1. Internet Exercise
   

   In 1879, General Electric came into existence with the successful launch of the electric bulb, invented by Thomas Edison. Since then, GE has expanded its line of businesses to include not only electric bulbs, but other energy systems, consumer and industrial equipment, finance systems, insurance systems, transportation, and advanced materials. GE is also the parent company of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience.

   General Electric is the only company remaining from the Dow Jones index of 1896, and yet it has had only eight company leaders since that time. The company has successfully managed its diverse product and service offering while still maintaining satisfactory growth throughout most of its history.

   Explore the site in detail to prepare a two page report indicating your responses to the following questions. Who is the current GE CEO? Give a brief biography. What are some of the values within the company that may help explain GE's longstanding success? How might managing a highly diversified firm such as GE be more difficult than managing a firm with fewer products or services? Be sure to include responses referring to the planning, controlling, organizing, and leading aspects of management.

   
   
2. Internet Exercise
   

   The Internet has become one of the most important managerial tools. You can access research, career potentials, knowledge concerning organizations, papers about a vast variety of subjects and a host of interactive uses. One great use of the Internet is in the area of careers and career assessment. At MAPP or the Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential site, you can take a MAPP Assessment online for free. Please click on the free assessment to assess what seems to best fit you in terms of a career. Go to http://www.assessment.com/MAPPMembers/Welcome.asp?accnum=06-5150-000.00.

   In terms of assessment you can also go to http://www.myfuture.com. Please take the work interest quiz test and then submit it. A large site that contains lots of great career information, industry guides and facts about hundreds of careers is available at http://www.WetFeet.com.

   In addition to these sites, you can look up and research many of the concepts presented in the chapter. Choose a search engine, input a company you want to research or a general management area presented in the chapter and you will find a wealth of information brought up by the search engine. Not all will be of use or relevant, but if you search through what appear to be good sites, you will learn a great deal. For example, if go to a site such as http://www.workteams.unt.edu/links.htm you will find a great deal of information not only on teams but also it will link you to sites on topics from conflict management to organizational development. Good luck surfing the Net!

Questions for Discussion

1. What did you learn about your career interests?
2. How would you use the Internet as a tool in your managerial tool kit?
3. How might being technologically savvy in a knowledge-based economy make you a 'star'?
4. How do you think the Internet will change over the next 10 years?