Merrill Lynch and Thompson Financial Had a Three-Year, $1 Billion

question 34

Multiple Choice

Merrill Lynch and Thompson Financial had a three-year, $1 billion project that put workstations on the desks of 25,000 of Merrill Lynch's brokers. These machines put the world of investing information at brokers' fingertips. Thompson, the supplier, was obliged to not only deliver technology and services on time and on budget, but also constantly improve customer-satisfaction levels among Merrill's brokers and customers. This is an example of

• A)a reciprocity agreement.
• B)exclusive dealing.
• C)supplier alliance.
• D)a buyer-seller relationship.
• E)a tying arrangement.

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Definitions:

Fixed Costs

Expenses that do not change with changes in the volume of production or sales, such as rent or salaries.

Contribution Margin

The difference between the sales revenue of a product and its variable costs, indicating how much contributes to covering fixed costs and generating profit.

Unprofitable Segment

An unprofitable segment is a division or part of a business that consistently generates losses instead of profits.

Net Income

The total profit of a company after all expenses and taxes have been subtracted from total revenue.