How do functional tactics differ from corporate and business strategies? What key concerns must functional tactics address in marketing? Finance? POM? Personnel?

Select a company you have worked for or research one in the business press that uses one of these traditional structures. How well suited is the structure to the needs and strategy of the organization? What seems to work well, and what doesn't?

Think about any two leaders you have known, preferably one good and one weak. They can be businesspersons, coaches, someone you work(ed) with, and so forth.

What are five traits, practices, or characteristics that cause you to consider one good and the other weak?

How do these compare the things you chose with the seven factors used to differentiate effective organizational leadership in the first half of this chapter?

Our reading states "The best companies make a point of recruiting and retaining talented employees." The thing is that many companies today don't offer the same benefits, retirement, etc. that we were once use to. Thus it feels like companies aren't as interested in finding and especially keeping the best talent like they once did.

So, I was wondering your thoughts. Is this concept as important at it once was, or is this something that is going away as new technology takes over? If it is something that is going away, why do you think that is, and what effects do you think it will have on business? Thoughts?