Exercises 1
1. Do you think Yali, the politician and religious leader in New Guinea, was happy with his life? Why or why not?
2. With respect to farming or the domestication of animals, which was more important for the development of the modern world? Explain your reasoning.
3. Why was North America unable to develop less rapidly than Europe?
4. Given the thesis of Diamond's book, it seems strange that China, India, and East Asia did not develop to rival the West. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.
5. Specialization leads to more rapid social and economic development of a region. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.
6. Of guns, steel, domesticated animals, training, maritime technology, and writing, which was most important to explain the rise of the West? Explain your reasoning.
7. What is the lesson learned from Diamond's book on guns, germs, and steel?
Exercises 2.
1. What is the lesson learned from Sheffi's story about Phillips, Nokia, and Ericsson?
2. What is the lesson learned from the story about financing a customer's purchase of computer equipment?
3. Sheffi said a company could avoid disruption by being flexible and using redundant systems. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.
4. What is the lesson learned from Haynes and Grady?
Exercises 3
1. What is the lesson learned from the Tapscott and Williams story about GoldCorp?
2. What is the lesson learned from the Tapscott and Williams stories about the accuracy of Wikipedia?
3. What is the lesson learned from the National Geographic story about swarm theory?4. Airbus was not being managed well when its Power8 program failed to include airport risks. Do you agree? Explain your reasoning.
5. Why do you think swarm theory worked in the situation with Air Liquide