In technology intensive industries, the duration of competitive advantages is declining.
Within a worldwide market, the most effective strategies are neither purely
multidomestic nor purely global.
Three key interdependent strategic leadership activities are: designing the organization;
determining its direction; and nurturing a culture dedicated to excellence and ethical
behavior.
Angel investors are private individuals who provide equity investments for seed capital
during the later stages of a new venture.
In a compliance-based approach to ethics management, the objective is to enable
responsible conduct.
Tools and techniques used to achieve effective coordination and integration of key
activities in an organization include all of the following except _____________.
A. horizontal organization structures
B. horizontal systems and processes
C. horizontal diversification
D. communications and information technologies
Which of the following statements about venture capital is not true?
A. Entrepreneurs raise venture capital by selling shares of ownership in their business.
B. Venture capital is a form of public equity financing.
C. Venture capital is used to finance rapid growth or large capital expenditures.
D. Venture capital groups can often provide helpful management advice.
The Cisco acquisition of Pure Digital Technologies, the parent of the Flip video camera,
failed because __________________.
A. Cisco had valuable competencies
B. the Flip division of Cisco was slow and less responsive to market pressures
C. consumers continued to purchase the camera
D. Cisco had good vision of the market
The threat of new entrants is high when there are _______.
A. low economies of scale
B. high capital requirements
C. high switching costs
D. high differentiation among competitors products and services
Whereas ______________ are often associated with a low cost leader strategy,
______________ are frequently an important aspect of a differentiation strategy.
A. process innovations; product innovations
B. product innovations; service innovations
C. radical innovations; instrumental innovations
D. marketing innovations; management innovations
Customer service includes ________.
A. product promotion
B. parts supply
C. product distribution
D. procurement of critical supplies
All of the following are ambidextrous behaviors EXCEPT:
A. taking initiative and being alert to opportunities beyond the confines of one’s own
job
B. being cooperative and seeking opportunities to combine one’s efforts with others
C. intensely focusing on the responsibilities of one individual and maximizing the
output of the department in the organization in which that individual works
D. being brokers, always looking to build internal linkages
The following two components of emotional intelligence (EI) deal with personal ability
to manage relationships with others.
A. motivation and self-awareness
B. self-regulation and empathy
C. empathy and social skill
D. motivation and empathy
__________ are the competencies or skills that a firm employs to transform inputs into
outputs.
A. Tangible resources
B. Organizational capabilities
C. Reputational resources
D. Intangible resources
The network of relationships that individuals have throughout the organization is
known as _____.
A. human capital
B. intellectual capital
C. social capital
D. tacit knowledge
McGrath and Keil researched the types of human resource management practices that
effective firms use to capture value from their innovation efforts. Which of the
following is not one of their findings?
A. Create innovation teams with experienced players.
B. Require that employees serve in the new venture group as part of their career climb.
C. Transfer people to mainstream management positions after they have experience in
the new venture group.
D. Integrate the performance of individuals with the performance of the innovation.
One of the following is not a question that should be answered when evaluating the
performance of corporate venturing efforts. Which is it?
A. Is the venture attracting external venture funding?
B. Is the venture considered to be a market success?
C. Does the venture add to the worth of the firm internally?
D. Does the value proposition offered by the venture insulate it from competitive
attack?
Which of the following is not a risk associated with a global strategy?
A. A firm with only one manufacturing location must export its product, sometimes at
great distance from the operation.
B. The geographic concentration of any activity may also tend to isolate that activity
from the targeted markets.
C. Concentrating an activity in a single location makes the rest of the firm dependent on
that location.
D. The pressures for local adaptation may elevate the cost structure of the firm.
The reasons analyst recommendations are often more optimistic than warranted by an
objective analysis of the facts include all of the following except that _____________.
A. many analysts fail to grasp the gravity of the problems facing a company
B. sell recommendations generate lower commissions than buy recommendations
C. the firms for which analysts work may have lucrative investment banking
relationships with the firm
D. analysts are often pressured by their superiors to overlook negative information
Discuss and provide examples of factors that would lead to greater buyer power.
Explain the following statement and provide examples to support your argument:
Merely adhering to the minimum regulatory standards may not be enough to remain
competitive in a world that is becoming more socially conscious.
Several factors usually interact which result in intense rivalry among competitors.
Explain.
In the context of competitive dynamics, what factors determine the likelihood of a
competitive response?
According to the text, vision statements should be massively inspiring, overarching, and
long term. Provide several examples of potential vision statements for various
organizations and discuss how such vision statements would inspire employees around
a cause.
Explain how a differentiation strategy enables a business to address the five competitive
forces in such a way that it can enjoy high levels of profitability.
What are the benefits and risks associated with combining overall cost leadership and
differentiation strategies?
Address some of the challenges associated with protecting intellectual property.
Define the term competitive dynamics. Then, describe the cycle of actions and
responses that are characteristic of a competitive dynamics process.