Exam 17: International Operations Management

What are the four characteristics of services? Why is quality management difficult for international service providers?

Ford takes thousands of component parts including sheet metal, engine parts, and upholstery and combines them to make automobiles. This is an example of ________ activities.

A(n) ________ is a specially designated and controlled geographical area in which imported or exported goods receive preferential tariff treatment.

Special ventures or contract arrangements for inputs are most appropriate when there is a (n) ________ potential for competitive advantage and a (n) ________ degree of strategic vulnerability.

How did the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan affect both GM and Toyota?

Patricia, a manager at Global Airways, has the responsiblity of deciding how many passengers Global Airways can serve at a given time. Patricia is most likely involved with ________.

Why do most personal computer manufacturers purchase components from outside suppliers?

Capacity planning is deciding how many customers a firm will be able to serve at a given time.

How important are services to the U.S. gross domestic product?

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the Tata Nano?

What is the primary factor that influences the decision of where to locate production facilities?

What are product-support services? Why are they important? Illustrate your answer with an example.

The management of the flow of materials, parts, supplies, and other resources from suppliers to the firm combined with the flow of materials, parts, supplies, and other resources within and between units of the firm itself is called ________.

The process of legally and ethically studying how other firms do something in a high quality way and then imitating or improving on their methods is known as industrial espionage.

When making the make-or-buy decision, international firms must make trade-offs between costs and three other variables. What are they? Explain the nature of the trade-off international firms must make.

Which government policies are especially important in the decision about where to locate an international facility? Why do free trade zones often influence the location decisions of international businesses?

Supply chain management affects all of the following EXCEPT ________.

What is the first step in the supply chain management process?

A firm should most likely make a product internally when there is a ________ potential for competitive advantage and a ________ degree of strategic vulnerability.

How does a JIT inventory management system work? Why is factory location especially important to firms that use JIT?