B-School and Beyond

 by John Murhpy, MBA1 and Jennifer Arcure, MBA2
A weekly compilation of corporate news briefs from a variety of business publications, trade journals, and newspapers, as well as news from the recruiting front.

The Big Smoke
By now, most of us have either read Beat's M-Track messages promoting his "Big Smoke" or have had the pleasure of attending the party. Many cigar aficionados eagerly await the graduation Big Smoke that is being puffed up throughout the school. It seems that the Big Smokers are on to a hot trend. Cigar smoking parties and even cigar clubs becoming very popular. Newsweek magazine reports that five cigar clubs have opened as of November 1994, including Harry's Velvet Room in Chicago the Cigar Bar in New York. Could the next humidor haven be in Ann Arbor?
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Can't Figure Out What to Do With Your Signing Bonus?
Here's a thought. Last week a young man in Oregon donned a sandwich board that said "Good Job! Great Life!" He proceeded to walk through the streets of his town handing out dollar bills to passers by. He entered shops, shelters, restaurants even boarded buses, spreading his good fortune and cheer. By the end of the day he had distributed $1000, one dollar bill at a time.
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Changes at Apple
Faced with declining market share and slow integration of its PowerPC microprocessor throughout its product line, Apple Computer announced it is undertaking a major restructuring. The last restructuring at Apple occurred in 1993 when former Chief Executive, John Sculley split the company into four divisions; PC hardware, AppleSoft, Apple Personal Interactive Electronics and Apple Business Systems. According to Investor's Business Daily, the four division will be combined into two umbrella divisions, Apple Research and Development and Apple Marketing & Solutions. Didn't someone recommend this in the Corporate Strategy 502 Final last year?
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Anticipation
Michael Jordan's return to basketball is making corporate America as happy as the fans. When rumors began that Jordan was returning to the Bulls the stock market showed its enthusiasm. Based on Bloomberg Financial Market data, the combined shares of Nike, McDonald's, Quaker Oats, Sara Lee and General Mills, companies with Jordan-promoted products, rose 4%. The anticipation of his return seemed to create more favorable results than his actual court time. The same shares are returning to their pre-rumor level.
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What Would Andy Lawlor Think of This Business Plan?
Two Florida inventors have created the "new game" in funeral urns. These engineers determined that they could make a product for people who neither want to keep a loved one's ashes around the house, nor want to scatter the ashes outside or over the water. The product is "Velella", a floating urn with which the inventors hope to corner the post-cremation market, according a report in Newsweek. Velella is a plastic, football-size container that has a keel and a wind catching groove. Its purposes is to "sail a loved one's ashes into the sunset" slowly releasing the ashes over a two year period upon which it will biodegrade. Where do people get these ideas?

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