Deck 13: Managing Global Research and Development Rd

Question 1

The increasing dispersion of R&D laboratories in foreign markets forces MNEs to take a global view in managing their research operations through such areas as:

A) human resource management,
B) autonomy specification,
C) global planning, and communications improvement.
D) all of the above

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The global central lab structure

A) is closely interconnected by varied mechanisms.
B) leverages a company's technical resources.
C) increases dispersion of R&D mechanisms.
D) all of the above

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Procedural bridges do which of the following?

A) relies on direct interaction
B) use transfer groups
C) involves joint planning and staffing
D) all of the above

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Human bridges do which of the following?

A) relies on direct interaction
B) use transfer groups
C) involves joint planning and staffing
D) all of the above

Question 5

Organizational bridges do which of the following?

A) relies on direct interaction
B) use transfer groups
C) involves joint planning and staffing
D) constantly need supervision

Question 6

Which of the below are benefits to globalizing R&D?

A) taxation breaks
B) frequent flyer miles
C) both A&B
D) none of the above

Question 7

______________ is the process of distributing and operating R&D laboratories in different countries under a coordinated and integrated system by the company's headquarters.

A) R&D Intensity
B) Globalizing R&D
C) Internationalizing R&D
D) cross-fertilization

Question 8

_________________ is the total R&D expenditure relative to total sales during the same period.

A) Globalizing R&D
B) R&D Intensity
C) Cash
D) Competitive Advantage

Question 9

Which of the following has a disadvantage which would be the lack of sensitivity to signals from foreign markets and insufficient consideration of local market demands?

A) polycentric decentralized
B) specialized laboratory
C) global central lab
D) ethnocentric centralized

Question 10

Which of the following structure contains a corporate technology unit at home and may also include a few technology transfer units to distribute centralized R&D results to local operations?

A) polycentric decentralized
B) specialized laboratory
C) global central lab
D) ethnocentric centralized

Question 11

The ______________ R&D structure is characterized by a decentralized federation of R&D sites with no supervising corporate R&D center.

A) polycentric decentralized
B) specialized laboratory
C) global central lab
D) none of the above

Question 12

The globally integrated network structure

A) is closely interconnected by varied mechanisms.
B) leverages a company's technical resources.
C) increases dispersion of R&D mechanisms.
D) works globally.

Question 13

International technology transfer

A) helps align the technological and business strategies of a company.
B) leverages a company's technical resources.
C) is a process in which knowledge is passed on to different countries.
D) all of the above

Question 14

______________ bridges involve the joint planning and joint staffing of activities, particularly around the time of the transfer of the technology.

A) Human
B) Procedural
C) Technology
D) none of the above

Question 15

The __________ capability concerns a firm's ability to acquire, assimilate, integrate, and exploit knowledge and skills that are transferred from others.

A) technological
B) marginal
C) absorptive
D) none of the above

Question 16

______________ is a process by which one user's technology or knowledge is passed to another in different countries for economic benefit.

A) Absorptive capability
B) International technology transfer
C) Organizational bridge
D) Transferring information

Question 17

Under the _________________ foreign R&D units are assigned global mandates.

A) human bridge
B) specialized laboratory structure
C) global central lab
D) global integrated network.

Question 18

______________& ________________ are both globally interdependent laboratories that provide inputs into a centrally defined and coordinated R&D program, with no necessary connection with a host country production operations.

A) Development
B) Resource Alignment
C) Planning
D) Outsourcing

Question 19

_______________&_________________ units are both logically adapting laboratories that assist the production and marketing facilities in a host country to make the most efficient use of the MNE's existing technology.

A) Technology transfer & Indigenous technology
B) Corporate & Indigenous technology
C) Technology transfer & Specialized Technology
D) Corporate & Global Technology

Question 20

There is a possibility that some local Greenland interactive system centers have duplicated Sparks's technology by way of a previous employee. This is an example of what challenge?

A) maintaining minimum efficient scale
B) leakage of proprietary knowledge
C) increased coordination and control costs
D) none of the Above.

Question 21

If Sparks Co. opens an interactive systems center in Greenland and the hiring manager (US) is having difficulty hiring local employees due to government stipulation, Sparks is facing the challenge of

A) maintaining Minimum Efficient Scale.
B) leakage of Proprietary Knowledge.
C) increased coordination and control costs.
D) none of the Above.

Question 22

The pattern of interorganizational technology cooperation becoming a widespread practice pertains to

A) internationalizing R&D.
B) globalizing R&D.
C) R&D intensity.
D) cross-fertilization.

Question 23

The ____________ stresses to improve the of the product development process globally rather than to localize operations in one area.

A) globally integrated network
B) global central global lab structure
C) specialized laboratory structure
D) central bank

Question 24

The_____________ structure is used to leverage a company's centralized technical resources to create new global products.

A) global decentralized lab
B) global central lab
C) globally integrated network
D) none of the above

Question 25

Autonomy of foreign R&D units should be based on their strategic roles in overall corporate strategy and requirements for global integration.

Question 26

An example of the global central global network is Nissan's core project team formed in Japan for Western Europe.

Question 27

The absorptive capability concerns a firm's ability to acquire, assimilate, exploit, and integrate knowledge and skills that are transformed from the other firm.

Question 28

International technology transfer is a process by which one user's technology or knowledge is passed on to another in different countries for economic benefits.

Question 29

Videoconferencing images, facsimiles, of visual and written material, e-mail, and computer conferencing all offer greater possibilities for communication that a simple telephone call is an example of electronic communication.

Question 30

A firm's global R&D system should be structured to fulfill organizational needs while taking advantage of external opportunities.

Question 31

An example of increased coordination and control cost in demonstrated when the cultural and business differences between home and host countries elevate the difficulty in running over seas R&D activities.

Question 32

Global R&D is very important because time is a critical competitive factor in a number of industries.

Question 33

The R&D function serves at the last avenue for building and sustaining a company's global competitive advantage.

Question 34

Nissan's formation of a project team in Western Europe was a great step in globalizing operations.

Question 35

The globally integrated network was a great catalyst in making Schindler's Lifts the worldwide leader in escalators.

Question 36

An example of global planning is Lucent holding internal scientific conferences to exchange information.

Question 37

An example of human resource management is managerial autonomy in a lab which serves as specialized global competence center should be delegated higher power.

Question 38

Videoconferencing images, facsimiles of visual and written material, electronic mail, and computer conferencing all offer greater possibilities for communication than a simple telephone call.

Question 39

Maintaining some regular contacts and visits between foreign R&D units and the home lab center is useful.

Question 40

Selecting key personnel should not be linked to the role or type of a foreign R&D unit.

Question 41

The autonomy of a foreign R&D unit depends largely on the role it plays within the MNE network.

Question 42

The autonomy of a foreign R&D unit is subordinating an MNE's strategic needs for global integration.

Question 43

Resource allocation is a not crucial vehicle in balancing global integration and local autonomy for managing dispersed R&D units abroad.

Question 44

It is usually impractical to combine product development, manufacturing, and R&D within the same organizational unit.

Question 45

A frequent problem with technology transfer across borders is that much of the technological capability is not easily transferable from one partner to another.

Question 46

Often, international R&D project teams must overcome cultural differences.

Question 47

An example of autonomy specification is 3M sending laboratory and production people to counterpart labs in the U.S. from Japan.

Question 48

The Japanese could not expand into certain countries due to limitations imposed by International Product Segmentation.