Q1: Read the following case histories.

GM and the Great Automation Solution

Winning Behavior: What the Smartest, Most Successful Companies Do Differently

In a 2-3 page paper cover the following:

Using the six key dimensions of strategic leadership, compare GM's CEO, Roger Smith with Southwest's Herb Kelleher and Colleen Barrett.

Compare and contrast the leadership styles.Which do you prefer and why?

Q2: Competitive advantage is what sets an organization apart. A competitive edge is a necessary ingredient for an organization's long-term success and survival. Unique resources provide a company with a sustainable competitive advantage. The four characteristics of unique resources are value, rarity, ability to duplicate, and ability to exploit. Resources that have all four of those characteristics can be used to form sustainable competitive advantages.

Construct a 2-3 page paper, based on the four characteristics of a product with potential for sustainable competitive advantage and based on the research you conducted; identify and discuss a company that does an effective job of utilizing these resources in the competitive marketplace. Also describe the product in relation to the four characteristics of sustainable competitive advantages.