Question 1: The owner of a small hardware store - the only one in a medium-sized town in the mountains - has just learned that a large home improvement chain plans to open a new store nearby. The owner knows you are studying marketing at a local university and has asked for your advice on how to plan for this new competitive threat. Explain and conduct the threat of a competitor entry. Recommend an adjacent market competitive advantage to the owner. (75 words)
Question 2: Research shows that drivers talking of the phone while driving, even with the use of a hands-free headset, are four times more likely to crash than non-chatters. Yet, many companies design jobs that encourage multi-tasking on the road. In addition to the safety hazards, what are some other drawbacks of multi-tasking while driving? What are the implications of those drawbacks for HR as it designs jobs? (75 words)