Labor Srikes

Some times HRM fails when a union of workers and managers can not agree on pay,incentive packages etc. At this point there may be a strike called. There have been some major labor strikes in U.S. History.

Assignment:
Pick on specific strike and write a 2 page paper on this strike
you will need to start with an outline to take notes with. You must have 3 sources one of which must be a book.
1. What was The impact of the firm involved
2. What was the economic status of the employees
2. What was the impact on the public in general
(Remember the tools we learned in apps 2)

Here are some notable strikes you may choose from
Ludlow Massacre (1914)
Postal Worker's Strike (1970)
Air Traffic Controllers Strike (1981)
The Homestead Strike (1892)
Pullman Strike (1893 - 1894)

A Clearer Picture

Overview: One of the reasons companies have to advertise is competition. There was a fierce competition between Blu-ray and HD DVD that came to an end earlier this year when Toshiba and its HD-DVD format surrendered to Sony's Blu-ray.

Read the WSJ article on page 19 and answer the following questions in you blog.

Questions
1. Why did Toshiba drop out of the DVD format battle? what role did retailers play?

2. Why might Sony's victory for Blu-ray be fleeting? (temporary)

3. List the pros and cons of being an early adopter of technology. An early adopter is defined and a consumer who rushes out to buy the latest gadget. Think about price and specs. What is the appeal of being an early adopter?

4. Use the web to research the similarities and differences of the Blu-ray and HD DVD. List this info in your blog.

Elsa if you finish you should get on the review site and review chapter 14. Test will be on Wendsday

Pricing Strategies

Read the the reading Mr. Arnold will give to you and take notes on all the bold terms in the reading. On the last page they give you examples of adds that personify the different types of pricing strategies. Identify the pricing strategy for each ad they have shown.

You are now going to create a poster showing ads for each type of pricing strategy.

Use the magazines to find article that match each pricing strategy.

Penetration Pricing

Loss-leader Pricing

Skimming Pricing

Variable Pricing

The magazines are on the lectern, with markers, scissors, and paper for your poster.

Window Dressing

After reading the WSJ article on the changing design in laptops answer the following questions.

1. Why might it be a risky strategy to woo consumers to technology products based largely on design features?

2. Why hadn't PC makers design a priority until recently?

3. Apple recently unveiled the MacBook Air, dubbed the "world's thinnest laptop." It weighs just three pounds and is less than an inch thick. However, there are trade-offs associated with the designs. There is no removable battery, no DVD drive and fewer ports for wired connections. it's also several hundred dollars more expensive than the traditional MacBooks. Go to Apples's Web site and compare the types of laptops it sells.

a.) What type of consumer do you think the MacBook Air would appeal to? Explain.

b.) Do you think the success, or failure, of this computer will affect how Apple designs future lap tops.

c.) list the price of a MacBook Air and a standard Macbook along with thier features.

d.) Check out this apple history web site that examines apple design change. find one design Change and discuss it's importance. Provide pictures if possible.

Post for Wed. Feb 27th

How to Keep a Hot car Hot

Read the artticle on page 16 of the WSJ and answer the following questions in your blog. be sure to provide pictures as part of your post.

Questions

1. In the past, why was't GM able to align its production more closely with consumer demand? Why is it now in a better position to do so?


2. Why is it risky for GM to restrict production of the Enclave?


3. How does GM's new strategy compare with other auto makers'?


4. Under what circumstances might GM be forced to abandon its new strategy?

Differentiation

As we start to disucss marketing in class one of the key terms we will discuss will be differentiation. This is the strategy or process by which a business distinguishes its products from a competitor's products.

Examine Buick's web site, other auto sites, newspapers and magazines to read reviews of the Buick Enclave. and answer the following questions.

Questions:

1. Which vehicles are the Enclave's principal competitors?


2. How does GM differentiate the Enclave from competitors' products?


3. In what ways does GM's strategy with the enclave reflect the competition if faces?

Why Wildfires Are Getting Worse

Part One
Read the WSJ article on page 19 and answer the following questions in your blog.

1. Why do firefighters spend more resources saving property than attacking wildfires?
   
2. What role does the weather play in the creation and spread of wildfires?
   

Part Two
Read the our view section and respond to this editorial on who should pay for the costly wildfires- local, state or federal government. Be sure to cite examples from the article to support your argument and include your own insights. Post the response on your blog and email it to letters.classroom.wsj.com.

Exchange Rates

Each Country has it's own currency and each currency is worth a different amount. Choose three countries with three different currencies and find what they are worth in dollars. Example: 1dollar is worth about 10 Mexican pesos.

Use the internet to find your information (hint XE is a good site) post the value and a picture of the actual currency in your post and answer the following question.

What do you think makes money worth more or less than the American dollar?