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Car showrooms, mostly owned by independent businesses, are under pressure from all sides. 
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The controversial brewer is told an advert for its fruit beers could mislead consumers.
Graham Watson's insight:
You can't say that BrewDog doesn't believe in sailing close to the wind - not only was it's anti-sponsorship of the World Cup badly received but it has had another advertising campaign - launched via e-mail - banned for intimating that drinking a 'fruit' beer would count as one of your five-a-day.
Interestingly though, can you argue that even with the ban, the marketing campaign has succeeded? It's another instance where the firm's name is in the media and if the average consumer is suitably 'punk' then this sort of edgy behaviour might appeal to them.
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The Swiss-based mining firm strikes a deal with DR Congo to settle corruption claims.
Graham Watson's insight:
Fans of the ethics of mining companies are likely to be unsurprised by the news that Glencore has been fined - again - for a series of corruption cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The latest fine pushes this year's fines to $1.6bn
And then there's the kicker - as the article notes - "Despite the fines Glencore is expected to make record profits of around $3.2bn this year.." So, from Glencore's perspective, the marginal principle might suggest that they continue with their corrupt practices.
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Status lost after BBC film and open letter from workers alleging ‘culture of fear’ at self-styled ‘punk brewery’
Graham Watson's insight:
Id never come across B Corp status before, however, it seems that it's an ethical standard that has been formulated by an organisation called B Lab. And now BrewDog have lost this status in the aftermath of BBC coverage of the business and an open letter from some of its employees criticising the organisational culture of the business.
Will it adversely affect the brand? I'm not convinced the average beer consumer will be overly bothered.
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Tesla and SpaceX history showed how hard-edged the CEO could be. At Twitter, this pattern has proved disastrous
Graham Watson's insight:
Another article looking at Elon Musk's management style and its effect upon Twitter, arguing that what's currently happening could have been forecast, given his previous behaviours at Tesla and SpaceX.
However, the evident clash of cultures involved has meant that whereas his previous employees have generally learnt to tolerate his impulsive management style, that's not happening at Twitter.
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Firm messaged German customers to suggest they ‘commemorate’ Nazi atrocity by eating its food
Graham Watson's insight:
It's almost too ghastly to be true; I shan't comment beyond saying that as marketing 'faux pas' go, this is massive.
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This Black Friday the online marketplace is promoting used items to avoid unwanted spending and waste.
Graham Watson's insight:
Interesting marketing angle being adopted by eBay here, with the company using Black Friday to promote second hand retail, arguing that consumers would be better off buying in this market and not spending on unwanted items.
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Corruption at FTSE 100 firm described as endemic at sentence hearing
Graham Watson's insight:
Who would credit it? A mining company mired in a bribery scandal?
Well, suspend your disbelief - a British court has been told that Glencore flew cash bribes to Africa by private jet, and that a culture of corruption was endemic at the company. You might think about the sort of organizational culture that allows this to develop, but, at the same time wonder whether revelations like this have much of an impact in a sector where few participants are whiter than white.
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The global brewing giants highlight a brand's nationality but does it matter when they brew it overseas?
Graham Watson's insight:
This article about the nature of global brewing, and the production of 'foreign' beer in the UK, for the British market. Does it really matter where a beer is brewed?
For some people it does, with Czech brewers, Budweiser Budvar, only brewing in its home town of Budweis, and arguing that this gives its beer a unique taste, and authenticity.
Contrast this with other beers, notably relative newcomer, Molson Coor's "Madri Excepcional", a Spanish style lager, brewed in Yorkshire in league with joint venture partner, La Sagra Brewery.
So why have such beers become so popular? The answer is in the branding which imbues them with 'sophistication' in the eyes of the average drinker, apparently.
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Supermarket hopes to grab bigger share of burgeoning sector, possibly threatening Sainsbury’s second position
Graham Watson's insight:
I've put this here, rather than on my Microeconomic board in the hope that some of my Business Management students might want to read it. It's a lovely example of how firms in the supermarket sector are looking for new ways to compete, although I wonder whether the ill-fated rollout of Tesco's Jacks brand might also apply in this instance.
Is Asda likely to be successful in the convenience store market, or will it, as Tesco's attempt did, result in damage to its brand image.
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The injury rate at Amazon fulfillment centers is double that of other warehouses. We accessed rare video footage from inside one of the most dangerous Amazon warehouses in the US, and spoke to former employees, to understand the true cost of Amazon's push for speed.
Graham Watson's insight:
A remarkable clip looking at Amazon's fulfillment centres, looking at working conditions and the high risk of repetitive strain injuries with research suggesting that Amazon's employees are twice as likely to be injured than colleagues working in other companies' warehouses.
Something to think about with regard to business ethics, and in a CUEGIS context.
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Twitter’s billionaire owner may think his tactics will leave him with committed employees. The evidence suggests otherwise, says André Spicer of the Cass Business School at City, University of London
Graham Watson's insight:
More on Elon Musk's management style - if you can even call it that - and why it's likely to be unproductive.
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The tech company is struggling to retain workers after Musk demanded employees sign a pledge to work ‘long hours at high intensity’
Graham Watson's insight:
In a week where it's difficult to decide whether Elon Musk or Cristiano Ronaldo is the bigger egotist, it's worth reflecting on the management style of Elon Musk and the implications of that for worker motivation.
Or not, given that his latest e-mail demanding 'loyalty' appears to have triggered a wave of resignations, and has seen Twitter close its offices until next Monday, or it is able to find a workforce, which ever is the sooner.
In fact, such has been the response to Musk's e-mail it would have been preferable for him to keep the offices closed until Tuesday, if only to allow Twitter staff to say "see you next Tuesday" - which sounds like the ideal sign off when speaking to their new boss.
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The Taiwanese technology giant says it will invest up to $170m in Ohio-based Lordstown Motors.
Graham Watson's insight:
iPhone maker Foxconn is investing in loss-making electric truck manufacturer Lordstown Motors, buying an 18% stake in the company for $170m. I'm not sure why it is doing this - perhaps it thinks that the market for iPhones is relatively mature and that a bet on faster growth elsewhere in a newer market might pay dividends.
That said, it is already involved in maunfacturing electric vehicles in Saudi Arabia, under the brand name Ceer, so perhaps it's hoping that there are spillover effects from this investment too.
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A court heard a subsidiary of mining firm Glencore bribed officials with cash flown in on private jets.
Graham Watson's insight:
Glencore has been fined the not insubstantial sum "of £182.9m by Judge Peter Fraser at Southwark Crown Court, who also approved £93.5m to be confiscated from the company."
That's what you get for being the sort of company that operates in a corrupt fashion in sub-Saharan Africa, and calls into question the company's ethics. But will it have much of an effect? The £275m won't represent much in the grand scheme of things as far as the company is concerned, although it has already settled a similar case in the US to the tune of £900m.
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Firm extends its financial services push, taking on Go Compare, Moneysupermarket, Comparethemarket and Confused.com
Graham Watson's insight:
It seems that Amazon is looking to further diversify its revenue streams, by extending its reaching into the market for financial services, exploiting the data that it holds on its customers to offer a UK insurance price comparison site.
Of course, in doing so, it's further exploiting its existing brand loyalty - but is this sort of thing a step too far?
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An example of change in action, with this BBC article looking at the future for car dealerships, suggesting that new models of buying cars and the banning of new petrol and diesel car sales from 2030, meaning that staff will require retaining, and, in all probability, there will be fewer of them.
Furthermore, instead of making an average profit of 7% per car, the dealerships are being squeezed by car manufacturers, with some - notably Audi and DS - looking to set-up their own directly-owned showrooms.
However, existing dealers are confident that there is a still going to be a place for them in any future market.