$10$

$1\mathrm{.}5$ points

Because environments are always dynamic, all organizations will encounter a strategic

inflection point.

false

true

$11$

$1\mathrm{.}5$ points

Which of the following strategies best illustrates a generic business strategy?

a decision to niche market the jewelry sold by a company while the apparel division

under the same company sells its products through mass marketing

a cost$-$cutting strategy that corporate executives in the headquarters want all business

units of a large conglomerate to implement

a decision to computerize a firm's database in order to improve customer service

a strategy to use monetary incentives to motivate employees working on a project

$12$

$1\mathrm{.}5$ points

Maria is the chief operating officer of the start$-$up Apps$4$U$.$ In which of the following scenarios

does Maria exhibit strategic leadership?

Citing budget concerns, Maria ignores the directions from Apps$4$U$\text{'}$s CEO to double the

size of the customer support staff. As a result, the company misses its third quarter

customer satisfaction target but exceeds its net profit expectations by $5$ percent.

Maria directs the company to produce an app for reptile enthusiasts, a community she

happens to be a part of$.$ Even though the app ends up losing significant amounts of

money, Maria is proud of the product and uses it every day.

With a major pitch to potential investors coming up$,$ Maria works alone for $10$ hours a

day until she writes the perfect sales pitch. Even though the rest of her team doubts

that they can meet the performance goals Maria has set, she makes the presentation

anyway.

Maria schedules a meeting with the manager of the marketing department and

overcomes his skepticism about a new campaign aimed at customers in the $55+$ age

group. Over the next three months, Apps $4$ U gains $250,000$ new users in that group.