Question & Answer

1.    : If you are the CEO of a global company, how might you determine whether a globalization, multidomestic, or glocalization strategy would work best for your enterprise? What factors would influence your decision?

1.    : Harley-Davidson, which once boasted that it made “big toys for big boys,” is trying to lure more women to the brand to make up for declining sales in a slow economy. How do you think this move will complement or confound the company’s differentiation strategy, which has long been based on a macho image?

1.    As an administrator for a medium sized hospital, you and the board of directors have decided to change the business from a short-term, acute-care facility to a drug dependency hospital. How would you go about executing this strategy?

1.    : Walt Disney Company has four major strategic business units: movies (including Pixar and Touchstone), theme parks (Walt Disney World and Disneyland), consumer products (the Disney Store), and television (the ABC/Disney Television Group and ESPN). Place each of these SBUs on the BCG matrix based on your knowledge of them.

1.    : Using Porter’s competitive strategies, how would you describe the strategies of Walmart and T.J. Maxx?

1.    : Fortune magazine and the Hay Group found that a clear, stable strategy is one of the defining characteristics of companies on the list of “The World’s Most Admired Companies.” Why might this be the case?

1.    Netflix has successfully adapted to a number of challenges in its industry. What do you see as some emerging opportunities and threats for the company?

1.    You are a middle manager helping to implement a new corporate cost-cutting strategy, and you’re meeting skepticism, resistance, and, in some cases, outright hostility from your subordinates. In what ways might you or the company have been able to avoid this situation? Where do you go from here?

1.    How might a corporate management team go about determining whether the company should diversify? What factors should team members consider? What kinds of information should they collect?

1.    : Based on your knowledge of the following companies, how effective would you say any one of the following acquisitions was in terms of creating synergy? Why?

   a) T-Mobile’s merger with Sprint

   b) Google’s purchase of YouTube

   c) PepsiCo’s purchase of Frito-Lay

: Explain the organizational dimensions that managers use to execute strategy.

: Compare and contrast the globalization, multidomestic, and glocalization strategies for global business.

: Describe Michael Porter’s competitive forces and strategies.

: Explain three approaches to corporate-level strategy: the portfolio, the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix, and diversification.

: Summarize how SWOT analysis can be used to evaluate a company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

: Explain the strategic management process.

: Define the components of strategic management and the three levels of strategy.

1.      : Review the section on goal conflict in the chapter. Do you think that building a coalition and working out stakeholder differences in goal preferences is an important part of a manager’s job? Why or why not?

1.      : How would you resolve the underlying conflicts among key stakeholders about museum direction and goals? What actions would you take?

1.      : What goal or mission for the Park Hill Museum do you personally prefer? As director, would you try to implement your preferred direction? Explain.

1.      : Don’t make the donation, but investigate whether any other ways are available to help Northeast High raise the funds that would allow them to purchase the much-needed educational software.

1.      : Accept the fact you didn’t quite make your sales goal this year. Figure out ways to work smarter next year to increase the odds of achieving your target.

1.      : Donate the $1,000 to Northeast High, and consider the $10,000 bonus a good return on your investment. There is nothing illegal or immoral about making the donation.

1.    : Some people say an organization could never be “prepared” for a disaster such as the shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas; the Japan nuclear disaster; or the huge BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Discuss the potential value of crisis planning in situations like these, even if the situations are difficult to plan for.