No credit for any DQ’s subjects covered during class or in the PPT.
You are to use eitherthe class reading assignment or current events BUT they need to address Strategy issues. The purpose is to drive conversations, which we will use in breakout sessions.
Example of a good DQ’s:
The makeup/cosmetic industry is an example of ‘oligopolistic’ competition, mainly because of huge M&A’s by dominant firms such as Shiseido, Estee Lauder, and L’Oreal, (over 180 brands are owned by 7 companies). Although M&A’s can help reduce the C in V-C economic value creation, sometimes M&A’s can also reduce shareholder value creation due to the notorious reputation of these dominant firms. For example, Estee Lauder is notorious for the chemicals they put into their makeup, which turns many consumers away from their brand. However, sometimes these customers find that alternative brands are acquired by Estee Lauder, which conflicts with certain brand strategies, missions, visions, and core values. Nars used to be a vegan-friendly brand until it was acquired by Shiseido and many consumers have stopped using Nars as a result. How can brands address this issue of conflicting missions, visions, and core values during M&A’s? During the past summer I worked as an intern in the accounting department of a commercial real estate firm. The last day of my internship, my manager conducted a Exit Interview with me. During the interview, he asked me if there were any employees in the office that were “not working as hard as they should”. At the time, I was put off by this question and I did not answer it because I didn’t want to throw anyone under the bus. Is this a normal question that managers ask their employees?
