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?).