Q&A Hero

Q: The term population density refers to the number of organizations that ________. A) have the same rate of growth in a particular industrial segment B) operate in the same market segment and employ more than 1000 employees C) can compete for the same resources in a particular environment D) are at the same stage in the organizational life cycle at a particular time

Q: Firms that make multiple products can produce the same number of each product with a given level of resource inputs and equal amounts of time.

Q: According to population ecology theory, ________. A) organizations experience the greatest risk of failure during the growth stage of the organizational life cycle B) the number of organizations in a population is determined by the availability of resources C) all the organizations move through the four stages of the life cycle but at different rates D) shareholders are the most important stakeholders in an organization

Q: Capacity can be defined as the amount of available resource inputs relative to requirements for output over a particular period of time.

Q: Which of the following terms refers to a particular set of resources or skills? A) population density B) environmental niche C) clustered skill set D) resource conglomeration

Q: When evaluating capacity, managers need to consider both resource inputs and product outputs.

Q: All the fast-food restaurants in Houston, Texas, compete to obtain environmental resources in the form of dollars that people are willing to spend on to obtain food conveniently. This group of restaurants is an example of a(n) ________. A) group of boundary spanners B) cluster of environmental niches C) aggregation of marketers D) population of organizations

Q: Capacity can be defined as the ability to hold, receive, store or accommodate.

Q: The term ________ of organization refers to the organizations that are competing for the same set of resources in the environment. A) population B) cluster C) conglomeration D) aggregation

Q: How might the generic product development process described in the text be different if developing a process-intensive product?

Q: Which of the following theories seeks to explain the factors that affect the rate at which new organizations are born (and die) in a population of existing organizations? A) contingency theory B) population ecology theory C) institutional theory D) transaction cost theory

Q: Describe what concurrent engineering teams are and what problems they address?

Q: The dangers associated with being the first to operate in a novel environment is known as the ________. A) external liability B) liability of inertia C) liability of newness D) dependence liability

Q: Describe what rapid prototyping is and where it is particularly useful in the development process?

Q: Organizations are born when people called ________ recognize and take advantage of opportunities to use their skills and competences to create value. A) boundary spanners B) entrepreneurs C) whistle-blowers D) free riders

Q: In product development, what is the analysis called that works toward simplifying products and processes to achieve equivalent or better performance at lower cost?

Q: Which of the following stages of the organizational life cycle is associated with the greatest chance of failure? A) organizational growth B) organizational death C) organizational decline D) organizational birth

Q: What is the name for a matrix that helps a product design team translate customer requirements into operating and engineering goals?

Q: Which of the following terms refers to a sequence of stages of growth and development through which organizations may pass? A) organizational life cycle B) organizational integration C) organizational metamorphosis D) organizational decentralization

Q: What variants of the generic product development process are discussed in the text?

Q: According to Weitzel and Jonsson's model of organizational decline, when an organization reaches the dissolution stage, it cannot recover, and decline is irreversible.

Q: What are the six phases of the generic product development process?

Q: What is organizational mirroring?

Q: The purpose of Value Analysis/Value Engineering (VA/VE) is to: A. Simplify products and processes B. Improve the value that customers find in existing products C. Relate the customer's needs to technical specifications D. Meet budgets and improve the results of financial models E. To facilitate better cooperation between business functions

Q: What is process consultation?

Q: The aim of Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is: A. To facilitate "House of Quality" analysis B. To provide Value Analysis/Value Engineering input C. To integrate Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) D. To facilitate better cooperation between business functions E. To lower costs and improve customer satisfaction

Q: Explain the OD technique of sensitivity training.

Q: Quality Function Deployment (QFD): A. Is a manufacturing function aimed at lowering cost by reducing the portion of rejected units B. Fills the "House of Quality" matrix with the designer's aspirations for the product C. Starts with studying and listening to customers D. Is a place where the quality assurance function is housed E. Another term for Value Engineering

Q: What is organizational development?

Q: Economic analysis of product development projects must evaluate which of the following: A. Planned profitability of the product B. Expected market share to be attained C. Net present value of profits D. Timing and amount of net cash flow E. Demand elasticity of the product

Q: Discuss the difference between top-down and bottom-up changes.

Q: Economic analysis of product development projects is useful in which of the following circumstances: A. Factory location B. Distribution decisions C. Go/no-go milestones D. Demand estimation E. Pricing

Q: What is reengineering?

Q: The most basic categories of cash flow for a typical new product do not include: A. Depreciation B. Ramp-up cost C. Development cost D. Sales revenue E. Marketing cost

Q: Discuss the difference between evolutionary and revolutionary change.

Q: Consumer electronics is an example of a product developed in which variant of the generic product development process? A. Technology-push products B. Customized products C. Platform products D. Quick-build products E. Process-intensive products

Q: Discuss Lewin's force-field theory of change.

Q: System integration and validation are an important step in which variant of the generic product development process? A. Technology-push products B. Customized products C. Complex systems D. Quick-build products E. Process-intensive products

Q: What are the various forces that make it necessary for an organization to change?

Q: Advocates of financial modeling of product design projects argue that: A. Financial analysis focuses on measurable quantities only B. Financial analysis brings discipline and control to the product development process C. Sufficiently rigorous financial analysis can accurately forecast the product's profit potential D. Financial analysis is as solid as the assumptions that go into the model E. Financial analysis nurtures innovation and creativity

Q: What is organizational change?

Q: Sensitivity analysis of the Base-Case Financial Model is a useful tool for which of the following reasons? A. To determine how long the development process can profitably last B. To understand how many technical people are needed to make the project a success C. To help understand the basic trade-offs of resources committed and cash received D. To identify the necessary product launch date E. To set marketing and sales budgets

Q: Which of the following organizational development techniques brings together all of the managers of an organization at a meeting to discuss the issue of whether the organization is meeting its goals effectively? A) process consultation B) team building C) organizational confrontation meeting D) organizational mirroring

Q: Similarity of projects allows for a streamlined and highly structured development process in which variant of the generic product development process? A. Technology-push products B. Customized products C. Complex systems D. Quick-build products E. Process-intensive products

Q: ________ is an OD technique in which a facilitator helps two interdependent groups explore their perceptions and relations in order to improve their work interactions. A) Restructuring B) Action research C) Reengineering D) Organizational mirroring

Q: Concept development assumes a proven technology in which variant of the generic product development process? A. Technology-push products B. Quick-build products C. Complex systems D. Platform products E. Process-intensive products

Q: ________ is an OD technique that takes team building one step further and uses it to improve the ways different functions or divisions work together. A) Intergroup training B) Action research C) Reengineering D) Process consultation

Q: A reason that firms must develop more new products than ever is which of the following? A. Product life cycles are shorter B. Commitments to joint venture partners C. They are replacing old customers with new ones D. To amortize heavy investments in development labs E. The increased difficulty of defending patents and trade names

Q: Which of the following is an OD technique in which a facilitator first observes the interactions of group members and then helps them become aware of ways to improve their work interactions? A) action research B) team-building C) process consultation D) reengineering

Q: What dimension of competitiveness does quality in product design impact? A. Engineering hours per project B. The cost of ongoing service C. Responsiveness to customer needs D. Aesthetics of design E. None of the above

Q: Which of the following is an OD technique that involves a facilitator working closely with a manager on the job to help the manager improve his or her interactions with other group members? A) mentoring B) process consultation C) sensitivity training D) team building

Q: What dimension of competitiveness does time-to-market performance in product design and process selection impact? A. Engineering hours per project B. The cost of ongoing service C. Responsiveness to customer needs D. Aesthetics of design E. None of the above

Q: Which of the following is one of the organizational development (OD) techniques to promote change? A) reengineering B) restructuring C) process consultation D) flexible work teams

Q: Which of the following is a time-to-market performance measure used in judging product development performance? A. Frequency of new product introductions B. Product reliability C. Customer loyalty D. Yield E. Value analysis

Q: Which of the following is a technique that organizations can use to help individuals to understand the nature of their own and other people's personalities and to use that knowledge to improve their interactions with others? A) restructuring B) organizational cultivating C) reengineering D) sensitivity training

Q: Design for manufacturing and assembly delivers product improvements by emphasizing which of the following? A. Reducing product quality during the assembly process B. Simplification of the product by reducing the number of separate parts C. Reducing equipment in the production process D. Design products so they can be manufactured by a virtual factory E. Designing products that customers will want

Q: Which of the following statements is true regarding top-down change? A) Generally, top-down change is more difficult to implement than bottom-up change. B) Top-down change is implemented by employees at low levels in the organization and gradually rises until it is felt throughout the organization. C) A top-down change is an evolutionary change. D) Typically, organizations that engage in top-down change are well-run, are used to change, and change often.

Q: Which of the following is primarily used to help design products that will connect product attributes with customer desires? A. Phase 0: Planning B. House of quality matrix C. Value analysis/value engineering D. Concurrent engineering E. System-level design

Q: A finance manager observes that the return-on-investment (ROI) for his organization is only 10 percent compared to the industry average of 20 percent. The manager informs top managers about her observation. According to this information, this organization is in which stage of the action research process? A) diagnosing the organization B) determining the desired future action C) eliminating obstacles to change D) selecting a strategy for change

Q: Which of the following is a critical element in the success of concurrent engineering? A. Integrated computer-assisted design B. Using automated guided vehicles C. System-level design D. Having an excellent forecasting system E. The design-build-test cycle

Q: Which of the following terms refers to a strategy for generating and acquiring knowledge that managers can use to define an organization's future state? A) restructuring B) organizational Development C) action research D) benchmarking

Q: Which of the following are not typical phases of product development? A. Concept development B. Value engineering C. System-level design D. Testing and refinement E. Production/Ramp-Up

Q: ________ is the process of developing new goods and services. A) Reengineering B) Innovation C) Restructuring D) Functional reorganization

Q: One of the major benefits of DFMA is that products are designed that customers will want.

Q: The move from a functional structure to some form of divisional structure, and the move from one divisional structure to another, represents one of the most common kinds of ________ effort. A) restructuring B) innovation C) TQM D) reengineering

Q: The "House of Quality" matrix is a technique that relates customer requirements to concrete operating or engineering goals.

Q: The term ________ refers to companies' attempts to use all kinds of information systems to improve their performance. A) reengineering B) restructuring C) reorganizing D) e-engineering

Q: Most purchasers of electronic products can not fully operate them and use only a small number of the available features.

Q: ________ refers to the process by which managers change task and authority relationships and redesign organizational structure and culture to improve organizational effectiveness. A) Restructuring B) Innovation C) Total quality management D) Reengineering

Q: In the generic product development process, collecting customer needs is accomplished during phase 0 (planning).

Q: Which of the following methods of achieving organizational change is highly interrelated and complementary to TQM? A) flexible work teams B) reengineering C) innovation D) restructuring

Q: Which of the following statements is true regarding reengineering? A) The process of reengineering is used to achieve evolutionary change. B) Reengineering involves decentralizing decision-making to the point where the decision is made. C) Reengineering involves improving an organization's functions by focusing on the functions in isolation from one another. D) The reengineering process is started with the product and not the customer.

Q: In the generic product development process, phase 2 (system-level design) begins with corporate strategy and incorporates market objectives.

Q: The conclusion of the product development process is when the product is withdrawn from the market.

Q: The goal of "reengineering" is to ________. A) achieve continuous, incremental improvements in organizational functions B) obtain resources from the external environment at the lowest possible costs C) improve businesses processes D) decrease the bargaining power of the customers

Q: Which of the following terms, popularized by Michael Hammer and J. Champy, refers to fundamental rethinking and radical redesigning of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical, contemporary measures of performance such as cost, quality, service, and speed? A) restructuring B) e-engineering C) reengineering D) TQM

Q: One goal of having a core competency is to do something better than anyone else.

Q: Which of the following statements is true regarding total quality management (TQM)? A) The technique of TQM was developed by Kaoru Ishikawa. B) The technique of total quality management is used for achieving radical innovation. C) Changes associated with TQM are changes in task, role, and group relationships. D) TQM is a quick fix that can turn an organization around overnight.

Q: A competency is not core if it is easy for competitors to imitate.

Q: Which of the following statements is true regarding flexible work teams? A) Flexible work teams typically consist of members of the top-management team. B) A department head assigns a task to a flexible work team. C) Flexible work teams are typically used as a quick fix that can turn an organization around overnight with the help of a radical innovation. D) Flexible work teams are self-managed.