Zappos.com has a unique company culture. The CEO, Tony Hsieh, believes that extraordinary customer service is the key to keep customers coming back. He stated that sometimes loyal customers get complementary upgraded to overnight shipping, stating that an order placed at midnight could surprising show up on the customer’s doorstep 8 hours later. Tony also believes that it is important to share the company’s culture with other businesses. Zappos offers affordable seminars where other businesses can tailor the seminar to exactly what they are looking for. Tony also believes that it is important to think about what he wants the brand to be like in 10 to 20 years as opposed to one or two years like most companies. 1.What traits of effective leadership does Tony Hsieh demonstrate at Zappos? What aspects of his leadership can you criticize, if any? Is his approach transferrable to other leaders and other organizations, or is it person and situation specific? 2.Can you find examples of where any of the contingency theories of leadership can be confirmed or disconfirmed in the Zappo’s setting? Explain your answer. 3.Tony Hsieh is a big thinker, and Zappo’s is clearly his baby. But he’s also into philanthropy and community development activities that are taking up more of his time. Perhaps he’ll come up with another new business idea as well. As a leadership coach, what steps would you recommend that he take now to ensure that his leadership approach and vision lives on at Zappos long after his departure? What can a strong and secure leader like him do to ensure a positive leadership legacy in any situation?
> There are a few sampling methods in use. Which of the preferred ones feature a randomized component?
> It is often said that consumers receive “free” content online. Is this the case? Why or why not?
> At a time when many consumers can avoid advertising messages via sophisticated “time shifting” devices, marketers increasingly use product placements (also known ads “branded entertainment”). In your view, is this a wise strategy or not? Explain your a
> A manufacturer of a new product for whitening teeth would like to investigate the effects of package design and label information on consumers’ perceptions of the product and their intentions to buy it. Would you advise the manufacturer to use observatio
> Explain the distinction between primary and secondary data, and note the characteristics of each.
> What is the difference between primary and secondary research? Under what circumstances might the availability of secondary data make primary research unnecessary? What are some major sources of secondary data?
> Apply the five criteria for effective targeting to marketing a product of your choice to college students.
> What are the privacy implications of the increasingly widespread monitoring of online consumers by companies?
> Why is it important to study consumer ethics?
> Is it right to advertise prescription medications directly to consumers? Why or why not?
> A soft drink company distributed cell phones to pre-adolescents in low-income areas. The phones routinely received advertising messages for the drink. Following criticism, the company said that the benefits of the disadvantaged children’s having the cell
> Think of the last time you purchased a gift for someone special. How did you know what that person would like, and what did you consider when purchasing the gift?
> The mobile telephone has vastly improved over the last few decades. It had its humble beginnings in the 1970s when Motorola saw the need for better communication. In today’s society, users not only use mobile phones for phone calls and text messages, but
> How do consumers reduce postpurchase dissonance? How can marketers provide positive reinforcement to consumers after the purchase in order to reduce their dissonance?
> How can a marketer of a very light, very powerful laptop computers use its knowledge of customers’ expectations in designing a marketing strategy?
> Consumers purchase products to satisfy their needs; these could be luxury items or products that are necessary. Many large consumer purchases require in-depth comparisons in terms of price, quality, and brand. Imagine you are looking to purchase a produc
> Define extensive problem solving, limited problem solving, and routinized response behavior. What are the differences among the three decision-making approaches? What type of decision process would you expect most consumers to follow in their first purch
> What is umbrella positioning? Illustrate its pros and cons with the help of an example.
> To what extent does the channel of communication affect the level of success of a new innovative product? Think of examples that have been successful and unsuccessful due to channels of communication.
> Looking at the charts presented earlier in this chapter, select a product that members of a particular nation consume very lightly. Research the country’s culture and geographic location and describe why they do so.
> Looking at the charts presented earlier in this chapter, select a product that members of a particular nation consume heavily. Research the country’s culture and geographic location and describe why they do so.
> As shown earlier, Hong Kong’s Chinese spend more on clothing than any other nation. Research Hong Kong’s culture and geographic location and explain why they do so.
> Coca-Cola is considering introducing very small bottles of its product in Brazil. These would cost less than bottled water. Discuss whether or not the company should do so.
> An American company is considering introducing yogurt in Japan. What cultural aspects should the company study before deciding whether or not to do so?
> Give three examples of product problems that companies have faced during marketing in global markets and describe how these problems could have been avoided.
> Give three examples of linguistic problems that companies have faced during marketing in global markets and describe how these problems could have been avoided.
> What are the advantages and disadvantages of localized promotional strategies?
> What are the advantages and disadvantages of global promotional strategies?
> How would you segment the market of consumers who would like to order Oakley sunglasses online? Explain your answer.
> What is cross-cultural consumer analysis? How can a multinational company use cross-cultural research to design each factor in its marketing mix? Illustrate your answer with examples.
> In terms of consumer behavior, are the world’s countries and their cultures becoming more similar or more different? Discuss.
> With all the problems facing companies that go global, why are so many companies choosing to expand internationally? What are the advantages of expanding beyond the domestic market?
> a. How should marketers promote products and services to working women? What appeals should they use? Explain. b. As the owner of a BMW automobile dealership, what kind of marketing strategies would you use to target working women?
> Marketers realize that people of the same age often exhibit very different lifestyles. Using the evidence presented in this chapter, discuss how developers of retirement housing can use older Americans’ lifestyles to more effectively segment their market
> In view of the anticipated growth of the over-50 market, a leading cosmetics company is re-evaluating the marketing strategy for its best-selling moisturizing face cream for women. Should the company market the product to younger (under 50) as well as ol
> Asian Americans are a small proportion of the total U.S. population. Why are they an important market segment? How can a marketer of tablet computers effectively target Asian Americans?
> How can marketers of the following products use the material presented in this chapter to develop promotional campaigns designed to increase market share among African American, Hispanic, and Asian American consumers? The products are: (a) iPods, (b) r
> Discuss the importance of subcultural segmentation to marketers of food products. Identify a food product for which the marketing mix should be regionalized. Explain why and how the marketing mix should be varied across geographic areas of the United Sta
> Why is subcultural analysis especially significant in a country such as the United States?
> Explain how marketers can use each of the following into data predictive analytics: (1) the websites consumers visit (2) consumers’ levels of engagement with visited websites (i.e. the pages viewed, lengths of visits, return to site frequency) (3) visito
> Describe the interrelationship between consumer behavior and the marketing concept.
> Jim Donavon was selected as the new CEO and president of Famous Products. He was told that the current CEO was near retirement and would become chairman of the board. Jim flew to Milwaukee to visit Famous Products for the first time. He had briefly talke
> At Xerox, diversity equals success. Former CEO and Chairman of Xerox, Anne Mulcahy, explains that diversity is about more than race and gender; it’s about inclusion and creating an environment where all employees can grow to their fullest potential. X
> Jennifer was now expected to take decisive action, and in fact, the problems got worse. In trying to do a thorough job and meet approval, things stopped moving once they hit her office as she dwelled on them, and her desire to make things better led her
> When a national search for the position of permanent VP concluded that all of the external candidates were unacceptable, it was recommended that Jennifer be hired only if she agreed to change her management style. Upon hiring her, the President made a “p
> Although Jennifer was very popular, it was soon realized that she was not making things happen in her new position, nor was she doing well making tough decisions. She wanted to please everyone, making it hard to “choose sides” when a decision had to be m
> This case presents the dilemma that many managers face when introducing a new training program. Personnel director Shane Alexander of the Central State Medical Center hopes to overcome performance problems by introducing a canned training program. Upper
> This case examines teamwork practices and working conditions among painters at the wooden toys manufacturer, Hovey and Beard Company. The case describes how the company overcame difficulties around a change in its production process in which painters sat
> McCoy’s is one of the nation’s largest family-owned and managed building supply companies. The business has been in operation for almost 70 years and has sales exceeding $400 million from approximately 10 million customers in six states. The company has
> This case profiles Trader Joe’s, an oases of value that offers exotic, one-of-a-kind foods priced below key competitors such as Whole Foods and Dean & DeLuca. The company applies its pursuit of vale to every facet of its operations. By focusing on natu
> This case deals with leadership and management styles, change and stress management, communication, conflict, and conflict resolution. Jennifer Treeholm, Associate VP for Academic Affairs at Midwest U, is appointed interim VP. Her popularity, ten years’
> Incident one: Two research scientists were competing for a new product development award. Scientist A was technically stronger, but more quiet and modest. Scientist B was good and very outgoing and networked often. After they submitted their proposals Sc
> This is a quaint and readable case that focuses on the vagaries of miscommunication. 1. What barriers to communication are evident in this fable? 2. What communication “lessons” does this fable offer to those who are serious about careers in the new work
> This case examines the conflict styles of various people at a fictional university. Marsha Lloyd, a new professor at the Central University, is promised a pay system based on merit. However, when the raises are given, Lloyd believes her raise is average
> The case examines decisions made regarding a job interview, health-care costs, salaries of women and bonuses paid to employees. Questions examined include: How does wearing a wedding or engagement ring affect a woman’s job interview? Is it OK for employe
> When people think about auto racing many people automatically think of the race car driver. However, there is much team work involved in auto racing. In Nascar, pit stops are the best examples of team work, with some members refueling and some changing
> This case presents issues of teamwork, group process, group norms, leadership, motivation, conflict, and conflict resolution. Christine Spencer is concerned about her organizational behavior group work project. The allotted mark will be given to the tea
> The case describes a situation at Perfect Pizzeria that gets progressively worse. The essence of the case is that bonuses are paid to local store managers based on the store meeting certain percentage targets regarding food and beverage costs and profits
> Mary Jones accepts a job with a salary of $25,000 per year. She is happy with this salary and during her first year of work spends a significant amount of time working extra hours after work, on the weekends, and while on assignment in Costa Rica. She re
> MagRec is a company that specializes in the manufacturing and distribution of magnetic recording heads. Dinah Coates discovers a memo that describes a manufacturing defect and shows it to her boss Pat. A remedy to resolve the problem is devised; unfortun
> First Community Financial is an example of an organization that is structured to ensure productive communication as well as efficient workflow within its ranks. The officers in one department are aware of the needs within their area as well as the potent
> What does Regulation Z require, and how does it relate to the Truth-in-Lending Act?
> What rule do courts apply to price-fixing agreements, and why?
> When will advertising be deemed deceptive?
> When Ralph dies, he has not made a will and is survived by many relatives—a spouse, children, adopted children, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, and nieces. What determines who inherits what?
> Sheila makes out a will, leaving her property in equal thirds to Toby and Uma, her children, and Velda, her niece. Two years later, Sheila is adjudged mentally incompetent, and that same year, she dies. Can Toby and Uma have Sheila’s will revoked on the
> Grey owns a commercial building in fee simple. Grey transfers temporary possession of the building to Haven Corporation. Can Haven transfer possession for even less time to Idyll Company? Explain.
> Rosa de la Mar Corporation ships a load of goods via Southeast Delivery Company. The load of goods is lost in a hurricane in Florida. Who suffers the loss? Explain your answer.
> While walking to work, Bill finds an expensive ring lying on the curb. Bill gives the ring to his son, Hunter. Two weeks later, Martin Avery, the true owner of the ring, discovers that Bill had found the ring and demands that Hunter return it. Who is ent
> Nora, an accountant, prepares a financial statement as part of a registration statement that Omega, Inc., files with the Securities and Exchange Commission before making a public offering of securities. The statement contains a misstatement of material f
> ChemCorp generates hazardous wastes from its operations. Disposal Trucking Company transports those wastes to Eliminators, Inc., which owns a site for hazardous waste disposal. Eliminators sells the property on which the disposal site is located to Fluid
> In the Clean Air Act, Congress allowed California, which has particular problems with clean air, to adopt its own standard for emissions from cars and trucks. The standard was subject to the approval of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and othe
> United Pharmaceuticals, Inc., has developed a new drug that it believes will be effective in the treatment of patients with AIDS. The drug has had only limited testing, but United wants to make the drug widely available as soon as possible. To market the
> Maple Corporation conditions the sale of its syrup on the buyer’s agreement to buy Maple’s pancake mix. What factors would a court consider to decide whether this arrangement violates the Clayton Act?
> Under what circumstances would Pop’s Market, a small store in a small, isolated town, be considered a monopolist? If Pop’s is a monopolist, is it in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act? Why or why not?
> Under no circumstances should a local government be able to condemn property in order to sell it later to real estate developers for private use.
> Common carriers should not be able to limit their liability.
> Only the largest publicly held companies should be subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
> Laws against bait-and-switch advertising should be abolished because no consumer is ever forced to buy anything.
> The Internet and the rise of e-commerce have rendered our antitrust concepts and laws obsolete.
> Any changes to existing, fully witnessed wills should also have to be witnessed.
> One chemist claims that the list of “dangerous” chemicals is an example of “chemophobia.” What do you think he meant?
> In the 1990s, DuCoa, LP, made choline chloride, a B-complex vitamin essential for the growth and development of animals. The U.S. market for choline chloride was divided into thirds among DuCoa, Bioproducts, Inc., and Chinook Group, Ltd. To stabilize the
> In the long run, is astroturfing likely to benefit a company that is selling an inferior product? Why or why not?
> Companies subject to lengthy antitrust investigations and court proceedings in Europe argue that such delays result in “reputational damage.” Why might that be so?
> The publishing business is in dire straits today with retail bookstores going bankrupt and publishers laying off hundreds of employees. Why do you think the declining book business was worthy of so much attention from the Justice Department?
> FACTS In 1975, William Melton executed a will that, among other things, stated that his daughter, Vicki Palm, was to receive nothing. In 1979, he added a handwritten note to the will, saying that his friend, Alberta Kelleher, was to receive a small porti
> FACTS Alberto and Karelli Mila were insured under a homeowners’ liability policy. “Exclusion k” of the policy stated that coverage did not apply to “bodily injury arising out of sexual molestation, corporal punishment or physical or mental abuse.” Verush
> FACTS Donald Breeden and Willie Buchanan were married in Marion County, Mississippi. They lived in a home in Sandy Hook. Nationwide Property & Casualty Insurance Company insured the home under a policy bought by Breeden that named him as the insured. The
> FACTS Jeffrey Stambovsky signed a contract to buy Helen Ackley’s house in Nyack, New York. After the contract was signed, Stambovsky discovered that the house was widely reputed to be haunted. The Ackley family claimed to have seen poltergeists on numero
> FACTS Junior and Wilma Thompson sold twenty- one of their fifty acres of land in Missouri to Walnut Bowls, Inc. The deed expressly reserved an easement to the Thompsons’ remaining twenty- nine acres. The deed did not fix a precise location for the easeme
> FACTS Craig Matus held a life estate in certain residential real property in Huntington, New York. On the termination of the life estate, title to the property was to transfer to Main Omni Realty Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of New York Communi
> FACTS Gladys Piper died intestate (without a will) in 1982. At her death, she owned miscellaneous personal property worth $5,000 and had in her purse $200 in cash and two diamond rings. Wanda Brown, Piper’s niece, took the contents of the purse, allegedl
> St. Luke’s Health Systems, Ltd., operated an emergency clinic in Nampa, Idaho. Saltzer Medical Group, P.A., had thirty-four physicians practicing at its offices in Nampa. Saint Alphonsus Health System, Inc., operated the only hospital in Nampa. St. Luke’
> FACTS Rex Woodward contracted with Thomas DeVito, one of the original members of the Four Seasons rock band, to ghostwrite DeVito’s autobiography. Before it was published, Woodward died, and his interest in the manuscript’s copyright passed to his widow,
> FACTS From 1999 through 2002, Todman & Company, CPAs, audited the financial statements of Direct Brokerage, Inc. (DBI), a broker-dealer in New York registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Each year, Todman issued an unqualified opin
> FACTS Domingo Martinez and Reyna Guido had two minor children when Martinez was killed in a hit-and-run accident. Guido became the personal representative of Martinez’s estate and retained attorney Sandra Stern to file a wrongful death lawsuit. Stern did
> FACTS The parents of B.L.H. (Barbara) lived in Virginia until their divorce, when primary custody of Barbara was granted to the mother. The mother and Barbara moved to North Carolina. Two years later, the father was convicted of drug-related offenses and
> FACTS Duane O’Malley operated Origin Fire Protection. Michael Pinski hired Origin to remove and dispose of 2,200 feet of insulation from a building Pinski owned in Kankakee, Illinois. The insulation contained asbestos, which Pinski, O’Malley, and O’Malle
> FACTS POM Wonderful, LLC makes and sells pomegranate-based products. In ads, POM touted medical studies claiming to show that daily consumption of its products could treat, prevent, or reduce the risk of heart disease, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfu
