Exam 3: Evaluating a Companys External Environment

Avon Products at one point secured information about its biggest rival, Mary Kay Cosmetics, by having its personnel search through the garbage bins outside MKC's headquarters. This is an example of

If some strategic groups are more attractive than others, why do less well-positioned firms not simply migrate to a more attractive position? Explain and provide an example or two.

Which of the following is not an appropriate guideline for developing a strategic group map for a given industry?

Which of the following is not generally a "driving force" capable of producing fundamental changes in industry and competitive conditions?

Competitive pressures stemming from buyer bargaining power tend to be weakest in which of the following circumstances?

Legal and regulatory factors in the external environment typically do not include

Assess the bargaining power on the part of buyers of cosmetics.

Strong bargaining power on the part of buyers increases or decreases competitive pressure in what ways?

Which of the following is most unlikely to qualify as driving forces?

Which of the following factors is not a relevant consideration in judging whether buyer bargaining power is relatively strong or relatively weak?

Driving-forces analysis typically does not include

When an industry member is a major customer of the supplier, and the relationship (partnership)is unusually effective and mutually advantageous

The "driving forces" in an industry

The payoff of good scouting reports on rivals is an improved ability to

The real payoff of driving forces is to help managers understand

Strategic group mapping is a visual technique for displaying

One of the steps of driving-forces analysis is to identify which

Can an industry be attractive to one company and unattractive to another company? Why or why not?

The competitive threat that outsiders will enter a market is weaker when

External forces in the natural environment include