Question 1

Which of the following areas is covered by ISO 9000 standards?
A) product testing
B) employee testing
C) logistics
D) sales records

Accepted Answer

ISO 9000 standards focus on quality management systems, including aspects like product testing to ensure quality consistency and improvement.

Question 2

Which service typically cannot occur without customer participation?
A) personal communication
B) financial advising
C) foreign tourism
D) service calls

Accepted Answer

Foreign tourism requires the physical presence and participation of the customer at the destination.

Question 3

What are the four characteristics of international services? Why is quality management difficult for international service providers?

Accepted Answer

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Question 4

What is the role of government in international services trade?

Accepted Answer

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Question 5

Multiple tables at Red Lobster were empty yesterday afternoon. Which characteristic of services is most likely a concern for the restaurant chain?
A) service intangibility
B) service perishability
C) customer participation
D) product bundling and compatibility

Accepted Answer

Service perishability refers to the fact that services cannot be stored for later sale or use. If a service is not used at the time it is produced, like seating capacity at a restaurant, it is wasted. Empty tables at Red Lobster indicate lost revenue opportunities due to the perishable nature of their service.

Question 6

The Swedish appliance maker AB Electrolux manufactures vacuum cleaners and has service operations set up to repair those products for consumers who buy them. AB Electrolux is most likely attempting to ________.
A) provide intangible service options
B) improve economies of scope
C) comply with consumer laws
D) bundle sales with service

Accepted Answer

By offering repair services for their vacuum cleaners, AB Electrolux is bundling sales with service, adding value to the product purchase through the availability of after-sales support and maintenance.

Question 7

What are the basic issues involved in the management of international service operations?

Accepted Answer

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Question 8

Benson Electronics wants to increase employee involvement for the purpose of enhancing productivity. Which of the following would most likely enable Benson to accomplish this goal?
A) decrease work hours
B) provide salary increases
C) offer additional health benefits
D) implement self-managed teams

Accepted Answer

Implementing self-managed teams encourages employee involvement by giving team members more autonomy and responsibility, which can lead to increased motivation and productivity.

Question 9

________ is an integrated effort to systematically and continuously improve the quality of an organization's products and/or services.
A) ISO 9000
B) Standardization
C) Total quality management
D) Just-in-time management

Accepted Answer

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a comprehensive and structured approach to organizational management that seeks to improve the quality of products and services through ongoing refinements in response to continuous feedback.

Question 10

Many firms report that merely preparing for an ISO 9000 audit has been helpful.

Accepted Answer

Preparing for an ISO 9000 audit often leads firms to scrutinize and improve their quality management processes, which can result in operational efficiencies and better product quality even before the audit occurs.

Question 11

What are product-support services? Why are they important? Illustrate your answer with an example.

Accepted Answer

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Question 12

Productivity is most likely important because it ________.
A) establishes just-in-time manufacturing
B) follows changing technological innovations
C) contributes to the overall standard of living within a particular country
D) provides government facilitators with modern techniques, tools, and data

Accepted Answer

Productivity is crucial because it directly impacts the standard of living within a country. Higher productivity means more goods and services are produced efficiently, leading to economic growth and improved living conditions.

Question 13

How important are services to the U.S. gross domestic product?

Accepted Answer

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Question 14

Increasing employee involvement and spending less on research and development are actions that tend to boost the productivity of international firms.

Accepted Answer

Increasing employee involvement can boost productivity by enhancing motivation and innovation, but reducing spending on research and development (R&D) can hinder a firm's ability to innovate and stay competitive, potentially lowering productivity in the long term.

Question 15

What is an international service business?

Accepted Answer

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Question 16

________ is an economic measure of efficiency that summarizes the value of outputs relative to the value of the inputs used to create the outputs.
A) GNP
B) Productivity
C) Turnover ratio
D) Return on investment

Accepted Answer

Productivity is the measure that reflects the efficiency of the production process, summarizing the value of outputs relative to the value of inputs.

Question 17

Executives at Moxley Manufacturing want to improve the firm's productivity. Which of the following would most likely help Moxley achieve this goal?
A) decrease costly R&D investments
B) improve performance appraisals
C) increase employee involvement
D) encourage union participation

Accepted Answer

Increasing employee involvement often leads to improvements in productivity because it can enhance motivation, foster innovation, and improve problem-solving within the organization.

Question 18

________ is the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs.
A) Production
B) Quality
C) Benefit
D) Marketing

Accepted Answer

Quality is defined as the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs.

Question 19

The service sector is especially important in developing economies.

Accepted Answer

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Question 20

How has Lufthansa increased productivity through employee participation?

Accepted Answer

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Quiz 17: International Operations Management

Which of the following areas is covered by ISO 9000 standards?

Which service typically cannot occur without customer participation?

What are the four characteristics of international services? Why is quality management difficult for international service providers?

What is the role of government in international services trade?

Multiple tables at Red Lobster were empty yesterday afternoon. Which characteristic of services is most likely a concern for the restaurant chain?

The Swedish appliance maker AB Electrolux manufactures vacuum cleaners and has service operations set up to repair those products for consumers who buy them. AB Electrolux is most likely attempting to ________.

What are the basic issues involved in the management of international service operations?

Benson Electronics wants to increase employee involvement for the purpose of enhancing productivity. Which of the following would most likely enable Benson to accomplish this goal?

________ is an integrated effort to systematically and continuously improve the quality of an organization's products and/or services.

Many firms report that merely preparing for an ISO 9000 audit has been helpful.

What are product-support services? Why are they important? Illustrate your answer with an example.

Productivity is most likely important because it ________.

How important are services to the U.S. gross domestic product?

Increasing employee involvement and spending less on research and development are actions that tend to boost the productivity of international firms.

What is an international service business?

________ is an economic measure of efficiency that summarizes the value of outputs relative to the value of the inputs used to create the outputs.

Executives at Moxley Manufacturing want to improve the firm's productivity. Which of the following would most likely help Moxley achieve this goal?

________ is the totality of features and characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs.

The service sector is especially important in developing economies.

How has Lufthansa increased productivity through employee participation?