Read the Watercooler Activity guidelines. Complete the Watercooler Activity document and submit it. This article will be the stimulus for the week's Discussion.

Note: For this week's Watercooler, find an article that either extends, challenges, or refutes the value innovation/blue ocean analysis approach to strategy and growth. The goal is to find an article that can stimulate discussion about the strengths and weaknesses of the value innovation approach to strategy. Follow the Watercooler Activity guidelines to submit a synopsis of the article. Your instructor will review these postings and select one article to be discussed by the entire class. Questions to consider during the class discussion will also be included.

Example of watercooler

Name: Edward Garrett

Date: 4/23/09

APA citation of the source:

Petraco, A. (2008). Take it outside! Workforce management outsourcing. Workforce Management, 87(4). Retrieved from Business Source Premier database.

Part 1: Synopsis of the article

Personnel costs are among the highest for organizations. With an increasing trend toward globalization and remote workforces, many of the costs associated with the workforce become a burden on the organization, especially if costs are centralized but the employees are not. Outsourcing from either a single or multiple vendors can provide a viable and cost-saving solution. The benefits include reduced impacts on Payroll and Human Resources, as well as more precise data about employee activities and time tracking. Centralized access to information, such as policies, schedules, and time tracking when managed by an outside organization, reduce costs and enhance efficiency.