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Refer to the Scenario Below to Answer the Following Question(s)

question 5

Multiple Choice

Refer to the scenario below to answer the following question(s) .
Alpha Stampings Inc. produces 14 metal stampings for the automotive industry. Due to industry design changes and consumer demands, for the next financial year, six of those stampings will require a slight change: two will have an extra hole punched through the side, two will require an extra plating process, and two will require an additional weld operation.
In the meantime, purchasing agent Richard Koehl has been asked to reduce the number of Alpha's steel suppliers in an effort to cut costs. After obtaining updated price quotations and steel samples from his current suppliers, Richard faced a dilemma. Until now, he had selected his suppliers based on quality and price, but the major consideration had been the type of steel required and the specialized production processes of his respective suppliers. Not all of Alpha's suppliers could produce the exact grades of steel needed; some suppliers were better at producing certain types of steel than others.
Richard contacted several employees at Alpha who had worked with the various types of steel in the past. The quality control manager and line inspector, for example, could help to determine which suppliers had the capabilities of producing specific types of steel. The production control manager could provide input regarding which types of steel worked best in which presses. The warehouse foreman gave inputs regarding how long various types of steel could be held in inventory before rust spots began to form on their surfaces. Each person contributed the necessary information to help Richard in making his decision.
-The management's directive to reduce the number of steel suppliers refers to the influence of ________ factors affecting the business buying behavior of Alpha.

Evaluate investment decisions based on the comparison of stock prices to the discounted value of future earnings.

Analyze the profitability of developing new products in the context of competitive imitation.

Understand the strategies a firm can adopt to sustain competitive advantage and their limitations.

Understand how changes in inflation rates between two economies affect the demand and supply of currencies.

Definitions:

Product Development

the process of bringing a new product or service to market, from initial idea through design, development, and introduction to consumers.

Collaborates

The act of working jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor.

Expatriate

An individual who lives outside their native country, often for work reasons, embracing a new cultural environment while maintaining their original nationality.

Global Leadership

The ability to influence and guide individuals, teams, or organizations across cultural and geographic boundaries, often involving diverse and complex global issues.