Management 498 Chapter 1
Which of the following is a pitfall to avoid in strategic planning? A. Being too informal in planning B. Communicating too much information about the plan to employees C. Becoming so focused on current problems that planning is forgotten D. Moving too slowly from mission development to strategic formulation E. Involving too many key employees in all phases of planning
Becoming so focused on current problems that planning is forgotten
Business strategy is based on the assumption of competition. What is the assumption of military strategy? A. Communication B. Competition C. Collaboration D. Comparison E. Conflict
Conflict
Which of the following is not a financial benefit for organizations that use strategic management? A. Improved preparation for future fluctuations in external environments B. Improved productivity C. Improved sales D. Improved understanding of competitors' strengths E. Improved long-term financial performance
Improved understanding of competitors' strengths
Which of the following should a firm consider when engaging in strategic planning? A. Involving all managers in the process B. Delegating the process to a planner C. Using strategic planning to gain control over resources D. Moving quickly from the development of the mission to formulating strategy E. Being as formal as possible
Involving all managers in the process
Which of the following is a reason some firms do not engage in strategic planning? A. Effective planning is too expensive for the firm. B. There is no formal training in strategic management. C. There is no confidence in the strategic-planning process. D.The benefits of planning are overrated. E. There is little support from the organization.
There is no formal training in strategic management
In developing a strategic plan, which is an important first question to pose? A. Where are we now? B. What is our company strategy? C. Where do we want to go? D. How are we going to get where we want to go? E. What resources will we need?
Where are we now?
Apple's financially lean position with regard to manufacturing facilities provides the firm with _______ over Sony with a significant investment in manufacturing facilities. A. a competitive advantage B. a comparative advantage C. a sustained competitive advantage D. an opportunity E. a strategic advantage
a competitive advantage
That the strategic-management process is dynamic requires that the activities be performed: A. at least annually. B. every 5 years. C. when needed. D. semiannually. E. continually.
continually
A strategic plan is primarily designed to: A. provide the answer to all the organization's problems. B. provide input to the strategy implementation stage of strategic management. C. improve a firm's profit margins. D. gain and sustain competitive advantage. E. improve an organization's returns.
gain and sustain competitive advantage
The ability to prevent problems is often improved with strategic management as a result of improved: A. understanding of target markets. B. interaction among managers at all levels and across functions. C. ability to adapt to change. D. understanding of competitors' strengths and capabilities. E. ability to take correction action.
interaction among managers at all levels and across functions.
Integrating and analyzing knowledge of the business to formulate effective strategies is the essence of: A. change management. B. strategic planning. C. intuition. D.strategic evaluation. E. rational decision making.
intuition
Some firms view planning as a waste of time because: A. no product or service is produced. B. the process is too long. C. the process is never-ending. D. there is no guarantee of success. E. the return on investment is too low.
no product or service is produced
The changing demographics of an organization's target market are an example of: A. external opportunities and external threats. B. strengths and weaknesses. C. opportunities and threats. D. an answer to the firm's mission statement of who we are. E. economic trends.
opportunities and threats
In which stage of the strategic management process is an organization likely to develop a mission statement? A. Strategic opportunity identification B. Strategic planning C. Strategy evaluation D. Strategy formulation E. Strategy implementation
strategic formulation
The strategic management process begins with: A. strategy evaluation. B. strategy formulation. C. strategic opportunity identification. D. strategic planning. E. strategy implementation.
strategic formulation
The focus of strategic management is on: A. the generation of the firm's long-term game plan. B. the profits of the firm. C. strategic planning. D.identification of new target markets. E. the integration of all the functional areas of the business to achieve organizational success.
the integration of all the functional areas of the business to achieve organizational success.
Where did the history of strategic planning start? A. Business B. The military C. Greek mythology D. Non-profits E. Game play
the military
In which situation is intuition most likely to be useful for making strategic decisions? A. When the situation is understood with complete certainty B. When there is an abundance of data available C. When a flash of brilliance reveals the most effective course of action D. When there is little precedent E. When the situation calls for rational problem solving
when there is little precedent