Ch. 4
Inland waterways provide inexpensive access to interior markets and are significant in every continent except: A. Australia. B. North America. C. Africa. D. Asia.
A
Proximity is a factor in explaining: A. a nation's political system. B. a nation's political and trade relationships. C. language patterns. D. demand conditions.
B
A country's location influences its trade relationships because: A. trade tends to occur with neighbors, often in subtle ways. B. proximity breeds contempt, a phenomenon that influences trade. C. southern countries have to trade with northern ones, due to climactic realities in the South. D. competitive advantage dictates that no contiguous countries can have the same levels of trade.
A
Although the growth rates of nonrenewable energy sources slowed after the 2009 global financial crisis: A. renewable energy's growth did not slow as a result of the financial crisis. B. renewables slowed only in Europe. C. the Middle East and Africa used the slowdown to increase exploration. D. South American nations nationalized nonrenewables to support their growth.
A
Australia's topography is: A. an inland plain and desert, with population concentrated along the coasts. B. like North Africa's, with population along the water and then desert and mountains. C. desert except for the central highlands. D. similar to North America's, with dissecting rivers, mountains, and some desert area.
A
Bodies of water coincide with: A. densely populated areas along seacoast, lakes, and rivers. B. reduced manufacturing and increased tourism. C. higher levels of pollution. D. reduced levels of temperate climates.
A
China's vast and mountainous terrain leads to: A. many languages and dialects. B. political unity, as in Switzerland. C. economic disparities. D. population divergences.
A
Companies whose operations are consistent with stakeholder theory: A. include Johnson & Johnson, eBay, Google, and Lincoln Electric. B. report lower earnings levels than their competitors. C. include McDonald's, Tri-Com, and Sierra Designs. D. have higher staff turnover rates than their competitors.
A
Densely populated areas coincide with: A. rivers, lakes, and seacoasts. B. inland waterways. C. rich mineral reserves and rare earth deposits. D. low levels of environmental awareness.
A
Ecologically sustainable businesses such as Patagonia recognize that doing business following the traditional approach, focusing on quarterly earnings, is not complete because it does not focus on: A. the negative impact of the business, such as excessive water usage. B. the cost of environmental sustainability. C. consumer needs for green merchandise. D. triple bottom-line accounting.
A
Environmental sustainability is both local and global because: A. environmental conditions do not recognize national borders. B. governments are not prepared to address environmental issues beyond the UN. C. business has become global, so sustainability must follow the trend. D. it is a political issue as well as an academic one.
A
Heavy oil is: A. a group of unconventional oil sources such as oil sands, shale, coal, and natural gas, that does not flow easily and via processing can yield oil. B. a rich oil found in deposits in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait whose molecular weight is heavier than normal oil. C. oil extracted from biomass that is reprocessed. D. Top grade oil drawn from wells.
A
Japan has been one of China's largest sources of imports, along with South Korea and the United States. Because there is still political enmity between China and Japan due to the Japanese occupation of parts of China during World War II, the best explanation for the present Japanese trade relationship with China is: A. geographical proximity. B. Asian interdependence. C. that only Japan manufactures to Chinese standards. D. a common written language.
A
Oil reserves and oil exploration are influenced by: A. above-ground issues such as political unrest, financial crises, and natural disasters. B. daily demand levels. C. climate-challenging areas. D. developed nations' oil fields.
A
On approval of chemicals, the EU's approach is: A. a conservative one, with regulation at the first sign of concern. B. laissez-faire, with chemical companies reporting to the public. C. controlled by the Environmental Protection Agency. D. to rely on the chemical companies to assess any danger or hazard.
A
One example of the effect of topography is: A. isolated language groups, which require special marketing adjustments. B. regional metals markets. C. a unified China. D. equal distribution of populations.
A
Plains and plateaus facilitate exchanges between people: A. except with deserts and other inhabitable climates. B. in all situations, in contrast to mountainous terrain. C. and Switzerland is a good example of this facilitated exchange. D. except in the 42nd parallel.
A
Stakeholder theory pushes managers to be clear about how they want to do business, so it encourages: A. recognition of and transparency with values and underlying principles. B. discussion of profit center margins. C. strategy development from the top down. D. decisive management.
A
Studies conducted by the World Bank indicate that tropical climates allow for: A. the unimpeded reproduction and growth of weeds, viruses, birds, insects, and parasites. B. the lack of need to provide heat and shelter that is present in northern climates. C. unparalleled trade. D. cultivation of citrus and four crops per year.
A
Swiss exports are concentrated, high-density products (cheese, chocolates, watches) that minimize the need for importing bulky materials because: A. mountain ranges increase transport costs in and out of Switzerland and limit local resources. B. the Swiss love of chocolate and watches influenced the export patterns. C. high density exports encounter lower tariffs. D. the Swiss chose not to have a strong agricultural base for an export strategy.
A
The North-South divide is a faulty explanation of: A. the intellectual and economic development that has excelled in northern areas. B. the U.S. Civil War. C. why urban populations tend to be richer than rural populations. D. the social forces that support agricultural development in developing economies.
A
The land, air, water, living organisms, and our ecosystem's formations that provide us with the goods and services on which our survival depends comprises our: A. natural capital. B. national endowment. C. topography. D. national birthright.
A
The precautionary principle establishes that: A. the industry has the duty to prove that its products are not dangerous. B. government testing decides which chemicals require monitoring. C. the marketplace can monitor chemical safety, following the invisible hand. D. free enterprise and buyer beware are sufficient monitors on chemical safety.
A
The stakeholder theory operates on: A. a network of tensions—the competing internal and external demands that form the business context. B. the assumption that hierarchical decisions and command and control are best. C. a socialist premise that business has obligations to society at large. D. the cooperation of all who have a vested interest in the success of the business.
A
The traditional U.S. business model: A. is input-process-output. B. assumes that business has an important set of social obligations. C. relies on banks to provide leverage. D. assumes that business owners, public or private, operate from articulated principles.
A
The world's most important inland waterway system runs: A. from the North Sea to the Black Sea. B. through the central U.S. along the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. C. into the center of South America along the Amazon. D. from the Gulf of Finland and St. Petersburg to Moscow.
A
This is the cleanest of the nonrenewable fuel sources, and it has become a substitute for oil. A. Natural gas B. Diesel C. Nuclear D. Kerosene
A
This material, when heated, will yield up to 25 liters or more per ton of input. A. Shale B. Biomass C. Natural gas D. Light petroleum
A
Traditional approaches to business focus on the goal of creating profits, while the stakeholder approach forces a business: A. to address its underlying values and principles. B. into a dialogue with unions and environmentalists. C. to dialogue with banks to establish community policies. D. to lay claim to territories of expertise.
A
Triple bottom line accounting is a good way for a business to: A. measure its sustainability activities and share the results with stakeholders. B. compare its sustainability results with other firms in the same sector. C. get gratis PR from its annual report. D. share evidence with its publics that sustainability is a costly endeavor.
A
Triple bottom-line (3BL) accounting is not a framework for sustainability because: A. its measures are not standardized and therefore, are not comparable. B. accountants are resistant to change. C. Wall Street has not approved its use. D. foreign and domestic factors affect its use.
A
Tropical rain forests are: A. a barrier to economic development. B. an important source of agriculture, due to their fertile soil. C. the equivalent of marshes along coasts. D. locations of significant rural population centers due to their bodies of water.
A
Why is every western coast between 20 and 30 degrees north or south of the equator dry? A. The winds blow away from the land, carrying moisture with them. B. This is coincidental. Egypt, which has a source of water, can support a large population. C. The equator is a tropical area, and the heat leads to evaporation. D. Western coasts are not dry; it is the interior of continents that becomes arid desert.
A
Why is sustainable business local and global simultaneously? A. It requires a simultaneous focus inside the business and widely outside it. B. Because all business is global, and all business requires a local presence. C. Sustainability is a borderless concept. D. Because we have no global businesses that are sustainable unless they are also local.
A
World Bank studies have shown that underdevelopment is often due to: A. factors such as parasites and viruses that are a part of tropical climates and expand unchecked because of the lack of winter temperatures. B. mental slowness in people of the climates around the equator. C. socialist political regimes. D. lack of government investment in education.
A
A way to measure a company's success in meeting its sustainable business goals is to: A. examine the return on investment. B. use triple bottom-line accounting. C. monitor the company in a social context. D. review the marketing materials.
B
Although it pollutes heavily, this energy source is on the rise everywhere, especially in China. A. Natural gas B. Coal C. Nuclear D. Diesel
B
An LCA conducted for a T-shirt convinced Patagonia that: A. recycled plastics were ecological choices for packing materials. B. industrially produced cotton used excessive amounts of water compared to organic cotton. C. South Africa provided a good source of raw materials. D. too many T-shirts were sold, and instead, should be recycled.
B
As an energy source, nuclear power: A. is growing insignificantly, except in developing countries. B. has been growing. C. has been rejected by France, which had one of the lowest greenhouse gas emissions in the industrialized world until they switched from nuclear power to coal. D. has been abandoned because of the dangers associated with the storage of spent fuel rods.
B
Backward integration can be used as a way to: A. develop political control of resources. B. build toward equity in developing economies. C. train management in developing economies. D. expand product lines in sustainable categories.
B
Certain geologic structures have led to the development of separate languages within the same country. These barriers include: A. political and cultural patterns. B. mountain barriers. C. linguistic tariffs. D. differentiating borders.
B
Climate influences: A. intelligence and energy levels, per the North-South divide. B. what people can do, physically and economically. C. levels of emotional well-being. D. adjustment and motivation.
B
Coal pollutes heavily: A. so its use has declined markedly in the past 15 years. B. yet its consumption has increased and is projected to continue, so that greenhouse gases are an issue, especially in China, the U.S., and India. C. yet it does not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. D. because coal-fired plants do not use scrubbers.
B
In Europe, sustainable approaches in business are, compared to such approaches in the U.S.: A. less costly due to reduced tax levels. B. more communal because business is understood as a social activity. C. less developed because business is not seen as an act of individual freedom. D. more developed because there is less interfering legislation.
B
Instead of declining, this nonrenewable energy source, because of its lack of pollution and the generally rising price of oil, has seen significant growth. A. Wind power B. Nuclear power C. Geothermal power D. Petroleum
B
Nations whose mountains divide them into smaller regional areas include: A. U.S., Mexico, and Canada. B. Switzerland, Afghanistan, China, and Colombia. C. Luxembourg, France, and Romania. D. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
B
Natural resources are anything: A. that is alive in the natural world. B. provided by nature on which people depend. C. any raw material that becomes a component in a manufactured good. D. that is used for food or fuel.
B
Petroleum, a relatively cheap nonrenewable energy source, is: A. in abundant supply but is not environmentally clean. B. being increasingly depleted and is expected to run out in another 50 years, but in the meantime, improved retrieval techniques are being developed. C. clean, cheap, and available, but its major issue as a fuel is that most of the reserves are located in countries whose leadership is critical of the industrialized world. D. expected to run out in another 10 years and needs to be replaced with renewable energy sources quickly.
B
The significance of oil's peak production is that: A. China and India will need to modify their fuel consumption patterns with peak oil. B. it lets us know how much time we have to make the adjustment to renewables. C. it serves to spread the word that fossil fuels will deplete. D. oil companies will have to find new revenue services.
B
The stakeholder model requires businesses to think about: A. the stakeholders' interest in profitability. B. the network of tensions caused by competing demands. C. strategy in light of sustainability. D. the frequency of social issues faced by the stakeholders.
B
This area leads the world in environmentally sustainability. A. Brazil B. Europe C. China D. Switzerland
B
Thomas Merton linked interdependence with: A. triple bottom-line accounting as a way to build sustainability. B. compassion, as the first step in sustainability. C. our approach to fossil fuel consumption, which is clearly unsustainable. D. survival of the fittest.
B
Topography, including mountains, deserts, plains, and bodies of water, greatly influence: A. political relationships. B. the physical distribution of products and services. C. the local approach to education and health services. D. local attitudes toward industrially developed economies.
B
A good example of the relationship between water supply and population concentration is: A. Eastern Europe. B. China. C. Australia. D. Japan.
C
Climate is probably the most important element of the physical forces as it sets the limits on: A. annual rainfall, thus water supply. B. population growth patterns. C. what people can do physically and economically. D. expected FDI.
C
Deserts and tropical forests seem to be opposites, but they have this trait in common. A. They are good vacation spots so are an economic stimulator. B. They have small populations on their edges. C. They separate markets, thereby increasing transportation costs. D. They are hospitable to insects.
C
Energy consumption by fuel type reveals that fuel use has been dominated since 2010 by: A. renewable energy sources. B. nuclear energy and coal. C. nonrenewable energy sources. D. solar and wind power.
C
Geographical proximity contributes to: A. limited knowledge of the country by its neighbors. B. standardized freight costs. C. the likelihood of trade relationships. D. distrust and contempt.
C
Geothermal power is: A. a type of solar generation. B. a synonym for nuclear power. C. power from heat stored in the earth. D. biomass.
C
One value of life cycle assessment is: A. the Footprint Chronicles, which address the trade-offs of global sourcing. B. the ecosystem model of sustainability that it provides. C. that it encourages the development of product stewardship over the product's life. D. that it identifies products in their mature stage, so they can be reengineered.
C
Sam Palmisano, CEO of IBM, has described a new way of doing business that goes to equity of distribution by observing that: A. profit sharing will need to increase. B. stakeholder theory provides a way forward, combining local and global. C. IBM would end its colonial company model and move on to an integrated model with high levels of trust among stakeholders. D. to each according to his needs makes a lot of sense.
C
The North-South divide draws on climatic differences to explain: A. population differences. B. trade patterns. C. differences in human development. D. cultural differences.
C
The three characteristics of evolving sustainable business practices are: A. local, global, and improving quality of life. B. environmental sustainability, quality of life sustainability, and triple bottom-line accounting. C. limits, interdependence, and equity. D. being green, centering on the customer's needs, and demonstrating simple kindness.
C
Cradle-to-cradle (C-2-C) design: A. identifies differing levels of success among the national players in world markets. B. builds on endowment factor differentials. C. measures the impact of climate on development. D. closes the production loop so there is no waste.
D
Four countries processing oil-bearing shale are: A. China, Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia. B. Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the U.S., and Mexico. C. Qatar, Libya, Nigeria, and Venezuela. D. the U.S., Germany, Russia, and China.
D
In more dense populations, international managers can expect: A. increased political discord. B. markets that respond well to word-of-mouth promotion. C. contrasting topographical features. D. lower marketing and distribution costs.
D
Interface, the producer of FLOR carpeting, has a solid record in sustainable business practice and: A. makes impressive contributions to sustainable development in developing economies. B. is committed to triple bottom-line accounting. C. spins its products from heavy-oil petroleum. D. sources its raw materials from recycled petroleum-based carpeting.
D
Natural gas: A. includes gas from oil, heavy oil, and oil sands. B. is mostly sourced through imports in the U.S. C. used in the U.S. frequently originates in China. D. consumption is increasing because it is the cleanest of the fossil fuels.
D
Renewable energy: A. will replace fossil fuels, due to price, depletion, or carbon emissions, within 10 years. B. is essentially a political issue in developed economies. C. is not actually renewable long term. D. is available everywhere, in some form.
D
Stakeholder theory is an understanding of how business works when it: A. takes into account culture and environmentalism. B. rejects the importance of the bottom line. C. emphasizes planning. D. takes into account all identifiable interest holders.
D
The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), unlike the Kyoto Protocol, a UN convention on climate change, is A. regulated by the EU. B. regulated by the U.S. C. controlled by the IMF. D. made up of corporate members.
D
The main transportation artery of Europe is the: A. Venice canal system. B. Danube-Dresden waterway. C. Lake Constantine system. D. Rhine waterway.
D
The relationships among ecological, social, and economic systems in sustainable environments need to be: A. discreet. B. renewable. C. positive. D. interdependent.
D
Unconventional sources of petroleum such as oil sands and shale are often grouped together and referred to as: A. nonrenewable hopes. B. new sources. C. peak sources. D. heavy oil.
D