Discussion 1: Managing Products

One source of new-product ideas is competitors. Steven Fischer recently joined Frankie and Alex Specialty Products as a brand manager. His new boss told him, "We don't have a budget for new-product development. We just monitor our competitors' new-product introductions and offer knockoffs of any that look like they will be successful." Is this practice ethical? Does the AMA Statement of Ethics address this issue? Go to the American Marketing Association's website and review the statement. Then discuss what the AMA Statement of Ethics contains that relates to knock-off products.

Discussion 2: Training and Business Strategy

Suppose a manager asked you to determine whether training was supporting an organization's business strategy. How would you conduct this type of analysis? What kind of information would you look for? What evidence would you provide to demonstrate the effectiveness of the program? Support your answer with credible sources. Cite your sources using proper APA format (both in-text and reference entries).