INTRO TO BUSINESS - 104

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CITIGROUP NAMES NEW C.E.O

Citigroup Inc. named Vikram Pandit, the head of its investment banking business, as its chief executive officer Tuesday, charging him with restoring the bank’s profitability and reputation after missteps in lending and investing left Citi with billions of dollars in losses this year.

YOUR INTIALS MAY SPELL SUCCESS

If your name begins with a "C" or a "D" you may not fare so well in school, but don’t think about changing your name to one beginning with an "A" or "B" — it won't boost your GPA.
This relationship between a person's initials and how well he or she performs in school was recently determined in a series of psychological studies examining how the so-called "name-letter effect" influences performance in different situations.

COCA-COLA Co. C.E.O TO STEP DOWN

In a surprise move, the chief executive of The Coca-Cola Co. will step down after four years as head of the world’s largest beverage maker and be succeeded by his second-in-command, the company said Thursday.

SERVICE SECTOR EXPANDED IN NOVEMBER

The nation’s service sector showed further expansion in November, but at a pace slower than the month before and below analysts’ expectations.
The latest figures provided more evidence that the nation’s economy has been cooling in the face of higher oil prices and a tighter credit market.

DID MORGAN SPURLOCK FIND BIN LADEN?

Rumors are flying that filmmaker Morgan Spurlock of "Super Size Me" fame may have done what the United States government has failed to do for the last six years — find Osama bin Laden.

BIG AIRLINES PLAN CUTS AS ECONOMY WEAKENS

Several major airlines Tuesday outlined plans to slow their growth and cut costs to deal with higher fuel prices and the prospect of an economic slowdown that could hurt air travel.
Executives for some carriers also said they are actively planning for airline mergers, although they were careful not to discuss specific combinations.
“We are not standing around waiting for consolidation to happen. We’re interested in that,” said Jake Brace, chief financial officer of United Airlines.

BUS 104 SYLLABUS - NOVEMBER BLOG ASSIGNMENT

PART 1 -BUSINESS IN A GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT
Chapter 1 Business 2006 and Beyond
" 2 Business ethics and Social Responsibility
" 3 Economic Challenges facing Global Business
" 4 Competing in Global Markets
PART 2- STARTING AND GROWING YOUR BUSINESS
Chapter 5 Options for organising Small and Large Business
" 2 Starting your own Business
" 7 Electronic Ccommerce
PART 3- MANAGEMENT: EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO ACHIEVE BUSINESS OBJECTIVES
Chapter 8 Management, Leadership and internal Organization
" 9 Human Resource Management
" 10 Improving Performance through Empowerment
" 11 Production and Operations Management
PART 4- MARKETING MANAGEMENT
Chapter 12 Customer Driven Marketing
" 13 Product and Distribution Management
" 14 Promotion and Pricing Strategies
PART 5- MANAGING TECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATION
Chapter 15 Using Technology to manage information
" 16 Understanding accounting and Financial Statements
PART 6- MANAGING FINANCIAL RESOURCES
Chapter 17 Financial Management and institutions
" 18 Financing and Investing through Securities

WHY BLACK WOMEN PREFER CLINTON TO OBAMA

One of the intriguing stories of Campaign '08 is the popularity of Hillary Clinton with black women who might be expected to support Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, the first African-American to emerge as a serious contender for a major party presidential nomination.

GLAXOSMITHKLINE BUYS RIVAL FOR $1.65 BILLION

LONDON - GlaxoSmithKline PLC will buy heart drug specialist Reliant Pharmaceuticals Inc. for $1.65 billion in cash, the company said Wednesday.

OIL FROM ALGEA? SCIENTISTS SEEK GREEN GLOD

The 16 big flasks of bubbling bright green liquids in Roger Ruan's lab at the University of Minnesota are part of a new boom in renewable energy research.
Driven by renewed investment as oil prices push $100 a barrel, Ruan and scores of scientists around the world are racing to turn algae into a commercially viable energy source.

CENTRAL BANK SAYS ECONOMY LOSING SPEED

The economy grew at a slower pace in the late fall as shoppers watched their pennies heading into the busy holiday season.
The Federal Reserve’s new snapshot, released Wednesday, suggested the strains from a severe housing slump and a painful credit crunch are affecting the behavior of individuals and businesses alike — making them somewhat more cautious.

AMERICAN REDCROSS PRESIDENT OUTSTED

Plagued by turmoil at the top, the American Red Cross ousted its president, Mark Everson, on Tuesday for engaging in a "personal relationship" with one of his subordinates. He took the challenging job just six months
The congressionally chartered charity, America's foremost emergency responder, has now had five leaders in the past six years including the interim chief named to fill in for Everson.

AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN: WHERE THEY STAND

Editor's note: Rehema's report airs on tonight's broadcast, in Part One of our series, African American Women: Where They Stand
For years, Black women have told their daughters they may have to take care of themselves without a husband so it's imperative that young women develop skills.

It is happening.

The numbers of Black women earning college degrees and taking leadership roles in the workplace are impressive.

And the huge achievement gap between African-American women and men is astounding. Black women are making gains in record numbers. It may suggest to some that Black women have gotten the empowerment message and have met all accomplishment goals. That would be only half right. According to research, there is still a lot of work to do.

Black women, like all female business owners, still lack business parity with men in some key areas.

Most of the companies owned by Black women are part-time ventures, often run from home at night and as a way to boost daytime pay as women care for children and/or aging parents. And according to the Center for Women's Business Research, as of 2006 just 5 percent of companies owned by Black women had employees, versus 10 percent for Black men. Annual revenue averaged $29,000 compared to $77,000 for Black men.

Still, Black women are moving ahead "... driving trends in the market place, and there are advertisers that are seriously starting to pay attention to her," says Angela Burt-Murray, editor-in- chief of Essence Magazine.

"I think this is the best time in our history to be a Black woman in America. By most conceivable measures we are excelling."

But she and others caution that as there is excitement about the advancements made by Black women, society should be equally concerned about how Black men are falling behind academically and economically. Plus, some caution against viewing those disappointments as affecting only African-Americans.

"I don't think that what you are seeing right now should be viewed in isolation. Researchers will tell you that the trends you see in the African-American community really are the precursor to what is going to happen in the general population," says Burt-Murray.

All the more reason to pay attention to what's happening to Black women and men and to understand that their story is not just an African-American story. Far from it.
This is an American story deserving everyone's concern.
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HOW CLEAR IS THE CENTRAL BANKS CRYSTAL BALL?

When it comes to forecasting U.S. inflation, the Federal Reserve staff's crystal ball appears to be about as clear, or in some cases foggy, as the private sector's.
That's the conclusion of a pair of academics who compared Fed staff forecasts with those of private-sector economists over a period of three decades.

PERSONALIZED MEDICINE

Personalized medicine -- tailoring treatments to an individual's genetic profile -- has been one of the main dreams of the gene revolution, but putting it into practice is proving tough.
While advances are being made in a few areas, so-called pharmacogenetics will not change the commercial landscape for the bulk of pharmaceuticals for several years, drugmakers told the Reuters Health Summit in New York this week.
"Pharmacogenetics is not going to transform this market any time soon," said Jean-Pierre Garnier, chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK.L: Quote, Profile, Research).

TV'S TOP EARNING PERSONALITIES

Whoever dubbed television the "small screen" had a very limited imagination. Television's top-earning personalities — from news anchor Katie Couric to late night funnyman David Letterman — earned a collective $723 million from June 2006 to June 2007, according to our exclusive Forbes TV 20.
Topping the list is Oprah Winfrey, who banked $260 million during that period, more than the take-home pay of chief executives like Michael Dell and Larry Ellison over the last fiscal year. (Both join Winfrey on the Forbes 400 list of the Richest Americans, though.)

GOOGLE TO HELP DRIVERS AT THE PUMP

Lost drivers soon will be able to Google for help at the pump. As part of a partnership to be announced Wednesday, the online search leader will dispense driving directions at thousands of gasoline pumps across the United States beginning early next month.
The pumps, made by Gilbarco Veeder-Root, include an Internet connection and will display Google's mapping service in color on a small screen.
Motorists will be able to scroll through several categories to find local landmarks, hotels, restaurants and hospitals selected by the gas station's owner.

REVERSIBLE ALTERNATIVE TO VASECTOMY TESTED

Chinese doctors have developed a new technique in birth control surgery for men that could be made available to the public next year, the China Daily said on Thursday.
The method involves making a small incision along the testicle into which doctors place a tiny tube.
"The tube functions as a filter that blocks sperm," Wu Weixiong, the director of Guangzhou Family Planning Technology Center, said was quoted as saying

FORTUNE 50 Most Powerful Women in Business 2007 2006 2005

And the winners are...
Women have come a long way (don't say 'baby') - and they're not slowing down. The credentials of this year's top 50, including 13 newcomers, are the strongest yet. (more)
1. Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo
6. Pat Woertz, ADM
2. Anne Mulcahy, Xerox
7. Susan Arnold, P&G
3. Meg Whitman, eBay
8. Oprah Winfrey, Harpo Inc.
4. Angela Braly, Wellpoint
9. Andrea Jung, Avon
5. Irene Rosenfeld, Kraft Foods
10. Brenda Barnes, Sara Lee
• See the Power 50