Deck 11: Technological Change and Infrastructure

Question 1

In the nation of Epson Inc., Sander's Leathers, a large producer of finished leather, and Froyer Leather Goods, a large supplier of leather manufactured goods, work closely. Together, they dominate the leather industry globally. One of the factors that help the companies facilitate the uninterrupted flow of resources and ideas between them is the geographical proximity of the firms. In the given scenario, Sander's Leathers and Froyer Leather Goods form a _____ operating in the leather industry.

A) joint venture
B) strategic alliance
C) global manufacturing cluster
D) peer-to-peer economy

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following is one of the leading causes for global energy companies' increased interest in clean energy solutions?

A) China's smog problem
B) Africa's receding coal supply
C) Frequent power cuts in India
D) Deforestation in Japan

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Plethoda Inc. has always restricted itself to shipping its leather manufactured goods to other countries by sea. In the context of transportation networks, which of the following statements is true when Plethoda chooses to ship its products by sea?

A) Their shipping is fast.
B) Their shipping is expensive.
C) Their shipping is limited to coastal ports.
D) Their shipping facilitates ground transportation.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

With the rising demand for global shipping, several manufacturing units in various countries have chosen shipping as their primary mode of transportation. Kaaland is one such country that has developed its ports to a great extent to keep pace with the demands of international shipping. Kaaland is now considered one of the busiest ports in the world. Identify the consequences of this scenario.

A) It would be easier to determine the real GDP of Kaaland.
B) Ports in Kaaland will find it difficult to accommodate standardized shipping containers.
C) International firms that produce goods in Kaaland will face difficulty in shipping to other markets.
D) Businesses in Kaaland will be able to easily export their products abroad.

Question 5

Cloral Production House, a large manufacturer of artificial jewelry in the country of Quotaba, has buyers around the world. It takes online orders and transports the items to its consumers. However, looking at the current financial condition of the company, the management has decided to use ground transportation instead of using air freights. Which of the following statements can be considered to justify Cloral Production House's decision?

A) Security threats to the goods can be eliminated in ground transportation.
B) Transportation by road is the fastest and cheapest form of transportation.
C) Transportation by road has become easier with the use of standardized containers.
D) Existing overland routes can be used in ground transportation.

Question 6

CityCem Corp. is a leading cement manufacturer in the country of Eastworth. It depends on different vendors to get the primary substances such as limestone, sand, and shale that are required for cement manufacturing. In this scenario, these basic substances from which cement is made are referred to as _____.

A) end-user necessities
B) processed requisites
C) raw materials
D) refined matters

Question 7

In the context of communication technologies, which of the following is a difference between Japan and the United States?

A) Unlike the United States, Japan has lower level of access to the Internet.
B) Unlike Japan, the United States primarily relies on fiber-optic networks.
C) Unlike the United States, Japan primarily relies on DSL and cable.
D) Unlike in the United States, almost half of the Japanese people have more than one broadband subscription.

Question 8

The nation of Baltonia uses digital technology to run its administrative and government operations. The nation's research and development team is planning to build an electronic platform that will enable its citizens to file their taxes and health insurance claims. Also, the same platform will enable the people to vote. This electronic platform that Baltonia plans to develop is similar to the electronic platform used in Estonia called _____.

A) M-Pesa
B) X-Road
C) Upstart
D) Bitcoin

Question 9

The nation of Bharodia is extensively involved in global shipping to fulfill its international trading assignments. The invention of standardized shipping containers has helped the traders of Bharodia efficiently accomplish their trading goals. In this scenario, Bharodia has utilized the benefit of shipping container standardization, which has in turn:

A) increased costs in the shipping industry.
B) enabled the use of specialized ships.
C) facilitated faster transportation than roadways.
D) facilitated free movement across national borders without the friction of trade barriers.

Question 10

Heross Plastic Inc. is one of the largest producers of plastic goods and appliances. If it decides to do all its exports by shipping the goods by sea, then it is most likely to:

A) use existing overland routes.
B) bear a heavy cost compared to air freight.
C) get its goods delivered later when compared to air transport.
D) not be limited to exporting goods via available coastal ports.

Question 11

The Republic of Udon is one of the largest manufacturers of glass in the world. The primary substance required to manufacture glass is silica sand. The nation of Irza controls nearly half the world's supply of silica sand. Udon is dependent on Irza for the supply of silica sand to fulfill its glass manufacturing requirements. Udon has efficiently built healthy trading relations with Irza. In this scenario, silica sand is considered a(n) _____.

A) end-user necessity
B) processed requisite
C) raw material
D) refined matter

Question 12

In the context of international businesses, which of the following statements is true of the physical infrastructure in a given country?

A) Transportation networks need to be taken into consideration when assessing the physical infrastructure of a market.
B) The physical infrastructure does not take into consideration the availability of machinery and equipment.
C) Raw materials are not considered a part of the physical infrastructure of a country.
D) A country with a low level of physical infrastructure presents fewer challenges for international businesses.

Question 13

In the context of transportation networks, unlike air transport, shipping by sea:

A) encourages private spending by lowering taxes in a country.
B) is faster.
C) is cheaper.
D) reduces the availability of credit for businesses in a country.

Question 14

XoYolo Corp. has always chosen to transport its goods to its consumers across the world as air cargo instead of shipping them by sea. Which of the following factors should XoYolo keep in mind when choosing air transport over shipping?

A) The goods are subjected to high levels of security threats as compared to air cargo.
B) Air transportation is expensive.
C) Air transportation facilitates free movement across national borders without the friction of trade barriers.
D) The goods take a considerably long time to reach the consumers by air.

Question 15

In the context of transportation networks, unlike shipping by sea, transportation of goods by air:

A) poses more security threats.
B) utilizes existing overland routes.
C) is cheaper.
D) is faster.

Question 16

Selanasia, one of the leading exporting nations in the world, transports its goods via cargo ships. It is a frequent user of the world's largest container ship, which carries 18,000 shipping containers. This large container ship was introduced by Maersk and is called _____.

A) Turo
B) M-Pesa
C) Triple-E
D) Upstart

Question 17

Estonia began the process of digitizing its operations in 1997. Which of the following statements is true of the electronic platform called X-Road?

A) The platform adds an estimated nine days a year per citizen.
B) The system adds 7 million workdays to the Estonian economy.
C) The platform requires tax consultants to fill out tax forms manually.
D) The system eliminates the need for citizens to register Estonian vehicles.

Question 18

In the postwar boom of the 1950s, economists such as Moses Abramovitz and Robert Solow believed that several stimuli contributed to economic growth, generating abundant opportunities for international business. Which of the following stimuli contributed the most to economic growth?

A) The addition of labor
B) The addition of capital
C) The advancement of technology
D) Ease of raw material availability

Question 19

Eckon Technologies, a shipping container manufacturer in New York, has received an order for the construction of 600 shipping containers. If the shipping containers have to be standardized as per the Maersk's Triple-E class specifications, Eckon will have to maintain a standard size of _____.

A) ten feet and twenty feet
B) twenty feet and forty feet
C) thirty feet and fifty feet
D) forty feet and sixty feet

Question 20

Which of the following companies is the world's largest transporter of shipping containers today?

A) Yamato Transport
B) Nippon Express
C) AES Corporation
D) Maersk Line

Question 21

The prediction that data processing power will double every 24 months is known as _____.

A) Archie's law
B) Benford's law
C) Moore's law
D) Charles's law

Question 22

_____ is a system in which an owner rents something they are not using, such as room, a car, or even a service, to a stranger using peer-to-peer services.

A) A shared economy
B) A collaborative reference
C) Business triage
D) Social loafing

Question 23

J&D is a California-based electronic manufacturer. The product designers at J&D Inventions have attained success in achieving high-level miniaturization of J&D's portable electronic devices. These new devices have improved user interfaces with almost double the processing power than what they had two years ago. This success by the research and design team at J&D Inventions exemplifies _____.

A) Archie's law
B) Benford's law
C) Moore's law
D) Charles's law

Question 24

Rita is planning to remodel her house. However, she does not have enough savings and does not wish to borrow from her family members. She chooses to seek the services of peer-to-peer sites. She visits FriendlyGesture, a site that allows people looking to borrow money find appropriate parties who can loan them the required amount at a certain agreed-upon rate. In the process, FriendlyGesture receives a fee of 2 percent of the loan amount. In this scenario, the site FriendlyGesture is a _____.

A) peer-to-peer lender
B) peer-to-peer recipient
C) peer-to-peer leaser
D) peer-to-peer distributer

Question 25

Freda has a scooter that she has not been using for a while. Although she is not sure whether she would need it in future, as she recently bought a new car, she does not want to sell her scooter. She considers renting it to be the best alternative. To find people who would like to rent a scooter, she visits an online vehicle-sharing service. Using the website, Freda gets in touch with people who want to rent her scooter at an agreed-upon rate. This scenario exemplifies the system of _____.

A) a peer economy
B) distributed pricing
C) credit locking
D) security freeze

Question 26

Linda needs money urgently because of a family medical emergency. She decides to avail the services of a money borrowing site. She visits one of the leading peer-to-peer site, enters the amount she requires, and also enters other personal and professional details as required by the site's terms and conditions. She then receives intimation from people across the globe who wish to loan the money at certain rates. She chooses the one that she feels is appropriate and enters a deal. In this scenario, the site Linda uses to borrow the required money is referred to as the _____.

A) peer-to-peer lender
B) peer-to-peer recipient
C) peer-to-peer socializer
D) peer-to-peer distributer

Question 27

Jade owns a car that he rarely uses. He prefers using public transportation for his daily commuting needs. Jade decides to use the service provided by BestRentals, a car-sharing service, to rent his car to people looking to hire a car. BestRentals helps Jade connect with prospective renters. This scenario best exemplifies the system of _____.

A) business triage
B) a distributed partnership
C) security freezing
D) a shared economy

Question 28

Identify a true statement about accessing data using cloud-based solutions.

A) Different nations have a common and standardized rule for how data must be handled when transferred across borders.
B) With the proliferation of the "Internet of things," all mundane as well as critical devices are protected from hackers.
C) Growth in global cyber security is expected to shrink in the coming decades.
D) Amazon's data centers in India can host the same business processes as those in the United States.

Question 29

Bill frequently travels to different cities. When in a foreign city, Bill hires a car from a virtual car rental marketplace that is operated by a non-profit organization. He pays for the time he drives the rented car. This scenario exemplifies _____.

A) business triage
B) a distributed partnership
C) social loafing
D) collaborative consumption

Question 30

The Wilsons have a lavish mansion that they reside in. Owing to old age, they avoid using the rooms in the upper floors. A friend suggest that the Wilsons use RentORooms, a lodgings broker, to rent out the unused space to people who are looking out for rented rooms. This scenario best exemplifies the system of _____.

A) business triage
B) the distributed partnership
C) security freezing
D) the peer economy

Question 31

Drtu Technologies is a leading media house in the country of Trubha. It has employees who are highly skilled and possess vast technical knowledge about each of the processes that they use in their day-to-day tasks at work. Given the scenario, it can be said that Drtu technologies has a high-quality _____.

A) research trend
B) debit score
C) human capital
D) credit score

Question 32

CarryOutToday is an application that allows customers to place their grocery orders online. CarryOutToday has employees who pick the ordered items from the stores and pack them up, ready for delivery. It then avails the services of registered independent drivers who deliver these ordered groceries to the customers. In this scenario, the service provided by the independent drivers to CarryOutToday exemplifies the system of _____.

A) a referenced job
B) a distributed partnership
C) security freezing
D) collaborative consumption

Question 33

In the context of technology of information infrastructure, a shared economy is also called _____.

A) collaborative consumption
B) a client-server module
C) business triage
D) a fix-priced model

Question 34

Gina frequently visits Vaanfa. Each time she is in Vaanfa, she uses the services provided by an online car rental marketplace and acquires a car on rent to drive around the city. The site provides Gina a variety of cars to choose from. This virtual marketplace possesses a list of possible people who wish to lend their cars to prospective renters. In this scenario, which of the following virtual marketplaces is Gina most likely using?

A) Alipay
B) Ripple
C) M-Pesa
D) Turo

Question 35

NBC OT Corp., a leading tech company, has several offices across the globe with plenty of employees working outside the company premises. The company is in a dilemma whether to continue keeping its organizational data in-house or to move its data storage to the cloud. To make the company data easily accessible to the entire workforce, which of the following facts should be considered by the management when taking a decision?

A) Keeping data in-house makes it easy for an increasingly mobile workforce to access it as data can be retrieved on the go.
B) Cloud-based storage provides security of the stored data by making it insusceptible to hackers.
C) Cloud-based hosting for data can be offered from hundreds of global companies via remote data centers.
D) Netflix uses Google to stream technical films to global markets that are involved with software-specific activities.

Question 36

James wants to rent half of his brownstone house as he lives alone and hardly uses all the rooms in the house. He decides to visit an online community marketplace where he can find probable rent-seeking individuals. In this scenario, which of the following websites is James most likely to use?

A) Airbnb
B) Turo
C) Xoon
D) Alipay

Question 37

Garcia requires money to pay off debts that have been building up for a while. She chooses to borrow from an online money-lending site. She visits the site and enters the required amount along with the other necessary information and waits to hear from prospective lenders. The site that Garcia has used would receive a certain percentage of the loan amount as its fee. In this scenario, which of the following is Garcia most likely to use to find people who could give her the loan?

A) SoFi
B) WealthFront
C) Betterment
D) Ripple

Question 38

_____ is the abilities, skills, experience, and knowledge possessed by individuals.

A) Globalization
B) Exclusive distribution
C) Human capital
D) Independent constraint

Question 39

Vaobao serves as an online marketplace that facilitates consumer-to-consumer retail. It provides a platform for small-scale businesses and individuals to open their online stores. Members who wish to sell their products must register with Vaobao and then list their goods and attract buyers to purchase their items on Vaobao. Goods can be sold with a fixed price or auctioned, depending on the seller's choice. In this scenario, Vaobao exemplifies the phenomenon of a(n) _____.

A) speed-to-market undertaking
B) peer-to-peer transaction
C) leaderless social sharing
D) exponential distribution

Question 40

Which of the following statements correctly presents the difference between the speed of the Internet in Korea and in Africa?

A) Unlike Korea, much of Africa boasts the world's fastest Internet.
B) Unlike in Africa, the average speed of the Internet in Korea is 21.1 Mbps.
C) Unlike in most parts of Korea, a web page will load ten times faster in Africa.
D) Unlike in Africa, download speeds are extremely slow in Korea.

Question 41

Which of the following companies exemplifies a business incubator?

A) Zaraath Inc., which works with non-governmental organizations and encourages aspiring individuals to have their own start-ups
B) RobustAdvances, which provides a three-week mentorship program for employees belonging to large-scale industries
C) Cardle Corp., which provides office space and resources to new start-up businesses
D) Dragon Ranges, which ties up with small-scale businesses and acquires a major profit-sharing role

Question 42

One important advantage for global business is that cloud-based solutions enable companies to quickly take their electronic content global. Despite the availability of data, discuss the challenges that global firms are most likely to face.

Question 43

In the context of globalization, identify a difference between the research and development (R&D) trend in the United States when compared with other nations of the world.

A) Unlike in Asian countries, R&D spending in the United States is proportional to the increase in the countries' gross domestic product (GDP).
B) Unlike Japan, the United States represents less than 26 percent of global spending on R&D.
C) In the United States, nearly 70 percent of R&D is funded by the government.
D) Unlike in other countries, in the United States, private nonprofit donors are not allowed to invest in R&D.

Question 44

Goers Technologies is working on the development of a new tourism-based mobile application. It wants to recruit new people as the task is vast, and it requires plenty of knowledgeable and technically sound people. However, although the company searched extensively, the people with the right set of expertise could not be found. In this scenario, the human resource department of Goers Technologies is facing a(n) _____.
E) skills shortage
F) assets withdrawal
G) business deficiency H. training shortfall

Question 45

In the context of human capital, economic output is a function of _____.

A) labor and technology
B) logistics and raw materials
C) price ceiling and tax incidence
D) spot exchange rate and forward exchange rate

Question 46

In the context of globalization, identify a true statement about research and development (R&D).

A) Over the past decade, international companies are spending more money on R&D than in product manufacturing.
B) Japan represents more than 50 percent of global spending on R&D.
C) In the United States, nearly 70 percent of R&D is funded by the government.
D) Private nonprofit donors are not allowed to invest in R&D.

Question 47

Identify a true statement about the globalization of research and development (R&D).

A) In Asia, R&D is increasing at a rate faster than the growth of countries' gross domestic product (GDP).
B) Japan represents more than 50 percent of global spending on R&D.
C) In the United States, nearly 70 percent of R&D is funded by the government.
D) Private businesses are not allowed to invest in R&D.

Question 48

In the context of globalization, which of the following statements is true of research and development (R&D)?

A) Over the past decade, international companies have started spending less on R&D.
B) Although R&D spending is increasing everywhere, it is decreasing most rapidly in Asia.
C) In the United States, nearly 70 percent of R&D is funded by businesses.
D) Over the past decade, international companies have moved their R&D from locations around the world back to their corporate headquarters.

Question 49

In the context of technology as physical infrastructure, briefly explain the steps taken toward power distribution and storage.

Question 50

Jim, Harry, and Kate decide to set up a company that serves the functions of a business incubator. Which of the following would their company be doing in this scenario?

A) Solely dedicate itself to working with governmental organizations that look after the finances of a state
B) Provide new companies with space, tools, and leadership skills to help accelerate their early growth
C) Be responsible for working with fully developed start-ups that aim to overtake the leaders in the same business sector
D) Help small-scale industries fix priorities for disposal of assessments and submission of taxes and other related matters

Question 51

In the context of globalization, compare and contrast the various research and development trends across the world.

Question 52

In the context of transportation networks, compare and contrast the pros and cons associated with shipping by sea, air transport, and ground transport.

Question 53

In the context of creation of new technologies, discuss the benefits and ease of usage of the phone-based money transfer system called M-Pesa.

Question 54

Using examples, assess the impact of companies, universities, and governments when working together.

Question 55

Fordant Communications, a company based in the United States, works toward the invention of high-end telecommunication devices. Until a year ago, its research and development (R&D) center was based in its headquarters; however, Fordant wishes to move the R&D center to another part of the world. In the context of globalization, which of the following facts should be considered by Fordant Communications while selecting a new location for its R&D center?

A) In Asia, R&D is increasing at a rate faster than the growth of countries' gross domestic product (GDP).
B) Japan represents more than 50 percent of global spending on R&D.
C) In the United States, nearly 70 percent of R&D is funded by the government.
D) Asian countries do not permit private businesses to invest in R&D.

Question 56

In the context of human capital, which of the following exemplifies a skills shortage?

A) Sedanta, a company that believes in hiring global talent, could not find experienced candidates who were able to clear all the interview rounds.
B) Atlas Houses, an organization that wants to start its own health care unit, is not funded by non-government organizations when approached for donations.
C) XBC&D, a company that deals with leather-made goods, faces a severe raw material crisis.
D) Kreta Technohouse, a company that deals in mobile applications, is unable to open its branches in other nations owing to strict government regulations.

Question 57

Tranjia is an African city where the residents have limited access to a bank. They prefer to use a phone-based money transfer system. Using this system, residents of Tranjia can deposit, withdraw, and transfer money within seconds. They can also use this system to purchase and pay for goods. In this scenario, which of the following is the phone-based money transfer system that the residents of Tranjia are most likely using?

A) M-Pesa
B) MetLife
C) Upstart
D) Zenfolio

Question 58

A _____ is a company that helps found and grow new businesses.

A) business accelerator
B) business pump
C) business incubator
D) business cradle

Question 59

SimpleLife Care is a new chain of hospitals in the country of Irza. The hospital has recruited several nurses through several round of interviews that were conducted throughout the nation. However, it is also looking for experienced nurses. Despite a lot of effort, the company was unable to fill the positions due to lack of availability. Hence, all branches of the hospital are facing a skills shortage. When nations face such poor human capital infrastructures, it can be said that the _____ of the country is not adequate.

A) brainware
B) credit score
C) market rating
D) planarity

Question 60

NewBizHelp works with small and growing new businesses and guides them through the initial hurdles of a start-up. It is specific about its clients and serves only particular business sectors. It works with a start-up to provide them office space, legal and accounting guidance, computer and technological services, and other prerequisites required to run a business. In this scenario, NewBizHelp is considered a _____.

A) business accelerator
B) business pump
C) business incubator
D) business cradle