ASSIGNMENT:Learning Objective: Identify the main forms of business organizationsPrompt:What is employee empowerment?What kinds of information can companies provide employees to help them share decision-making responsibility? Are there risks related to empowerment?Were the employees in the video empowered? Explain.STUDENT 1: (Joshua)Employees are the building blocks for a company or business. They are a company’s most prized possession because they keep a business flowing and successful. Every employee out there comes from a different background and can bring their each individual unique attributes and skills to the table. It does take the job of senior employees or managers to provide training to empower them to take care of their job and certain tasks on their own. Employees all deserve for their voice to be heard in a company, especially so they can gain the confidence in themselves to take the initiative and successfully complete tasks. According to McCubbrey Business Fundamentals, “Many different participation systems can be implemented to authentically get employee input and to capitalize on the benefits associated with employee influence.” When it comes to these participation systems, there is open book management, open-door policy, surveys, feedback programs, and team mechanisms. The best of these examples is the open book management because it empowers employees with the information they need in a real life business scenario, while giving helpful input.Empowering employees has its benefits, but it can also have its downfalls. I say downfall because an employee may seem very ready but when the time comes an employee may crumble or provide false information to the customer. Allowing employees to be empowered is a privilege that needs to be earned and requires trust that is earned over time. Employees may seem very ready for empowerment, but anything can be going on in their lives, so that can be a risk for a business.The employees in the video were for sure not empowered because it is clear that every level did not have the voice or power to take care of the customers needs. The problem made the customer frustrated and also the manager because he was taken away from his managerial duties to take care of a small problem such as a refund.Thank youJoshua HummerReferencesMcCubbrey, D. J. (2009). Business fundamentals. Retrieved from http://textbookequity.org/Textbooks/McCubbrey_BusinessFundamentals.pdfSTUDENT 2: ( Scott) When it comes to employee empowerment, I think the video in the discussion prompt painted the picture very well. Essentially, if management doesn’t look for ways in which to give greater responsibility to lower level managers to solve problems for their customers or the day to day operation of the business. Information that companies provide employees which help share decision making responsibilities are primarily shown in management policies such as “open book management”, “open-door policies”, and “feedback programs” to name a few (McCubbrey, 2009, p. 91). What these programs do is provide the employees with the opportunity to state their opinions to the management about any issue happening in the company. But this opportunity is not the only necessary action. Management must follow up any suggestion with “visible action” that signals to the employee that their voice has been heard and the management is taking steps to either implement their suggestion or reasons for not implementing them (McCubbrey, 2009, p. 91). I think there are great risks to empowering employees. For example, during the early days of the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, Army units were given operations funds that were meant to be spent on unforeseen costs related to being in a combat environment that was isolated from the normal supply lines. These funds were used for purchasing food, water, gasoline, and many other items. This fund was meant to make the lives of the soldiers on the ground much easier, however some illegally pocketed this money thereby wasting tax-payer dollars and tarnishing the reputation of the Army. In response the Army put stringent processes and requirements on how this money could be spent in order to continue the empowerment but get rid of some of the risk. The employees in the video were not empowered. The fact that in order to resolve a customer’s issue the employee had to go up multiple levels of management is inefficient at best. From what I could tell from the video the customer spent almost all day trying to get back his measly 20% refund. That may have not even been worth his time. It probably wasn’t worth the time of the multiple managers that devote attention to the issue. In cases like that it would be cost effective to empower lower level management to deal with the issue and make the customer a repeat customer.Thanks for reading,Scott ArcherReferencesMcCubbrey, D. J. (2009). Business fundamentals. Retrieved from http://textbookequity.org/Textbooks/McCubbrey_BusinessFundamentals.pdf

4000 words Select, read, research and critically analyse a cover story of The Harvard Business Review (The Magazine): Please read cover stories featured in the last four issues of The Harvard Business Review (The Magazine): May/June to Nov / Dec 2020Select the cover story from one issue. Using insights from theoretical perspectives covered in the lectures and seminars, critically analyse the cover story, delineating its impact on: (a) global political-economy; or / and (b) national socio-political economy; or / and (c) business (or non-business) organisations; as necessary.Rationale for assessment design:One of the key aims of this core module is to introduce students to different theoretical perspectives relating to organisation studies in general and international management in particular. Ability to provide theoretically grounded explanations of contemporary issues is one of the key learning outcomes of this module. Hence, the summative assessment is designed to encourage students to read and engage with a wide range of key literature to critically discuss one cover story from The Harvard Business Review.Links to course learning outcomes:The assessment(s) are designed to encourage students to engage with theoretical concepts and perspective and use them to analyse evolving and contemporary challenges in international management. By allowing students to critique a cover story from the Harvard Business Review, we aim to embed an interdisciplinary approach to the delivery of the module.The course learning outcomes for the MSc International Business are provided below:1.Apply relevant theoretical concepts and techniques to understand complex and constantly evolving international business environment;2.Acquire and apply knowledge of International Business to a range of complex situations taking into account relationships to and interactions with, other areas disciplines and areas including Organisation Theory, Supply Chain Management, Finance, Marketing and HRM;3.Critically appraise the relationships among and interconnectedness between organizations and their socio-cultural and institutional context4.Display critical awareness and systematic understanding of current issues in International Business, which is informed by leading edge research, and practice in the field;5.Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate techniques sufficient to allow detailed investigation of relevant issues in various disciplines underpinning the course;6.Exhibit creativity in the application of existing knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to develop and interpret knowledge in International Business;7.Critically evaluate the uses and limitations of a range of research methods and techniques, both qualitative and quantitative, to select and conduct effective business and strategic research in a international business context;Assessment information:The marking criteria, break down of marks and the learning outcomes associated with this 4000 words assessment are provided below in the table:CriterionMarkLearning Outcome1. Introduction:Please provide a clear and concise introduction of the selected cover story.Please clearly justify the relevance of the theme.20%(10)(10)LO1;LO2;LO3;LO4; LO52. Research and synthesis of various literature:Please use various academic and non-academic sources to engage with the issues underpinning the selected cover story.Please identify and delineate: (a) the key arguments / debates / on the issues relating to the cover story; (b) the key actors / players and their role and contribution; and (c) the social structure / structural arrangement(s) underpinning the issues30%(10)(20)LO1; LO2;LO3;LO4; LO53. Analysis:Please critically analyse the issues underpinning the cover story using insights from institutional theory and / or other theoretical perspectives or themes, covered in the lectures and seminars.Please highlight and critique the possible implications on the global geo-political economy; and or national socio-political economy; and or business (and / or non-business) organisations.35%(20)(15)LO1;LO2;LO3;LO4; LO54. Conclusion:Please provide a clear and logical conclusion bringing together the issues you explored and analysed.Please summarise they key points of your analysis in the process.15%(10)(5)LO1;LO2;LO3;LO4; LO5TOTAL MARKS:100%