Q&A Hero

Q: The Grangeville Power Company has four classifications for its customers. For each customer classification, the company tracks the total amount of electricity used during the year. Which of the following types of graphs would be most appropriate to use? A) A horizontal bar chart B) A vertical bar chart C) Both A and B would be appropriate. D) A histogram

Q: Which of the following is true of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags? a. They can bring visibility and enhanced security to the handling and transportation of products. b. They are used to segment markets based on demographic and behavioral characteristics. c. They are used to create customized goods and services and deliver them faster at lower prices. d. They can help small companies create counterfeit knock-offs of genuine products.

Q: Which of the following is a key difference between a bar chart and a histogram? A) A bar chart typically has gaps between the bars while a histogram has no gaps. B) A bar chart is developed to analyze a continuous variable, while a histogram is used to analyze discrete variables. C) Both A and B are correct. D) There is actually no real difference between a bar chart and a histogram.

Q: A homeowners association consists of 20 homes. The family in each home is considered an automatic member of the association. Recently, one of the homes fell into a state of disrepair. A survey was conducted of the homeowners both on the same street as the house in question and on the second street. At issue was whether legal action should be brought against the homeowner with the problem house. There are 8 homes on the same street as the problem house and 6 of these called for legal action. The percentage of houses on the second street that favored legal action is 50 percent. Which type of chart might be most effective for conveying the information about percentage of residents favoring legal action by street? A) Histogram B) Stem and leaf diagram C) Bar chart D) Pie chart

Q: The use of technology has increased opportunities for employee creativity and empowerment.a. Trueb. False

Q: Scalability is a key issue in e-commerce. a. True b. False

Q: At a manufacturing plant workers are divided into 4 different teams that rotate shifts. The number of units produced by each team is recorded. The best type of chart to display the data is a: A) pie chart. B) histogram. C) ogive. D) line chart.

Q: Indicate whether the statement is true or false.Low scalability implies that serving additional customers requires low incremental variable costs.a. Trueb. False

Q: Which of the following is a false statement? A) A bar chart is usually constructed so that gaps exist between the bars. B) The bars on a bar chart can be different colors. C) A histogram is usually constructed without gaps between the bars. D) A bar chart and histogram can typically be used interchangeably.

Q: The city counsel has just voted to pass the city's budget for next year. If you were writing a report describing the budget so the citizens could understand how the total tax dollars will be spent, which of the following graphs might be most appropriate? A) Pie chart B) Scatter diagram C) Histogram D) Ogive

Q: Goods and service features and performance characteristics that differentiate one customer benefit package from another and win the customer's business are called _____. a. order qualifiers b. credence attributes c. experience attributes d. order winners

Q: One of the key differences between a bar chart and histogram is: A) the histogram contains gaps between the bars and the bar chart does not. B) a bar chart is used to display a categorical variable and a histogram is used to display the distribution of a quantitative variable. C) the histogram shows relative frequency while the bar chart shows frequency. D) the bar chart must be vertical while the histogram must be horizontal.

Q: A(n) _____ enterprise is an organization that sources, markets, and produces its goods and services in several countries to minimize costs, and to maximize profit, customer satisfaction, and social welfare. a. external distribution b. complex c. sustainable d. multinational

Q: A study was recently conducted by the regional electric and gas company. Data were collected for three customer categories showing the dollar amount of natural gas and the dollar amount of electricity consumed during the year. Which of the following graphs would most likely be used to display both sets of data together? A) Pie chart B) Bar chart C) Line chart D) Histogram

Q: _____ attributes are any aspects of a good or service that a customer must believe in but cannot personally evaluate even after purchase and consumption. a. Search b. Experience c. Credence d. Variant

Q: A bar chart is most likely used to display which of the following? A) A continuous variable B) A nominal level variable C) An ordinal level variable D) Either B or C

Q: Which of the following companies is most likely to have a true understanding of customer wants and needs? a. Harlose Suits, where customer benefit packages include more order qualifiers than order winners b. Magnira Jewelry, where all customers are provided with the same type of jewelry c. Blyrie Apparels, where customers are segmented into groups based on buying behavior and demographics d. Scorla Automobiles, where customers are provided with low quality products at prices slightly lower than the standard prices

Q: One characteristic of a bar chart is: A) the bars can be displayed either vertically or horizontally. B) there can be no gaps between the bars. C) it is used to display the distribution of a continuous variable. D) it shows cumulative frequency.

Q: Which of the following companies is most likely to have a competitive advantage in its market? a. Porthis Inc., a sports good manufacturer that treats the market as a single segment b. Singletone Corp., a stationery manufacturer that reduces mass customization c. Huran Co., a clothing manufacturer that focuses on the organization's capability rather than customers' needs or wants d. Greyon Inc., a computer manufacturer that builds and leverage operational capabilities to support desired priorities

Q: Which of the following is NOT true of a bar chart? A) It is used for numerical data. B) The bars can be either horizontal or vertical. C) It can show either frequency or relative frequency. D) It is used for categorical data.

Q: _____ represent the strategic emphasis that a firm places on certain performance measures and operational capabilities within a value chain. a. Competitive priorities b. Order satisfiers c. Search attributes d. Order winners

Q: Which of the following CANNOT be shown effectively with a histogram? A) A frequency distribution B) A joint frequency distribution C) A relative frequency distribution D) The center, shape and spread of a distribution

Q: Sustainability is best described as a(n) _____. a. idea that differs from existing norms b. pattern that integrates an organization's major goals c. organizational strategy d. competitive priority

Q: The undergraduate students at your university are classified as freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors. A recent study of undergraduates asked the students to indicate the number of credits they were registered for this term. The responses were 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18. The number of cells in a joint frequency distribution for the two variables, class standing, and credit hours is: A) 4. B) 10. C) 24. D) None of the above.

Q: At Ritufa Food Corp., flexibility is the key competitive priority. Food products are manufactured according to customers' requirements, at any volume and globally delivered at any time. Given this information, Ritufa Food Corp.'s operations strategy is based on _____. a. compensation b. mass customization c. mass standardization d. cost reduction

Q: A study was recently done in which the brand preference for breakfast cereal was analyzed against the gender of the shopper. The study consisted of 200 male shoppers and 300 female shoppers. Three different cereal brands were considered: A, B, and C. A total of 250 female shoppers preferred brand A, 25 female shoppers preferred brand C. A total of 100 shoppers preferred brand B. The number of male shoppers that preferred brand B was: A) 25. B) 100. C) 75. D) 50.

Q: _____ often drive simultaneous improvements in quality, cost, and productivity. a. Credence attributes b. Time reductions c. Corporate strategies d. Mass standardization

Q: Competitive advantage can be defined as: a. the ability of customers to properly perform and co-produce their part of a service. b. a firm's ability to achieve market and financial superiority over its competitors. c. a pattern or plan that integrates an organization's major goals, policies, and action sequences into a cohesive whole. d. a firm's ability to commercialize a device, method, or idea that differs from existing norms.

Q: Joint frequency distributions are used to display: A) the histograms of two variables analyzed simultaneously. B) the number of occurrences at each of the possible joint occurrences of two variables. C) the cumulative distribution of a variable with two possible outcomes. D) the relative frequency of two variables.

Q: Which of the following is considered an order winner in an automobile? a. A comfortable seating arrangement that is similar to other automobiles b. A driver-side air bag that most high-end automobiles have c. A good-quality radio particular to that brand of automobile d. A collision avoidance system particular to that design of automobile

Q: _____ are the decisions management must make as to what type of process structure is best suited to produce goods or create services. a. Operations design choices b. Competitive priorities c. Core competencies d. Credence attributes

Q: Which of the following is a reason for constructing a joint frequency distribution? A) To determine the trend between the two variables B) To measure the spread between the two variables C) To help analyze the relationship between the two variables D) To show the average of two variables

Q: A frequency histogram should be computed from which type of data? A) Quantitative data B) Categorical data C) Nominal level data D) Ordinal data

Q: Basic customer expectations are generally considered the minimum performance level required to stay in business and are often called _____. a. order qualifiers b. credence attributes c. experience attributes d. order winners

Q: _____ attributes are those that a customer can determine prior to purchasing goods or services. a. Search b. Experience c. Credence d. Variant

Q: In forming the classes for a frequency distribution and histogram, suppose there were a number of empty classes. You should: A) increase the class width. B) decrease the class width. C) keep the current class width. D) use an ogive instead.

Q: The style and fit of a jacket can be classified as a(n) _____ attribute. a. search b. experience c. credence d. variant

Q: When using Excel's Histogram option under the Data Analysis tool, the term bins refers to: A) the mid-point of each class. B) the column where the data are located. C) the upper limits of each class. D) the lower limits of each class.

Q: Identify a true statement about corporate strategy of large organizations. a. It defines the focus for strategic business units of an organization. b. It provides the means by which business strategies are accomplished. c. It is necessary to define the businesses in which an organization will participate. d. It defines how an organization's processes are designed and organized.

Q: A histogram is used to display which of the following characteristics for a quantitative variable? A) The approximate center of the data B) The spread in the data C) The shape of the distribution D) All of the above.

Q: Which of the following statements is true of mass customization? a. It involves the commercialization of a device, method, or idea that differs from existing norms. b. Flexibility is manifested in mass-customization strategies that are becoming increasingly prevalent today. c. It requires companies to align their operations around quality. d. Goods and services produced by a firm through mass customization are available only in the country where the firm is located.

Q: Many Walmart stores have automotive departments where customers can buy tires, have their vehicles serviced, and obtain other automotive services. Recently, the manager at an Ohio Walmart collected data on the time customers had to wait to get the desired automotive service. Of the 500 cars in the sample, the shortest time any customer spent waiting was 3 minutes and the longest time was 183 minutes. Assuming that the manager wishes to develop a frequency distribution with 9 classes, which of the following would be an appropriate class width for each class? A) 10.50 B) 19.99 C) 20.00 D) 3 to 23

Q: According to Professor Terry Hill's generic strategy framework, which of the following statements is true of the first loop? a. It ties together an organization's corporate strategy and marketing strategy. b. It describes how operations evaluate the implications of competitive priorities in terms of process choice. c. It determines if process choice decisions are consistent with infrastructure decisions. d. It represents operations' input into the corporate and marketing strategy.

Q: Which of the following is not considered desirable when constructing a frequency distribution for continuous data? A) Open-ended classes B) Mutually exclusive classes C) Equal-width classes D) All-inclusive classes

Q: Applying Professor Terry Hill's generic strategy framework to McDonald's, the operating design choices of resource scheduling, inventory placement and control, and standardized operational and job procedures best relate to the corporate objective of _____. a. profitable growth b. operational excellence c. operational sustainability d. operational diversity

Q: Which of the following is an acceptable format for setting up class boundaries for a frequency distribution? A) 20 to under 40 B) 20 to 40 C) 200 to 299.99 D) All of the above.

Q: Which of the following statements is true of sustainability? a. Sustainability is not an organizational strategy. b. Environmental sustainability is driven by stakeholders such as the community, green advocacy groups, and the government. c. Sustainability is narrower than a competitive priority. d. Economic sustainability is driven by ethics and human ideals of protecting the planet and its people for the well-being of future generations.

Q: Explain the difference between a stratified random sample and cluster random sample.

Q: _____ is an example of innovation in services. a. Optical fibers b. Internet banking c. Customer satisfaction surveys d. Smart tags

Q: As a member of the student council at your university, you have been assigned the task of conducting a phone survey of undergraduate students to determine satisfaction with the campus food service. Explain how you would go about selecting a simple random sample.

Q: Brenda is planning a vacation to an exotic island. Though she has pre-planned her accommodation and itinerary, she is unsure of how the vacation will turn out. In this case, Brenda's vacation is high in _____ attributes. a. search b. experience c. credence d. variant

Q: In a survey, what is meant by demographic questions and why might we want to include demographic questions in survey?

Q: Eric is admitted to a hospital to undergo a surgery for hernia. He is unable to discern the expertise of his surgeon before the surgery nor evaluate the quality of the service after the surgery. In this case, the expertise of Eric's surgeon is an example of a(n) _____ attribute. a. search b. experience c. credence d. variant

Q: What are the major categories of statistical tools that will be covered in this course?

Q: _____ is the discovery and practical application or commercialization of a device, method, or idea that differs from existing norms. a. Measurement b. Learning c. Innovation d. Diversity

Q: An operations strategy can be defined as: a. the set of decisions across the value chain that supports the implementation of higher-level business strategies. b. a strategy necessary to define the businesses in which a corporation will participate. c. a strategy necessary to develop plans for the acquisition and allocation of resources among businesses. d. the decisions management must make as to what type of process structure is best suited to produce goods or create services.

Q: Of the following techniques for collecting data, which one is generally considered the least costly to implement: experiments, telephone surveys, mail questionnaires, direct observation, personal interview?

Q: Rues and West Inc. manufactures various electronic goods. It uses mass-customization strategies to make its products available to all consumers at any place in the world. It also manufactures various electronic goods in the same assembly line. Given this information, Rues and West Inc.'s operations are aligned around _____. a. sustainability b. flexibility c. reliability d. durability

Q: Open the data file provided with the text called Computer Use. Indicate the level of data measurement for each variable in the data set.

Q: Which of the following statements is true of quality as a key competitive priority? a. It has evolved over the years and now is generally considered an order qualifier. b. It is usually improved by businesses to increase short-run profitability. c. It is negatively related to a higher return on investment for almost all kinds of market situations. d. It suffers increasingly with time reductions in a supply chain.

Q: Open the data file provided with the text called AirlinePassengers. Indicate the level of data measurement for each variable in the data set.

Q: _____ sustainability is driven by ethics and human ideals of protecting the planet and its people for the well-being of future generations. a. Environmental b. Social c. Economic d. Political

Q: Explain the difference between stratified random sampling and cluster random sampling.

Q: According to several research studies, which of the following findings is true of the role of quality in gaining competitive advantage? a. Quality is negatively related to return on investment for almost all kinds of market situations. b. A strategy of quality improvement is usually accompanied by increased short-run profitability. c. Quality has a trivial effect on returns in most kinds of market situations. d. Businesses offering premium-quality goods usually have large market shares.

Q: What is the underlying common element of all statistical sampling techniques?

Q: Which of the following is one of the key areas that is addressed by operations design choices? a. Functional plans and control systems b. Learning and innovation systems c. Value chain integration and outsourcing d. Quality control and mass customization

Q: Is there ever a reason why we might prefer to work with a sample rather than with an entire population? Discuss.

Q: Families of goods or services having similar characteristics or methods of creation are called _____. a. core competencies b. order qualifiers c. strategic business units d. customer benefit packages

Q: Discuss the two major types of descriptive statistics.

Q: Credence attributes stem from _____. a. the design of products b. the nature of services c. drive key operational controls d. operations design choices

Q: What are the advantages and disadvantages of open-end questions in either a written survey or a personal interview?

Q: Discuss the steps involved in developing and carrying out a written survey.

Q: A small change in a firm's targeted markets or strategic direction usually has little impact on the value chain.a. Trueb. False

Q: Explain what an experimental design is.

Q: The core competencies of an organization are the strengths that are unique to that organization. a. True b. False

Q: Discuss the differences and similarities between statistical estimation and statistical hypothesis testing.

Q: A strategy of quality improvement often leads to increased short-run profitability. a. True b. False

Q: What is meant by the term statistical inference?

Q: Professor Terry Hill's operations strategy framework cannot be applied to service-providing firms. a. True b. False

Q: Data collected at a fixed point in time are: A) time-series data. B) approximate time-series data. C) cross-sectional data. D) panel data.