1 In todays global business environment does the physical lo

1. In today’s global business environment, does the physical location of a business matter?

2. Why is collaboration among universities important?

3. Is there a competitiveness problem in the United States?

4. What are the big differences in the way communities approach development today compared to 1990, when Porter wrote The Competitive Advantage of Nations?

Solution

To answer the first main question in case of the above mentioned multiple independent questions:

1. All activities of the Organizations need to be channelized towards achievement of the business objectives. Often in the process of creating ‘world class technology’, these Organizations fail to realize that not all activities could be achieved through the application of technology. Therefore, in certain cases the physical location of a business indeed matters.

The availability of advanced information technology has certainly allowed an Organization’s work to be done anywhere at any time. Internet technology has miraculously strengthened the global communication channels in the process of globalization as well. It has further given rise to the concept of Knowledge Management which is a process of organizing and distributing an organization’s collective wisdom so the right information gets to the right people at the right time. The implementation of this method is essential because Intellectual assets are as important as physical assets. However, it is to be noted here that Knowledge sharing especially that of the Technology to the developing nation has gradually started resulting into plagiarism of such knowledge in a global society.

Now, here is where ‘Organizing’ as the managerial function comes to play in a global society with a presence of a physical location to at least remotely control the activities. The information technology has grown with leaps and bounds. But there needs to be a specific way of organizing the utilization of this technology in order to add more sense to its processes. This can only be possible, when a physical location is in its place. It helps to assimilate the knowledge data from various sources in a more systematic way such that only that information is allowed to penetrate into the Company that makes sense to it. Moreover, one may be doing work from anywhere and at anytime but the importance of the physical interaction comes into being when the Company has to adapt itself with sudden or planned changes to which the employees may have a resistance and losing this invaluable asset of the company, that is, the employees, may not be an option available to them.

Here, organizing shall help the Company to adapt itself in the times of changes, whether planned or sudden with a presence of a physical location. It is to be noted that over a period of time, the requirements of the Companies have changed and so did the priorities. Hence organizing activity at a specific physical location would be needed to just not adapt to the changes but also to evaluate the impact and costs pertaining to such a change whenever it has to happen, by bringing and convincing all the employees together at certain common places for interaction and motivation. Here, virtual interaction may not be the answer to all the changes and consequences. Physical location shall further help just not undertake a detailed planning exercises but also attempts to mitigate the risks to accommodate itself to it with more assertion than in virtual cases. Further, with the tremendous levels of competition existing in the industry, even a successful project may not guarantee a business success. Here is where the management needs to concentrate upon the physical location. Especially, in the areas of uncertainty, physical location of the business could play an important role to accommodate to the reality in more practical way that ensures the survival of the business.