Week 12 Flashcards
Angela Coyle earned her doctorate in sociology from which university?
- A) University of Warwick - B) University of Birmingham - C) Aston University - D) Coventry Polytechnic
A) University of Warwick
Angela Coyle served as the director of the Women in Work program during which years?
- A) 1981–1984 - B) 1984–1988 - C) 1988–1991 - D) 1991–1996
B) 1984–1988
Which of Angela Coyle’s roles directly preceded her position as a professional research fellow at City University London?
- A) Senior research fellow at Aston University - B) Head of Department at Coventry Polytechnic - C) Lecturer at University of Birmingham - D) Director of Organization Development Center
B) Head of Department at Coventry Polytechnic
Angela Coyle is an advocate for which primary cause?
- A) Environmental sustainability - B) Women’s rights and empowerment - C) Economic globalization - D) Technological innovation
B) Women’s rights and empowerment
Which of the following books was authored by Angela Coyle?
- A) Globalization and Its Discontents - B) The Redundant Woman - C) Women and Work - D) Both B and C
D) Both B and C
What industry trend does the article primarily focus on?
- A) Automation in retail services - B) Outsourcing of customer service to offshore call centers - C) Deregulation of financial institutions - D) Technological advancements in supply chain management
B) Outsourcing of customer service to offshore call centers
Which region is NOT mentioned as a typical location for offshore call centers?
- A) India - B) Eastern Europe - C) Southeast Asia - D) South America
D) South America
What is the primary economic driver behind outsourcing customer service?
- A) Improving customer satisfaction - B) Reducing operational costs - C) Accessing global markets - D) Complying with legal standards
B) Reducing operational costs
What technological innovation facilitated the globalization of customer service?
- A) Artificial intelligence - B) Global supply chains - C) Satellite communications - D) Cloud computing
B) Global supply chains
According to the article, what sparked initial backlash against offshore call centers?
- A) Wage disparities among employees
- B) Customer dissatisfaction with service quality
- C) Language barriers leading to security concerns
- D) Racial tensions and cultural misunderstandings
B) Customer dissatisfaction with service quality
What cultural aspect posed the greatest difficulty for offshore advisers?
- A) Accents and dialects
- B) Legal compliance with UK standards
- C) Misunderstanding cultural holidays
- D) Technical language used in service manuals
A) Accents and dialects
What was a significant challenge faced by Blanco’s offshore call centers?
- A) Legal barriers to international data exchange
- B) Difficulty in enacting sociability required for customer service
- C) Excessive operational costs
- D) Inability to handle technical processes
B) Difficulty in enacting sociability required for customer service
What was a result of dissatisfaction with offshore call centers?
- A) Increased reliance on artificial intelligence
- B) Decline in UK-based job opportunities
- C) Damage to brand reputation and customer loyalty
- D) Introduction of stricter labor laws
C) Damage to brand reputation and customer loyalty
What ethical concern is discussed in relation to offshore call centers?
- A) Unpaid overtime for offshore workers
- B) Wage disparities between offshore and onshore staff
- C) Exploitation of underage labor
- D) Absence of cultural training for employees
B) Wage disparities between offshore and onshore staff
Which factor does the author argue complicates customer-facing roles in offshore settings?
- A) Legal limitations on call center operations
- B) Incompatibility of interpersonal skills with cultural norms
- C) Excessive time zone differences
- D) Limited internet connectivity in offshore regions
B) Incompatibility of interpersonal skills with cultural norms
What strategy does Angela Coyle suggest for improving offshore call center effectiveness?
- A) Complete onshoring of all roles
- B) Strategic best shoring
- C) Investing in automated call systems
- D) Expanding to more offshore locations
B) Strategic best shoring
What is the purpose of the best shoring approach?
- A) Minimize wage gaps across different regions
- B) Combine cost savings with service quality and cultural alignment
- C) Ensure legal compliance in all markets
- D) Prevent backlash from local governments
B) Combine cost savings with service quality and cultural alignment
According to the author, which types of roles should remain onshore?
- A) Roles involving complex customer interactions
- B) Routine technical tasks
- C) IT support and maintenance roles
- D) Data processing jobs
A) Roles involving complex customer interactions
How does the author suggest balancing the challenges of globalization in customer service?
- A) Outsourcing only routine tasks
- B) Offering customers a choice between onshore and offshore representatives
- C) Rotating offshore staff to onshore locations for training
- D) Implementing strict language proficiency requirements
A) Outsourcing only routine tasks
Which company’s experience does the article analyze to discuss globalization challenges?
- A) Banco
- B) Blanco
- C) LineCall
- D) CityNet
B) Blanco
What was the main reason for Walmart’s failure in the German market?
a) High labour costs in Germany
b) Inability to adapt its business model to local conditions
c) Intense competition from Ikea and H&M
d) Lack of financial resources for expansion
b) Inability to adapt its business model to local conditions
What cultural mismatch did Walmart encounter with its German employees?
a)Dislike of practices like the Walmart cheer
b)Refusal to work with non-German managers
c)Resistance to using English as the management language
d)A preference for part-time jobs
a)Dislike of practices like the Walmart cheer
Which German shopping habit conflicted with Wal-Mart’s one-stop shop model?
a)Preference for online shopping
b)Avoiding discount stores
c)Buying products in bulk
d)Shopping at multiple stores for different needs
d)Shopping at multiple stores for different needs
How did Wal-Mart’s pricing strategy conflict with German regulations?
a)German laws prohibit price wars and dumping practices
b)Discounts are not allowed in any form
c)Prices in Germany must be set by the government
d)German shoppers disliked low prices
a)German laws prohibit price wars and dumping practices
Why did Wal-Mart face issues with its suppliers in Germany?
a)Suppliers were not willing to lower their prices
b)Wal-Mart refused to pay suppliers on time
c)Wal-Mart’s strong-arm tactics alienated suppliers
d)German suppliers lacked quality control
c)Wal-Mart’s strong-arm tactics alienated suppliers
What does Wal-Mart’s failure in Germany reveal about the limits of globalization theories that emphasize convergence toward a single, most-efficient business model?
a)Local competitors in the retail sector are inherently resistant to international players due to protective regulations.
b)Globalization only succeeds in markets where consumers readily adapt to foreign business practices.
c)Efficiency is not an objective standard but is shaped by local cultural, institutional, and consumer norms.
d)Successful globalization requires imposing uniform practices and bypassing local market conditions.
c)Efficiency is not an objective standard but is shaped by local cultural, institutional, and consumer norms.
Why was Wal-Mart unable to establish itself as a low-cost leader in the German retail market despite its global reputation for low prices?
a)German antitrust laws and restrictions on price wars made it difficult for Wal-Mart to implement aggressive pricing strategies.
b)German customers perceived Wal-Mart’s customer service practices as an unnecessary expense rather than an enhancement to the shopping experience.
c)Established competitors like Aldi and Lidl already dominated the low-cost segment with a no-frills approach tailored to German shopping habits.
d)All of the above
d)All of the above
How did Wal-Mart’s labor practices fundamentally clash with German labor norms?
a)Wal-Mart introduced lower wages than its competitors, leading to protests by German unions.
b)Wal-Mart failed to recognize the role of work councils and bypassed their consultation on labor policies.
c)Wal-Mart mandated English as the corporate language, which alienated its German workforce.
d)Wal-Mart refused to hire unionized workers, violating German labor laws.
b)Wal-Mart failed to recognize the role of work councils and bypassed their consultation on labor policies.
What historical event significantly accelerated the practice of offshoring?
a)The end of the Second World War
b)The OPEC oil embargo
c)The end of the Bretton Woods system in the 1970s
d)The debt crisis of the 1980s
c)The end of the Bretton Woods system in the 1970s
What is a key advantage of applying the ADDAPT framework in supply chain management?
a)It focuses on proactive and reactive strategies for handling disruptions.
b)It removes the need for supplier diversification.
c)It prioritizes cost savings over resilience.
d)Because it uses AI, it reduces the complexity of supply chain logistics.
a)It focuses on proactive and reactive strategies for handling disruptions.
Which country has the largest service sector in the world, contributing approximately 30% of global output?
a)China
b)The United States
c)Nigeria
d)Germany
b)The United States
In this week’s reading, which industry was used as an example of how the service industry can still be environmentally detrimental despite its intangibility?
a)Cruise industry
b)Beauty
c)Restaurants
d)Higher education
a)Cruise industry
What is a key advantage of applying the ADDAPT framework in supply chain management?
a)It focuses on proactive and reactive strategies for handling disruptions.
b)It removes the need for supplier diversification.
c)It prioritizes cost savings over resilience.
d)Because it uses AI, it reduces the complexity of supply chain logistics.
a)It focuses on proactive and reactive strategies for handling disruptions.
Why are global cities like New York, London, and Tokyo particularly influential in service-dominated economies?
a)They focus entirely on low-wage service jobs.
b)They depend heavily on high-tech manufacturing.
c)They centralize decision-making for multinational corporations.
d)They are less impacted by globalization than other cities.
c)They centralize decision-making for multinational corporations.
What is one key difference between offshoring and outsourcing?
a)Outsourcing focuses on manufacturing, while offshoring applies only to services.
b)Offshoring involves independent foreign suppliers, whereas outsourcing does not.
c)Offshoring requires multinational partnerships, while outsourcing is only sometimes multinational.
d)Offshoring maintains corporate control, while outsourcing involves external suppliers.
d)Offshoring maintains corporate control, while outsourcing involves external suppliers.
What differentiates the service economy from other sectors of the economy?
a)On a global scale, it is dominated by countries that were formerly colonized.
b)It is exclusively limited to retail, healthcare, and education.
c)In economic terms, it is primarily focused on inputs, not outputs.
d)It provides intangible things like advice, experiences, and attention.
It provides intangible things like advice, experiences, and attention. (Correct Answer)
What was a significant factor in the growth of the service sector in economies like Pittsburgh?
a)A substantial increase in automobile exports.
b)Organized labor was stronger than in the 1950s.
c)The decline of steel production.
d)Improved supply chain management.
c)The decline of steel production.
How does the IMF define an Offshore Financial Center (OFC)?
a)A locale that provides financial services at a large scale that is also located on an island.
b)A tax haven that only deals with individuals and corporations from abroad.
c)A location providing financial services to non-residents disproportionate to its domestic economy.
d)A country that has no corporate income tax.
c)A location providing financial services to non-residents disproportionate to its domestic economy.
What was one of the major reasons for deindustrialization in economies like Pittsburgh in the 1970s and 1980s?
a)Rising global trade tariffs.
b)The fallout from decolonization in Africa and Asia.
c)Technological advancements in manufacturing.
d)Increased focus on global cities like Tokyo.
c)Technological advancements in manufacturing.
What is the primary purpose of the ADDAPT framework proposed in the article?
a)To manage both known and unknown supply chain risks.
b)To develop AI-managed manufacturing processes.
c)To increase supply chain transparency through blockchain technology.
d)To reduce costs by offshoring production facilities.
a)To manage both known and unknown supply chain risks.
What is one key difference between offshoring and outsourcing?
a)Outsourcing focuses on manufacturing, while offshoring applies only to services.
b)Offshoring involves independent foreign suppliers, whereas outsourcing does not.
c)Offshoring requires multinational partnerships, while outsourcing is only sometimes multinational.
d)Offshoring maintains corporate control, while outsourcing involves external suppliers.
d)Offshoring maintains corporate control, while outsourcing involves external suppliers.
Which city is an example of a “global city” that emerged in the 1980s due to advanced services and finances?
a)London
b)Pittsburg
c)Moscow
d)Beijing
a)London
What is the key difference between offshoring and outsourcing?
a)Offshoring involves foreign suppliers, while outsourcing uses multinational producers.
b)Offshoring establishes a company’s own facilities abroad, while outsourcing relies on independent suppliers.
c)Offshoring is focused on manufacturing, while outsourcing is limited to services.
d)There is no difference.
b)Offshoring establishes a company’s own facilities abroad, while outsourcing relies on independent suppliers.
What was a major problem Bankco faced with the student workforce in its UK call center?
A) High levels of skill but low productivity
B) Rigid adherence to work hours
C) High turnover and absenteeism
D) Resistance to managerial control
