Education Portal Academy sent me an invitation to use their free videos. Their content is very basic but some of it might be useful for an introduction to management course at the undergraduate level. Videos cover topics like the functions of management, Taylorism, Herzberg, Weber, etc.). This could be useful if you cover these topics outside of class or just want to give students some background resources.
This video is certainly of questionable taste but that hasn’t stopped me from using it in class. It depicts a battle between a sumo wrestler and a much larger sumo wrestler (the conclusion is not pretty). It can be used to discuss the point of inimitable resources (of course size but also brand or anything else). I have also used it in discussing Yoffie’s Judo Strategy in class.
This is a very short/funny clip depicting a man who outruns a Cheetah to save an antelope. There are lots of possible uses. Perhaps the man is the antelope’s strong alliance partner. It could demonstrate unusual (dynamic/global/human capital) capabilities. Please comment if you see other uses…
This is a humorous commercial (“moment of clarity”) where the protagonist chooses not to buy an option (that might appear valuable to some) because of his vision of the possible downside risk. In theory, downside risk should not be a problem when applying a real option approach. This video may promote a discussion of why this might still be a problem.
What does a capability look like that leads to a competitive advantage? The Resource-based view has emphasized those that are VRIO (valuable, rare, inimitable and organizational execution). Here are a few clips from the movie Shaolin Soccer. Very funny and maybe even useful for making this point 😉
This is another ONN (Onion News Network) report. The focus is on a new ad campaign by the Gap that touts their kids clothes that are sewn by kids. Another very funny satire but it definitely gets to the point of ethics and globalization as well.
This is an ONN (Onion News Network) report on U.S. parents outsourcing childcare to India by boxing up their kids and sending them via FedEx. Very funny but might be useful in spurring a discussion of what can be outsourced overseas.
In a humorous take, Jon Stewart looks at the past 8 U.S. presidents and notes that they all made detailed promises to move toward energy independence. The clip is a little long but can be used to raise questions about difficulties in implementation. Why were none of them successful? Interestingly, today with natural gas and fracking technologies, significant progress has been made on energy independence. However, this might not be the innovation that Jon Stewart was looking for. One might discuss why this is the case in class…
This is a very funny video depicting the invention of a mouse before there were computers or any other complementary assets. Very silly but it makes an important point linked to any discussion of complementarities (e.g., M&A, multi-business strategies, alliances, new technologies, etc.).
Increasingly suppliers of staffing services make specific investments in their clients. What, then, is the role of firm-specificity in determining firm boundaries? This video pushes us to ask these questions with a humorous twist.
This depicts an auction of a fire net as people contemplate jumping out of a burning building. Useful to talk about strategic factor market theory — especially if you have a dark sense of humor.
This video shows the world record in cup stacking. The task requires speed in a repetetive task. It might be thought of as a capability however, it is clear that it is not about flexibility or adaptability. This helps to illustrate the distinction of a dynamic capability — this is not strategy under uncertainty.
A bit of trivia is that Emily is the CEO’s daughter for SpeedStacks, the company that makes specialized cups for stacking and the primary backer of the “World Sport Stacking Association.” She might actually be a resource for her father’s company…
Here the lions wait for their food to deliver itself. Did they know to wait under that tree? It is very funny but also explores why planning is necessary…
Jay Barney describes how he teaches Strategic Management for Executive Education, giving examples of Walmart, Southwest Airlines and their success in very tough industries.
Their content is very basic but some of it might be useful for an introduction to management course at the undergraduate level. Videos cover topics like the functions of management, Taylorism, Herzberg, Weber, etc.). This could be useful if you cover these topics outside of class or just want to give students some background resources.
Click here for a video that illustrates a Real Option to Defer. 
Carpenter Strategy Toolbox 