phone - NYTimes.com

Languages Grew From a Seed in Africa, a Study Says - NYTimes.com

BUS255 is thinking and writing about Creativity this week. Here is one way to continue to develop that 'out-of-the-box' mindset - read widely on intriquing concepts and expand your mind. Not only will it force your brain to grow and think in unique ways, it helps in seeing the world differently - and who knows, it may give rise to a new business idea. Can this idea of "budding" be applied to where you franchise your new business? :)

Languages Grew From a Seed in Africa, a Study Says - NYTimes.com

Business Wakes Up to Cloud Computing - NYTimes.com

Time for you to catch up on your understanding of cloud computing! If you use Dropbox, Google Docs, etc.. you are familiar with the idea of storing your data "in the clouds" (off-site, on other peoples servers, not your hard-drive). Now it is business's turn.

Business Wakes Up to Cloud Computing - NYTimes.com

Food Prices Stir Concern About Biofuels Mandates - NYTimes.com

To understand economic and social matters, remember: "Markets, Prices and Supply and Demand". Here is an example - rising demand for food as fuel raises prices and increases hunger among those who cannot pay. (Also known as the Free Market).

Food Prices Stir Concern About Biofuels Mandates - NYTimes.com

Dish Network Wins Auction for Blockbuster - NYTimes.com

The "Netflix" of its' day fallen on hard times - now a suitor hopes to raise it from bankruptcy. Interesting strategic implications!

Dish Network Wins Auction for Blockbuster - NYTimes.com

Newly Homeless Re-Establish Order Amid Chaos - NYTimes.com

Culture-infused characteristics are manifest in the midst of disruption and dispair.

Newly Homeless Re-Establish Order Amid Chaos - NYTimes.com

Quake in Japan Broke a Link in Global Supply Chain - NYTimes.com

When it is working, it seems invisible and seemless, but when their is a glitch (or catastrophe) it is a major crisis - the impact of the triple disaster in Japan on the Global Supply Chain, a key of Global Business:

Quake in Japan Broke a Link in Global Supply Chain - NYTimes.com

Group of 7 Takes Measures to Stabilize Japan’s Currency - NYTimes.com

Currency Market intervention in Yen while Japan deals with its' 'triple crisis' - of interest to note is that the move is to weaken (drive down) the value of the currency.

Group of 7 Takes Measures to Stabilize Japan’s Currency - NYTimes.com

Is Groupon Ruining Retailing? - NYTimes.com

This is a BLOG post (one person's opinion, not necessarily factual or researched) about Groupon and 'social couponing. Quite interesting.

Is Groupon Ruining Retailing? - NYTimes.com

Is Groupon Ruining Retailing? - NYTimes.com

This is a BLOG post (one person's opinion, not necessarily factual or researched) about Groupon and 'social couponing. Quite interesting.

Is Groupon Ruining Retailing? - NYTimes.com

Google’s 8-Point Plan to Help Managers Improve - NYTimes.com

Management, like parenting, is based on simple principles. Like have some time and be consistent. A quantitative take on a gut-feeling issue.


Google’s 8-Point Plan to Help Managers Improve - NYTimes.com: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Starbucks’s Chief Tries to Recapture Its Heyday - NYTimes.com

Entrepeneur or Manager? or both? The story of Howard Schultz and Starbucks.

Starbucks’s Chief Tries to Recapture Its Heyday - NYTimes.com

FDA takes over Johnson & Johnson's Tylenol plants - Mar. 10, 2011

It has got to be a pretty bad situation for the US Gov't to take over your factories...

FDA takes over Johnson & Johnson's Tylenol plants - Mar. 10, 2011

Sargento keeps family tradition | Herald Times Reporter | htrnews.com

About family-owned businesses - now third-generation! (For MGT352)

Sargento keeps family tradition | Herald Times Reporter | htrnews.com

Canceling ‘Two and a Half Men’ Will Cost CBS and Warner Dearly - NYTimes.com

"Bad" Business

Canceling ‘Two and a Half Men’ Will Cost CBS and Warner Dearly - NYTimes.com

Foreign Investment Ebbs in India, and Questions Begin - NYTimes.com

A must read for IB students, and any one interested in understanding the role corruption plays in hindering economic growth:

Foreign Investment Ebbs in India, and Questions Begin - NYTimes.com

Japan’s Gross Domestic Product Fell 0.3% at Year’s End - NYTimes.com

The previous article concerned the US perception of what country's economy is the largest. Here is an article laying out the facts:

Japan’s Gross Domestic Product Fell 0.3% at Year’s End - NYTimes.com

China the top world economy, Americans say – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs#more-146888

Wha-wha-WHAT?

China the top world economy, Americans say – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs#more-146888

In China, Tentative Steps Toward a Global Currency - NYTimes.com

China continues to rise: Developing an International, convertible currency.

In China, Tentative Steps Toward a Global Currency - NYTimes.com

Multiculturalism has failed, says French president - Yahoo! News

Wow, this is quite a reversal in trends. What do you think? Is there one American identity? Grandparents emmigrated here to be "American" now it seems people want to be isolated in their communities (read the article). Is this healthy for the USA?

Multiculturalism has failed, says French president - Yahoo! News

IMF discusses plan to replace dollar as reserve currency - Feb. 10, 2011

Another sign of fading dominance - what does this mean for American prestige as well as International Business?

IMF discusses plan to replace dollar as reserve currency - Feb. 10, 2011

NYSE Euronext and Deutsche Börse in Merger Talks - NYTimes.com

More Globalization and the continued decline of American dominance. An icon sold to Europeans:

NYSE Euronext and Deutsche Börse in Merger Talks - NYTimes.com

Goodbye office space? The shrinking American cubicle - CNN.com

Mobile office? Cubicle? Your own office/workspace? What is the future 'office' going to look like?

Goodbye office space? The shrinking American cubicle - CNN.com

Fears of trade war stalk Davos meeting | Reuters

"Trade War" - what are the implications of the Doha Round failing?

Fears of trade war stalk Davos meeting | Reuters

Disney Looks to the Cradle to Expand Business - NYTimes.com

Expanding a brand and experience - using gateway products at life's earliest stage. Good idea?

Disney Looks to the Cradle to Expand Business - NYTimes.com

Work-Life Balance? Smartphones and Laptops Tip the Scale - NYTimes.com

Struggling to define boundaries between work and personal lives - how do you handle this?

Work-Life Balance? Smartphones and Laptops Tip the Scale - NYTimes.com

Wal-Mart, humbled king of retail, plots rebound - Yahoo! News

Excellent refresher of macro issues like the impact of economic variables on a business, and strategic ones too - like 'staying close to the customer', while navigating changing consumer tastes.

Wal-Mart, humbled king of retail, plots rebound - Yahoo! News

BBC defends Mexico jokes on Top Gear - Yahoo! News

Cultural or insulting? Can humor (or humour :) go global?

BBC defends Mexico jokes on Top Gear - Yahoo! News

The myth of the innovation nation | David Rothkopf

Does American culture give it an edge in the race for Innovation? A look at history and its implications:

The myth of the innovation nation | David Rothkopf

Finding Cheaper Textbooks: 2nd Edition - NYTimes.com

Finally, you say, Avallone posts something useful!

Finding Cheaper Textbooks: 2nd Edition - NYTimes.com

Obama to Meet With President Hu Jintao of China - NYTimes.com

An important relationship for the US that encompasses military, economic and political challenges by a rising China.

Obama to Meet With President Hu Jintao of China - NYTimes.com

Stores Like Target and CVS Add Groceries to Attract Shoppers - NYTimes.com

Expaning consumer options means strategic decision-making and more competetition.

Stores Like Target and CVS Add Groceries to Attract Shoppers - NYTimes.com

A Duane Reade in Brooklyn With a Beer Bar - NYTimes.com

Good example of 'micro-marketing' and 'staying close to your customer. Is it a viable means of growing a business? Can we build in efficiencies and economies of scale this way?

A Duane Reade in Brooklyn With a Beer Bar - NYTimes.com

Using Wikipedia

THIS IS A MUST READ FOR ALL OF US - TO THE END - GOOD ADVICE WHEN WRITING PAPERS AND RESEARCHING....

Record - Bergen Edition 01/12/2011, Page F1

Library pros are wary of Wikipedia
By JIM BECKERMAN

STAFF WRITER

Wikipedia, according to Wikipedia, is “a free, Web¬based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project.” But the reference librarians we checked with would want a second source on that.

“Personally, I don’t rely on Wikipedia, because of peo¬ple’s ability to go in and edit anybody’s text and change the history,” says Karen Sharp, senior librarian and web¬master at the Wayne Public Library.

Wikipedia, which comes (according to Wikipedia) from the Hawaiian word “wiki” — “quick” — joined to the “pedia” from “encyclopedia,” was launched 10 years ago this Saturday by founders Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger. Since that time, reportedly 365 million readers have pored over 17 million articles – all written by volunteer contributors – on subjects ranging from Aachen (“spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany”) to zymology (“scientific term for fermentation”).

Wikipedia has profoundly changed the way most of us gather information. It may have had less effect on the people whose job it is to look things up: reference librarians. Yes, they’ll use it sometimes, they told us. But with misgivings, and never as a sole source.

“We use it as a backup,” says Sharon Castanteen, director of the Johnson Free Public Library in Hackensack, who has a background in reference. “We’ll start with that, get some ideas from it, but we won’t trust it 100 percent.”

Distrust in W ikipedia, of course, varies from librarian to librarian. Some said they employed it, to some degree, in 10 to 20 percent of their searches. Others, like director Gina Webb-Metz of the Tenafly Public Library, put the number at more like 5 percent.

“If I just want some quick background information, I’ll use it and then verify [the information] on another site,” said Webb-Metz, also a research librarian.

The issue with Wikipedia isn’t comprehensiveness – it can go into more depth on more subjects than any print reference work could hope to. Nor is it even accuracy: “Encyclopedia Britannica” has been known to make mistakes, too.

The real issue, for professionals, is simply that Wikipedia isn’t vetted by experts. There is no guarantee how reliable any of its entries are. And because the bar is so low – despite certain safeguards built into the site – it is also easy prey to abuse. “ If you look up Walmart on Wikipedia, you’re going to see what the PR department of Walmart wants you to see,” says Richard Kearney, electronic resources librarian at the David and Lorraine Cheng Library, William Paterson University, Wayne.

“Entries on corporations and governments on Wikipedia are continuously monitored by representatives of those entities, and they put a spin on it,” Kearney says. “There is an extent to which Wikipedia tries to inform people of things that are controversial or disputed. They put those warnings up there, and that’s fine. But do people look at those?” Ultimately, say these professionals, it’s not that people use Wikipedia, but how people use Wikipedia, that is problematic. Most Wiki-entries, for instance, end with a long list of primary sources that can be invaluable for research. Some librarians use Wikipedia in just this way: as a springboard for more thorough investigation.

But Wikipedia, because it is so easy and available, is highly tempting for students, journalists on deadline and others too pressed or too lazy to dig deeper than the initial entry. That just ratchets up a problem that librarians, teachers and others have long tried to combat: the tendency for readers to believe everything they see in print.

“Even in print, you have to verify,” Sharp says. “But the print resources we have are from reputable publishers, whereas Wikipedia you don’t know the publishers. You have to verify things.”

Facebook Wins Relatively Few Friends in Japan - NYTimes.com

A US company facing challenges entering a foreign market - not unusual, but here some barriers are cultural. What are the chances of a successful market entry?

Facebook Wins Relatively Few Friends in Japan - NYTimes.com

Vietnam Confronts Economic Quagmire - NYTimes.com

A view that incorporates economics, politics, culture, sociology, and more about one of the most beautiful countries I have ever experienced:

Vietnam Confronts Economic Quagmire - NYTimes.com

Six Companies That Did Not Survive 2010 - NYTimes.com

Cautionary tales for all you future Entrepreneurs. Interesting, most of these folks have started another small business!

Six Companies That Did Not Survive 2010 - NYTimes.com

ESPN announcer dismissed over comments - CNN.com

Remember, business students, professionalism and respect every moment!

ESPN announcer dismissed over comments - CNN.com

American Airlines in Fight With Orbitz and Expedia - NYTimes.com

A battle to control costs, access, distribution and marketing of a product that is tremendously influenced by evolving technology. Fascinating applications across industries:

American Airlines in Fight With Orbitz and Expedia - NYTimes.com