http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/ en tutor2u.net Copyright 2012 2012-02-12T11:47:19+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/innovation-in-business-perspectives-from-stephen-elop-ceo-of-nokia http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/innovation-in-business-perspectives-from-stephen-elop-ceo-of-nokia#When:08:01:21Z Nokia is an essential research case study for business students and teachers and I highly recommend this excellent, longer video interview with Nokia CEO Stephen Elop.  The discussion focuses on the role of innovation in business, but you also get a sense of the character of Elop, a key case study in leadership and business strategy. This is a wide-ranging and accessible discussion that also focuses on the effect of technological disruption in business, with a specific analysis of the effect/influence of disruption on innovation strategy. BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Business Strategy, Leadership & Culture, 2012-02-12T08:01:21+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/the-history-of-apples-product-innovation-in-30-seconds http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/the-history-of-apples-product-innovation-in-30-seconds#When:12:01:04Z Short and sweet - this 30 second video that showcases the progression of Apple’s product portfolio. A journey that takes us from the very first Apple prototype computer through to the iPad. Great for illustrating the process of product innovation.  You can always pause the video (if you’re quick) to look at the individual products. BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, TEACHING BUSINESS, Video Case Studies, 2012-02-10T12:01:04+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/happiness-in-the-workplace-still-proving-elusive http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/happiness-in-the-workplace-still-proving-elusive#When:17:21:26Z 60 years ago we worked 30% longer and took half as many holidays.  For most, pay was poor.  Discrimination in the workplace was widespread, and permitted by law.  Work was often hard, and for working class men it was often dangerous too.  So it’s a sobering thought to think that several decades later, measures of anxiety in the workplace have risen, to the point that stress has replaced back pain as the most common cause of long-term sick leave, according to The Guardian.  What’s going wrong? BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Leadership & Culture, Human Resource Management, 2012-02-06T17:21:26+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/integration-integration-integration1 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/integration-integration-integration1#When:11:38:35Z HP is an example of a firm which is struggling to integrate acquisitions, and the perils of diversification. BUSS4 RESEARCH, BUSINESS THEMES, Aims and Objectives, Business & Technology, Business Strategy, Change Management, Finance & Accounting, International Business, Leadership & Culture, Political & Legal Environment, EXAM BOARD SUPPORT, AS & A2 Business, AQA BUSS4, 2012-02-01T11:38:35+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/success-for-the-daily-mails-online-strategy http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/success-for-the-daily-mails-online-strategy#When:15:04:28Z Last year I started my A2 students on the topic of business strategy by looking at the UK newspaper market.  Analysis of their position paints a pretty bleak picture, but the industry has a successful record of innovation, so it was interesting to compare their strategies for survival.  A year later, and the success of one paper’s strategy is becoming apparent. BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Business Strategy, E-Business & E-Commerce, Marketing, 2012-01-30T15:04:28+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/technological-change-the-consumerisation-of-technology http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/technological-change-the-consumerisation-of-technology#When:11:12:28Z This is a neat two-minute video from The Economist (in October 2011) which provides an ideal introduction to a key concept - the “consumerisation of technology”.  Essentially this is about the integration of consumer tech products into the world of work. The main example provided is that of the smartphone, but you can apply the same concept to other hardware products such as tablets and also to software as a service (“SaaS”) such as cloud-based storage. BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, 2012-01-30T11:12:28+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/strategic-choice-what-should-facebook-do-with-cash-from-the-ipo http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/strategic-choice-what-should-facebook-do-with-cash-from-the-ipo#When:10:56:06Z The business pages are buzzing about the impending flotation of Facebook, with some analysts speculating that the implied valuation of Facebook based on the flotation share price will be up to $100billion.  It is thought that Facebook will seek to raise approximately $10billion of new share capital through the IPO.  But, what should Mark Zuckerberg and his Facebook Board do with the cash raised? BUSINESS THEMES, Aims and Objectives, Business & Technology, Business Strategy, 2012-01-30T10:56:06+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/technological-change-3-d-printing-promises-a-new-industrial-revolution http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/technological-change-3-d-printing-promises-a-new-industrial-revolution#When:19:45:16Z I’m going to show you a technology that may simply blow you away.  This isn’t a make-believe technology; it’s real and it’s here now.  The possibilities are endless; the implications for the future of manufacturing, business investment and business models could be hugely significant. BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Operations Management, 2012-01-28T19:45:16+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/technological-change-kodaks-big-strategic-mistake http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/technological-change-kodaks-big-strategic-mistake#When:15:33:30Z I highly recommend that A2 business students read Tom White’s excellent blog about the demise of Kodak.  I came across a couple of useful video clips which help explain the strategic mistakes made by Kodak and also suggest that the corporate culture at Kodak was a significant part in the failure of the business to adapt and change. BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Business Strategy, Leadership & Culture, 2012-01-28T15:33:30+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/technology-in-action-inside-the-transparent-factory http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/technology-in-action-inside-the-transparent-factory#When:22:17:17Z What a stunning video that is likely to become a permanent fixture on the schemes of work for many colleagues. This 6 minute video gives you a guided tour of VW’s “transparent factory”.  Wow! BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Operations Management, TEACHING BUSINESS, Video Case Studies, 2012-01-27T22:17:17+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/more-perspectives-on-our-changing-shopping-habits http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/more-perspectives-on-our-changing-shopping-habits#When:10:56:52Z There have been plenty of recent blogs on the problems faced by struggling firms on the UK “High Street”.  You’re all encouraged to think through these problems, perhaps using a framework like PEST analysis. This blog adds a couple more perspectives, from recent articles in The Guardian and The Economist that paint a pretty grim future for the High Street - at least in its current form.  All is not well for the out-of-town grocery chains either. BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Business Strategy, Change Management, Customer Service, Economic Environment, Marketing, Retailing, 2012-01-26T10:56:52+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/leadership-and-strategy-all-change-at-the-top-for-blackberry http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/leadership-and-strategy-all-change-at-the-top-for-blackberry#When:10:13:15Z A fantastic quote here from the departing co-CEOs of RIm (owner of BlackBerry) as they depart for pastures new… BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Change Management, Leadership & Culture, 2012-01-23T10:13:15+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/the-tablet-takeover http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/the-tablet-takeover#When:09:42:41Z I bought twin-brother Geoff a Kindle Fire for Christmas (after he’d dropped several unsubtle hints in the festive build-up ).  It seems I wasn’t alone.  Some great data in this analytical feature indicates that tablet ownership in the USA almost doubled in December 2011 - January 2012; a significant growth in the user-based of tablet-style devices. BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Marketing, 2012-01-23T09:42:41+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/whats-gone-wrong-for-kodak http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/whats-gone-wrong-for-kodak#When:09:51:13Z Ever heard of Coca-Cola?  How about Google, Microsoft or IBM?  What about McDonald’s?  They sound familiar, and the amazing thing (to me) is that even in the 1990s, you would have heard Kodak mentioned in a list of the world’s five most valuable brands.  Kodak was the Google of its day and by 1976 it accounted for 90% of film and 85% of camera sales in America. How the mighty have fallen, with the announcement that Kodak files for bankruptcy protection. I was reading about Kodak’s decline and here are some of the key points that made an impression: BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Business Strategy, Change Management, Emerging Markets, International Business, Marketing, 2012-01-19T09:51:13+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/business-size-and-the-innovation-debate http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/business-size-and-the-innovation-debate#When:16:39:17Z Innovation is a business topic in its own right, and it also crops up a lot when there are discussions about the benefits and drawbacks of size – or economies and diseconomies of scale, in syllabus terms.  This is a rich thread for evaluation, although it’s probably fair to say that poor rates of innovation and change are often quoted as a classic ‘diseconomy of scale’.  In other words, big business is supposed to be bad at it. But more and more big firms are setting out to challenge this view and prove themselves as innovators.  The Economist have also recently added to this side of the argument. BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Business Organisation, Leadership & Culture, Operations Management, 2012-01-11T16:39:17+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/in-business-technology-developments-in-2012 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/in-business-technology-developments-in-2012#When:12:05:11Z I have a feeling that the role of technology in business strategy is going to be a key topic for many business students and teachers in 2012, so this excellent podcast from BBC R4 Peter Day is well worth listening to… BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, 2012-01-03T12:05:11+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/revision-presentation-innovation http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/revision-presentation-innovation#When:21:13:11Z This revision presentation focuses on the role of innovation and invention in a business as part of operational strategy. BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Operations Management, 2012-01-02T21:13:11+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/business-innovation-where-do-good-ideas-come-from http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/business-innovation-where-do-good-ideas-come-from#When:18:28:20Z Innovation is the successful implementation of a new idea, process or approach.  But where do these creative, innovative ideas come from and how long does it take for them to be turned into commercial successes?  I love this short, animated talk from Stephen Johnson BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Business Strategy, 2012-01-02T18:28:20+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/why-id-productivity-rising-in-the-us http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/why-id-productivity-rising-in-the-us#When:12:48:16Z Productivity – usually expressed in terms of output per worker – is a really important term in business.  In fact, it’s up there near the top of the list of the most important measures of business efficiency.  So is it good news that productivity continues to rise (at least in the US)?  And what forces are driving this improvement? BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Human Resource Management, Operations Management, 2012-01-01T12:48:16+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/technology-and-consumer-media-a-neat-research-resource http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/technology-and-consumer-media-a-neat-research-resource#When:09:28:50Z Lots has been written already on this blog about the decline in demand for audio and visual material on physical media such as CD and DVDs.  The associated decline in the financial performance of retailers such as Woolworths, HMV and publishers like EMI is also well documented. This feature in the Independent is worth adding to students research notes, mainly because it provides some useful summary data on the absolute changes in demand for various music products and also the shift in market share enjoyed by digital media. BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Business Strategy, Retailing, 2011-12-30T09:28:50+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/behind-the-scenes-of-a-sainsburys-warehouse-at-christmas http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/behind-the-scenes-of-a-sainsburys-warehouse-at-christmas#When:18:49:43Z A neat, short video here in which we get a behind the scenes look at the way in which Sainsbury’s handles goods delivered to a main distribution warehouse in the busy build-up to Christmas.  Some nice glimpses of technology in action - what is that over-sized watch that the warehouse employee is wearing?  The flow of stocks is quite straightforward too.  Goods come in at one end; they are automatically scanned and then sent to waiting delivery lorries at the other end.  Simple - in theory! Here is the video BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Operations Management, Retailing, TEACHING BUSINESS, Video Case Studies, 2011-12-07T18:49:43+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/how-loyalty-cards-are-used-to-gather-market-research-data http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/how-loyalty-cards-are-used-to-gather-market-research-data#When:15:09:51Z According to The Economist you have spies in your wallet if you make use of one of the many ‘loyalty’ cards that are promoted by retailers. BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Marketing, Retailing, 2011-11-09T15:09:51+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/brilliant-video-for-just-in-time-and-kaizen http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/brilliant-video-for-just-in-time-and-kaizen#When:05:30:07Z THis video is perfect to illustrate Just in Time and Kaizen in action. BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Operations Management, TEACHING BUSINESS, Video Case Studies, 2011-11-05T05:30:07+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/strategy-case-study-does-microsoft-have-a-long-term-strategy http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/strategy-case-study-does-microsoft-have-a-long-term-strategy#When:16:07:08Z I’m half hoping that technology will be the focus for AQA A2 business students in 2012 and, if it is, then this article would make a terrific starting point for discussion and student research. BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Business Strategy, 2011-10-21T16:07:08+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/meet-the-ceo-of-dropbox-the-man-who-said-no-to-steve-jobs http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/meet-the-ceo-of-dropbox-the-man-who-said-no-to-steve-jobs#When:07:30:37Z Meet the entrepreneur behind a fast-growing online service that in 2009 rejected advances from Apple’s Steve Jobs. Drew Houston, a brilliant software programmer, founded Dropbox.com.... BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Business Strategy, E-Business & E-Commerce, Leadership & Culture, TEACHING BUSINESS, Video Case Studies, 2011-10-20T07:30:37+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/leadership-video-a-heartfelt-apology-from-the-boss http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/leadership-video-a-heartfelt-apology-from-the-boss#When:21:46:25Z This video features a personal message from RIM (maker of Blackberry) Founder and Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis on the BlackBerry service outage which enraged millions of Blackberry users in the UK and around the world.  Why did he feel the need to publish the video?  Because RIM spectacularly failed to handle the crisis that arose when the Blackberry server network collapsed, cutting off tens of millions of BlackBerry users for three and a half days.  Service outage has triggered a wave of defections to rival handset makers such as Apple and Samsung - perfect timing for both as they launch new versions of their smartphones. BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Leadership & Culture, TEACHING BUSINESS, Video Case Studies, 2011-10-15T21:46:25+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/lesson-starter-video-technological-innovation-in-the-post-pc-era http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/lesson-starter-video-technological-innovation-in-the-post-pc-era#When:21:21:42Z A super, data-rich video here from the Economist Magazine which is perfect for getting students to think about how consumer technology is changing in what Steve Jobs described as the post-PC era. BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Business Strategy, TEACHING BUSINESS, Video Case Studies, 2011-10-15T21:21:42+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/virtual-shopping-tesco-in-south-korea http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/virtual-shopping-tesco-in-south-korea#When:22:34:28Z Tesco may have admitted defeat and pulled out of Japan after 8 years but they have found an innovative way to build their market share in South Korea. A fantastic example of listening to customers, ensuring they can buy what they want at a time and place convenient to them. In this case, by scanning virtual items using smartphones while using the subway. BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Business Strategy, Customer Service, E-Business & E-Commerce, Globalisation, Retailing, TEACHING BUSINESS, Video Case Studies, 2011-10-06T22:34:28+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/making-profit-from-waste http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/making-profit-from-waste#When:20:17:19Z This is a truly remarkable 10 minute video which is perfect for showing to business students as a way of illustrating how entrepreneurial flair (and a large dose of technological innovation) can result in a profitable product which is genuinely good for society.  A big hat tip to Geoff for recommending it. BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Business Ethics & CSR, Environment & Business, TEACHING BUSINESS, Video Case Studies, 2011-10-06T20:17:19+00:00 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/ansoff-and-the-boston-matrix-cant-help-kodak http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/ansoff-and-the-boston-matrix-cant-help-kodak#When:13:01:22Z I love this article in The Independent which analyses the strategic issues facing Kodak - once the dominant brand in the photography market.  Lots of useful examples in the article illustrating how Kodak has been unsuccessful in making the transition from the old analogue world (photo film which needs processing) into the digital world.  The Kodak example is a great one to use to illustrate the strategic choices and analysis that can be discussed using Ansoff and Boston as a decision-making framework.  Porters Five Forces can be used here too to assess the nature of competition now in the digital imagery market.  As one of the analysts is quoted in the article: “Very few companies make that transition. The strategy has been to milk the old business for cash and reinvest in new businesses, but it is the new businesses that I have a problem with. The market for consumer digital cameras and inkjet printers is just so competitive. Kodak’s journey is from being a dominant market leader into an also-ran in the many digital markets in which it has tried to compete. Ideal essay material for A2 students! BUSINESS THEMES, Business & Technology, Business Strategy, 2011-10-06T13:01:22+00:00