Importance Of Competitive Advantage

1. How does managing employees contribute to achieving a competitive advantage?

Managing employees contribute to a competitive advantage because employees know what is expected of them. Employees need to be given goals, motivated, and taught the company’s values. If companies did not manage employees, the company would not function at an optimal rate or even fail.

2. Given the importance of employees for a company to sustain a competitive advantage, why do you think so many companies have engaged in layoffs, outsourcing, and offshoring of work to other countries?

Companies have to have employees to have any kind of advantage or even have a business. The reason that many companies engage in layoffs, outsourcing, and offshoring is because of the regulations and the labor is cheaper with less restrictions. A product could be made in the United States for $15 and the

Some people think that there are certain practices for managing employees that are always beneficial for companies, while others maintain that the best practices depend on the circumstances of each company. Which approach do you think is right? Why?

I think using the same strategy for all companies is not a good way to go. The reason being everyone is different. Let’s say, if a manager that has 20 years’ experience goes to another part of the country, the systems he used for those years may not work for the new job. Peoples culture changes and the norms may be different. The manager could possibly offend employees at the new job with the ways he or she done things in the past. The conclusion would be that some of the practices may work for another company but, most likely not all of them.

8. Which of the environmental influences identified in this chapter is most important for managing employees in a company pursuing innovation? What about a company with a strategy emphasizing low costs or customer service? How does a company’s strategy influence the importance of different environmental