What is least likely to affect the cost an organization incurs in producing its products or services? |
price |
Where a firm locates would typically not affect that firm's: |
strategy |
Which of the following is not among the chief reasons organizations fail? A. overemphasis on short-term financial performance B. emphasizing labor productivity in labor-intensive environments C. poor internal communications D. not investing in capital and human resources E. overemphasis on product (or service) design |
-emphasizing labor productivity in labor intensive environments In labor-intensive environments, emphasizing labor productivity is a good idea. |
The key to successfully competing is understanding what customers want and then __________ satisfy those wants. |
find the best way to |
An organization's mission statement serves as the basis for: |
organizational goals |
Which of the following would be least important in the pursuit of a time-based strategy? A. cost minimization B. quick changeover times C. operational agility D. reduced complaint resolution times E. flexible technology |
-cost minimization (Many means for minimizing cost would have the effect of making a time-based strategy less feasible.) |
Competitiveness doesn't include: A. productivity. B. effectiveness. C. profitability. D. operations strategy. E. operations management. |
profitability (A company can be competitive relative to similar companies and still be unprofitable if the competitive environment is inherently unprofitable.) |
Product design and choice of location are examples of _______ decisions |
strategic |
Scheduling personnel is an example of an operations management |
operational decision |
Productivity is expressed as: |
output divided by input |
In the 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, organizations concentrated on |
mkt and fin strategies |
Which of the following is not a factor that affects productivity? A. computer viruses B. design of the workspace C. use of the Internet D. standardizing processes E. product price |
product price (These don't lead to fundamental changes in operation) |
Which of these factors would be least likely to affect productivity? A. methods and technology B. workers C. management D. product mix E. advertising |
advertising |
Which of the following is not a key step toward improving productivity? A. developing productivity measures for all operations B. improving the bottleneck operations C. establishing reasonable goals for improvement D. considering incentives to reward workers E. converting bond debt to stock ownership |
-converting bond debt to stock ownership A firm's productivity is independent of its capital structure. |
For an organization to grow its market share, it must: |
. exceed minimum standards of acceptability for its products or services. |
The ratio of good output to quantity of raw material input is called |
process yield |
The fundamental purpose for the existence of any organization is described by its: |
mssion statement |
A productivity increase in one operation that does not improve overall productivity of the business is not |
worthwhile |
Value added can be calculated by: |
output minus inputs |
Which of the following is true? A. Corporate strategy is shaped by functional strategies. B. Corporate mission is shaped by corporate strategy. C. Functional strategies are shaped by corporate strategy. D. External conditions are shaped by corporate mission. E. Corporate mission is shaped by functional strategies. |
Functional strategies are shaped by corporate strategy |
Core competencies in organizations generally do not relate to |
sales price |
With regard to operations strategy, organization strategy should, ideally, take into account: |
operations' strengths and weaknesses. |
Which of the following is not typically considered a cure for poor competitiveness? A. Remove communications barriers within organizations. B. B. Minimize attention to the operations function. C. Put less emphasis on short-term financial results. D. Recognize labor as a valuable asset and act to develop it. E. Improve quality. |
- Minimize attention to the operations function. Operations is a prime area for improving competitiveness. |
Time-based approaches of business organizations focus on reducing the time to accomplish certain necessary activities. Time reductions seldom apply to: |
internal audits |
Which of the following is not a key factor of competitiveness? A. price B. product differentiation C. flexibility D. after-sale service E. size of organization |
size of org Competitiveness often has nothing to do with organization size. |
The Balanced Scorecard is a useful tool for helping managers translate their strategy into action in the following areas: |
Customers; Financial; Internal Business Processes; Learning and Growth |
A firm pursuing a strategy based on customization and variety will tend to structure and manage its supply chain to accommodate more _____________ than a firm pursuing a strategy based on low cost and high volume. |
variation |
Unique attributes of firms that give them a competitive edge are called: |
core competencies |
Years ago in the overnight delivery business, providing package tracking capability gave some firms a competitive advantage. Now, all firms must offer this capability simply to be in this line of business. This is an example of ______________ becoming ____________ over time. |
order winners; order qualifiers |
For firms competing in worldwide markets, conducting __________________ is more complex, since what works in one country or region might not work in another. |
environmental analysis |
Increasing the service offered to the customer makes it more difficult to compete on the basis of: |
price |
___________ is generally used to facilitate an organization strategy that emphasizes low cost. |
standarization |
Which of the following factors would tend to reduce productivity? |
-more inexperienced workers More inexperienced workers tend to be less productive. |