Strategic Staffing
Steve Ballmer was a college buddy
of Bill Gates who has served as CEO of Microsoft since 1990. When he announced
that he would be stepping down from this position sometime in 2014, Microsoft
also announced that he would be choosing his own successor. First, read the
article “Microsoft CEO Ballmer to Retire within Next 12 Months.”
Next, watch the short video “Who Will Replace Ballmer at Microsoft?”
Then answer the following
questions:
– What competitive advantage to
you believe that Microsoft has in its industry? What competitive advantage do
you believe that it should seek to obtain in the future? (Support your
answers.)
– Which of the possible candidates
do you think would best contribute to Microsoft’s competitive advantage for the
future? Explain.
– Do you believe that Steve
Ballmer, in his role as CEO, contributes to this competitive advantage? Discuss
your opinion on the wisdom of Ballmer choosing his own successor (what are the
pros and cons of this?).
