Chapter 6

7. Which of the following rivals make the best targets for an offensive attack? A. Firms that are weak in areas where challenger is strong. B. Enterprises that are strong with no possibility of going under. C. Large national firms with vast capabilities. D. Strong secure market leaders. E. Small local and regional firms with considerable resources.

A. Firms that are weak in areas where challenger is strong.

12. Which of the following is NOT a purpose of a defensive strategy? A. To increase the risk of having to defend an attack. B. To weaken the impact of any attack that occurs. C. To pressure challengers to aim their efforts at other rivals. D. To help protect a competitive advantage. E. To decrease the risk of being attacked.

A. To increase the risk of having to defend an attack.

49. The best strategic alliances A. are highly selective, focusing on particular value chain activities and on obtaining a particular competitive benefit. B. are those whose purpose is to create an industry key success factor. C. are those which help a company move quickly from one strategic group to another. D. involve joining forces in R&D to develop new technologies cheaper than a company could develop the technology on its own. E. aim at raising an industry's barriers to entry.

A. are highly selective, focusing on particular value chain activities and on obtaining a particular competitive benefit.

6. An offensive to yield good results can be short if A. buyers respond immediately. B. competition creates an appealing new product. C. the technology needs debugging. D. new production capacity needs to be installed. E. consumer acceptance of an innovative product takes time.

A. buyers respond immediately.

26. Mergers and acquisitions are often driven by such strategic objectives as to A. expand a company's geographic coverage or extend its business into new product categories. B. reduce the number of industry key success factors. C. reduce the number of strategic groups in the industry. D. facilitate a company's shift from a low-cost leadership strategy to a focused low-cost strategy. E. lengthen a company's value chain and thereby put it in better position to deliver superior value to buyers.

A. expand a company's geographic coverage or extend its business into new product categories.

3. Strategic offensives should, as a general rule, be based on A. exploiting a company's strongest strategic assets. B. implementing and executing the chosen strategy efficiently and effectively. C. sizing up an organization's internal and external situation. D. molding an organization's character and identity. E. the buyer's needs that the company seeks to satisfy.

A. exploiting a company's strongest strategic assets.

30. Vertical integration strategies A. extend a company's competitive scope within the same industry by expanding its operations across more parts of the industry value chain. B. are one of the best strategic options for helping companies win the race for global market leadership. C. offer good potential to expand a company's lineup of products and services. D. are particularly effective in boosting a company's ability to expand into additional geographic markets, particularly the markets of foreign countries. E. are a good strategy option for helping a company to revamp its value chain and bypass low value-added activities.

A. extend a company's competitive scope within the same industry by expanding its operations across more parts of the industry value chain.

35. The strategic impetus for forward vertical integration is to A. gain better access to end users and better market visibility. B. achieve the same scale economies as wholesale distributors and/or retail dealers. C. control price at the retail level. D. bypass distributors-dealers and sell direct to consumers at the company's Web site. E. build a core competence in mass merchandising.

A. gain better access to end users and better market visibility.

23. The range of product and service segments that the firm serves within its market is known as the firm's A. horizontal scope. B. vertical integration. C. vertical scope. D. product outsourcing. E. joint venture partnership.

A. horizontal scope.

59. Incorporating opportunities for organizational learning can A. increase a company's knowledge assets and capabilities. B. decrease a company's knowledge assets. C. automatically create successful strategic alliances. D. decrease a company's knowledge capabilities. E. rapidly transfer assets into the strategic alliance.

A. increase a company's knowledge assets and capabilities.

24. The difference between a merger and an acquisition is that A. a merger involves one company purchasing the assets of another company with cash, whereas an acquisition involves a company acquiring another company by buying all of the shares of its common stock. B. a merger is a pooling of equals whereas an acquisition involves one company, the acquirer, purchasing and absorbing the operations of another company, the acquired. C. in a merger the companies retain their original names whereas in an acquisition the name of the company being acquired is changed to be the name of the acquiring company. D. a merger is a combination of three or more companies whereas an acquisition is a pooling of interests of just two companies. E. a merger involves two or more companies deciding to adopt the same strategy whereas an acquisition involves one company taking over the strategy-making function of another company.

B. a merger is a pooling of equals whereas an acquisition involves one company, the acquirer, purchasing and absorbing the operations of another company, the acquired.

45. Strategic alliances A. are the cheapest means of developing new technologies and getting new products to market quickly. B. are collaborative arrangements where two or more companies join forces to achieve mutually beneficial strategic outcomes. C. are a proven means of reducing the costs of performing value chain activities. D. are best used to insulate a company from the impact of the five competitive forces. E. help insulate a firm from the adverse impacts of industry driving forces.

B. are collaborative arrangements where two or more companies join forces to achieve mutually beneficial strategic outcomes.

56. The Achilles heel (or biggest disadvantage/pitfall) of relying heavily on alliances and cooperative strategies is A. that partners will not fully cooperate or share all they know, preferring instead to guard their most valuable information and protect their more valuable know-how. B. becoming dependent on other companies for essential expertise and capabilities. C. the added time and extra expenses associated with engaging in collaborative efforts. D. having to compromise the company's own priorities and strategies in reaching agreements with partners. E. the collaborative arrangements will not live up to expectations.

B. becoming dependent on other companies for essential expertise and capabilities.

48. Entering into strategic alliances and collaborative partnerships can be competitively valuable because A. working closely with outsiders is essential in developing new technologies and new products in virtually every industry. B. cooperative arrangements with other companies are very helpful in racing against rivals to build a strong global presence and/or racing to seize opportunities on the frontiers of advancing technology. C. they represent highly effective ways to achieve low-cost leadership and capture first-mover advantages. D. they are a powerful way for companies to build loyalty and goodwill among customers with diverse needs and expectations. E. they are quite effective in helping a company transfer the risks of threatening external developments to other companies.

B. cooperative arrangements with other companies are very helpful in racing against rivals to build a strong global presence and/or racing to seize opportunities on the frontiers of advancing technology.

29. Mergers and acquisitions A. are nearly always successful in achieving their desired purpose. B. frequently do not produce the hoped-for outcomes. C. are generally less effective than forming alliances or partnerships with these same companies. D. are highly risky because of the financial drain that comes from using the company's cash resources to pay for the costs of the merger or acquisition. E. are usually more successful in achieving cost reductions than in expanding a company's market opportunities.

B. frequently do not produce the hoped-for outcomes.

44. The big risk of employing an outsourcing strategy is A. causing the company to become partially integrated instead of being fully integrated. B. hollowing out a firm's own capabilities and losing touch with activities and expertise that contribute fundamentally to the firm's competitiveness and market success. C. hurting a company's R&D capability. D. putting the company in the position of being a late mover instead of an early mover. E. increasing the firm's risk exposure to both supply chain management failures and shifts in the composition of the industry value chain.

B. hollowing out a firm's own capabilities and losing touch with activities and expertise that contribute fundamentally to the firm's competitiveness and market success.

27. Merger and acquisition strategies A. are nearly always a superior strategic alternative to forming alliances or partnerships with these same companies. B. may offer considerable cost-saving opportunities and can also be beneficial in helping a company try to invent a new industry. C. are a particularly effective way of pursuing a blue ocean strategy and outsourcing strategies. D. seldom are a superior strategic alternative to forming alliances with these same companies because of the financial drain of using the company's cash resources to accomplish the merger or acquisition. E. are one of the best ways for helping a company strongly differentiate its product offering and use a differentiation strategy to strengthen its market position.

B. may offer considerable cost-saving opportunities and can also be beneficial in helping a company try to invent a new industry.

33. For backward vertical integration into the business of suppliers to be a viable and profitable strategy, a company A. must first be a proficient manufacturer. B. must be able to achieve the same scale economies as outside suppliers and match or beat suppliers' production efficiency with no drop-off in quality. C. must have excess production capacity, so that it has ample in-house ability to undertake additional production activities. D. needs to have a wide product line, so that it can supply parts and components for many products. E. should have a distinctive competence in production process technology and at least a core competence in manufacturing R&D.

B. must be able to achieve the same scale economies as outside suppliers and match or beat suppliers' production efficiency with no drop-off in quality.

43. Outsourcing strategies can offer such advantages as A. increasing a company's ability to strongly differentiate its product and be successful with either a broad differentiation strategy or a focused differentiation strategy. B. obtaining higher quality and/or cheaper components or services, improving a company's ability to innovate, and reducing its risk exposure. C. speeding a company's entry into foreign markets. D. permitting greater use of strategic alliances and collaborative partnerships. E. giving a firm more direct control over the costs of value chain activities.

B. obtaining higher quality and/or cheaper components or services, improving a company's ability to innovate, and reducing its risk exposure.

39. The two big drivers of outsourcing are A. increased ability to cut R&D expenses and increased ability to avoid the problems of strategic alliances. B. that outsiders can often perform certain activities better or cheaper and outsourcing allows a firm to focus its entire energies on those activities that are at the center of its expertise (its core competencies). C. a desire to reduce the company's investment in fixed assets and the need to narrow the scope of the company's in-house competencies and competitive capabilities. D. the ability to avoid capital investments that accompany vertical integration and a desire to reduce the company's risk exposure to changing technology and/or changing buyer preferences. E. that a smaller in-house work force and a low investment in intellectual capital produce cost savings.

B. that outsiders can often perform certain activities better or cheaper and outsourcing allows a firm to focus its entire energies on those activities that are at the center of its expertise (its core competencies).

14. What is the goal of signaling a challenger that strong retaliation is likely in the event of an attack? A. To reduce costs of value chain activities. B. Cause the challenger to begin the attack instead of waiting. C. Divert the challenger to use less threatening options. D. To create collaborative relationships with challengers. E. To insulate other firms from adverse impacts resulting from the challenge.

C. Divert the challenger to use less threatening options.

36. Which of the following is typically the strategic impetus for forward vertical integration? A. Being able to control the wholesale/retail portion of the industry value chain B. Fewer disruptions in the delivery of the company's products to end-users C. Gaining better access to end users and better market visibility D. Broadening the company's product line E. Allowing the firm access to greater economies of scale

C. Gaining better access to end users and better market visibility

53. Which of the following is not one of the factors that affects whether a strategic alliance will be successful and realize its intended benefits? A. Picking a good partner B. Recognizing that the alliance must benefit both sides C. Minimizing the amount of resources that the partners commit to the alliance D. Ensuring that both parties live up to their commitments E. Structuring the decision-making process so that actions can be taken swiftly when needed

C. Minimizing the amount of resources that the partners commit to the alliance

50. Which one of the following is not a strategically beneficial reason why a company may enter into strategic partnerships or cooperative arrangements with key suppliers, distributors, or makers of complementary products? A. To improve access to new markets B. To expedite the development of promising new technologies or products C. To enable greater opportunities for employee advancement D. To improve supply chain efficiency E. To overcome disadvantages of small production volumes that limit scale economies and low production costs

C. To enable greater opportunities for employee advancement

37. Which of the following is not a strategic disadvantage of vertical integration? A. Vertical integration boosts a firm's capital investment in the industry, thus increasing business risk if the industry becomes unattractive later. B. Vertical integration backward into parts and components manufacture can impair a company's operating flexibility when it comes to changing out the use of certain parts and components. C. Vertical integration reduces the opportunity for achieving greater product differentiation. D. Forward or backward integration often calls for radically different skills and business capabilities than the firm possesses. E. Vertical integration poses all kinds of capacity-matching problems.

C. Vertical integration reduces the opportunity for achieving greater product differentiation.

2. Which one of the following is not a strategic choice that a company must make to complement and supplement its choice of one of the five generic competitive strategies? A. Whether to focus on building competitive advantages. B. Whether to employ the element of surprise as opposed to doing what rivals expect and are prepared for. C. Whether to employ a market share leadership strategy. D. Whether to display a strong bias for swift, decisive, and overwhelming actions to overpower. E. Whether to create and deploy company resources to cause rivals to defend themselves.

C. Whether to employ a market share leadership strategy.

32. A good example of vertical integration is A. a global public accounting firm acquiring a small local or regional public accounting firm. B. a large supermarket chain getting into convenience food stores. C. a crude oil refiner purchasing a firm engaged in drilling and exploring for oil. D. a hospital opening up a nursing home for the aged. E. a railroad company acquiring a trucking company specializing in long-haul freight.

C. a crude oil refiner purchasing a firm engaged in drilling and exploring for oil.

51. Companies racing against rivals for global market leadership need strategic alliances and collaborative partnerships with companies in foreign countries to A. combat the bargaining power of foreign suppliers and help defend against the competitive threat of substitute products produced by foreign rivals. B. help raise needed financial capital from foreign banks and use the brand names of their partners to make sales to foreign buyers. C. get into critical country markets quickly, gain inside knowledge about unfamiliar markets and cultures, and access valuable skills and competencies that are concentrated in particular geographic locations. D. help wage price wars against foreign competitors. E. exercise better control over efforts to revamp the global industry value chain.

C. get into critical country markets quickly, gain inside knowledge about unfamiliar markets and cultures, and access valuable skills and competencies that are concentrated in particular geographic locations.

52. A company racing to seize opportunities on the frontiers of advancing technology often utilizes strategic alliances and collaborative partnerships to A. discourage rival companies from merging with or acquiring the very companies that it is partnering with. B. reduce overall business risk and raise entry barriers into the newly emerging industry. C. help master new technologies and build new expertise and competencies, establish a stronger beachhead for participating in the target industry, and open up broader opportunities in the target industry. D. help defeat competitors that are employing broad differentiation strategies. E. enhance its chances of achieving global low-cost leadership.

C. help master new technologies and build new expertise and competencies, establish a stronger beachhead for participating in the target industry, and open up broader opportunities in the target industry.

46. A strategic alliance A. is a collaborative arrangement where companies join forces to defeat mutual competitive rivals. B. involves two or more companies joining forces to pursue vertical integration. C. is a formal agreement between two or more companies in which there is strategically relevant collaboration of some sort, joint contribution of resources, shared risk, shared control, and mutual dependence. D. is a partnership between two companies that is typically intended to eliminate the need to engage in outsourcing. E. is usually a cheaper and more effective way for companies to join forces than is merger.

C. is a formal agreement between two or more companies in which there is strategically relevant collaboration of some sort, joint contribution of resources, shared risk, shared control, and mutual dependence.

21. The race among rivals for industry leadership is more likely to be a marathon rather than a sprint when, A. new industry or market segments are yet to be developed and create altogether new consumer demand. B. fast followers find it easy to leapfrog the pioneer with even better next-generation products of their own. C. the market depends on the development of complementary products or services that are currently not available, buyers have high switching costs, and influential rivals are in position to derail the efforts of a first-mover. D. entry barriers are high, substitute products or services are readily available, and buyers are prone to negotiate aggressively for better terms and lower prices. E. there are nearly always big advantages to being a slow mover rather than an early mover, especially as concerns avoiding the "mistakes" of first or early movers.

C. the market depends on the development of complementary products or services that are currently not available, buyers have high switching costs, and influential rivals are in position to derail the efforts of a first-mover.

54. Which of the following is not a typical reason that many alliances prove unstable or break apart? A. Diverging objectives and priorities B. An inability to work well together C. The emergence of more attractive technological paths D. Disagreement over how to divide the profits gained from joint collaboration E. Changing conditions that render the purpose of the alliance obsolete

D. Disagreement over how to divide the profits gained from joint collaboration

41. Which of the following is not one of the benefits of outsourcing value chain activities presently performed in-house? A. Streamlines company operations in ways that improve organizational flexibility and cut the time it takes to get new products into the marketplace B. Allows a company to concentrate on its core business, leverage its key resources, and do even better what it already does best C. Helps the company assemble diverse kinds of expertise speedily and efficiently D. Enables a company to gain better access to end users and better market visibility E. Improves a company's ability to innovate

D. Enables a company to gain better access to end users and better market visibility

34. Which of the following is not a potential advantage of backward vertical integration? A. Reduced vulnerability to powerful suppliers (who may be inclined to raise prices at every opportunity) B. Reduced risks of disruptions in obtaining crucial components or support services C. Reduced costs D. Reduced business risk because of controlling a bigger portion of the overall industry value chain E. Adding to a company's differentiation capabilities and perhaps achieving a differentiation-based competitive advantage

D. Reduced business risk because of controlling a bigger portion of the overall industry value chain

22. What does the scope of the firm refer to? A. The range of activities the firm performs externally. B. To gain competitive advantage based on where it locates its various value chain activities. C. The firm's capability to employ vertical integration strategies. D. The range of activities the firm performs internally and the breadth of its product offerings. E. To prevent foreign competition affecting the market.

D. The range of activities the firm performs internally and the breadth of its product offerings.

25. Which of the following is not a typical strategic objective or benefit that drives mergers and acquisitions? A. To gain quick access to new technologies or other resources and capabilities B. To create a more cost-efficient operation out of the combined companies C. To expand a company's geographic coverage D. To facilitate a company's shift from a broad differentiation strategy to a focused differentiation strategy E. To extend a company's business into new product categories

D. To facilitate a company's shift from a broad differentiation strategy to a focused differentiation strategy

17. In which of the following instances is being a first-mover not particularly advantageous? A. When moving first with a preemptive strike makes imitation difficult or unlikely B. When first-time buyers remain strongly loyal to pioneering firms in making repeat purchases C. When early commitments to new technologies, types of components, or emerging distribution channels produce an absolute cost advantage over rivals D. When markets are slow to accept the innovative product offering of a first-mover and fast followers possess sufficient resources and marketing muscle to overtake a first mover E. When being a pioneer helps build a firm's image with buyers

D. When markets are slow to accept the innovative product offering of a first-mover and fast followers possess sufficient resources and marketing muscle to overtake a first mover

19. In which of the following cases are late-mover advantages (or first-mover disadvantages) not likely to arise? A. When the costs of pioneering are much higher than being a follower and only negligible learning/experience benefits accrue to the pioneer B. When the marketplace is skeptical about the benefits of a new technology or product being pioneered by a first-mover C. When the pioneer's products are somewhat primitive and are easily bested by late movers D. When opportunities exist to invent a new industry or distinctive market segment that creates altogether new demand E. When technological change is rapid and fast-following rivals find it easy to leapfrog the pioneer with next-generation products of their own

D. When opportunities exist to invent a new industry or distinctive market segment that creates altogether new demand

55. Experience indicates that strategic alliances A. are generally successful. B. work well in cooperatively developing new technologies and new products but seldom work well in promoting greater supply chain efficiency. C. work best when they are aimed at achieving a mutually beneficial competitive advantage for the allies. D. can suffer culture clash and integration problems due to different management styles and business practices. E. are rarely useful in helping a company win the race for global industry leadership.

D. can suffer culture clash and integration problems due to different management styles and business practices.

9. A blue ocean strategy A. is an offensive attack used by a market leader to steal customers away from unsuspecting smaller rivals. B. involves a preemptive strike to secure an advantageous position in a fast-growing market segment. C. works best when a company is the industry's low-cost leader. D. involves abandoning efforts to beat out competitors in existing markets and, instead, inventing a new industry or new market segment that renders existing competitors largely irrelevant and allows a company to create and capture altogether new demand. E. involves the use of highly creative, never-used-before strategic moves to attack the competitive weaknesses of rivals.

D. involves abandoning efforts to beat out competitors in existing markets and, instead, inventing a new industry or new market segment that renders existing competitors largely irrelevant and allows a company to create and capture altogether new demand.

31. The two best reasons for investing company resources in vertical integration (either forward or backward) are to A. expand into foreign markets and/or control more of the industry value chain. B. broaden the firm's product line and/or avoid the need for outsourcing. C. gain a first mover advantage over rivals in revamping the industry value chain. D. strengthen the company's competitive position and/or boost its profitability. E. achieve product differentiation and/or lengthen the company's value chain to include more activities performed in-house and thereby gain greater ability to reduce internal operating costs.

D. strengthen the company's competitive position and/or boost its profitability.

1. Once a company has decided to employ a particular generic competitive strategy, then it must make such additional strategic choices as A. whether to focus on building competitive advantages. B. whether to employ the element of surprise as opposed to doing what rivals expect and are prepared for. C. whether to display a strong bias for swift, decisive, and overwhelming actions to overpower rivals. D. whether to create and deploy company resources to cause rivals to defend themselves. E. All of these.

E. All of these.

10. Which of the following is a prime example of a blue-ocean market strategy? A. eBay online auction industry B. Starbucks coffee shops C. Dollar General discount retailing D. FedEx overnight shipping E. All of these.

E. All of these.

11. Which of the following is a purpose of a defensive strategy? A. To lower the risk of being attacked. B. To weaken the impact of any attack that occurs. C. To pressure challengers to aim their efforts at other rivals. D. To help protect a competitive advantage. E. All of these.

E. All of these.

13. Which of the following ways are employed by defending companies to fend off a competitive attack? A. Introduce new features, add new models, or broaden its product line. B. Grant volume discounts or better financing terms. C. Gain product line exclusivity to force competitors to use alternate distributors. D. Offer better training and support services. E. All of these.

E. All of these.

15. Which of the following signals can be given to challengers to warn that strong retaliation is likely? A. Publicly announcing management's commitment to maintain market share. B. Publicly committing to a company policy of matching competitors' terms or pricing. C. Maintaining a war chest of cash and marketable securities. D. Making a strong counter response to the moves of weak competitors. E. All of these.

E. All of these.

16. Being first to initiate a particular strategic move can have a high payoff when A. pioneering helps build up a firm's image and reputation with buyers. B. first-time buyers remain strongly loyal to pioneering firms in making repeat purchases. C. moving first can result in a cost advantage over rivals. D. moving first can constitute a preemptive strike, making imitation extra hard or unlikely. E. All of these.

E. All of these.

18. First-mover disadvantages (or late-mover advantage) arise when A. the costs of pioneering are much higher than being a follower and only negligible learning/experience curve benefits accrue to the pioneer. B. rapid market evolution gives fast-followers an opening to leapfrog the pioneer with next-generation products of their own. C. the pioneer's products are somewhat primitive and do not live up to buyer expectations, allowing clever followers to win disenchanted buyers with better-performing products. D. the marketplace is skeptical about the benefits of a new technology or product being pioneered by a first-mover. E. All of these.

E. All of these.

28. What outcomes do horizontal merger and acquisition strategies intend? A. Expanding a company's geographic coverage. B. Gaining quick access to new technologies or complementary resources and capabilities. C. Leading the convergence of industries whose boundaries are being blurred by changing technologies and new market opportunities. D. Extending the company's business into new product categories. E. All of these.

E. All of these.

4. The principal offensive strategy options include which of the following? A. Using a cost-based advantage to attack competitors on the basis of price or value. B. Using hit-and-run or guerrilla warfare tactics to grab sales and market share. C. Launching a preemptive strike to secure an advantageous position that rivals are prevented or discouraged from duplicating. D. Pursuing continuous product innovation to draw sales and market share away from rivals. E. All of these.

E. All of these.

40. Outsourcing the performance of value chain activities presently performed in-house to outside vendors and suppliers makes strategic sense when A. an activity can be performed better or more cheaply by outside specialists. B. it allows a company to focus its entire energies on those activities that are at the center of its expertise (its core competencies) and that are most critical to its competitive and financial success. C. outsourcing won't adversely hollow out the company's technical know-how, competencies, or capabilities. D. it reduces the company's risk exposure to changing technology and/or changing buyer preferences. E. All of these.

E. All of these.

42. Relying on outsiders to perform certain value chain activities offers such strategic advantages as A. obtaining higher quality and/or cheaper components or services. B. improving the company's ability to innovate by allying with "best-in-world" suppliers. C. reducing the company's risk exposure to changing technology and/or changing buyer preferences. D. increasing the firm's ability to assemble diverse kinds of expertise speedily and efficiently. E. All of these.

E. All of these.

57. A company that has greater success in managing their strategic alliance can credit A. establishing strong interpersonal relationships to facilitate communication. B. incorporating contractual safeguards. C. making opportunities for learning a routine management process. D. creating a system to manage alliances in a systematic fashion. E. All of these.

E. All of these.

58. A company that fails in managing their strategic alliance probably has not A. incorporated contractual safeguards. B. made opportunities for learning a routine management process. C. created a system to manage alliances in a systematic fashion. D. established strong interpersonal relationships to facilitate communication E. All of these.

E. All of these.

8. Challenging a struggling rival can A. sap its financial strength and competitive position. B. weaken the rivals resolve. C. accelerate the rivals exit from the market. D. threaten its overall survival in the market. E. All of these.

E. All of these.

5. Which of the following is not a principal offensive strategy option? A. Using a cost-based advantage to attack competitors on the basis of price or value. B. Using hit-and-run or guerrilla warfare tactics to grab sales and market share. C. Launching a preemptive strike to secure an advantageous position that rivals are prevented or discouraged from duplicating. D. Pursuing continuous product innovation to draw sales and market share away from rivals. E. Being the last competitor to market a next-generation product.

E. Being the last competitor to market a next-generation product.

47. Which of the following is not a factor that makes an alliance "strategic" as opposed to just a convenient business arrangement? A. The alliance is critical to the company's achievement of an important objective. B. The alliance helps block a competitive threat. C. The alliance helps open up important new market opportunities. D. The alliance helps build, enhance, or sustain a core competence or competitive advantage. E. The alliance helps the company obtain additional financing on better credit terms.

E. The alliance helps the company obtain additional financing on better credit terms.

38. Outsourcing strategies A. are nearly always a more attractive strategic option than merger and acquisition strategies. B. carry the substantial risk of raising a company's costs. C. carry the substantial risk of making a company overly dependent on its suppliers. D. increase a company's risk exposure to changing technology and/or changing buyer preferences. E. involve farming out value chain activities presently performed in-house to outside specialists and strategic allies.

E. involve farming out value chain activities presently performed in-house to outside specialists and strategic allies.

20. Because when to make a strategic move can be just as important as what move to make, a company's best option with respect to timing is A. to be the first mover. B. to be a fast follower. C. to be a late mover (because it is cheaper and easier to imitate the successful moves of the leaders and moving late allows a company to avoid the mistakes and costs associated with trying to be a pioneer—first-mover disadvantages usually overwhelm first-mover advantages). D. to be the last-mover—playing catch-up is usually fairly easily and nearly always much cheaper than any other option. E. to carefully weigh the first-mover advantages against the first-mover disadvantages and act accordingly.

E. to carefully weigh the first-mover advantages against the first-mover disadvantages and act accordingly.