"Innovation" is a hot topic these days. We routinely hear about companies like Apple (and others) associated with this term. Why do companies place such importance on innovation? What do firms do (internally) to position themselves to be innovative? Cite one or two examples of where a company innovated through an acquisition. Do not use examples mentioned in the textbook or by other classmates. What is meant by "Disruptive Innovation"? How does innovation factor into "agility"? IS Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a hot topic these days in management circles. Read and comment on The New York Times article "Bangladesh Fears an Exodus of Apparel Firms". (See link below). 1. Are Western companies (retailers) responsible for the safety of the people working for the companies contracted by these brands? Should they be changing their corporate strategy (if they have one) on this issue? 2. What if any is your opinion, as a consumer, toward these types of horrific events? Do you change your purchase behavior? 3. Name some other issues/stories (stories other than the Bangladeshi factory fire) and briefly describe why it is pertinent to our discussion of CSR. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/03/business/factory-owners-in- bangladesh-fear-firms-will-exit.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 S About the Traditional Organizational Structure: Read the attached article from Strategy & Business magazine. Beyond Functions.pdf Comment on the following: 1. Do you agree with the author's assertion that the traditional organizational structure is outdated? The author states that "The functional organization simply no longer serves companies as effectively as it once did, in three important ways", and he goes on to back up his rationale. Pick one or two of his reasons and comment on whether you agree or not. About Agile Companies Read the article attached from Strategy & Business magazine and answer/comment on the questions posed. Also feel free to make general comments as well. (You may need to temporarily create an account to view the article). http://www.strategy-business.com/article/00188?pg=all 1. What are the stakes involved in not being agile as a large company? 2. How does "agility" differ from large to small companies? What characteristics delineate the two types of companies? 3. How do managers know when a company is agile enough? What metrics do they need to use to gauge whether a company is agile? th