BUAD 309 Chapter 18 | Questions and Answers (Complete Solutions)
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Course
BUAD 309
Institution
BUAD 309
BUAD 309 Chapter 18 | Questions and Answers (Complete Solutions) An example of change in the nature of the workforce is an increase in ________. A) college attendance B) mergers and consolidations C) capital investment D) divorce rates E) cultural diversity Almost every organization must adjust t...
An example of change in the nature of the workforce is an increase in ________.
A) college attendance
B) mergers and consolidations
C) capital investment
D) divorce rates
E) cultural diversity
Almost every organization must adjust to a multicultural environment, demographic
changes, immigration, and outsourcing. This represents the changing nature of the
workforce
Organizations are increasingly adjusting their processes and positioning their products
as environment friendly and sustainable in order to increase their appeal to consumers.
This is a response to changes in ________.
A) demographic trends
B) social trends
C) cultural trends
D) legal requirements
E) nature of the workforce
Social trends don't remain static. Consumers now meet and share information in chat
rooms and blogs. Companies must continually adjust product and marketing strategies
to be sensitive to changing social trends. Consumers, employees, and organizational
leaders are more sensitive to environmental concerns. "Green" practices are quickly
becoming expected rather than optional.
Tescra Education is an educational publishing company that provides textbooks in the
area of higher education. The company has been in business for almost 20 years now
and has earned substantial profits during this period. Which of the following trends, if
true, would drive the company to change its business strategy?
A) a rise in the cost of electronic products such as iPads and e-book readers, and
subscriptions charges for educational apps
B) an upward trend in students' preference for face-to-face interaction with instructors
using traditional classroom learning techniques
C) a need for learning environments where students feel safe to apply the knowledge
they've acquired in the classroom to real-life situations
D) a decrease in the number of people going back to school to upgrade their skills, due
to an economic boom
E) an increase in the number of laws and regulations related to intellectual property
,If students feel the need for learning environments where they feel safe to apply the
knowledge they've acquired in the classroom to real-life situations, then online learning
methods would be best suited to meet this need. This would require the company to
change its business strategy from providing textbooks to focusing on online learning. A
rise in the cost of technological tools and a preference for face-to-face interaction with
instructors using traditional classroom learning techniques would increase the
requirement for textbooks and would not have an impact on the company's business
strategy. A decrease in the number of people going back to school to upgrade their
skills would imply that there are a fewer number of students and hence the company
would not need to change its strategy. Intellectual property laws apply to both online
and traditional publishing and would not drive a company to change its business
strategy.
Fony Corp., headquartered in China, is a leading manufacturer of electronic devices
and solutions intended for professional markets. The company is considering upgrading
the technology currently being used at Fony's manufacturing facility located in
Guangdong that specializes in producing lithium-ion batteries, which are used to power
laptops, cameras, cell phones, and other similar gadgets. The new technology is
expected to increase efficiency levels and will also allow for greater adherence to quality
standards.
Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument that Fony Corp.
should upgrade its technology?
A) The market for consumer electronics such as laptops, cameras, cell phones, and
other similar gadgets is in the late maturity stage.
B) Fony will be able to recover the cost of the new technology within eight years.
C) Fony's main client account is at risk after the client had to recall nearly 2 million
notebooks owing to defective batteries.
D) The existing technology is currently functioning at the optimal level and the cost of
maintenance is minimal.
E) Fony last upgraded its technology six years ago and it has an adequate budget to
fund the acquisition
If Fony's future as a supplier to a primary client is under threat due to its production of
defective batteries, then this would most strengthen the argument to upgrade its
technology. Given the new technology will ensure better quality, this option would be the
most compelling argument. If the market for consumer electronics is in the late maturity
stage then this would weaken the argument. The fact that Fony will be able to recover
the cost of the new technology within eight years neither strengthens nor weakens the
argument. If the existing technology is functioning at the optimal level and the cost of
maintenance is minimal, then this weakens the argument. The argument is not
strengthened by the fact that Fony last upgraded its technology six years ago and has
an adequate budget to fund the acquisition.
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument that Fony Corp. should
upgrade its technology?
, A) Employees fear that the new technology will render them obsolete.
B) The company will be able to recover the cost of the technology within four years of
implementation.
C) The new technology is expected to reduce the company's overall cost of production.
D) The company's main client is threatening legal action after it had to recall nearly 2
million notebooks owing to defective batteries.
E) The technology which the company is considering adopting was recently developed
and the company will be first to implement it in a real business context.
If the technology which the company plans to adopt was newly developed and the
company will be first to use it in a real business context, then this is a potential risk for
the company, should the implementation fail. Hence, this most weakens the argument
that Fony should upgrade its technology. The company should not avoid upgrading its
technology just because of employees' unfounded fears that they might be rendered
obsolete due to the new technology. That Fony will be able to recover the cost of the
new technology within four years slightly strengthens the argument. If the technology is
expected to reduce the cost of production then this would strengthen the argument to
upgrade the technology, as would the threat of legal action by a client.
An example of change in competition is ________.
A) U.S. manufactured Toyota vehicles
B) collapse of Enron Corporation
C) Iraq-U.S. war
D) increased interest in urban living
E) a decrease in interest rates
Competitors are as likely to come from across the ocean as from across town.
Successful organizations will be fast on their feet, capable of developing new products
rapidly and getting them to market quickly. They'll be flexible and will require an equally
flexible and responsive workforce.
A paper sales company designs and offers a new method of purchasing and shipping
commercial quantities of paper through their Web site. Earlier, the company used to do
its business through its sales representative. This is an example of a(n) ________
change.
A) accidental
B) secondary
C) planned
D) cognitive
E) integrated
The change mentioned in the case is an example of a planned change, or activities that
are intentional and goal oriented, compared to accidental change which refers to
activities that just happen.
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