MGMT ch2

B

Western Allied Heath and Grant Pharmaceuticals are two pharmaceutical companies that have joined forces with one another to lobby against a controversial Medicare reform. This action is referred to as _____. A. contraction B. coalition C. cooptation D. domain selection E. benchmarking

A

When a brand advertises its products as being superior to that of its competitors, it is demonstrating _____. A. competitive aggression B. competitive pacification C. benchmarking D. political action E. cooptation

C

When two or more companies work together to manage their external environment, they are using _____. A. monopolistic strategies B. strategic maneuvering C. cooperative strategies D. dependent strategies E. competitive strategies

A

Which of the following can be a useful clue about an organization's culture? A. The way employees interact with each other B. Information printed in the media about stock prices C. The macroenvironment D. The personality characteristics of employees E. The industrial environment

C

Purple Technology is a communication and information technology corporation. The company makes it a point to stress to its employees that innovation is its core strength. The employees even get an hour a day to brainstorm and come up with out-of-the-box ideas. This highlights the _____ of the company. A. cooperative strategies B. external environment C. organization culture D. competitive pacification E. domain selection

B

Quartermaine University has just formed a board of trustees and invited 25 of its wealthiest alumni to join. In this example, Quartermaine University is demonstrating _____. A. contraction B. cooptation C. coalition D. political action E. voluntary action

B

The attitude and behavior patterns that shape people's experience of an organization is called an organizational _____. A. culture B. climate C. environment D. strategy E. adhocracy

C

_____ refers to the process of comparing an organization's practices and technologies with those of other companies. A. Scenario planning B. Forecasting C. Benchmarking D. Environmental scanning E. Strategic maneuvering

C

_____ strategies are used by an organization acting on its own to change some aspect of its current environment. A. Flexible B. Buffering C. Independent D. Smoothing E. Cooperative

D

A firm's current competition, suppliers, customers, and the threat of new entrants or of substitutes are all elements in the _____. A. task environment B. Peter's model for organizational excellence C. microenvironment D. Porter's model for competitive environment E. supply chain management

B

A(n) _____ is a potential threat; customers use it as an alternative, buying less of one kind of product but more of another. A. new entrant B. substitute C. ensemble D. divestiture E. complement

C

An outcome of environmental scanning is _____, the information necessary to decide how best to manage in the competitive environment managers have identified. A. corporate governance B. strategic vision C. competitive intelligence D. corporate espionage E. competitive dissertation

E

Creating supplies of excess resources in case of unpredictable needs is known as _____. A. cooptation B. smoothing C. flexible processing D. empowering E. buffering

B

A customer who purchases raw materials or wholesale products before selling them to other parties is known as a(n) _____. A. final purchaser B. intermediate consumer C. final customer D. first-tier supplier E. preliminary customer

C

According to the competing values model, if an organization's culture is externally oriented and focused on control with its primary objectives as productivity, planning, and efficiency, it could be best described as a(n) _____ culture. A. group B. hierarchical C. rational D. adhocracy E. values-oriented

A

According to the competing values model, if an organization's culture is internally oriented and flexible and tends to be based on the values and norms associated with affiliation, it could be best described as a(n) _____. A. group culture B. hierarchical culture C. rational culture D. adhocracy E. closed system

A

Advances in genetic and bioengineering are expected to produce food products that will be available year-round even in unsuitable Northern climates. This provides grocers an opportunity to reduce shipping costs and provide fresher products to customers. These advances are an example of changes in the _____ environment. A. technological B. economic C. political D. demographic E. biophysical

D

Alyssa owns Carver Gifts, a handmade greeting cards store. She is projecting that the economy will rebound this fall. She ordered additional holiday gift merchandise in February in anticipation of possible surge in sales during the holiday season. In this case, which of the following methods is Alyssa using to be sure she has enough gifts for those extra holiday customers? A. Just-in-time inventory management B. Smoothing C. Benchmarking D. Buffering E. Diversification

C

Candace recently got promoted to a managerial role in a bureaucratic organization. The industry had been changing dramatically, and Candace suggested that the management team encourage employees to develop confidence by giving them some control and authority in order to create a more flexible, adaptable organization. Here, Candace is suggesting the use of _____ with employees. A. smoothing B. benchmarking C. empowerment D. cooptation E. coalition

A

Conditions that may prevent new firms from entering an industry are referred to as _____. A. barriers to entry B. strategic maneuvers C. unfair trade practices D. industry regulators E. entry inhibitors

B

Dan's FroYo is a company that sells different varieties of frozen yogurt. When Dan's FroYo spends its own money to promote the frozen yogurt industry as a whole, the company is practicing _____. A. competitive aggression B. competitive pacification C. public relations D. voluntary cooptation E. comparative action

A

Hospitals and universities are very expensive to run not only due to the capital equipment that is required for each but also due to the personnel such as specialized medical doctors and researchers. The cost of these types of institutions is an example of _____. A. a barrier to entry B. environmental uncertainty C. unfair competition D. high switching costs E. strategic maneuvering

C

Domain selection, diversification, mergers/acquisitions, and divestiture are all examples of _____. A. illegal boundary management B. maneuvering the competition C. strategic maneuvering D. independent strategies E. portfolio maneuvering

E

Environmental _____ refers to the degree of discontinuous change that occurs within the industry. A. complexity B. dysfunction C. contracting D. cooptation E. dynamism

C

Giving consumers what they want or need, the way they want it, the first time is known as _____. A. planned merchandise B. planned obsolescence C. customer service D. cause marketing E. operations management

C

If many factors prevent new companies from entering an industry, the: A. threat of new entrants is more serious. B. threat of competitive rivalry is high. C. threat to established firms is less serious. D. new companies can easily compete with the established ones. E. industry is said to have just a few barriers to entry.

E

Laredo Bank & Trust uses the janitorial services of ProKleen, which provides necessary cleaning supplies, personnel training, and maintenance services. The other available janitorial services do not provide maintenance services. In this case, if Laredo decides to terminate ProKleen's services and shift to some other agency, it is likely to create _____. A. high employment costs B. redemption costs C. favorable quality status D. complementary products E. high switching costs

B

Leveling normal fluctuations at the boundaries of the environment is called _____. A. buffering B. smoothing C. flexible processing D. empowerment E. coalition

D

Liz, a new manager at a company, has been asked to focus on the competitive environment of the organization. Which of the following is a factor Liz should focus on? A. Government legislation B. Culture C. Demographics D. Buyers E. Technology

A

Methods for adapting the technical core to changes in the environment are known as _____. A. flexible processes B. smoothing effects C. buffering techniques D. benchmarking tools E. environmental scanners

B

NBIC (National Bicycle Industrial Company) of Japan specializes in mass customization in order to cater to the changing demands of its customers. Customers can choose the frame and other parts of the bicycle and it is made according to their order. This is one example of how NBIC uses _____. A. cooptation B. flexible processes C. smoothing techniques D. benchmarking E. diversification

B

One firm buying another is called a(n) _____. A. merger B. acquisition C. divestiture D. prospective E. defender

C

Organizations are _____ systems, which means that they are affected by and in turn affect their external environments. A. input B. output C. open D. closed E. social

D

Organizations must acquire a variety of resources in order to produce a product or service of value. These resources may include materials, equipment, financing, or even employees. The sources that provide these various resources are referred to as _____. A. warehouse clubs B. regulators C. retailers D. suppliers E. prospectors

D

Purple Lotus and GreenBolt are two leading e-commerce companies. Recently, Purple Lotus engaged in an online price war with GreenBolt in order to gain greater market share. This is an example of _____ on the part of Purple Lotus. A. cooptation B. voluntary action C. competitive pacification D. competitive aggression E. environmental scanning

D

Ranier Outdoor Clothing managers engage in an annual organizational assessment, trying to predict industry changes as well as possible opportunities and threats. They look at issues such as who their competitors are, current entry barriers, and what substitutes exist for their products. This assessment is called _____. A. scenario development B. forecasting C. benchmarking D. environmental scanning E. strategic maneuvering

D

The entrance by a company into another market or industry for which it has an existing expertise is called _____. A. benchmarking B. strategic positioning C. outsourcing D. domain selection E. cooptation

C

The immediate environment surrounding a firm is known as its: A. macroenvironment. B. demographic environment. C. competitive environment. D. internal environment. E. economic environment.

B

The main difference between a final consumer and an intermediate consumer is that: A. the final consumer purchases finished products, whereas an intermediate consumer only buys raw materials. B. intermediate consumers buy raw materials and sell finished products to final consumers, whereas final consumers use the finished products. C. final consumers make more purchases than the intermediate consumers. D. unlike final consumers, intermediate consumers provide monetary benefits to organizations by purchasing their products. E. final consumers tend to have more bargaining power than intermediate consumers.

C

The method for predicting how variables will change in the future is known as _____. A. budgeting B. buffering C. forecasting D. benchmarking E. scanning

A

The process of sharing power with employees is called _____. A. empowerment B. downgrading C. benchmarking D. vertical synergy E. power building

A

The set of important assumptions about an organization and its goals and practices that members of the company share is called organization _____. A. culture B. design C. climate D. layout E. structure

B

To improve customer service in its overseas call center, Jansen Electronics decided to investigate the call center practices of competing companies. The team discovered that a smaller company, Gorilla Devices Inc., seemed to have outstanding customer service. The team then determined differences between the organizations and developed a plan to incorporate the best elements of Gorilla into Jansen. This illustrates _____. A. environmental dynamism B. benchmarking C. strategic maneuvering D. cooperative action E. forecasting

B

Two general types of proactive strategies for influencing an organization's environment are _____ A. dependent strategies and independent strategies. B. independent action and cooperative action. C. cooperative strategies and strategic maneuvering. D. strategic maneuvering and dependent strategies. E. independent action and strategic maneuvering.

C

Using bribery as a business tactic may result in fines for U.S. firms. Which of the following types of environmental forces at work does this reflect? A. Competitive B. Economic C. Legal D. Technological E. Demographic

D

Valley Organic Meats recently announced that it was selling off its pork division in order to realign itself more competitively in the marketing of its other products. Which of the following strategic maneuvers is illustrated in this scenario? A. Diversification B. An acquisition C. A merger D. Divestiture E. Domain selection

B

Venus was a low-cost airline that was functional in the 1980s. Industry analysts state that although Venus was able to provide all the services the customers wanted, it was thrown out of business because of aggressive pricing from larger airline firms. Which of the following aspects of the competitive environment does this scenario illustrate? A. Customers B. Rivals C. Regulators D. The economy E. Social trends

D

Which of the following combinations can result in a best-case scenario? A. Many competitors, high threat with few entry barriers, and few customers B. Many competitors, high threat with few entry barriers, and many customers C. Few entry barriers, many substitutes, many customers D. High industry growth, low threat with many entry barriers, and customers with low bargaining power E. Low industry growth, high threat with few entry barriers, and suppliers with low bargaining power

A

Which of the following is an element of Michael Porter's model for analyzing the competitive environment of an organization? A. Substitutes B. Cost strategy C. Societal trends D. Regulatory forces E. Demographics

A

Which of the following is an example of a potential substitute product? A. Hand sanitizer for soaps B. Ink cartridges for printers C. Mops for detergent D. iTunes for iPods E. Furniture for apartments

A

Which of the following is true about using forecasts? A. Multiple forecasts are best, and their predictions can be averaged. B. Forecasts become more accurate while predicting further into the future. C. Forecasts are useless when the future will look radically different from the past. D. The more complex the forecast, the more accurate are the predictions. E. The accuracy of forecasts does not vary from one application to another.

B

Which of the following statements about organizational culture is true? A. Corporate mission statements are always a true expression of a firm's culture. B. Who is hired and fired and why indicate the firm's real value and are a clue to the culture. C. A firm with a strong culture will have different people holding different values. D. A culture that was advantageous in a prior era continues to be so in a new environment. E. It is unnecessary to consider culture when considering a merger.

B

_____ are fixed costs buyers face if they change suppliers. A. Changing costs B. Switching costs C. Renewable costs D. Exchange costs E. Sunk costs

B

_____ are measures of various characteristics of the people who make up groups or other social units. A. Psychographics B. Demographics C. Domain selections D. Lifestyle analytics E. Group dynamics

B

_____ are specific government organizations in a firm's more immediate task environment. A. Open systems B. Regulators C. Prospectors D. Stakeholders E. Defenders

A

_____ create alternative combinations of different factors into a total picture of the environment and a firm. A. Scenarios B. Forecasts C. Benchmarks D. Competitive intelligences E. Strategic maneuvers

D

_____ lead to new products, advanced production facilities, and better ways of managing and communicating. A. Demographic shifts B. Societal preferences C. Political changes D. Technological advances E. Economic turbulences

D

_____ occurs when a firm invests in different types of businesses or products or when it expands geographically to reduce its dependence on a single market or technology. A. Domain selection B. Diversification C. Acquisition D. Divestiture E. Empowerment

B

_____ refers to a narrative that describes a particular set of future conditions for a business. A. Benchmarking B. A scenario C. Strategic maneuvering D. A divestiture E. Strategic vision

E

_____ refers to management of the network of facilities and people that obtain materials from the outside, transform them into products, and distribute the products to customers. A. Inventory management B. Strategic maneuvering C. Human resource management D. Customer service E. Supply chain management

E

_____ trends regarding how people think and behave have major implications for management of the labor force, corporate social actions, and strategic decisions about products and markets. A. Psychological B. Political C. Economic D. Technological E. Societal