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In 1990, Michael Porter wrote The Competitive Advantage of Nations and the work has been cited extensively in scholarly publications and last updated in 2012, but the ideas remain current. Why do some countries and firms have an advantage over others in producing goods and services? In particular, how does the business, government, and tax environment influence competitiveness? Are tariffs helpful or do they hurt business? Is it always the low-cost country that attracts production? We will define the basics of competitiveness, costs, tariffs, and policy influences on firms.
INSTRUCTOR: William O’Brien holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Northeastern University and is Professor Emeritus of Economics at Worcester State University. His research interests range from public choice to the effect of taxes on economic behavior, to the determinants of MCAS scores, to globalization.
NO REQUIRED BOOKS
FOR THE FIRST CLASS: Refer to the Course Material page for readings for the first class
Worcester Institute for Senior Education (WISE)Assumption University, 500 Salisbury Street, Worcester MA 01609 wise@assumption.edu 508-767-7513
