Chapters 4 and 5 Flashcards
T or F: The most important ingredient for continuous improvement is an appropriate organizational culture.
True
A _____ is an intense and rapid improvement process in which a team or a department throws all its resources into an improvement project over a short time period.
a. kaizen blitz
b. quality blitzkrieg
c. rapid deployment
d. TQ impetus
A
In the _____ system, upstream suppliers do not produce until the downstream customer signals a need for parts.
a. kaizen
b. reduced handoff
c. standardized work system
d. pull production
D
Kaizen Blitz
an intense rapid improvement process in which a team or department throws all resources into an improvement over a short period of time
Which of the following is not one of the characteristics of a strong competitive advantage?
a. It is driven by financial indexes.
b. It makes a significant contribution to the success of the business.
c. It matches the organization’s unique resources with the opportunities in the environment.
d. It is durable and lasting and difficult for competitors to copy.
A
Value can be defined as:
a. conformance to specifications.
b. fitness for use.
c. least cost benefit.
d. quality relative to price.
D
The classic literature on competitive strategy suggests that a firm can possess two basic types of competitive advantage:
a. low cost and differentiation.
b. low turnover and customer satisfaction.
c. high employee loyalty and customization.
d. wide product variety and economies of scale.
A
Which of the following statements about cost-leadership is not true?
a. A cost leader can achieve above-average performance if it can command prices at or near the industry average.
b. Low cost can result from high productivity and high capacity utilization.
c. Improvements in quality lead to improvements in productivity, which in turn lead to lower costs.
d. To achieve cost-leadership, a firm must be unique in its industry along some dimensions that are widely valued by customers.
D
Dell’s business model is an example of which type of competitive advantage strategies?
a. Cost-leadership
b. Differentiation
c. People
d. Quality
B
_____ is/are the only factor that competitors cannot copy.
a. Human resource
b. Product differentiation
c. Cost-leadership
d. Quality methods
A
Which of the following is not one of the factors Taylor laid emphasis on?
a. Work methods design
b. Establishment of standards for daily work
c. Involvement of workforce in setting standards
d. Piecework incentives
C
The sleekness of an automobile’s exterior and the black “high-tech” look of modern stereo components is an example of the _____ dimension of product design.
a. performance
b. features
c. durability
d. aesthetics
D
Which of the following is not one of the techniques used in quality engineering?
a. Concurrent engineering
b. Cost analysis
c. Design reviews
d. Experimental design
B
_____ refers to the degree of caring and individual attention provided to customers.
a. Reliability
b. Assurance
c. Responsiveness
d. Empathy
D
The key quality-related dimensions a business may concentrate on in order to differentiate itself from its competition are all of the following except:
a. superior product and service design.
b. outstanding service.
c. product variety.
d. continuous innovation.
C
