Deck 4: External Environment: Social Technological Forces

Question 1

Scientific improvements and innovations are examples of

A)social forces.
B)industry forces.
C)economic forces
D)None of the above.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Societal values,trends,traditional,and religious practices are examples of

A)consumer forces.
B)industry forces.
C)social forces.
D)None of the above.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Social forces can

A)vary widely among nations.
B)affect different industries in markedly different ways.
C)affect different businesses in an industry in different ways.
D)All of the above

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Reading the Wall Street Journal can be an integral part of environmental scanning.

Question 5

The country accounting for the greatest piece of the U.S.trade deficit is Mexico.

Question 6

The unconscious reference to one's own cultural values as a standard of judgment is known as

A)the self-reference criterion.
B)cultural distinction.
C)cultural awareness.
D)cultural apathy.

Question 7

One of the reasons that outsourcing/offshoring debates are so difficult to resolve is that accurate data can be difficult to obtain,especially in developing nations.

Question 8

Commoditization refers to the increasing difficulty firms have distinguishing their products and services from those of their rivals.

Question 9

Environmental scanning refers to the systematic analysis of a firm's social responsible activity related to environmental awareness.

Question 10

One of Friedman's primary arguments in The World is Flat is that

A)organizations must restructure every five years or so.
B)global business has become more regionalized.
C)recent changes have "leveled the playing field" between firms in developed nations and those in developing nations.
D)None of the above.

Question 11

Social forces can vary markedly among nations,even those whose cultures are similar.

Question 12

Outsourcing refers to contracting out a firm's non-core,non-revenue-producing activities to other organizations primarily to reduce costs.

Question 13

The unconscious reference to one's own cultural values as a standard of judgment is known as cultural discrimination.

Question 14

The rate of technological change varies considerably across industries in different nations,but generally not in the same nation.

Question 15

On-line shoppers tend to be single,female,and college educated.

Question 16

Mass customization refers to the ability to individualize product and service offerings to meet specific buyer needs.

Question 17

Offshoring refers to relocating some or all of a firm's manufacturing or other business processes to another country to reduce costs.

Question 18

The Internet acts as a distribution channel for many non-tangible goods and services.

Question 19

The process of disaggregation and reaggregation has resulted in an increased emphasis on partnerships.

Question 20

The Internet fosters information asymmetry,a state whereby the seller and buyer are not likely to share the same information.

Question 21

When implemented properly,outsourcing can

A)cut costs.
B)refocus the core business.
C)improve firm performance.
D)All of the above.

Question 22

According to the notion of disaggregation and reaggregation,

A)partnerships are usually not effective means of competing in the global marketplace.
B)the Internet is not a viable means of product or service distribution.
C)effective business models do not change.
D)None of the above.

Question 23

Which of the following is not a strategic dimension of the Internet?

A)focus on interactivity
B)potential for cost reductions and cost shifting
C)movement toward information asymmetry
D)None of the above.

Question 24

How have attitudes toward responsible manufacturing and waste management practices affected industries.

Question 25

The Internet

A)has unleashed a number of successful business models.
B)has unleashed a number of unsuccessful business models.
C)can be factored into most successful business models.
D)All of the above.

Question 26

"Clicks and bricks" refers to

A)businesses that focus on Internet technology as well as Internet distribution.
B)retailers that utilize the Internet only as a support mechanism for traditional sales.
C)businesses that emphasize both Internet-mediated and traditional forms of business.
D)None of the above.

Question 27

Contracting out a firm's non-core,non-revenue-producing activities to other organizations primarily to reduce costs is known as

A)outsourcing.
B)offshoring.
C)mass customization.
D)commoditization.

Question 28

How do American consumers today differ from those in past years? How has this change affected industries? Provide an example.

Question 29

Which of the following is the largest form of electronic commerce?

A)business-to-business (B2B)
B)business-to-consumer (B2C)
C)consumer-to-business (C2B)
D)consumer-to-consumer (C2C)

Question 30

According to the notion of disaggregation and reaggregation,

A)partnerships are usually not effective means of competing in the global marketplace.
B)the Internet is not a viable means of product or service distribution.
C)recent advances in Internet and related technologies,coupled with rapid economic development in parts of Asia and Eastern Europe,has enabled firms to reorganize work processes and improve efficiency.
D)None of the above.

Question 31

The ability to individualize product and service offerings to meet specific buyer needs is known as

A)commoditization.
B)information symmetry.
C)the "flat world."
D)None of the above.

Question 32

Outsourcing efforts can fail because

A)of hidden costs.
B)of loss of control of the outsourced activity.
C)a firm might outsource an activity that should not be outsourced.
D)All of the above.

Question 33

Which of the following is not a strategic dimension of the Internet?

A)movement toward information symmetry
B)increased emphasis on speed
C)potential for cost reductions and cost shifting
D)None of the above.

Question 34

Auction facilitator eBay is an example of which form of electronic commerce?

A)business-to-business (B2B)
B)business-to-consumer (B2C)
C)consumer-to-business (C2B)
D)consumer-to-consumer (C2C)

Question 35

The country accounting for the greatest piece of the U.S.trade deficit is

A)Mexico.
B)China.
C)India.
D)None of the above.

Question 36

The systematic collection and analysis of information about relevant environmental trends is known as

A)industry analysis.
B)macroenvironmental analysis.
C)environmental scanning.
D)None of the above.

Question 37

Which of the following is not a reason that the outsourcing/offshoring debate is difficult to resolve?

A)lack of key data
B)differences in regulations
C)complex firm relationships across borders
D)All of the above are reasons.

Question 38

The decline in unit costs of a product or service that occurs as the absolute volume of production increases is known as

A)economies of scale.
B)mass customization.
C)specialization.
D)None of the above.

Question 39

Relocating some or all of a firm's manufacturing or other business processes to another country to reduce costs is known as

A)outsourcing.
B)offshoring.
C)mass customization.
D)commoditization.

Question 40

The increasing difficulty firms have distinguishing their products and services from those of their rivals is known as

A)outsourcing..
B)offshoring.
C)mass customization
D)commoditization.

Question 41

Explain the concept of "disaggregation and reaggregation." To what extent has this process fundamentally changed the nature of business? Explain.

Question 42

Has the emergence of the Internet created new business models and discarded old ones?

Question 43

How has the Internet affected service industries in the U.S.? What changes do you expect in the future.