1. Assess the circumstances when it would be more appropriate for an organization to follow the comparative norm strategy to determine an employees' wage rate, versus the ability-to-pay or the cost of living strategy.

2. Employees who are represented by a union are paid approximately 30% more (in terms of pay and benefit costs) than employees who are not represented by a union. How can an organization, whose employees are represented by a union, remain competitive against an organization whose employees are not represented by a union, when it must commit more monies toward its employees, which often requires lowering its investments in research and development and raising its prices for products and services?