Operations Strategy in a Global Environment

Which of the following is listed as one of the six primary reasons for a domestic business to change to an international operation?

What is the term for Mexican factories located along the U.S.–Mexico border that receive preferential tariff treatment?

What is the primary purpose of an organization's mission statement?

Which of the three strategic approaches to competitive advantage involves providing uniqueness to the customer?

Engaging a customer with a product through the imaginative use of the five senses is known as what type of strategy?

According to the text, a SWOT analysis is a formal review of what?

What are activities or factors that are key to a firm achieving its goals called?

Transferring activities that have traditionally been internal to external suppliers is known as what?

Which global operations strategy has a high degree of centralization, with headquarters coordinating to seek standardization and learning between plants?

What is the term for the global operations strategy that combines the benefits of global-scale efficiencies with the benefits of local responsiveness?

What does the theory of comparative advantage suggest about outsourcing?

Which of the following is identified as a potential disadvantage of outsourcing?

In the context of the product life cycle, during which stage do competitive costs become a critical strategic issue for a company?

Which of the four global operations strategies is most descriptive of a firm like Heinz, which decentralizes to accommodate local tastes?

What is the relationship between Key Success Factors (KSFs) and Core Competencies?

The European Union (EU) is described as a major U.S. trading partner with how many people?

What is the term for a graphical link of competitive advantage, KSFs, and supporting activities, as exemplified by the analysis of Southwest Airlines?

Which of the four global operations strategies is characterized as being the easiest to implement but the least advantageous?

According to Porter's five forces model, which of the following is NOT one of the potential competing forces?

The return of business activity to the originating country, partly due to political backlash and rising overseas costs, is known as what process?

In the factor-rating method example for National Architects, three providers were evaluated. If the importance weight for 'Skilled personnel' is changed to 0.1 and the weight for 'Aligns with policy/philosophy/culture' is changed to 0.2, what is the new total weighted score for the provider Telco (Israel)?

A firm that uses exports and licenses to enter global markets and has little local responsiveness and little cost advantage is using which type of strategy?

What is the primary OM strategy during the 'Decline' stage of a product's life cycle?

The text uses Honda's focus on gas-powered engines for a wide variety of products as an example of what?

Which trade agreement seeks to phase out all trade and tariff barriers among Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.?

A transnational company like Nestlé is described as a 'world company' because of what characteristic?

According to the text, competing on response includes which three aspects?

What is the primary reason that roughly half of all outsourcing agreements fail?

In the context of operations strategy, what is a strategy?

The WTO has helped accelerate global trade by reducing average tariffs from 40 percent in 1940 to what level today?

One of the reasons to internationalize operations is to attract and retain global talent. Why does a global firm have an advantage in this area?

Which of the following firms is used as the primary example of a low-cost leadership strategy in the airline industry?

During the 'Growth' stage of the product life cycle, which OM strategy becomes particularly critical?

A method managers use to evaluate the resources at their disposal and manage or alter them to achieve competitive advantage is called the:

What is the key element of the low-cost strategy for the Belgian food retailer Franz Colruyt?

In the factor-rating problem for Claudia Pragram Technologies, the criteria weights are: Price 0.1, Nearness 0.6, Technology 0.2, and History 0.1. England's ratings are 2, 3, 1, 1, and Canada's are 3, 1, 3, 2. Which country should be selected and what is its score?

Using the data for Ranga Ramasesh's outsourcing decision (Problem 2.9), with weights of Trust 0.4, Quality 0.2, Religious 0.1, Individualism 0.1, Time 0.1, and Uncertainty 0.1, which of the four countries has the highest rating?

In the outsourcing decision for Walker Accounting Software, with weights of Flexibility 0.5, Trustworthiness 0.1, Price 0.2, and Delivery 0.2, which provider has the best rating?

What is the key characteristic of Boeing's strategy for its 787 Dreamliner that is highlighted in the Global Company Profile?

The competitive advantage of Southwest Airlines is built on its low-cost strategy. Which of the following is NOT an activity mentioned in its activity map (Figure 2.8) that supports this strategy?

What distinguishes core competencies from key success factors (KSFs)?

When a firm expands the life cycle of a mature domestic product by selling it in a less-developed country, it is pursuing which reason for internationalizing operations?

A firm that operates as a subsidiary or franchise with substantial independence and decentralized authority in each country it operates in is using which global strategy?

Which of the following would be an appropriate OM strategy during the 'Introduction' stage of a product's life cycle?

What is the most common reason cited in the text for the failure of outsourcing agreements?

The text states that in the airline industry, scheduling is an OM activity but is tied to marketing. Why is this integration necessary?

A low-cost leadership strategy requires a relentless effort to drive down costs while also doing what?

The firm Caterpillar is used as an example of which global operations strategy?

Which of the following is an example of an OM strategy decision a firm would make during the 'Maturity' stage of a product's life cycle?

How does a firm like Walmart or Franz Colruyt achieve a cost advantage through its facility strategy?