Which of the following statements most accurately describes the current production environment and its effect on manufacturers’ cost structures?

a. Due to the relatively high cost of technology and normal resistance to change by employees, production remains relatively labor-intensive.

b. As more and more of the earth’s resources are consumed, some raw materials are growing scarce, driving up their cost and making raw materials cost the most significant production cost for most companies.

c. Technological advances have led to a shift from labor-intensive operations to automated operations, reducing the need for production employees while increasing the level of support, or overhead costs, as a percentage of manufacturing costs.

d. None of the above.