MKT 3830 Chapter 2 Gur – Flashcards
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The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi, subscribes to a triple-bottom-line approach to competitive advantage—considering not only economic, but also social and environmental performance. Identify the phrase that represents the vision of PepsiCo as described by Ms. Nooyi. A. Human sustainability B. Environmental sustainability C. The whole person at work D. Performance with a Purpose
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d
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The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi, subscribes to a triple-bottom-line approach to competitive advantage—considering not only economic, but also social and environmental performance. Based on this, which of the following is a mission of PepsiCo? A. Including healthy choices in its lineup B. Performing with a purpose C. Focusing on only the nonalcoholic beverages line of business D. Splitting PepsiCo into two standalone companies each focusing on beverages and snack foods respectively
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a
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The first step in the strategic management process is to: A. define a firm's vision, mission, and values. B. understand the strategies of the competitors. C. put the guiding policies of a firm into practice. D. develop functional and business level strategies.
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a
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Strategic leadership pertains to the use of power and influence by _____ to direct the activities of others when pursuing an organization's goals. A. production workers B. lower-level managers C. external stakeholders D. corporate executives
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d
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Orange Synergy Inc. is a company that manufactures a variety of products that run on solar power. The company wants to ensure that solar technology replaces all forms of exhaustible energy sources in the near future. Which of the following statements will make an accurate vision for Orange Synergy? A. We make products that run on solar energy. B. All nations around the globe should have access to a sustainable energy source. C. The company aims to make working fun and pleasurable for its employees. D. We provide energy-efficient sources and services by investing in research and innovation.
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b
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True Help is a non-profit organization that works toward rehabilitating the homeless. The credo of the organization is "help us help you." For an organization like True Help, which of the following statements would make an appropriate mission? A. Help us help you find a home. B. One day, everyone in this nation will have a home to protect themselves. C. We help the homeless gain and sustain financial independence by providing employment opportunities. D. Our mission is to turn this not-for-profit organization into a for-profit organization so that the stakeholders are benefited.
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c
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Strategic commitments are actions that are: A. inexpensive. B. long-term oriented. C. easy to reverse. D. easy to imitate.
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b
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Visionary companies are able to outperform their competitors because: A. their vision statements are more product-oriented. B. they provide more aspirational visions. C. their visions are exclusively financial. D. they isolate internal stakeholders in defining their visions.
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b
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To be effective, firms need to: A. back up their visions with strategic commitments that are costly and difficult to reverse. B. increase their strategic flexibility by developing product-oriented vision statements. C. isolate top managers from the organizational values. D. pursue visions that are exclusively financial and not aspirational.
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a
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Which of the following statements about product-oriented visions is true? A. They tend to force managers to take a myopic view of the landscape. B. They allow companies to effectively adapt to changing environments. C. They define a business in terms of providing solutions to customers. D. They allow firms to take a need-based approach to their goals.
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a
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Cuisine Pro Inc. is a company that manufactures consumer electronics like refrigerators, washing machines, and dishwashers. Which of the following best illustrates a product-oriented vision for Cuisine Pro? A. To make people's life simple and easy B. To allow everyone to have the luxury of domestic technology C. To help people save time and energy spent on household chores D. To be the pioneering manufacturer of home and kitchen appliances
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d
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Which of the following statements is true of customer-oriented visions? A. Customer-oriented visions identify how a customer need will be met. B. Customer-oriented vision statements are not the same as listening to your customer. C. Customer-oriented visions reduce a company's ability to adapt to a changing environment. D. Customer-oriented visions define a business in terms of goods or services provided.
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b
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Which of the following is a customer-oriented vision? A. To be the most progressive insurance company B. To be the best automobile company in the world C. To enable people throughout the globe to identify their capabilities D. To manufacture innovative products through continuous learning
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c
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Pioneer Pharma Inc. and GH Medicines Corp. are two competing firms in the pharmaceutical industry. While Pioneer Pharma Inc.'s vision is "to be a preeminent drug manufacturer in the industry," GH Medicines Corp.'s vision is "to make good health a reality for everyone around the world." Which of the following is an implication of these different visions? A. GH Medicines's vision is more product-oriented than the vision of Pioneer Pharma. B. Pioneer Pharma is more likely to have a positive relationship between its vision and firm performance than GH Medicines. C. Pioneer Pharma's vision is more long-term and futuristic than GH Medicines's vision. D. GH Medicines will be more flexible than Pioneer Pharma when adapting to changing environments.
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d
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A positive relationship between vision statements and firm performance is more likely to exist when: A. visions are product-oriented. B. internal stakeholders are isolated from defining and revising the visions. C. organizational structures are aligned with the firm's vision statement. D. vision statements are equivalent to listening to the customers.
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c
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_____ are best described as the ethical standards and norms that govern the behavior of individuals within a firm. A. Job descriptions B. Customs duties C. Corrective controls D. Organizational values
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d
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Organizational values are the _____ that govern the behavior of individuals within a firm or organization. A. economic measures B. ethical standards and norms C. political principles and policies D. social beliefs and actions
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b
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When do employees fail to adopt the organizational values of a firm? A. When the internal stakeholders of the firm are involved in designing the values B. When the top managers in the firm are merely paying lip service to the firm's stated values C. When the strategic leaders in the firm propagate and exhibit the same values D. When the organizational structure, such as its strategic decision making, is aligned with its values
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b
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Organizational values help individuals make choices that are: A. legal but unethical. B. both illegal. C. both ethical and effective in advancing a company's goals. D. ethical but ineffective in achieving long-term success.
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c
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As the CEO of a conglomerate, Juana Mark exhibited her strong commitment toward the company's core value that customer's well-being is more important than profit when she decided to liquidate the company's tobacco subsidiary. The tobacco brand sold by her company was a major revenue earner in lesser-developed nations. However, Juana believed that her company had to be responsible toward the society. In this scenario, Juana has demonstrated _____. A. strategic leadership B. intrapreneurship C. Machiavellianism D. individualism
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a
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The pharmaceutical company Merck's new drug Vioxx was a blockbuster, generating revenues of $2.5 billion a year by 2002 and growing fast. When allegations began to appear in the medical community, Merck announced the voluntary withdrawal of Vioxx from the market. In this example, Merck provides an example of what can happen if a company deviates from its _____. A. voluntary responsibilities B. realized strategy C. core values D. strategic decisions
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c
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The _____ is a conceptual framework that views organizational outcomes—strategic choices and performance levels—as reflections of the values of the members of the top management team, who interpret situations through the lens of their unique perspectives. A. two-factor theory B. expectancy theory C. upper-echelons theory D. value orientation theory
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c
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According to the upper-echelons theory, the organizational outcomes of a company primarily reflect the values of the _____. A. production workers in the company B. CEO of the company C. housekeeping staff in the company D. external stakeholders of the company
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b
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According to the Level-5 leadership pyramid, a manager in Level 1 typically: A. makes productive contributions through motivation, talent, knowledge, and skills. B. works effectively with others to achieve synergies and team objectives. C. presents compelling vision and mission to guide groups toward superior performance. D. builds enduring greatness into the organizations he or she leads.
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a
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Nathan is part of a sales team. He effectively coordinates his tasks with others in the team and willingly contributes to their efforts in achieving the team's objectives. Thus, Nathan is in _____ of the Level-5 leadership pyramid. A. Level 5 B. Level 4 C. Level 3 D. Level 2
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d
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According to the Level-5 leadership pyramid, a manager at Level 3 has acquired the ability to: A. organize resources effectively to accomplish predetermined goals. B. build enduring greatness into the organizations he or she leads. C. identify the vision and the mission of the company. D. justify unethical activities as legal and ethical.
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a
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Richard is a manager. His colleagues and subordinates look up to him as a man who always does the right things. Along with other skills, his ability to effectively organize and deploy resources like manpower, material, and money has been appreciated by his seniors. According to the Level-5 leadership pyramid, which of the following levels would be the immediate next step for Richard? A. Level 2 B. Level 3 C. Level 4 D. Level 5
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c
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Gerald has been an employee with GeoFuture Inc. for 15 years. He started with an entry-level job, and today he is a manager of an entire division. Over the years, Gerald has acquired a reputation for doing the right things in the company. Hence, as an efficient leader, he is capable of effectively communicating and motivating his subordinates to work toward the company's vision and mission. According to the Level-5 leadership pyramid, which is the highest level of leadership Gerald has reached so far? A. Level 5 B. Level 4 C. Level 3 D. Level 2
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b
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According to the Level-5 leadership pyramid, a manager turns into an executive who is capable of building lasting greatness into the organization through a combination of will power and humility when he or she reaches _____. A. Level 5 B. Level 3 C. Level 2 D. Level 1
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a
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During an assessment of employees and leaders in a company, Ethan Browne was categorized as a Level-5 manager in the Level-5 leadership pyramid. Which of the following can be inferred from this information? A. Ethan is currently a team lead in the company. B. Ethan shows no signs of being a good leader. C. Ethan is a top management executive in the company. D. Ethan has just started his career as a member of a team in the company.
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c
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Which of the following managers in the Level-5 leadership pyramid are most capable of leading their organizations into great success by guiding the organizations toward building a sustainable competitive advantage? A. Level 1 B. Level 2 C. Level 3 D. Level 5
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d
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Which of the following best describes a Level-5 manager in the Level-5 leadership pyramid? A. Gina is an employee who just started her career GL Inc.; she has already been appreciated for her knowledge and skills in the new company. B. Derek is an employee at One Triangle Inc.; he has helped his team achieve their targets by contributing to the team's efforts. C. Harry is part of the marketing team at JB Corp.; he has been given the charge of managing a team of three based on which he will be promoted to a manager's position next month. D. Walter is the CEO of Red Autos Inc.; he has helped his company in gaining and sustaining a competitive advantage through ethical decision making.
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d
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As a part of strategy formulation, corporate strategy concerns questions relating to: A. why we should compete. B. how to compete. C. where to compete. D. how to implement the business strategy.
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c
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The CEO of True West Products Inc. (TWC) is a company that sells a wide range of products. It has decided to enter the markets of emerging nations like China and Brazil. This means that the cars, consumer electronics, and services such as hotels included under the TWC banner would be made available in these nations. Which of the following strategies does this scenario best illustrate? A. Corporate strategy-where to compete -W-W B. Functional strategy C. Business strategy D. Divisional strategy
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a
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As a part of strategy formulation, a firm's functional strategy primarily concerns questions relating to: A. where to compete. B. when to compete. C. how to implement business strategy. D. how to enter target markets.
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c
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In a large company, who is most responsible for devising the corporate strategy? A. The CEO of the company B. The lower-level employees in the company C. The head of the production department in the company D. The human resource manager in the company
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a
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Which of the following statements is true of corporate strategy? A. The objective of corporate-level strategy is to ensure that the sum of the values of individual business units is greater than the overall corporate value. B. A corporate strategy must be able to create synergies across business units that are quite different. C. Formulating a corporate strategy involves general managers answering questions relating to how to compete in order to achieve superior performance. D. Deciding whether to adopt a differentiation or a cost-leadership strategy is part of formulating the corporate strategy.
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b
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Carrvour Inc. is a company that manufactures steel, cement, cars, and consumer electronics under a single brand. The top management at Carrvour has decided to enter the banking and insurance industry based on its assessment of the profit potential in that industry. Which of the following strategies does this best illustrate? A. Corporate strategy B. Business strategy C. Functional strategy D. Divisional strategy
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a
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Due to political instability in the country of United Mapa, the strategic leaders at the headquarters of FT Supplies Inc. have decided to divest the company's business from the foreign market in United Mapa. This decision would be applicable to all the business units of FT Supplies Inc. operating in United Mapa. Thus, this is a _____. A. business strategy B. divisional strategy C. functional strategy D. corporate strategy
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d
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A(n) _____ is best described as a standalone division of a larger conglomerate, with its own profit-and-loss responsibility. A. corporation B. strategic business unit C. affiliate company D. functional department
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b
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Which of the following best illustrates a strategic business unit (SBU)? A. The human resource department of a large company that is responsible for hiring employees for all its divisional branches B. The consumer electronics division of a large company that also manufactures automobiles, apparel, and processed food C. The product development team at the headquarters of a fast-food chain D. The market segment which can be categorized between the income levels $10,000 and $25,000
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b
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A company's strategic business unit: A. does not need to adopt the overall corporate strategy. B. is responsible for its own profit and loss. C. is a division solely created to design strategies during turbulent times. D. decides which industries and markets to compete in for an entire conglomerate.
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b
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Who among the following is responsible for making business strategies in a large conglomerate? A. The board of directors at the headquarters B. The shareholder of the company C. The lower-level employees in the company D. The general managers of individual business units
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d
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Red Million Inc. is a large company that sells a variety of products such as apparel, jewelry, canned foods, consumer electronics, and automobiles. Apart from this, the company also has a strong presence in the service industry through its chain of hotels, fast food restaurants, and amusement parks. Each of its product divisions operates as an individual business and is responsible for its own profits and losses. Thus, these product divisions under Red Million can be referred to as _____. A. limited liability companies B. functional departments C. strategic business units D. corporations
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c
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Which of the following strategies best illustrates a generic business strategy? A. A cost-cutting strategy that corporate executives in the headquarters want all business units of a large conglomerate to implement B. A strategy to use monetary incentives to motivate employees working on a project C. A decision to computerize a firm's database in order to improve customer service D. A decision to niche market the jewelry sold by a company while the apparel division under the same company sells its products through mass marketing
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d
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Which of the following functions do the general managers in strategic business units primarily perform? A. Design generic business strategies based on guidelines received from corporate headquarters B. Set overarching strategic objectives to unify the entire conglomerate under one mission C. Take responsibility for decisions and actions within a single functional area D. Allocate scarce resources among different business divisions
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a
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T & R Autos Inc. is a large conglomerate that operates in 12 different countries. The corporate executives at the headquarters have decided that the company's objective for the next two years will be to increase its customer equity. Based on this guideline received from the top management team, the product leader of the home appliances division has decided to adopt a cost leadership strategy in all his 12 units. Thus, the decision made by the product leader best illustrates a _____. A. corporate strategy B. functional strategy C. grand strategy D. business strategy
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d
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The regional head for First Electronics Inc. in New Dalvia has decided to sell the company's products directly through company-owned stores because the distribution system in the market is primitive. In six other markets, however, the company will continue to operate through a franchise system. Thus, this decision made by the regional head at New Dalvia will be considered as a _____. A. corporate strategy B. tactical strategy C. functional strategy D. business strategy
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d
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White Leo Autos manufactures and markets four different cars, Leo Sport, Leo Prestige, Leo Spark, and Leo Ease. These four product variants are operated as individual business units. While the product leaders of Leo Sport, Leo Prestige, and Leo Spark have adopted a differentiation strategy to attract the niche market, the product leader of Leo Ease follows a cost-leadership strategy to suit the mass market. This decision of the product leader of Leo Ease can be ideally categorized as a _____. A. corporate strategy B. functional strategy C. business strategy-how to compete D. tactical strategy
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c
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To implement specific business strategies, general managers of strategic business units rely on: A. external stakeholders. B. corporate executives. C. strategic leaders. D. functional managers.
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d
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Strategies developed at the departmental level, such as the accounting human resource, production, and marketing departments, within a strategic business unit are referred to as _____. A. grand strategies B. corporate strategies C. business strategies D. functional strategies
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d
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_____ are primarily responsible for decisions and actions within their respective departments like finance, human resources, marketing, and production in a strategic business unit. A. Functional managers B. Corporate executives C. Strategic leaders D. General managers
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a
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Blue Bird Products Inc. (BBP) is a large conglomerate. The human resources department of its telecom division has decided to reduce its employee turnover by encouraging internal promotions. Which of the following strategies does this scenario best illustrate? A. Corporate strategy B. Business strategy C. Functional strategy D. Grand strategy
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c
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The production department at Coral Cements that is a subsidiary of the large conglomerate Five East Corp. has decided to adopt the FIFO (first in, first out) method of inventory to dispatch its cement bags. Which of the following strategies does this scenario best illustrate? A. Functional strategy B. Corporate strategy C. Master strategy D. Business strategy
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a
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Which of the following strategies best illustrates a functional strategy? A. The CEO of Dawn Companies Inc. has decided that the company will be entering the Asian market. B. The general manager of a product division of Aster Products Inc. has decided that 30 percent of the division's annual profits will be invested in research and development. C. The regional manager for the consumer electronics division of Dawson & Co. has decided that the division will pursue backward integration to save costs. D. The production manager at the apparel division of Style Culture Co. has decided that the department will hire contract workers for three months to meet the temporary demand.
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d
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How are the two approaches namely strategic planning and scenario planning different from strategy-as-planned-emergence approach? A. Strategy as a planned emergence model was introduced before strategic planning and scenario planning. B. Unlike strategic planning and scenario planning, strategy as a planned emergence model does not begin with a strategic plan. C. Relative to strategic planning and scenario planning, strategy as a planned emergence model is a less formal and less stylized approach to the development of strategy. D. Unlike strategic planning and scenario planning, strategy as a planned emergence model is a rational top-down planning approach.
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c
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In the top-down strategic planning approach, all strategic intelligence and decision-making responsibilities rest primarily on the _____. A. functional managers B. chief executive officer C. external stakeholders D. general manager
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b
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_____ is best described as a rational process in which executives at a company's headquarters take primary responsibility to program future success of the company they lead. A. Bottom-up strategic approach B. Top-down strategic planning C. Reverse mentoring D. Emergent strategic plan
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b
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Which of the following statements is true of top-down strategic planning? A. Information flows both ways in the process, from the upper management to the lower management and also the other way around. B. In this process, the formulation of strategy is separate from implementation. C. Employees at the operation level have major responsibility in strategizing for competitive advantage. D. The process is based on the assumption that the past cannot be used to predict the future.
answer
b
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A traditional top-down strategic planning process typically begins with: A. employees at the operational level identifying problems within an organization. B. functional managers formulating functional strategies for their respective departments. C. strategic leaders adjusting a company's vision and mission based on environmental analysis. D. employees who have close contact with customers taking autonomous actions.
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c
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Which of the following is an assumption that top-down strategic planning rests on? A. We can predict the future from the past. B. Time cannot be compressed at will. C. Decisions made in the past do not affect our future. D. Change is constant.
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a
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Top-down strategic planning works best when the: A. events in the future are highly unpredictable. B. past cannot be used to predict the future. C. lower-level employees in an organization are highly empowered. D. environment does not change much.
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d
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Which of the following is a top-down approach to the development of strategy that involves asking "what if" questions to anticipate plausible futures? A. Top-down strategic planning B. Bottom-up strategic thinking C. Scenario planning D. Reverse mentoring
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c
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The executives at Red Couture Inc. are developing strategic plans to address plausible future situations like rise in the prices of cotton and synthetic fabrics by 20 percent, appreciation in the value of dollar, increase in the cost of labor by 30 percent, and increase in demand for the company's products. By doing so, the company will be well-prepared with its planned responses if any of these situations occurs in the future. Thus, Red Couture is employing _____ as the approach to the development of strategy. A. scenario planning B. top-down strategic planning C. reverse engineering D. pattern recognition
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a
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Which of the following methods of developing a strategy best illustrates scenario planning? A. Based on the previous year's profits, the CEO of Kelvon Inc. decided to adopt an expansion strategy in its home market. B. A sales personnel of GL Foods Inc. suggested that the company should introduce a baked version of its potato wafers to cater to the needs of the increasing health-conscious population. C. The managers at Vion Autos Inc. formulated a strategy to tackle any increase in the prices of aluminum sheets in the future. D. The CEO of DHP Inc., a large conglomerate, has decided to enter the Asian market based on the competitor's success in the same market.
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c
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Which of the following statements accurately brings out the difference between top-down strategic planning and scenario planning? A. While in top-down strategic planning a top-down approach is used to develop strategies, in scenario planning a bottom-up approach is used. B. Scenario planning helps create strategic plans that are more flexible, and thus more effective, than those created through the more static strategic planning approach. C. While top-down strategic planning takes place at both the corporate and business levels of strategy, scenario planning takes place only at the corporate level. D. Top-down strategic planning addresses only pessimistic futures, whereas scenario planning addresses only optimistic futures.
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b
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Scenario planning typically begins with managers: A. developing different strategic plans to address possible future scenarios. B. building a portfolio of future strategic options. C. executing a dominant strategic plan. D. brainstorming to identify multiple plausible futures.
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d
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A(n) _____ is best described as the strategic option that top managers decide most closely matches the current reality and which is then executed. A. bottom-up emergent strategy B. executive summary C. realized strategy D. dominant strategic plan
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b
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Strategic flexibility is achieved when managers: A. choose to keep their vision statements more product-oriented rather than customer-oriented. B. respond to reality changes by activating alternate dominant plans or modifying the old plan. C. implement static top-down strategic planning approach to the development of strategy. D. overlook pessimistic future scenarios and only prepare for optimistic futures.
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d
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The critics of top-down strategic planning and scenario planning argue that: A. the strategies developed through these approaches are primarily based on an inspirational vision and not on hard data. B. these approaches do not believe that we can predict the future from the past. C. the development of strategies through these approaches is highly dependent on experience of front-line employees. D. these approaches do not allow for the necessary strategic thinking.
answer
d
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Strategic thinking is different from strategic planning in that: A. strategic thinking includes all types of information sources while strategic planning does not. B. strategic thinking relies more on hard data than strategic planning. C. strategic thinking is regimented and confining, whereas strategic planning is more flexible. D. strategic thinking can create an illusion of control, whereas strategic planning avoids this.
answer
a
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An intended strategy is best described as: A. a combination of its top-down strategic intentions and bottom-up emergent strategy. B. any unplanned strategic initiative undertaken by mid-level employees of their own volition. C. the outcome of a rational and structured, top-down strategic plan. D. a strategy developed at the lower levels of management to tackle unpredictable events.
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c
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After carefully assessing the market potential for hybrid cars, it was decided at the corporate headquarters of Unidawn Autos Inc. that the company would be launching a hybrid version of all its car models within the next two years. This would mean that each strategic business unit under the company would be involving in its own research and development efforts. Which of the following strategies in the planned emergence model does this best illustrate? A. Intended strategy B. Emergent strategy C. Unrealized strategy D. Tactical strategy
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a
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When parts of a firm's intended strategy fall by the wayside due to unpredictable events, it turns into a(n) _____. A. tactical strategy B. dominant strategy C. emergent strategy D. unrealized strategy
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d
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Unrealized strategy is when parts of a firm's intended strategy is: A. nonfunctional due to unexpected events. B. not revealed to the lower-level employees. C. implemented and controlled by front-line employees. D. planned to tackle some unforeseen events.
answer
a
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Molly Hue Apparels Inc. (MHA) had been outsourcing its production to less-developed countries in order to reduce its cost of production. With the emergence of its competitor, Hova Inc., MHA lost its competitive advantage. Hova had its production units in its home country that allowed the company to bring out the latest trends to the market earlier than MHA. Also, MHA frequently suffered due to political instability and lack of intellectual property laws in the outsourced countries. Thus, parts of MHA's strategies became obsolete and it had to relocate its production. What are such obsolete strategies referred to as in the planned emergence model? A. Intended strategy B. Emergent strategy C. Unrealized strategy D. Tactical strategy
answer
c
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Any unplanned strategic initiative undertaken by mid-level employees of their own volition is a(n) _____. A. dominant strategic plan B. unrealized strategy C. emergent strategy D. intended strategy
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c
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Unplanned strategic initiatives taken by the _____ within an organization will be referred to as an emergent strategy. A. suppliers and vendors of the organization B. shareholders of the organization C. team leads of project teams in the organization D. corporate executives in the organization's headquarters
answer
c
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The production head at the canned juice unit of True Foods Inc. would frequently stay back after office hours and experiment with new fruit juice flavors though this was part of the new product development team's job. As a result of these experiments, he came up with two new flavors of fruit juices, cherry-melon and melon-mint. After rigorous test marketing, which proved that the market would accept the new drinks, the product variants were successfully launched. Which of the following strategies does this scenario best illustrate? A. Intended strategy B. Emergent strategy C. Unrealized strategy D. Tactical strategy
answer
b
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A _____ is best described as any activity a firm pursues to explore and develop new products and processes, new markets, or new ventures. A. strategic initiative B. value chain C. supply chain D. corrective action
answer
a
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Which of the following statements is true of strategic initiatives? A. Strategic initiatives can be the result of a response to external trends or come from internal sources. B. When lower-level employees are less empowered, the possibility of strategic initiatives is higher. C. Strategic initiatives result from top-down planning by executives and not through a bottom-up process. D. Random events and accidental happenstances reduce the possibility of strategic initiatives in organizations.
answer
a
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Teddiez Inc. is a company that manufactures and sells stuffed toys. It sources its materials from another country to keep costs low. A sales personnel in one of its retail stores noticed that there was increasing concern regarding the potential toxicity of the materials in the dolls. In response, she found an economical, organic, and non-toxic cloth filling that the company could use. When her manager learned about this, he presented the prospect and got it approved from the top management team. This is an example of the: A. top-down strategic planning approach. B. planned emergence approach. C. scenario planning process. D. reverse engineering process.
answer
b
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To support the rise of emergent strategies, an organization should: A. centralize decision-making and all other activities. B. empower lower-level employees to take up autonomous actions. C. limit serendipity that is in the form of random events and accidental happenstances. D. rely solely on hard data to formulate strategies.
answer
b
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Which of the following reasons justifies the view that functional managers should be allowed to initiate strategic initiatives based on autonomous actions? A. Functional managers have more control and power in the organization than corporate executives. B. Functional managers are much closer to the final products, services, and customers than corporate-or business-level managers. C. Functional managers have a bigger role in identifying a company's vision and mission than the strategic leaders. D. Functional managers are Level-5 managers in the Level-5 leadership pyramid when compared to the executives who are at Level-4.
answer
b
question
In Strategy Highlight 2.2, what type of strategy did Diana, the Starbucks store manager in southern California, use to develop the new iced beverage for her store? A. She used a rational planning approach to strategy planning. B. She created a dominant strategy plan. C. She used scenario planning. D. She used an emergent strategy.
answer
d
question
Understanding the Resource Allocation Process (RAP) will have large effects on shaping a firm's realized strategy. Which of the following is an example of such an allocation of resources? A. Starbucks' launch of iced drinks B. Teach For America's mission statement C. Merck's voluntary withdrawal of Vioxx from the market D. Intel's rule to "maximize margin-per-wafer-start"
answer
d
question
_____ is best described as a strategy process in which organizational structure and systems allow bottom-up strategic initiatives to emerge and be evaluated and coordinated by top management. A. Planned emergence B. Scenario planning C. Top-down strategic planning D. Reverse engineering
answer
a
question
A company uses the planned emergence approach in the development of its strategies. Which of the following is an implication of this? A. The employees will be isolated from the process of setting the company's vision and mission. B. The lower-level employees will be restricted to the tasks involved in strategic implementation. C. The company's organizational structure and systems will be designed to support bottom-up strategic initiatives. D. The top management will create a strategy that is based on hard data alone, rather than an inspiring vision.
answer
c
question
Top-down strategic planning as an approach to the strategic management process will be most effective when the: A. environment is constantly changing. B. size of the firm is large. C. probability of black swan events is high. D. top management wants to decentralize decision making.
answer
b
question
Lower-level employees focus mainly on _____ when a firm is using top-down or scenario planning as an approach to the strategic management process. A. strategy formulation B. strategy analysis C. strategy implementation D. strategy initiation
answer
c
