If consumers are willing to wait weeks or months for the latest iPhone, why does Apple need to worry about producing enough phones to meet immediate demand?
> How does buying a commodities future differ from buying a commodity outright?
> What is a p/e ratio, and what does it signify to an investor?
> How is the notion of free trade similar to the free-markets model discussed?
> What happens during a two-for-one stock split?
> What is the money market?
> Review the discussion of mission statements. Suppose you were thinking about purchasing 100 shares of common stock in General Electric. Why might you want to first review the company’s mission statement? What would you be looking for in the company’s mis
> If your bank specializes in lending money to home builders, and the forecast for new home sales is predicting a decline in the coming months, what type of financial instrument could you use to protect against builders defaulting on loans because they are
> If you are worried that a panicked market might cause the price of one of your stocks to plunge, what type of sell order could you use with your broker to limit your losses?
> If investors want a steady predictable flow of cash, what types of investments should they seek and why?
> Would it be ethical for you to write in your personal blog about the positive outlook on a stock that you own, without telling readers that you own the stock? Why or why not?
> What is the difference between a secured and an unsecured loan?
> When might an investor sell a stock short? What risks are involved in selling short?
> Why may different analysts arrive at different intrinsic values for the same stock?
> How might the word “free” affect public and political discussions of free-market systems?
> Why is asset allocation recommended as a way to diversify against risk?
> Would it be wise for a young company that is growing quickly but still hasn’t achieved profitability to attempt to issue bonds as a way to expand its working capital? Why or why not?
> How can factoring help a company manage its cash flow?
> What does it mean when someone refers to a company’s capital structure?
> If you were a U.S. exporter selling to Japan, how would a stronger dollar be likely to affect demand for your products? How would a weaker dollar be likely to affect demand?
> Is the company alone in facing these changes, or is the entire industry trying to adapt? What are other companies in the industry doing to adapt to the changes?
> What changes in the workforce or employee needs caused the company to adapt? What did the company do to respond to these changes? Was the company’s response voluntary or legally mandated?
> Questions you might pose to that broker to help you evaluate the merits of purchasing a specific security.
> Questions you might ask a stockbroker to help you decide whether you would use his or her services.
> Why is competition an important element of the free-market system?
> Prepare a brief written summary of your conclusions.
> What other changes in the workforce or in employee needs do you think this company is likely to face in the next few years? Why?
> If you decide you want to work in a production-related job, what additional classes should you consider taking before you graduate?
> What is the outlook for careers in this profession? If you were interested in this field, would you consider it, given the job outlook?
> What is the nature of the work for industrial production managers? Does the combination of people management and technical problem solving appeal to you?
> Which of the entrepreneurial characteristics mentioned in the chapter describe you? Which of these characteristics can you develop more fully in advance of running your own business?
> What training and qualifications are required for a career as an economist? Are the qualifications different for jobs in the private sector as opposed to those in the government?
> What is the job outlook for economists? What is the average salary for starting economists?
> Briefly describe what economists do and their typical working conditions.
> What factors are expected to contribute to the projected long-term growth of this industry?
> Do laws and regulations always restrict or impede the efforts of business professionals, or can they actually help businesses? Explain your answer.
> What is the typical starting position for many people in the securities industry?
> What are the licensing and continuing education requirements for securities brokers?
> What kinds of employers hire people for this position? According to your research, does the number of employers seem to be increasing or decreasing? How do you think this trend will affect your employment possibilities if you choose this career?
> What skills and educational qualifications would you need to enter this occupation? How do these qualifications fit with your current plans, skills, and interests?
> What are the day-to-day duties of this occupation? How would these duties contribute to the financial success of a company?
> What kinds of employers hire people for this position? According to your research, does the number of employees seem to be increasing or decreasing? How do you think this trend will affect your employment possibilities if you choose to enter this career?
> What skills and qualifications would you need to enter this occupation? How do these qualifications fit with your current plans, skills, and interests?
> What are the day-to-day duties of this occupation? How would these duties contribute to the financial success of a company?
> What training and qualifications should a marketing manager have?
> What does a marketing manager do?
> If individual accountability is an essential element of professionalism, why is it also important to be an effective team player? Explain your answer.
> Find two openings in the field you are researching. What educational background, work experience, and other qualifications are employers seeking in candidates for this position?
> Select a specific marketing job that interests you, and use the sites just mentioned to find out more about this career path. What specific duties and responsibilities do people in this position typically handle?
> If Apply temporarily can’t meet demand for a product, should it raise the price to bring supply and demand into balance? Why or why not?
> Are programs that help specific groups of entrepreneurs, such as the SBA program that helps minority- and woman-owned businesses, fair to those who don’t qualify? Explain your answer.
> If your personal credit is shaky at the moment and you don’t have a lot of cash to invest in a new business, what steps could you take to get a new company going?
> Would Yolanda Diaz have been as successful if she had started her company right out of college, rather than waiting until she’d had a decade of corporate experience? Why or why not?
> Could a publicly owned, for-profit bank that truly espoused a customer-first approach successfully compete against both Alliant and other banks? Why or why not?
> Why might customers of big banks be reluctant to move to a credit union?
> Why do you suppose accounting regulations require companies to report paper losses or gains from futures contracts in their financial statements?
> Discuss the role of business in protecting the natural environment, and define sustainable development. (1) Should all industries be required to meet the same levels of pollution control? Why or why not? (2) How would you respond to critics who say that
> List three steps you can take to help you make the leap from consumer to business professional. (1) How can consumer experiences help a business professional excel on the job? (2) If organized businesses didn’t exist and the economy was composed of indiv
> If speculators are barred from investing in futures contracts, how will that change Chesapeake’s approach to financial management? (Assume that natural gas distributors and other major customers would still be able to engage in futures contracts from a c
> As Visa continues to explore growth opportunities, should it consider becoming a lender by issuing cards itself or lending money to banks that issue cards? Why or why not?
> Could Visa have accomplished its funding goals through short-term or long-term debt financing instead? Why or why not?
> How might Visa executives use scenario planning in the budgeting process?
> Over the course of a recent six-month period, Google’s current ratio increased from 8.77 to 11.91. Does this make Google more or less of a credit risk in the eyes of potential lenders? Why?
> Google recently had a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. Microsoft, one of its key competitors, had a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. From a bank’s point of view, which of the two companies is a more attractive loan candidate, based on this ratio? Why?
> Given the eventual need for rigorous financial management, should every company have extensive cost controls in place from the first moment of operation? Explain your answer.
> Consumers can be a fickle lot, quickly abandoning a brand if the company behind it stumbles or something new catches their attention. Is it risky for GoPro to rely on social media so heavily? Should it invest more heavily in conventional advertising to g
> GoPro introduced its first camera in 2004, the same year that Facebook was launched. Given the role social media has played in GoPro’s success, was it a waste of time and energy for Woodman and his team to spend so much time trying to get their products
> Could a company that just introduced an amazing audio product, say a tiny music player with audiophile-quality sound, hope to replicate the social media success that GoPro has enjoyed? Why or why not?
> Define corporate social responsibility (CSR), and explain the difference between philanthropy and strategic CSR. (1) Given that “society” is not an organized entity, how can society decide what the responsibilities of business are in a CSR context? (2) I
> If Costco can’t find enough land in a particular location to build its usual store format, should it leverage the Costco brand name anyway and build something smaller, such as conventional department stores or grocery stores, in these areas? Why or why n
> Costco’s online sales are growing, but even the company itself says its online presence will never be as fancy as Amazon’s. Should the company’s online presence be an extension of the brick-and-mortar stores, or should it try to compete more directly wit
> If customers repeatedly ask Costco to carry certain items that the company thinks are outside its price/quality “comfort zone” (because they’re too expensive or not of high enough quality), should it give in and carry the items? Why or why not?
> Explain how the brand extension efforts in clothing and financial advice can reasonably fit under the umbrella of the Annika brand.
> Sorenstam’s charitable efforts include the Annika Foundation, which you can read about on her website. How does her work with the foundation contribute to her brand equity?
> Golfers who take lessons and purchase other services from the Annika Academy presumably share at least some of Sorenstam’s passion for winning. Would toning down the competitive aspect of Sorenstam’s public persona negatively affect the Annika brand in t
> How could meeting small groups of women in their homes to talk about pants possibly be an efficient communication strategy?
> If Red Ants Pants had investors looking for a quick return, how might that influence Calhoun’s decision to continue functioning as her own retail channel, rather than going through established retailers?
> How might Calhoun’s decision to keep production in the United States help solidify her market position in the minds of her target customers?
> Is it economically healthy for the United States when individual states compete against one another to attract companies, as Washington and South Carolina have done in the case of Boeing, for example? Why or why not?
> If a manager does nothing in response to a particular type of employee behavior that the company wants to encourage, is this an instance of reinforcement? Why or why not?
> Would it be fair to the residents of Washington state for Boeing to get nearly $9 billion in tax breaks–money that could have been used for schools, roads, and other public needs? Why or why not?
> Some union members criticized Washington governor Jay Inslee and the state’s U.S. Senator Patty Murray for their role in brokering the contract presented to the IAM. Is this a fair criticism? Why or why not?
> How should a positive, upbeat culture handle the inevitable disappointments and tragedies that happen in any company, from the need to terminate low performers to the death of an employee.
> What are the potential risks of emphasizing personality, particularly offbeat personality, in the recruiting process?
> Not all potentially good employees have a bubbly, goofy personality of the type that Zappos likes to attract. Would it be wise for the company to reject a candidate solely on the basis of a shy, introverted personality? Would it be discriminatory to do s
> What are the potential disadvantages, from the company’s point of view, of giving employees this much flexibility?
> How can managers determine whether a Deloitte employee is working at a decelerated pace in the career customization model or simply isn’t working very hard?
> How might Deloitte’s lattice approach help motivate employees and improve job satisfaction and performance?
> Wooden musical instruments have been carved by hand for hundreds of years. Why wouldn’t Kiesel want to continue this tradition?
> Watch some of the video on Kiesel’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/carvinguitars. How might this information help convince potential buyers to consider Kiesel or Carvin guitars?
> Discuss the strategic choices that must be considered before entering international markets. (1) If a multidomestic approach gives local managers the most flexibility for responding to local market conditions, why wouldn’t every international company use
> If Kiesel experienced an increase in orders from its website over a period of two weeks, should it expand its production capacity to make sure it can handle increased demand in the future? Why or why not?
> How could Cemex use Shift to recruit new employees?
> Should Cemex open Shift up to business partners and customers, in addition to employees? Why or why not? If it did, what factors would the company have to consider first?
> Why might it be difficult to implement a system like Shift in a well-established company such as Cemex?
> How does low employee turnover contribute to the distinct and positive corporate culture at Wegmans?
> Would the Wegmans approach work for a car dealer? A bookstore? A manufacturer of industrial goods? Explain your answers.
> Wegmans has always been managed by members of the Wegman family. Do you think the company could continue its winning ways if the next generation doesn’t want to take over, forcing the company to hire someone from outside the family as CEO? Explain your a
> Would opening their own retail stores be a risky decision for Sister Sky? How would this change the company’s business model?
> Should Simeon and TurningRobe consider lowering their ingredient costs by switching to petroleum-based ingredients or stopping their use of pure distilled water? Why or why not?
> Which of the qualities of successful entrepreneurs have Simeon and TurningRobe demonstrated?
