Exam 2: Analyzing the External Environment of the Firm: Creating Competitive Advantages

Even with all the advances in recent years,forecasting is typically considered more of an art than a science and it is of little use in generating accurate predictions.

The bargaining power of suppliers increases as

Companies that are able to spot key trends in the environment know their business and most importantly know their

Nintendo built a security chip into its game console hardware and then licensed the right to develop games to outside firms.These firms paid a royalty to Nintendo for each copy of the game sold.This is an example of Nintendo using ________ products.

Because the Internet lowers barriers to entry in most industries,it

Product differentiation by incumbents act as an entry barrier because

The value net is a game-theoretic approach that

In most industries,new entrants will not be a threat because the Internet lowers entry barriers.

________ tracks the evolution of environmental trends,sequences of events,or streams of activities.

Supplier power has increased because of the Internet for all the following reasons except

It is important to question the reliability of forecasts because

Referring to the textbook Exhibit 2.7 The World Automobile Industry: Strategic Groups,which strategic group consists of firms high in product pricing/quality and average in their product-line breadth?

Heightened concern with fitness might be a threat to some companies and an opportunity to others.In the SWOT framework,these are ________ environmental factors.

When investors examine the performance of beauty products like Olay moisturizers and CoverGirl cosmetics,they are looking for