Exam 2: The Management Environment

Which of the following is the fastest growing worker population in the global economy?

The empowerment movement is being driven by two forces. The first is the need for quick decisions by those people who are most knowledgeable about the issues. The second is the reality that the large layoffs in the upper- management ranks have left many managers with considerably more people to supervise than they had in the past.

Application of Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Kevin knew that it was likely his corporation was going to ask him to go abroad and manage the new chemical factory they were building. He was excited about the prospects but also apprehensive. He had never traveled before and, as far as he was concerned, there was only one way to do anything- the "American way." He decided some research was in order to at least get an idea about other countries. In his reading, he learned that some cultures place a high priority on a loose social framework, where they feel primarily responsible for themselves and their immediate family. He also learned that in some societies, employees show a great deal of respect for those in authority, and titles and rank carry much weight. Some countries have little job mobility and practice lifetime employment. He also learned that some countries are characterized by assertiveness and materialism. Now he wondered if there was any framework to help organize his thoughts. -Kevin could be said to have which of the following points of view?

Today, blue- collar industrial workers account for over 40% of the United States workforce.

According to Hofstede, which of the following has a major impact on employees' work- related values and attitudes?

____________ is the cultural belief that the group is more important and takes priority over the interests of the individual.

Compare and contrast social responsibility, social obligation, and social responsiveness.

According to the Globe Research Study, people who exhibit ____________tend to be concerned about reliance on social norms and procedures to alleviate the unpredictability of future events.

Which of the following international business strategies has the lowest amount of risk?

A multinational corporation is a company that maintains significant operations in more than one company simultaneously and decentralizes decision making in each operation to the local country level.

Application of Contemporary Management Practices Jenny had been reading several management periodicals for her class assignment. She was confused by all the terms she had come across in her search for changes that were reshaping contemporary organizations. The first article had described a new business owner who had taken a large calculated risk to initiate his new business venture where he had become quite successful at the age of 26. The next article dealt with a process that managers were using for quality control at a local cheese producing plant. The company was constantly monitoring the cheese- making process and little by little improving the quality of its cheese. The next article was in direct contrast. This roller blade manufacturer had decided that its product needed to be completely remade in order to keep up with the competition. So it had basically started from scratch and developed a new revised product. Several of the articles Jenny had read talked about companies laying off numerous employees, and the practice was not limited to the United States. It was occurring worldwide. Finally, several articles had also mentioned that businesses were hiring fewer core employees and using more contingent workers. Many larger businesses were hiring people to fill in for those employees off for an extended time period, such as for a new dad off for 12 weeks after the birth of a child. -The roller blade company was using which of the following techniques?

The utilitarian view of ethical behavior is that which provides____________ .

Traditional approaches to studying international business have sought to advance specific principles for each culture.

Collectivism is the degree to which people in a country act as individuals rather than members of a group.

A society where there is relatively little job mobility and widely practiced lifetime employment would be an example of which of the following dimensions of national culture? A)quality of life B)individualism versus collectivism C)uncertainty avoidance D)power distance

Which of the following type of corporation initiated the rapid growth in international trade?

____________is the first type of international business (Stage I)in which firms usually become involved.

Compare and contrast the following: global village, multinational corporations, and transnational corporations.

Application of Corporate Social Responsibility Kerri was confused. Her management class was focusing on social responsibility, and her assignment was to find business cases demonstrating social responsibility. She had several examples, but now she was not sure which case was an example of which concept. Her first business dealt with the tuna industry, which in response to pressure from environmentalists, had stated dolphins would no longer be caught with the tuna. Her second business dealt with a company whose primary focus was on profit maximization for its stockholders. The primary focus of this company was legal compliance and profit maximization. Her third business was in the tobacco industry that each year gives thousands of dollars to the arts. Her fourth business also dealt with the tobacco companies and the fact they were no longer advertising near local schools. Legislation had been enacted in order to prevent cigarettes from being promoted in locations where children under the age of 18 would be likely to see the advertisements. -The second business is an example of a business that has

According to the GLOBE leadership study which country had among the highest ratings of assertiveness?