Module 1 Discussion A: Wealth/Value Creation by FirmsModule 1 Discussion A: Wealth/Value Creation by Firms Initial Post: Choose a company to use for this discussion. The company can be a U.S. firm, or a firm from any country that is easily researchable using Internet search engines.  Identify the name of the firm, and provide a brief description of the goods and/or services that the firm produces. How does the company create (a) value for its consumers, and (b) wealth for its shareholders?  (Hint: think about how the firm takes lower-valued resources and transforms them into higher-valued products.) What is the motivation behind the firm engaging in the production of its particular goods and/or services? (Hint: think about this week’s readings.) For your Feedback to two (2) Classmates: Review all classmates’ posts, and choose two to comment on. Try to select classmates who do not yet have feedback so that everyone receives feedback. In your response to each classmate, please answer the following questions: Does every product that a firm produces necessarily create value for consumers or wealth for the shareholders of a firm? If a manager of a firm desires to create wealth for a firm, what must the firm be sure to do? (Hint: think about the consumers of the firm!) Module 1 Discussion B: Firms and Microeconomic and Macroeconomic EventsModule 1 Discussion B: Firms and Microeconomic and Macroeconomic Events Discussion Questions: Initial Post: Recall from this week’s readings that economics is generally divided into microeconomics (which focuses on the economic behavior of individuals, families/households, and firms within industries) and macroeconomics (which focuses on the economic behavior of large groups within a national economy or on a national economy as a whole). Choose a company to use for this discussion. The company can be a U.S. firm, or a firm from any country that is easily researchable using Internet search engines.  Identify the name of the firm, and provide a brief description of the goods and/or services that the firm produces. Using the web, identify a recent news story about the company that describes the firm from a microeconomic perspective. (Hint: look for a news story that describes something that happened within the firm, something that changed the firm’s sales, something that happened within the market or industry in which the firm operates, etc.) Report the news in your own words. Imagine that you were a manager at this company.  How could this news impact this company and/or how could this news impact your work as a manager?  Be specific in your answer. For your Feedback to two (2) Classmates: Review all classmates’ posts, and choose two to comment on. Try to select classmates who do not yet have feedback so that everyone receives feedback. In your response to each classmate, please answer the following questions: Identify one macroeconomic event that could (or did) impact the firm that your classmate identified.  (Hint: look for a news story that describes something that involves large groups of individuals in a national economy or events that impacted the national economy as a whole.) Report the news in your own words. Imagine that you were a manager at this company.  How could this news impact this company and/or how could this news impact your work as a manager?  Be specific in your answer. Note: Be sure to refer to the Discussion Board General Information – Requirements and Guidelines (posted in Module 1 Activities and Assessments folder) to guide your discussion responses.