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The article presents a case study of the failed marketing strategy by a newly hired leader at JC Penney. Chief executive Ron Johnson was hired by the Board of JC Penney to revitalize the image of the iconic brand retailer and to increase profitability. Johnson completely revamped the traditional marketing strategy of the department store which alienated and confused their core customers and led to business losses and Johnson's resignation.

For the past decade or more, the salaries of the Chief Executive Officers of American firms have been a topic of heated debate. This debate in the corporate world of business seems to have more recently spilled over into at least some of the salaries that are being paid to the presidents of various universities. Today, there are scores of university presidents receiving a million or more in yearly compensation. On top of the yearly salary, there are the perks, bonuses, and retirement costs that can add another million or two to the package. Citing examples from the corporate world as well as higher education, the objectives of the paper are several. First, like in the world of business debate, is the difference in the salary of the person at the top and those further down the hierarchy widening? Second, it is an attempt to determine to what extent the rising salaries of university presidents are problematic. Third, to investigate and propose some ratios that might be appropriate for comparing those differences across campuses and over time. Fourth, the study looks at average faculty salaries and how those compare to average presidential salaries. And, fifth, it is an attempt to provide some insight into the factors that boards of education use in determining presidential pay. Among the findings and conclusions of the paper are the following. There remains a big gap between what is happening to CEO salaries in the corporate world and those in higher education. On the other hand, there appears to be a slippery slope effect taking place in salary creep for presidential salaries. This slippery slope is creating a ratcheting up effect on various levels just below the president. All contributing to what may be a more pressing issue, requiring a need for further analysis, and that's the growing bureaucratic costs of running a university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The business story dominating the airways from late 2011 thru 2013 revolved around the company J. C. Penny and the much anticipated arrival of their new CEO Ron Johnson, his new vision for the company, and then the subsequent failure of that vision. It is an amazing tale of how things can go from "boom" to "bust" in such a short period of time. It is destined to become a classic case of failed leadership that management students will study for years to come. Early on during Ron Johnson's reign, there was tremendous excitement among the financial community, the shareholders, and even the company itself. How all that turned so quickly sour and ended in his dismissal 18 short months later provides for multiple lessons in leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Take your pick of the above metaphors. It is the authors' belief that the amount of potential for cheating in online college and university courses is largely being ignored by the industry, and that turning a blind eye to this problem can lead to serious negative consequences for all involved, including society as a whole. This paper examines the growth in online classes, along with the potential for cheating and the reasons why six distinct groups with differing self-interests are turning a blind eye to this problem; students, faculty, higher education administrators, legislatures, parents and student support groups, and for-profit institutions. The possible negative repercussions to the higher educational system and society in general are many. Assessment is central to education because the main purpose of an educational institution is to validate student knowledge. Not being able to do that adequately or correctly is an indictment of all involved. A good place to start to deal with the problem is by acknowledging that it exists, however humiliating that might be. In the meantime, it appears the cheaters are winning the battle because of the 800 pound gorilla in the room. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the article "Teaching Management by Telling Stories," by James Harbin and Patricia Humphrey is presented.