MGMT 495 FINAL
According to the five forces model, which of the following is viewed as a major risk to a business pursuing a cost-leadership strategy?
innovation that allows competitors to emerge with more economical replacements
Frederica, the chief financial officer at a moped manufacturer in Canada, wants to build new plants in Canada rather than overseas. Which of these points should she make as she argues her case to the board of directors?
"It will be much more difficult to protect our intellectual property if we build factories overseas."
Which of the following best illustrates forward vertical integration?
A firm that manufactures and sells car engines to major automobile companies launches its own line of cars
Mediflow, a medium-sized medical technology company, has been successful in its research and development but needs improvement in its European sales. Which of these actions would most likely lead to long-term success for Mediflow's European sales?
Acquire a company that has a successful medical technology sales force in Europe so that Mediflow can gain access to new distribution channels.
Which of the following statements about managing alliance-related tasks is true?
Alliance management capability is based on three alliance-related tasks.
Which of the following statements is true about managing alliance-related tasks?
Alliance management capability is based on three alliance-related tasks.
How does horizontal integration within an industry affect the surviving firms?
By strengthening the bargaining power of the surviving firms vis-à-vis suppliers and buyers
Midas Touch, a venture capital firm, has the opportunity to invest in one of two firms that are in the process of globalizing. Coolco, an air-conditioner manufacturer, faces intense pressure from its home market. Barker, a dog-toy manufacturer, has encountered little competition in its country of origin. In which company should Midas Touch invest?
Coolco, because firms that face stiff competition at home tend to do better abroad
Future Clothes Inc., a publicly traded company, designs and manufactures wearable technology. What approach should Future Clothes take after a long period of horizontal integration in its industry? Assume that the industry is now stable and competitors have not made any major changes in price or marketing recently.
Focus on research and development as a form of non-price competition.
Which of the following best explains why a blue ocean strategy is difficult to implement?
It requires the reconciliation of fundamentally different strategic positions—differentiation and low cost.
Which of the following businesses is most susceptible to negative network effects?
Pics Match is a social media platform where users upload photos to the site and are matched with other users who have taken similar photos.
Skylark Sodas has been a market leader in the soft drink industry for several decades. However, its market research shows that consumer tastes have begun to shift to sugar-free flavored seltzer waters, a product that Skylark is capable of producing with minimal changes to its facilities and production processes. Based on your knowledge of the core competence-market matrix, which diversification strategy should Skylark pursue?
Redeploy and recombine existing core competencies to compete in markets of the future.
In developed economies, the electric car industry is in the introduction stage, and the industry for MP3 players is in the shakeout phase. What does this imply?
The industry for electric cars will focus more on product innovation, whereas in the MP3 player industry, the focus will be on process innovation.
Which of the following is true of acquisitions?
They can be friendly or hostile.
While cell phones with holographic keyboards are currently in the introduction stage of the industry life cycle, tablet computers are in the growth stage. In the context of this scenario, which of the following statements is true?
While the industry for cell phones with holographic keyboards will focus more on product innovation, the tablet industry will focus more on process innovation.
Which of the following best illustrates physical-asset specificity?
a machine solely designed to give a candy its trademarked shape
Sky Pioneers Inc. manufactures airplane parts. It wants to globalize and is willing to spend a considerable amount to protect its intellectual property. Which of these business ventures makes the most sense for Sky Pioneers?
acquiring an airplane-parts manufacturer in another country
GoodGear is a mobile platform that matches independent fashion designers with consumers who want a personalized wardrobe. Which of the following initiatives would best allow GoodGear to fine-tune its offerings to better meet the needs of its consumers?
allowing users to provide feedback to producers on the style and fit of clothing
Which quadrant in the core competence-market matrix is the hardest to pursue?
building new core competencies to create and compete in markets of the future
The managers at Camphor Plastics decided that their firm needed to diversify because of overall falling sales and lower performance in one sector. How does diversifying compensate for the lackluster performance in this sector?
by having higher performance in another sector
Which of the following is an example of social entrepreneurship? The committee approved the new formula for an all-purpose cleaner because it
cleaned as well as other cleaners and used organic ingredients.
Sunshine Technologies introduced a tablet that could run completely on solar energy and was less expensive than competitors' tablets. On the downside, it required more frequent charging than the competition's tablets. However, the technology of the Sunshine tablet improved rapidly, thereby improving its recharge frequency. This example describes Group of answer choices
disruptive innovation.
The leading producer of cell phone backup batteries, Jumpstart, has achieved great success because they produce high-quality battery backups that are not too expensive. Even so, another company that produces lower-quality batteries at the same price has also achieved some success, but not as much as Jumpstart. Also, in general, the price of backup batteries has declined because of economies of scale and learning. In addition, Jumpstart has added complementary assets, such as a carrying case. Considering all of these factors, the backup battery industry is most likely in the
growth stage.
The Martinez Legal Firm (MLF) recently acquired a smaller competitor, Miller and Associates, which specializes in issues not previously covered by MLF, such as land use and intellectual property cases. Given the increase in the firm's size and complexity, it is likely that its internal transaction costs will
increase.
Bejukistan Laboratories Inc. has a national competitive advantage in the pharmaceutical industry. This means that the country
is a world leader in the pharmaceutical industry.
Michael Porter's diamond framework explains
national competitive advantage.
A payroll company in the nation of Antono is seeking to expand beyond its borders while limiting administrative and political distance in the new country. Which potential site is the best one for this type of expansion?
one that used to have a colonizer or colonized relationship with Antono
Which of the following is a firm effect that has an impact on the competitive advantage of a firm?
the value and the cost position of the firm relative to its competitors
A differentiation strategy works best when a
firm has intangible resources, is able to pass on increases in supplier cost to the customer, and its differentiation appeal creates customer loyalty.
Culinary Solutions Inc. manufactures cooking and baking equipment and has its base in the country of Vandevar. It has approximately 300 stores across the country and is already active in three foreign countries. It attempts to establish itself in the country of Balalaika, and uses its low-cost strategy to do so. However, due to the additional costs associated with training, coordinating across geographic distances, and other costs associated with doing business in an unfamiliar cultural and economic environment, Culinary Solutions Inc. incurs huge financial losses in Balalaika. In this scenario, Culinary Solutions Inc.'s failure to establish itself successfully in Balalaika occurs most likely because
it underestimated its liability of foreignness when entering the Balalaika market.
Worldwide Minerals Inc. wants to expand into the international market. It does not want to spend a very large amount of money for this process. However, Worldwide Minerals wants to maintain some control in the foreign market. Which of the following would be the best entry mode for this firm?
joint ventures
Heartbeat Industries has recently introduced a new production method that will make the production of their medical devices more cost-effective. Which of the following will most likely be the result of this innovation?
jumps to a steeper learning curve
While the personal computer industry is flooded and growing with laptops and tablets, Malik recently bought a desktop, his first personal computer. He realized that a computer at home would be helpful for his children for their school projects, and he could use it to maintain the simple accounts of his plumbing business. Which of the following customer segments does Ivan best represent? Group of answer choices
laggards
Which of the following best illustrates a merger between the two companies HQ Inc. and AV Inc.?
HQ Inc. and AV Inc. join together to form a single new company called HQAV Inc.
Unicorn Toys faces stiff competition from Playtime Inc., a rival firm with which Unicorn Toys has achieved differentiation parity. Both firms have invested in state-of-the art production facilities and have similar learning curves of 85 percent. Assuming neither firm can reduce the cost of its input factors, how can Unicorn Toys achieve a competitive advantage as a cost leader?
Have a cumulative output that is greater than Playtime Inc.'s.
Which of the following scenarios would be characteristic of an entrepreneur?
Rachel implemented a new and more efficient way to produce pottery.
Sven is a senior vice president at a textile manufacturer that wants to move from being 20 percent globalized to 70 percent globalized in the next 10 years. What are some possible drawbacks that Sven's company must anticipate?
Rising wages may cancel out cost savings of access to low-cost input factors.
In the multiplex industry, Vibrant Movies Inc. is an upscale multiplex that focuses on superior customer experience. The firm charges premium prices for its movie tickets and services. Global Cine Inc., in contrast, charges the lowest price in the industry with its no-frills approach. In between these two segments is True Movies Inc., which offers a customer experience comparable to that of Vibrant Movies at a price almost as low as that of Global Cine. What strategy is True Movies pursuing in this scenario?
blue ocean strategy
How does availability of complements act as a value driver?
Complements add value to a product when they are consumed in tandem with it.
Using the Boston Consulting Group growth-share matrix, the managers of Xylicon International determined that their business unit devoted to personal health monitoring devices was a star. Based on this finding, which of the following strategies is likely to produce the best results?
Increase investment in the personal health monitoring unit to encourage future growth.
Greenway Industries is a major multinational conglomerate. Its business units compete in a range of industries, including home appliances, pharmaceuticals, commercial real estate, and plastics manufacturing. Although its largest business unit, which produces kitchen appliances, is among the most profitable in the industry, it generates only 35 percent of the company's revenues. Which of the following is most likely true of Greenway's stock price?
It is valued at less than the sum of its individual business units.
Myriad Inc., a well-established and reputed multinational enterprise (MNE), is headquartered in a highly developed economy. It wants to start its operations in New Denistan, considered one of the less-developed nations in the world. How will this strategic move most likely affect Myriad Inc.?
It will benefit from economic arbitrage.
While KFC focuses on international markets, its competitor, Chick-fil-A, focuses on the domestic U.S. market. What is the reason behind this strategic difference? Group of answer choices
KFC has more financial resources than Chick-fil-A since it is a publicly traded stock company.
Makes Scents Inc., a company that manufactures and sells premium perfumes, is pursuing an international strategy. PriceSmasher Inc., a supermarket chain, follows a multidomestic strategy. Which of the following statements is most likely true of this scenario?
Makes Scents Inc. will sell the same products in both domestic and foreign markets, whereas PriceSmasher Inc. will customize its product offerings to suit local requirements.
Because strategic alliances rarely work as well as managers expect they will, why do companies continue to go through with them?
Many owners, managers, and business analysts believe they are essential to survive in an industry.
Thomas is the owner of a landscaping company that caters to a very wealthy clientele. His company has struggled to differentiate itself from the other high-end landscapers in the area, but because he has hired several expensive but highly-qualified team members, Thomas is unable to shift to a cost leadership strategy. Which strategy is most likely to achieve a competitive advantage?
Narrow the scope of competition and focus on unique features such as the use of organic material
Phoenix Guitars is interested in pursuing backward integration to take greater ownership of the extraction of raw materials and production of components used in its signature line of guitars. Although this approach would lower the overall cost of producing a guitar, the costs associated with producing electronic pickups for sound amplification are far greater than those associated with sourcing pickups from a reliable supplier. Which of the following approaches is likely to produce superior results?
Pursue taper integration.
Both Bison Autos and Sparrow Inc. incur a cost of $9,000 to manufacture a vehicle. However, the economic value created by Sparrow Inc. is more than that created by Bison Autos. What does this indicate?
Sparrow Inc. can charge a premium price on its automobiles.
Starfish Sodas has successfully achieved a competitive advantage in the soft drink industry as a differentiator. Which of the following scenarios would undermine Starfish's position?
Starfish's customers start to consider soda a commodity.
Showstopper Inc. dominates the ladies' wig market and wants to expand into men's toupees. How can Showstopper's managers determine whether the company should develop a toupee division internally, ally with a toupee maker, or acquire a toupee-making firm?
The managers need to determine whether the skills needed to create wigs and toupees are similar and whether Showstopper creates better hairpieces than its competitors do.
Braintree Inc., a manufacturer of smartphones, has entered into a 15-year partnership with a software company to develop sophisticated operating systems and innovative mobile applications for its phones. This would mean that both the companies will have to mutually share their resources, knowledge, and capabilities to develop a superior product. What is the relationship between Braintree and the software company best referred to as in this scenario?
a strategic alliance
Vassar Systems Inc. wants to globally expand its market. It intends to ensure that its mode of foreign entry allows it to have strong control over its operations and protect its intellectual property, though that may mean investing a significant amount of capital and other resources. In this scenario, which of the following foreign entry modes would best suit Vassar Systems?
acquisition
Managers at Durkmunder, a firm in West Feenistan, want to make their company a global leader in business process outsourcing (BPO). What should the Durkmunder managers look for as they decide where to locate their BPO facilities?
an abundance of well-educated English speakers
The Palace Hotel Group purchased Orange Roof Hotels for an estimated value of $120 billion. All the hotels previously owned by Orange Roof Hotels are now managed by the Palace Hotel Group and are known as Palace hotels. What does this scenario best illustrate?
an acquisition
DigitalHealth Electronics Inc. is a company that builds diagnostic devices. It was the first company to develop a compact MRI scanner by reconfiguring the components of the MRI technology. This smaller and user-friendly version of the huge MRI scanner created demand from small hospitals, nursing homes, and private practice doctors who were earlier dependent on the scanning machines in large hospitals. Which of the following types of innovations does this scenario best illustrate?
architectural innovation
Radial Autos currently sources components such as airbags, upholstery, and brake pads from various suppliers in the industry value chain. In order to lower costs and reduce the risk of interruptions in the supply of components, Radial should pursue
backward integration.
Marble Inc. is a new firm that entered the smartwatch industry during the growth stage of the industry life cycle. It managed to become one of the top-three smartwatch manufacturers during the shakeout stage due to its low-cost structure. What features should Marble emphasize in its product marketing to ensure it successfully crosses the chasm into the maturity stage?
ease of use
Heirloom Furniture is a brand reputed for its wide variants of sofas that introduced a new range of mattresses and bed frames a few years ago. Since most of its products could be produced using the same resources and technology, the company's cost structure lowered, while its product portfolio widened. In this scenario, which of the following value and cost drivers is Heirloom applying?
economies of scope
It is important for a firm to win over the early majority section of the market to ensure the commercial success of an innovation because they
enter into the market in large numbers, creating a herding effect.
As a research scholar, Denise had built a helicam as part of her project. The helicam could capture aerial images. Realizing the potential use of this product in movie production and military and rescue operations, she started a new venture where she could customize these helicams to fit the specific needs of the buyers and sell them. Denise can be best described as a(n)
entrepreneur.
Trader Joe's successfully used a blue ocean strategy by offering lower cost food than Whole Foods for the same market of patrons. By doing this, Trader Joe's was able to
gain a market share and make up the loss in margin through increased sales.
When a differentiator charges a similar price as its competitors in the same strategic group but offers more perceived value, it
gains market share from other firms.
Lillypad Toys is a manufacturer of educational toys for children. Six months ago, the company's research and development division came up with an idea for a unique touchscreen device that can be used to introduce children to a number of foreign languages. Three months ago, the company produced a working prototype, and last month the company successfully launched its new device on the commercial market. What should Lillypad's managers prepare for next?
increased competition from imitators
Quick Clean Chemicals outsources its production to contract manufacturers located in underdeveloped nations where unskilled labor is available in plenty for very low wages. This has helped the company become a price leader in the chemicals industry. Which of the following is the key driver behind Quick Clean's strategic position?
low-cost input factors
Icarus Airway's decision to acquire Midas Fuels Inc. proved to be ill-fated because the Icarus managers overestimated their abilities and skills. They believed that they had the skills to manage such diversified businesses and create additional shareholder value. However, the acquisition failed to create the anticipated synergies because the managers' capabilities were restricted to the airline industry. What does this scenario best illustrate?
managerial hubris
Badlands Corp., a tool and die maker, is considering where to locate its new factories and offices. According to the CAGE distance model, which of these countries is statistically most attractive to Badlands? Group of answer choices
one that is in the same trading bloc as Badlands' home country
Anthonia is a senior manager at Buxley Corp., a motorcycle manufacturer. Buxley has entered an equity alliance with Supremo, a moped manufacturer. "Don't worry, Anthonia," her counterpart at Supremo tells her. "I'm going to send you all our guidelines and documentation for manufacturing catalytic converters, and then you'll be all set." What else should Anthonia request from Supremo?
personnel exchanges to share tacit knowledge
True Tomato Inc. makes organic ketchup. To promote its products, this firm decided to make bottles in the shape of tomatoes. To accomplish this, True Tomato worked with its bottle manufacture to create a set of unique molds for its bottles. Which of the following specialized assets does this example demonstrate?
physical-asset specificity
The managers at Speed Automobile Inc. want to diversify the business by acquiring a consumer electronics company. This acquisition would mean increased job security, higher compensation, and greater decision-making authority for the managers. The managers correlate this acquisition to greater power for them rather than to the appreciation in shareholder value. In this scenario, this acquisition by Speed Automobile is most likely a result of
principal-agent problems.
Amazon.com has decided to enter the college bookstore market. The goal of "Amazon Campus" is to offer co-branded university-specific web sites that offer textbooks and paraphernalia, such as logo sweaters and baseball hats. This development shows Amazon's relentless pursuit of
product diversification.
Toyota's global success in the 1990s and early 2000s was based to a large extent on a network of world-class suppliers in Japan. This tightly knit network allowed for fast two-way knowledge sharing—this in turn improved Toyota's quality and lowered its cost, which it leveraged into a successful blue ocean strategy at the business level. This example shows the effectiveness of
related and supporting industries/complementors.
Beagle Autos is known for its affordable and reliable brand of consumer vehicles. Because its shareholders expect to see an improved rate of growth in the coming years, Beagle's executives have decided to diversify the company's range of products so that at least 40 percent of the firm's revenue is generated by new business units. However, the company's resources, capabilities, and competencies are limited to producing other forms of motorized vehicles, such as motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). Which type of corporate diversification strategy should Beagle pursue?
related-constrained
Medequip Inc. is a large firm involved in the highly competitive market of high-tech medical equipment. In this market, smaller firms that focus on research are constantly making new technological developments. Which of the following approaches would best serve the needs of Medequip?
serial acquisitions
Edna Gomez is the founder of the restaurant chain Good and Green. She ensures that the products in her stores are ethically and responsibly sourced. Most products are therefore 100 percent organic and all packaging is manufactured from recycled material. Also, her company sources ingredients from farms within 100 miles from her locations. Edna's belief is that her restaurants should be able to support the community at large. Which of the following terms best describes Edna Gomez?
social entrepreneur
Fortress International, a large conglomerate, procures a few component parts from external suppliers and also manufactures some of the key raw materials in its own subsidiaries. Aside from this, the company does not solely depend on outside distributors to reach its customers. In fact, it has its own retail stores to distribute its products. In this scenario, which of the following alternatives to vertical integration is Fortress International applying?
taper integration
