The ____ is a comprehensive, periodic and systematic evaluation of the firm’s
marketing operation which analyzes the market environment and the firm’s internal
marketing activities.
a. environmental audit
b. marketing audit
c. profit audit
d. annual plan
e. competitive audit
Which of the following describes where the firm competes?
a. The business mission.
b. The product scope.
c. The market scope.
d. All of the above.
e. (b) and (c) only.
According to research, major drivers of a firm’s new product performance include:
a. Resource commitment.
b. Profitability relative to competition.
c. Success rate of new products.
d. All of the above.
e. Only a and c.
In evaluating the effectiveness of a business-to-business advertising program, the
manager should center on:
a. changes in the target market’s purchase rate.
b. changes in the target market’s product awareness.
c. changes in the target market’s product knowledge.
d. both (b) and (c)
e. none of the above
Responsibility charting constitutes an approach that can be used to classify
decision-making roles and to highlight the multifunctional nature of business marketing
decision-making. A manager who is asked for substantive input before the decision is
approved but does not possess veto power is performing which of the following roles?
a. responsible
b. approve
c. consult
d. implement
e. inform
When evaluating channel alternatives, if the existing channel is about as good as it can
be and if customer satisfaction is low,:
a. an alternative channel should be utilized.
b. the fault is not with the channel design, it is with poor management.
c. the existing system can be changed without sacrificing management goals.
d. none of the above.
The first phase of for selecting key accounts:
a. identifies those customer accounts that have unique support requirements.
b. centers on the profit potential of a customer.
c. considers the degree to which the transactions with potential customer will
complement the economies of the seller’s business.
d. none of the above.
A salesperson’s job performance is a function of:
a. product knowledge and expertise.
b. level of motivation.
c. aptitude or ability.
d. All of the above.
e. Only (b) and (c).
_____ costs include financing, storage, and inspection costs.
a. Acquisition
b. Possession
c. Usage
d. None of the above
The quality standards set out by the Geneva-based International Standards Organization
are referred to as:
a. ISO 9000
b. Six Sigma
c. the Big Q
d. none of the above.
There is a trend toward _____ as a result of increasing technical complexity of
products.
a. general-line distributors
b. specialists
c. combination houses
d. none of the above
Which of the following characteristics is true of induced strategic behavior?
a. Communication is consistent with organizational flow.
b. An informal network assesses technical and market merit.
c. An individual manager defines a market need that diverges from the organization’s
concept of strategy.
d. All of the above.
e. Only a and b.
The belief by a partner that an ongoing relationship is so important that it deserves
maximum effort to maintain it is referred to as:
a. trust.
b. solidarity.
c. relationship commitment.
d. a strategic alliance.
e. interfirm cooperation.
Concerning the management of product innovation, which of the following statements
is incorrect? The successful management of product innovation:
a. is vital to the long-term health of an industrial company.
b. requires the firm to take risks.
c. is properly characterized as a rational, deliberate, and analytical process.
d. should lead to a stream of attractive products.
e. None of the above statements is incorrect.
The element of customer interface that refers to the channels a business marketing firm
uses to reach customers and the level of service it provides is:
a. fulfillment and support.
b. information and insight.
c. relationship dynamics.
d. pricing structure.
Potential partners for a global alliance are evaluated based on:
a. resources.
b. relationships.
c. culture.
d. all of the above.
e. (a) and (b) only.
The manufacturer-rep channel is generally used when the:
a. gross margin is large.
b. product is not technically complex.
c. product is not standard, but is closer to made-to-order.
d. all of the above.
_____ are the methodologies and routines companies use to transform competencies,
assets, and other inputs in to value for customers.
a. Core competencies
b. Core strategies
c. Core processes
d. Value networks
e. Customer interfaces
Describe specific product, market, and competitive conditions that lend themselves to:
(a) a direct channel of distribution and (b) an indirect channel of distribution.
Answer:
n/a
In conceptualizing the service product, the service offer refers specifically to the:
a. actual creation and delivery of the service product.
b. detailed service elements that will make up the total services package.
c. general benefits the service company will provide to the customer.
d. benefits sought by customers.
e. overall process of assessing and responding to customer needs.
NCR offers a set of basic equipment items to retailers that includes numerous
accessories and options. The retailer can begin with a simple cash register or checkstand
system and later add inventory control systems for the store and ultimately a computer
that ties multiple stores in a chain together. This provides an example of:
a. proprietary products.
b. specialty products.
c. custom-built products.
d. custom-designed products.
e. catalog products.
The _____ component of a time series reflects short-term, random movements in the
data that do not conform to a pattern which is regularly related to the calendar.
a. trend
b. cycle
c. seasonal
d. irregular
Salespersons tend to have a high level of job satisfaction when:
a. management provides them with the assistance and support needed to meet unusual
and nonroutine problems.
b. they perceive themselves to have an active part in determining company policies and
standards that affect them.
c. they perceive that their first-line supervisor closely directs and monitors their
activities.
d. all of the above
e. (a) and (b) only
To integrate activities across the supply chain, supply chain management often:
a. requires that firms in the supply chain share sensitive and proprietary information
about customers and corporate plans.
b. creates excess inventory in the pipeline leading to the customer.
c. involves higher transportation and handling costs.
d. all of the above.
e. (b) and (c) only
As a controllable element in the logistics system, _____ ensures that information
exchanged in the distribution process guides the activities of the logistics system.
a. customer service
b. order processing
c. logistics communications
d. inventory control
e. production planning
The channel strategy that does not utilize any manufacturers’ representatives, industrial
distributors, or other kinds of middlemen is referred to as:
a. indirect distribution.
b. selective distribution.
c. direct distribution.
d. exclusive distribution.
e. restrictive distribution.
In the purchase of a new papermaking machine, what role would the firm’s
manufacturing superintendent assume in the buying center?
a. influencer
b. decider
c. gatekeeper
d. any or all of the above.
_____ refers to how similar activities performed in various countries are couple with
each other.
a. Coordination
b. Configuration
c. The home base
d. The value network
Industrial product lines that are created to meet the needs of one or a small group of
customers are defined as:
a. custom-built items.
b. catalog items.
c. proprietary items.
d. custom-designed items.
e. component items.
A firm that is able to lower costs by minimizing duplication, harmonizing operations,
and enhancing quality is addressing which of the following supply chain management
goals?
a. Waste reduction.
b. Time compression.
c. Flexible response.
d. Inventory reduction.
e. Transportation cost reduction.
Dayco increased the price of the drive belts that it sells to General Motors by 5 percent
and sales of the item grew by 9 percent. Price elasticity of demand for drive belts
appears to be:
a. elastic.
b. inelastic.
c. neither elastic nor inelastic.
d. sensitive to price changes.
e. none of the above.
Concerning business-to-business advertising media, _____ publications are directed at a
specific industry and may be read by everyone from foreman to company president.
a. common
b. specialty
c. horizontal
d. vertical
e. target
_____ occur in between the two extremes on the relationship continuum, where the
focus of the selling firm shifts from attracting customers to keeping customers.
a. Transactional exchanges
b. Value-added exchanges
c. Competitive exchanges
d. Collaborative exchanges
_____ is one in which a firm’s competitive position in one country is significantly
influenced by its position in other countries.
a. A multidomestic industry
b. A differentiated industry
c. A global industry
d. An export-based industry
e. A coordinated industry
Which of the following statements about collaborative relationships is(are) true?
a. Customers prefer a collaborative relationship when there is a competitive supply
environment featuring many alternatives.
b. Collaborative relationships are less likely to involve operational linkages between the
buying and selling firms.
c. Buyers prefer collaborative relationships when the purchase decision is not complex.
d. all of the above
e. none of the above
Selecting a hypothetical product and market setting, describe how a business marketing
manager might use product positioning analysis to examine the competitive position of
a product. Drawing on your illustration, suggest the product strategy implications.
Answer:
n/a
If an aggressive competitor cuts prices, what action can a strategist take to minimize the
damage and respond in the most cost-effective way? Under what conditions should a
strategist merely ignore an aggressive price move by a competitor?
Answer:
n/a
A single-country may not be large enough for a firm to realize economies of scale.
A solution-centered approach starts with the product and leads to a solution that
satisfies customers.
Organizational buyers tend to retain messages that clash with their attitudes, needs, and
beliefs.
Members of the buying center are generally in agreement concerning the criteria that
should be used in evaluating the merits of alternative suppliers.
The surest way to lose intermediary support is____________________ policies that do
not meet industry and competitive standards.
If the business marketer can identify meaningful and profitable market segments at the
macro level, the segmentation process is complete.
The marketing strategy center includes the members of an organization involved in the
business marketing decision-making process. Using any product and market setting you
choose, please illustrate how responsibility charting can be used to classify
decision-making roles and highlight the multifunctional nature of business marketing.
Be sure to include a discussion of all five roles that participants can play in the
decision-making process.
Answer:
n/a
Service quality encompasses the procedures, policies, and processes a firm uses to
resolve customer service problems promptly and effectively.
The communications process attempts to take potential buyers sequentially from
unawareness of a product to____________________, to brand preference, to conviction
that a particular purchase will fulfill their requirements, and ultimately
to____________________.
Regression models are useful to industrial firms projecting final consumer demand for
items of which their products become a part.
____________________-focused customers are committed to being first to market with
new technologies and seek new-product-development expertise that will attract new
customers.
Describe the sales resource opportunity grid and illustrate how a firm might use it in
deploying the sales force. What specific information does a sales manager require in
order to properly apply and use the sales resource opportunity grid?
Answer:
n/a
A close examination of a market-driven firm will reveal two important capabilities:
market sensing and customer linking.
For customers with a transactional focus, business marketers should discontinue the use
of expensive customer databases and set revenue targets and profit goals.
The ____________________clarifies the condistions that will create value for the
customer.
When evaluating transportation performance, service consistency is usually more
important than average delivery time.
The central focus of a marketing audit is on the firm’s cost accounting system.
The first component in the Price-Setting Decision Process is____________________.