Tiny car, tiny price tag, tiny gasoline bill. The Smart Car, made by Daimler’s Mercedes Car Group in Hambach, France, first appeared on U.S. roads in 2008, just as prices at the gas pump were hitting record highs week after week. The timing could not have been better. Tired of emptying their wallets every time they filled their gas tanks, many U.S. drivers were thinking about downsizing from a big sport utility vehicle or pickup truck to a smaller vehicle. But were they ready for a 106-inch-long car that seated only two people? Daimler was ready to find out.
The Smart Car had a good track record in other parts of the world. From 1998 to 2008, Daimler sold more than 900,000 Smart Cars in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, Mexico, and Canada. The car was cute, nimble, and unconventional—a good size for getting through crowded, narrow city streets and fitting into any tight parking spot. Not only was the purchase price highly affordable, but the excellent fuel efficiency made the car especially popular in countries where gas prices were generally high.
To bring the Smart Car to the United States, Daimler redesigned the body and engineering to meet U.S. safety standards. It added six inches to the car’s length and included four air bags, an antilock braking system, a collapsing steering column, and other safety features. It also installed a fuel saving 71 horsepower engine so that the Smart Car would go about 40 highway miles on a gallon of gasoline.
Daimler set the list price of the Smart Fortwo Pure model—the basic version of the two-seater—at $11,590. The list price of the Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe, equipped with more features, was $13,590. The list price of the Smart Fortwo Passion Cabriolet, a convertible with leather seats and additional features, was $16,590. Buyers had the option of ordering extras, like a metallic-paint finish or an alarm system, for an additional fee. Keeping the list price as tiny as the car allowed Daimler to build market share quickly.
Rather than selling Smart Cars through its regular dealer network, Daimler contracted with the Penske Automotive Group to handle distribution and sales. In another unusual move, Daimler set up a website to let buyers reserve the model of their choice and choose from six interior colors and six exterior colors on the car body’s removable panels. Three of the exterior colors were offered as part of the purchase price, while the three metallic exterior colors were offered at an extra cost. The $99 reservation fee was applied to the buyer’s purchase price once the ordered model became available. By the time Smart Cars arrived in U.S. showrooms, 30,000 people had paid for reservations.
To build customer interest prior to the U.S. launch, Daimler sent a number of Smart Cars on a 50-city U.S. tour. Nearly 50,000 members of the media and prospective car buyers took test drives. Although many reporters couldn’t resist poking fun at the tiny car (USA Today called it a “breadbox on wheels”), they all noted its high fuel efficiency and low purchase price. Initial demand was so strong that even buyers who had reserved their cars well in advance had to wait months for delivery. A few U.S. customers who didn’t want to wait paid as much as $39,000 for European Smart Cars adapted to meet U.S. safety and emissions standards.
Then gasoline prices fell from their record-high levels and the global economy plunged into recession. By 2009, the downturn was so severe that car sales plummeted across the board as U.S. consumers and businesses clamped down on buying. The combination of significantly lower gas prices and a sluggish economy put a serious dent into U.S. sales of the Smart Car. To reignite customer interest, Daimler offered low-interest financing and, for the first time, its U.S. dealers discounted the car’s retail price. In 2010, the company also introduced a limited edition electric Smart Car to appeal to buyers interested in eco-friendly alternatives to traditional gas-driven cars.
After reading this case, write a 1-2 pages paper using the APA format discussing the following question. Today, Daimler continues to face intense competition in the small-car segment

Write a 2-3 page summary of your research into laws that have impacted today’s workplace.

Introduction

Employment law, or labor law, governs the interactions and duties between employees and employers. The purpose of these laws is to ensure that workers are safe and treated fairly. The laws also serve to protect employers’ interests as well. Employment laws are primarily based on both federal and state constitutions and legislation.

Understanding employment law is extremely important for HR practitioners, all members of management, and employees as well. Employees should understand their rights in the workplace to ensure they are treated fairly; employers need to understand and abide by employment law guidelines to ensure that they promote a safe and fair workplace and to avoid employment-related legal action that can be very costly to the organization.

HR practitioners need to ensure the company operates within legal guidelines by monitoring programs and practices, and this assessment will help to strengthen your understanding of these topics.

A law cannot ensure that a behavior will change. Laws and behaviors are not fixed, and in order to study them it is necessary to put them in perspective. This assessment considers law in relation to workplace behaviors and shifts in demographics. Specifically, it looks at the foundation of U.S. law and the related legislation enacted to address the rights of U.S. citizens as they engage in workplace contracts and activities.

Events and inventions demanded workers develop different skill sets. As those forces of change arose, public pressure, under the banner of equal opportunity, influenced the workplace and the courts. In an agrarian society, one works on the land. In an industrialized society, one works in a union with an enterprise. In a service society, one works in relationship with other people.

As you look to the global workplace, you see participants in the labor contract at different stages of managing relationships. The U.S. laws of the eighteenth century were written in response to the laws of England’s domination. U.S. laws of the twenty-first century are written in direct response to the electorate of todaydiverse in race, religion, age, gender, disability, marital status, and sexual orientation.

As you study the statistics, keep the legislative timeline in mind. Observe the direct relationship between the legislative process and the human factor. Test your intuitions in your own workplace and community. Do not hesitate to challenge the numbers. Look at the trends in the United States and place them in the context of a global labor pool and a global marketplace.

Preparation

To prepare for this assessment, use the Capella library and the Internet to research employment law, both from a historical perspective and in the present day. Focus your research on laws that have impacted today’s workplace.

Then, write a 23 page summary of your research into employment law. Complete the following:

Summarize two of the laws that you feel have the greatest impact in the workplace today, and provide a rationale to support your point of view.
Discuss two employment-related topic areas in which you believe the laws will change or evolve in the next 10 years.
Describe any trends or historical perspectives that support your position regarding the laws that will change or evolve in the next 10 years.
Additional Requirements

Written Communication: Written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.
APA Formatting: Resources and citations should be formatted according to current APA style and formatting guidelines.
Font and Font Size: Times New Roman, 12 point, double-spaced. Use Microsoft Word to complete the assessment.
Length: A minimum of two pages, excluding title page and reference page (150300 words per question).