Essay Questions

1. Harley-Davidson Motor Company's mission statement reads:

"We fulfill dreams through the experience of motorcycling, by providing to motorcyclists and to the general public an expanding line of motorcycles and branded products and services in selected market segments."

In a short essay, compare Harley's mission statement against Drucker's classic questions.

2.Joe Leung is a machinist and owns a small factory in Changchun, Jilin Province. Leung makes parts for a Chinese auto manufacturer and does a little work for his friend's auto repair shop. Leung hires you to help him explore ways in which he can grow his business. In a short essay, suggest at least four different strategic ways Leung could grow his business.

3. Perform a limited SWOT analysis for the Wal-Mart company

4.Walnut Hill is a company that sells everything you could possibly need to make your own candles. Before its owner expands into other craft areas, she wants to do some marketing research. She has heard of too many companies that have gone out of business as a result of inappropriate or ill-timed expansion. In a short essay, suggest ways that she can obtain market research to help her reduce uncertainty regarding an expansion.

5.Suppose you are the brand manager for Wild Thing!, an unscented deodorant shampoo aimed at the so-called “Millennial Generation” consumer. Sales of your product have been declining.

Exploratory research suggests your brand is not price competitive. In a short essay, outline a research plan that would provide you with the information you need to decide what to do. Then, explain why you selected those specific methods instead of others

Mini-Cases
Mini-Case 2-1
Scuba-Doobie-Doo is owned by Filamena Barbozo, who wishes to create a full service SCUBA website. She plans to include scuba chat rooms for visitors, and ever-changing photo and story gallery where visitors can post, read, and view the adventures of others and of professional SCUBA writers. She plans to have an online store with all possible SCUBA equipment available for purchase. She plans to sell advertising to SCUBA companies. All told, Filamena wants Scuba- Doobie-Doo to be a one-stop SCUBA source for enthusiasts.

6.Refer to Mini-Case 2-1. Tired of high prices and poor service, and convinced she can do better, S- D-D's owner Filamena Barbozo decides to purchase the company that provides and maintains the servers for the Web site. This is an example of .a. backward integration (moderate)
b. forward integration
c. diversified integration
d. horizontal integration
e. concentric integration

7.Ms. Barbozo, S-D-D's owner, wants to concern herself and her employees with efficiency, above all other concerns. Which of the following statements is most closely associated with efficiency?
a. Do the important thing.
b. Do the right thing.
c. Do things right. (moderate)
d. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
e. Do the best thing.

Mini-Case 2-2
Amy Wong owns Mothers', a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown in San Francisco. So far business has been very good. The restaurant features very delicious soups that use recipes Amy bought from her extended family in Guangzhou. The kitchen crew and head chef are all talented Chinese immigrants. The Chinese residents in San Francisco
cannot get over how true the food is to the hometown versions, and many comment that the food actually makes them homesick.

8.Refer to Mini-Case 2-2. Amy Wong decides that her new inn selling porridge will also feature foods made with authentic old-world recipes and made with talented Chinese hands. These two business plan ingredients could be considered Amy's .
a. value chain derivatives.
b. core competencies. (moderate)
c. distinctive advantages.
d. competitive positioning.
e. SBU.

9.Refer to Mini-Case 2-2. Amy figures her main customers for the porridge inn will be the same customers that regularly eat at her Mothers'. This means Amy is using the strategy to grow his business.
a. product-development (easy)
b. market development
c. product research
d. market penetration
e. product integration

Mini-Case 2-3
The owners of the 22,000 funeral homes in U.S are experiencing tremendous changes in their industry. Fewer families today are having bodies embalmed and displayed at a service. Of those who choose burial, many are shopping at retail and mail order casket dealers, not at the funeral home as, used to be the custom. Another change is the fact that many people want personal touches and quirky tributes in their funeral services. A growing number are choosing cremation rather than burial. Today almost a quarter of the nation's 2.3 million annual deceased are cremated. Funeral homes typically charge only about one-third the amount for cremation that they do for a burial. It has become imperative that funeral directors invest time and money in learning about their potential consumers.

10.Refer to Mini-Case 3-1. Which of the following is an example of a primary data source for research about consumer attitudes toward the funeral industry?
a. A 1999 study by the Federal Trade Commission on how well mortuaries were disclosing their price structures.
b. A survey of funeral directors.
c. A report published by the National Funeral Directors Association.
d. Focus group research involving people who have experienced recent bereavement.
(moderate)

e. An Internet site for people who feel funerals are over-priced.

11.Refer to Mini-Case 3-1. A funeral director who watches and records data on how consumers select a casket would be engaged in research.
a. observational (moderate)
b.experimental
c. survey-based
d. behavioral
e. database

Academic requirements:

• Your work should be submitted well formats outlined solution for each questionin the assignment.