A PESTEC factor in action if campaigners get their way!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-26665952
Some countries already have a ban such as Sweden were all TV shows aimed at under 12s doesn’t allow any form of advertising, no matter the product on sale.
LiFi is the next stage of the internet it seems. Imagine your internet connection powered by light. It is believed that it would be cost saving and far more efficient than WiFi.
Additional advantages of LiFi would be that it may be used in areas where WiFi may not be suitable such as on aeroplanes or in hospitals.
This is a good article on LiFi:
And this one too:
http://www.theweek.co.uk/technology/55813/lifi-light-based-broadband-puts-wifi-shade
LiFi research was conducted by the Ultra Parallel Visible Light Communications project, which involves several seats of learning such as the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, St Andrews and Strathclyde.
We are saying goodbye to the £1 coin which was introduced in 1983 to be replaced with a two tone coin with 12 edges like the threepenny piece which was discontinued in 1971.
The new £1 will come into use in 2017and is said to be the most secure coin in the world. Currently as many as 3% of all £1 coins in circulation are counterfeit.
We are already heading towards using plastic notes as is the common practise in Australia and Canada, so it is all change then.
I have seen this on the newt quite a few times and to be honest I am unsure if this is true at all?
http://www.techradar.com/news/portable-devices/apple-iwatch-release-date-news-and-rumours-1131043
It seems if it is real then it will also combine technology from the likes of Fitbit and Nike to monitor a person’s health. This concurs with the view that the future of technology will be what is being referred to as “wearable tech”.
Great image which helps illustrate some of the differences between management and leadership and highlights the effect it can have on employee motivation.
Taking it further, the top image could be viewed as Theory X, whereas the bottom image would most certainly be Theory Y.
Not sure if I agree totally with the application of this theory in this situation, but a good theory of how teams can be formed, developed and indeed dissolved, or as is called in football “losing the dressing room”.
www.thesportinmind.com/articles/manchester-united-from-a-group-psychology-perspective
All is not rosy in the Facebook garden it seems:
www.businessinsider.com/advertisers-talking-about-discontent-with-facebook-2014-3
This is an excellent article on a very simple business idea by a couple of students: the wipebook! It is a book you can write on and then erase away and reuse again and again and again. A great tool for students and learners.
Factors that affect the buying in of raw materials is an important question that may crop up in Higher Business Management and National 5 Business Management.
The factors that need to be taken into consideration are:
Quantity – does the supplier have the facilities to supply the firm with the correct amount needed?
Quality – what standard is the raw materials being bought in? I always think of GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out).
Cost – What price will the supplier charge? This will have a knock-on effect on the companies own profits.
Reliability – do the suppliers deliver on time and in the right quantities?
Lead times – how long does it take for the goods or raw materials to be delivered?
We have all heard of Silicon Valley in California however there are many ones now called Silicon Prairie including one near Dallas, Texas. An alternative version situated in the Midwest takes in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Missouri.
However I recently watched the excellent TV show called “How the States Got Their Shapes” and it focused on the Silicon Prairie found in Fargo, North Dakota.
North Dakota has the lowest unemployment rates in the USA but does suffer like most of the northern Midwest from very cold winters, which may put off many migrant workers.
In Scotland we have our own version called Silicon Glen, found in the Central Belt.
These technological hubs of activity create jobs and generate wealth for the local communities.
The case for speeding up HS2:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26604074
China in particular have went from having almost zero HS Rail to having the most in the world and linking up all their major cities in less than 6 years. An incredible engineering achievement. The UK is not as cash rich as China nor can we keep costs as low as China can with their huge workforce and less stringent Health & Safety laws. What I would like to ask is why can’t we build from both ends? Rather than starting from London to Birmingham, why not Start at Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and all the other cities at the same time?
The Chinese view HS Rail as a cheap and effective alternative transportation system to flying. Chinese trains can take hundreds of passengers at their incredible 307 km cruising speed, meaning the 800 miles between Shanghai and Beijing can be covered in about 5 and a half hours. Just 45 minutes longer than it takes to get from Glasgow to London on the Pendolino… and it should be added that the Chinese route stops far more than the UK West Coast Line.
This economic argument is one which is interesting to students. This is a financial investment in our future. Infrastructure is vital to generating jobs and growth. We have seen it in every developing country that have held an Olympics or Commonwealth Games. The investment they spend in infrastructure for the competition reaps benefits long term. Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia is a prime example, how through the building of a new airport and rail links as well as the inner city metro system has transformed the city in less than 20 years.
The social argument is obviously different. Everyone is quite rightly a NIMBY. But surely we have to look at the overall benefit HS Rail could bring? Imagine Glasgow to London by train in 2.5-3 hours or even quicker? That would change our society overnight.
I always remember the “Golden Smile” which I think was from Abbey National… but this article goes into a bit more detail into how you get that most difficult of jobs: The Mystery Shopper.
http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/mar/11/secrets-mystery-shopper
It is a bit like Undercover Boss in a way. People are paid to be fake customers who all the time are measuring and judging employee performance. After all, customer satisfaction is paramount these days.
Someone mentioned something in class today which made me think back to this:
http://mrmcgowan.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/nubrella-shark-tank.html
A quite crazy idea that secured money on Shark Tank. I do not think it has seen the light of day… it is discontinued on Amazon.
With all eyes on the Ukraine situation, I learned some interesting things about the EU and indeed the Schengen Agreement. The Schengen Agreement is the deal that allows free movement of people without passport controls within the EU and the wider European area.
The UK and Ireland currently have opt-outs.
Switzerland and Norway are two non-EU countries who are signed up to the agreement – which is handy for people commuting over the borders (for example Swiss who work at Basel airport… which is actually in France!).
As we can see from the map, the newer EU nations from Eastern Europe such as Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania are duty bound to allow free movement very soon. All three are signing up within the next couple of years.
I have travelled recently to Croatia and Bulgaria and found them superb places to visit. Imagine how much easier it would be without the long wait at the border and the stamping of passports. I also suspect that Romania’s tourism would benefit from this too as many are intrigued by Transylvania…
Perhaps one day we will have free movement across the entire world. But for that to happen social and economic problems have to be resolved… and also far more deeply routed issues revolving around territory and even ethnic or religious divides. This may seem impossible, but look at Europe 100 years ago. In June 1914 the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo sparked the First World War. Then the unspeakable horrors of WW2 followed. Yet since 1945 Western Europe has not seen conflict on her doorstep and only the Balkans crises of the 1990s has seen war in Europe. So who knows what can be achieved?
However it will be achieved by globalisation, international trade, and boosting the standards of living for everyone, not just the West.
Streetcred went up with pupils today as I told them of reply from the 8th Doctor @pauljmcgann on twitter!
Anyway, back to business!
Remember to try National 5 Business Management revision quizzes on Quizlet and see if you can beat my score!
http://quizlet.com/38251284/national-5-business-management-flash-cards/
I have created a new set of Quizlet questions for National 5 Business Management.
http://quizlet.com/38251284/national-5-business-management-flash-cards/
Try ‘Scatter’ and see who can get the best score.
I have not added in the Finance questions yet, but will do so soon.
Robotic exoskeletons are now in the testing phase. It reminds me of Aliens/Avatar powerloader or indeed the cyborg Roboop.
Read more in this BBC article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26418358
Some interesting uses of this concept apart from the obvious military ones include construction workers and helping people with disabilities. Truly incredible.
Have a look at this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26282194 - a PESTEC External Factor in practise!
Now think about the effect on businesses and consumers.
Great article on the success story of Hasbro’s G.I. Joe or Action Man as they were known in the UK.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26196760
For students see if you can find all the PESTEC factors that affected Hasbro and their decision making. There are quite a few.
Also I learned something else… Hasbro is from the smallest state in the USA: Rhode Island.
Useful website calculator for business, economics and history classes:
http://www.moneysorter.co.uk/calculator_inflation2.html#calculator
Shell illustrating divestment in action in the North Sea:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-26187875
China is planning massive new cities to cope with their population, but mainly the migration of rural workers into urban cities. However it doesn’t always go to plan:
Revised web address for National 5 Business Management.
http://national5businessmanagement.blogspot.co.uk/
Apparently Irn Bru contains an additive that is banned in Canada:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25867613
Worrying news for Mark Zuckerberg it seems.
http://news.sky.com/story/1199647/facebook-could-lose-80-percent-of-users-by-2017
National 5 Business Management blog up and running now at: http://national5businessmanagement.blogspot.com/
Still got some slides to put up but hopefully you will find it worthwhile.
Was talking about this to a class yesterday and found this on the news today!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25633199
I think it is the same technology as will be used in the flexible smart watches. It could revolutionise the way we watch TV. You could roll up your TV and take it to a friend’s house and literally throw it up on the wall! Still a bit unsure how the connectvooty wi;ll work, unless it is all WiFi… but must have a rechargeable battery?
