Recommended Websites
ffanzia Eyes Only!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    1.   American Management Association: Focuses on fostering professional growth. The site supports this week’s readings.

    2.   Better Management: Provides perspectives for management insights. The site supports this week’s readings.

    3.   U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Concerned with recruiting, retaining, and honoring a world-class workforce. The site supports this week’s readings.

Discussions

To participate in the following Discussion Forums, go to this week’s Discussion link in the left navigation:

1. Environmental Factors 

   Globalization is the set of specific and general forces that work together to integrate and connect economic, political and social systems across countries, cultures, or geographical regions. The result of globalization is that nations and peoples become increasingly interdependent because the world’s markets and businesses become increasingly interconnected. Discuss how globalization is affecting the political, legal, and economic forces impacting today’s business environment. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

2. Creativity and Learning 

   The quality of organizational decision making ultimately depends on innovative responses to opportunities and threats. Explain the role that organizational learning and creativity play in helping managers to improve their decisions. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings. ffanzia The discussions are due Thursday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

   Assignment:

   Competitive Advantage

   Obtaining a competitive advantage is an important aspect of management today because organizations exist in a more global environment than ever before. Within most industries, organizations compete with other companies that are able to provide the same goods and services for less money because they utilize resources in other countries, such as human resources in third world or other low labor cost countries, where workers are typically paid a third of what American laborers receive.

    

    

    

    

    

    

   In a one- to two-page paper (excluding the title and reference pages), discuss the building blocks of competitive advantage and the role a manager should play in achieving this advantage.

   You must use at least one scholarly source in addition to the textbook and format your paper according to APA style guidelines as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

   Book source: Source: Jones-George: Essentials of Contemporary Management, 4th Edition