Purpose: To help you to better understand the concepts of the importance of Organizational Behavior, Organizations as Open Systems, and Human Capital as the Organization's Competitive Advantage.

Scenario: After attending a seminar on human capital, a mining company executive argues that this view of organizations ignores the fact that mining companies could not rely on people alone to stay in business. They also need physical capital (such as digging and ore-processing equipment) and land (where the minerals are located). In fact, these two may be more important than what employees carry around in their heads.

Assignment: Provide your thoughts on the mining executive's comments in the context of human capital and organizational effectiveness. Ensure you provide evidence of your understanding of the Open Systems model and how it applies in this scenario, as well as ways for organizations to "connect the dots" on leveraging an Integrative Model of Organizational Behavior.