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?
> How will you be able to apply your experience as a consumer of educational services to the challenges you’ll face in your career after graduation?
> How can business knowledge and skills help social entrepreneurs reach their goals?
> Ethical considerations. Is managing a business in ways that reflect society’s core values always ethical? Explain your answer.
> Why does a company need more than a code of ethics to be ethical?
> Why is mobile connectivity considered a disruptive technology?
> Does a downturn in the economy hurt all companies equally? Provide several examples to support your answers.
> What is professionalism?
> How does the money supply affect the cost and availability of credit?
> What does securitization of debt mean?
> What is a subprime mortgage?
> What is a bubble?
> How do commercial banks differ from investment banks?
> What are the primary responsibilities of the Federal Reserve System?
> In what ways did the housing bubble and subprime crisis violate the responsibilities suggested by the stakeholder model?
> What steps could a bookstore take to engage in strategic CSR?
> As a corporate financial manager, what steps could you take to protect your company from a liquidity crisis?
> If a consumer with a relatively low credit score applied for a loan from your bank, what other criteria might you consider before deciding to grant a loan?
> If you were in charge of monetary policy and wanted to lower the federal rate, would you buy or sell Treasury securities on the open market? Why?
> How did the decoupling of risk and reward contribute to the problems in the subprime mortgage industry?
> Why would a credit union work to make sure consumers know it is not a bank?
> What is the difference between a stock’s market value and its intrinsic value?
> How did the decline in lending standards contribute to the financial meltdown of 2008?
> Generally speaking, what effect did the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act have on the banking industry?
> If an investor had enough money to diversify adequately through buying individual securities, why might he or she still consider buying mutual funds instead?
> 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.
> 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?
> 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?
> 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?
