Chapter 9 Marketing Implementation and Control
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Marketing implementation is critical to the success of any firm. Simply put, implementation refers to:
a.
how the marketing plan will be put into action.
b.
how the marketing plan will be approved by top management.
c.
the process by which employees learn about the marketing strategy.
d.
the process by which the marketing strategy will be developed.
e.
deciding who will actually write the marketing plan.
2. The __________ marketing strategy is what the firm wants to happen—it is the firm’s planned
strategic choices that appear in the marketing plan itself.
a.
forecasted
d.
realized
b.
intended
e.
planned
c.
predicted
3. Typically, the difference between the planned marketing strategy and the strategy that actually takes
place is:
a.
caused by managerial mistakes, not by changes in the firm’s internal or external
environments.
b.
typically caused by unexpected competitive activity.
c.
caused by the way the planned marketing strategy is implemented.
d.
independent of marketing implementation.
e.
caused solely by changes in customer behaviors.
4. One of the links between strategic planning and marketing implementation is interdependency, which
refers to the fact that:
a.
strategy and implementation both result from trial and error.
b.
top executives often don’t understand how a strategy is to be implemented.
c.
the marketing plan affects how it will be implemented, and implementation affects the
marketing plan.
d.
both strategy and implementation must constantly evolve.
e.
both strategy and implementation must adapt to environmental changes.
5. Marketing implementation is often problematic, as marketing plans are usually devised by
__________, while implementation is the responsibility of __________.
a.
production; marketing
d.
top management; frontline employees
b.
marketing; production
e.
finance; marketing
c.
the CEO; middle management
6. __________ is/are considered to be the “glue” of successful implementation that binds the entire
organization together as a single, functioning unit.
a.
Organizational structure
d.
Leadership
b.
Marketing strategy
e.
Shared goals and values
c.
Systems and processes
7. In terms of marketing structure, what type of structure coordinates and manages all marketing
activities and decisions from the top of the marketing hierarchy?
a.
a regulated marketing structure
d.
a lateral marketing structure
b.
a dynamic marketing structure
e.
a decentralized marketing structure
c.
a centralized marketing structure
8. Because they are cost effective and beneficial to ensuring consistency and standardization within the
marketing program, centralized marketing structures are best suited for which of the following
strategies?
a.
customer intimacy
d.
service efficiency
b.
operational excellence
e.
niche marketing
c.
product leadership
9. Which of the following firms is most likely to adopt a decentralized marketing structure in order to
promote creativity and flexibility?
a.
Walmart
d.
Microsoft
b.
Dell
e.
Ritz-Carlton
c.
Southwest Airlines
10. Work activities that absorb inputs to create information and communication outputs that ensure the
consistent day-to–day operation of the firm are referred to as:
a.
organizational values.
d.
implementation and control.
b.
shared goals and values.
e.
strategic systems.
c.
organizational systems and processes.
11. Based on the requirements for successful implementation, which of the following is the best candidate
to become the “5th P” of marketing?
a.
productivity
d.
progress
b.
people
e.
participation
c.
planning
12. With respect to evaluating and compensating employees, which of the following statements about
outcome-based systems is FALSE?
a.
They are based on measurable, quantitative standards.
b.
They are fairly easy to use.
c.
They require more supervision than other systems.
d.
They work well when market demand is fairly constant.
e.
They work best when employee efforts directly affect sales or profits.
13. In the __________ approach to marketing implementation, marketing strategy is implemented as a part
of the overall organizational vision.
a.
implementation by command
b.
implementation through change
c.
implementation through teamwork
d.
implementation through consensus
e.
implementation as organizational culture
14. At WainPort Industries, the firm’s senior managers approach marketing implementation with the belief
that marketing strategy should be developed at the top of the organization and then transmitted to
lower levels where frontline managers and employees implement it. What implementation approach is
being used at WainPort?
a.
implementation by command
d.
implementation through change
b.
implementation through threats
e.
implementation by expectations
c.
implementation as consensus
15. The basis premise of the implementation through change approach is that:
a.
frontline employees are forced to implement the strategy.
b.
marketing strategy is a part of the organizational vision.
c.
employees are organized into teams that work together to implement the marketing
strategy.
d.
the organization is modified in ways that will ensure the implementation of the marketing
strategy.
e.
participative decision making among all employees is used extensively.
16. According to the internal marketing approach to marketing implementation, which of the following
could be best characterized as the “internal product”?
a.
additional employee training
b.
internal company newsletters
c.
new tasks or attitudes on the part of employees
d.
the additional effort needed to implement the strategy
e.
All of the above.
17. Planning sessions, workshops, formal reports, and personal conversations are all part of the internal
__________ that is necessary to implement marketing strategy using the internal marketing approach.
a.
promotion
d.
distribution
b.
pricing
e.
process
c.
product
18. What type of control mechanisms are used during implementation to influence employee behaviors so
that they will support the marketing strategy and its objectives?
a.
input controls
d.
output controls
b.
informal controls
e.
process controls
c.
social controls
19. What type of marketing controls consists of unwritten, employee-based mechanisms that subtly affect
the behaviors of employees, both as individuals and in groups?
a.
input controls
d.
output controls
b.
informal controls
e.
formal controls
c.
process controls
20. Identifying specific marketing activities, determining the time required to complete each activity, and
organizing marketing activities into the proper sequence are examples of the steps involved in creating
a(n):
a.
marketing plan.
d.
strategic calendar.
b.
control framework.
e.
implementation timetable.
c.
strategic activities list.
ESSAY
1. Explain why marketing implementation is difficult for many firms. In your answer, discuss how these
difficulties often stem from the relationship between strategic planning and marketing implementation.
2. Identify and discuss the four approaches to marketing implementation and explain the various
advantages and disadvantages of each approach.
3. Discuss the role of internal marketing in marketing implementation. In what ways can the internal
marketing approach help managers improve the implementation process?
4. Identify and explain the three different types of formal controls used by managers. In your discussion,
explain how each type of control affects marketing implementation.
5. Identify and explain the three different types of informal controls used by employees. In your
discussion, explain how each type of control affects marketing implementation.