Marie-Reine Manages an International Supply Chain

Multiple Choice

Marie-Reine manages an international supply chain. She is concerned because the company's revenues and profits have dipped recently. Some of the managers she supervises say that the problems have to do with the general environment in which the company operates, while others insist that the problems are related to the task environment. What step could Marie-Reine take to determine whether the general environment, the task environment, or both are at the root of the problem?

A) Marie-Reine could interview suppliers to determine what problems (if any) they have with distributors.
B) She could direct one of her employees to research whether the problems are economic or political in nature.
C) She could tell a researcher to find out whether recent economic changes relate to the economy in general or to the company's specific fields and locations.
D) It's impossible to differentiate the task environment from the general environment, so Marie-Reine can't do anything in this situation.