mgmt questions 2

In the United States, utility patent owners are granted a term of ________ years of protection.

20

Functional teams typically have a project manager or dedicated liaison personnel.

False

If the knowledge underlying a particular technology is tacit, competitors will typically find it very easy to duplicate.

False

Combining the capabilities and other resources of partner firms but not necessarily transferring those resources between the partners is referred to as ________.

Capability complementation

Design for manufacturing

A method of facilitating the integration between engineering and manufacturing and improving the efficiency of product development process by bringing issues of manufacturability into the design process as early as possible.

Pioneer Athletics Inc. wants to provide better landing mats for gymnasts. It therefore asks its foam suppliers to use a new innovative process to manufacture higher quality, durable foam for use in its mats. This new process used to develop the foam represents a(n) ________ for Pioneer Athletics.

Enabling technology

Alpha Information Inc. is a firm that manufactures desktop computers and wireless network hardware components. The company is spending heavily on R&D to experiment with new designs for wireless networks instead of trying to refine how well they make their current wireless network hardware components. The firm is going through a period of ambiguity and anxiety. Alpha Information Inc. is in the:

Era of ferment

According to the net present value method of discounted cash flow analysis, the time required to break even on a project using discounted cash flows is known as period of return.

False

Derivative projects offer fundamental improvements in the cost, quality, and performance of a technology over preceding generations.

False

Discovery of scientific principles that pertain to natural laws can be patented.

False

In the product development process, expenditures increase as uncertainty increases.

False

Joint ventures are less appropriate than strategic alliances when a firm places great importance on access to other firms' competencies.

False

Customers who face the same general needs of the marketplace but are likely to experience them months or years earlier than the rest of the market and stand to benefit disproportionately from solutions to those needs are referred to as __________.

False -> often temporary with core members dedicated full-time to the project

In heavyweight teams, all team members are dedicated full-time to a project even after the completion of the project. Hence, these teams are permanent in nature.

False -> often temporary with core members dedicated full-time to the project

It is generally more difficult to protect a product innovation than a process innovation.

False -> process innovations are often more difficult to protect

Obtaining some of the necessary capabilities or resources from a partner rather than building them in-house will increase a firm's asset commitment.

False -> relying on partners to complement capabilities decreases a firm's asset commitment

Felix has designed a pair of sunglasses that can be folded and put into a case that easily fits into a shirt or pant pocket. Felix wants to know if he can receive a patent on this invention. Which of the following responses would be most accurate according to U.S. patent law?

He cannot receive a patent since he is merely making the sunglasses more portable.

After much research, Angela has designed a new automobile tire with a unique polycarbonate exterior that cannot be punctured. In the context of the U.S. patent law, which of the following statements would be truefor this invention?

It can be patented as it is useful, novel, and not obvious

Which of the following statements is true of outsourcing?

It carries a risk of proprietary technology being expropriated by the contract manufacturer

Which of the following is a disadvantage of using internal rate of return for assessing a project?

It discriminates heavily against long-term and risky projects.

Which of the following is a disadvantage associated with autonomous teams?

It is hard for autonomous teams to fold back into the parent organization when a project is completed.

Which of the following statements is true of conjoint analysis?

It is most commonly used to assess the relative importance to customers of different product attributes.

Trekker Inc. has developed a product with a very short product development cycle. Which of the following can it typically expect?

It will be able to provide complementary goods to enhance the attractiveness of its product.

Customers who face the same general needs of the marketplace but are likely to experience them months or years earlier than the rest of the market and stand to benefit disproportionately from solutions to those needs are referred to as ________.

Lead users

Alpen Inc. is a manufacturing firm that holds the patent for a new food processing machine that is considerably safer and more efficient than the others available in the market. Being the only firm that manufactures this product, Alpen charges a very high price for it. This is referred to as ________.

Monopoly rent

Coolers Inc. has developed a new generation of air conditioners. It has upgraded the old technology by making the air conditioners work on voice sensors instead of remote control. Though the technology is new, Coolers has decided to introduce the product in the market at a low cost. This project is a(n) ________ project for Coolers Inc.

Platform

Technology trajectories are path dependent.

True

When technology is progressing rapidly, firms are more likely to:

Use linkages with other specialized firms to access resources they do not possess.

Sally came up with a unique recipe for cookies and is selling them through exclusive outlets across all Atlanta. As the sales skyrocket, her friends tell her to patent the recipe. However, she is so protective of her recipe that she does not want to reveal her secret ingredients to a government agency. Is there anything she can do to keep the recipe legally protected

Yes, her recipe can be considered a trade secret and she can legally prevent others from benefiting from her recipe without her permission.

A variety of rice created by Biocrop Inc. through recombinant DNA technology was found to be rich in both carbohydrates and proteins. After the success of this rice variety, recombinant DNA technology was implemented by less-developed countries to increase the nutrient levels of fruits, pulses, and greens in order to feed their malnourished children. This is an example of ________.

Technological spillover

Appropriability (in innovation)

The degree to which a firm is able to capture the rents from its innovation.

Which of the following statements is true of a monopoly cost curve?

The steepness of the monopoly cost curve is largely a function of a firm's discretionary behavior.

Which of the following is true of quantitative methods of analyzing new projects, particularly in rapidly changing environments?

They enable managers to use rigorous statistical comparisons of projects.

The difference between copyrights and trademark protection is that:

Trademark is an indicator used to distinguish the source of a good.

A company with a short development cycle can quickly revise or upgrade its offering as design flaws are revealed or technology advances

True

A firm can benefit from developing antichampions in pursuing new product developments.

True

After licensing a technology, a firm typically has limited discretion over what it can do with the technology.

True

Calculating the internal rate of return of a project typically must be done by trial and error.

True

Heavyweight teams are suitable for platform projects.

True

In the context of product development teams, which of the following statements is true?

As the size of a team increases, the potential for social loafing increases.

Relational governance (in collaboration/alliances)

Self-enforcing norms based on goodwill, trust, and reputation of the partners. Typically emerge over time through repeated experiences of working together.

________ refers to the degree to which partners have compatible objectives and styles.

Strategic fit