The Point Has Been Reached Where a Manufacturer's Research and Development

question 28

Essay

The point has been reached where a manufacturer's research and development center must expand by building a new facility. The search has been narrowed to five locations, all of which are acceptable to management. The assessment of these sites is being made on the basis of the five subjective location factors that follow. Management has agreed to use a five- point scale (Excellent = 5, and Poor = 1) to quantify and compare their subjective opinions about the relative goodness of the sites). The weight reflects the importance of each factor in the decision.
Locations $$\begin{array} { | l | c | c | c | c | c | c | } \hline \text { Factor } & \text { Weight } & \text { A } & B & C & \mathrm { D } & \\\hline \text { Labor Climate } & 0.30 & 4 & 2 & 1 & 4 & \\\text { Proximity to Markets } & 0.30 & 5 & 3 & 3 & 4 & \\\text { Quality of Life } & 0.15 & 1 & 3 & 2 & 1 & \\\text { Proximity to Suppliers } & 0.15 & 2 & 5 & 3 & 4 & \\\text { Taxes } & 0.10 & 4 & 4 & 4 & 1 & \\\hline\end{array}$$ Calculate the weighted score for each alternative. Which location would you recommend?

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Definitions:

Compared

The act of evaluating two or more items, ideas, or individuals to identify similarities, differences, or relative merits.

Recently Encountered

Recently encountered refers to something or someone that has been discovered, met, or dealt with in the near past.

Attribution Theory

A concept in psychology that explains how individuals pinpoint the causes of their own and others' behaviors and events.

Assess Responsibility

The process of evaluating and determining the obligations or duties of individuals or groups in specific situations.