George is considering acquiring Alabama Woods. Like The North Georgia Products SBU, Alabama Woods, sells lumber specifically milled for barns and other farm related out buildings directly to its customers through a company owned store.  The store is located in Muscle Shoals (Alabama), near the Mississippi state line. Unlike  North Georgia Products, Alabama Woods also sell product through its robust eCommerce website. George is considering buying Alabama Woods, but running it as a separate SBU. The firm would not be consolidated into a single SBU with North Georgia Products; instead The Georgia Lumber Company would be run as 3 SBUs with a corporate “umbrella”.  Alabama Woods would continue to focus its physical store on its Alabama customers while extending its eCommerce capabilities to the Georgia Lumber Company to service North Georgia Products retail customers. That said, the eCommerce capabilities are not a driver of the strategy and would merely be considered a potential benefit of the acquisition. This initiative, if approved by Otis Thomsan, could best be described as  a _____________ strategy

The Resource Based View assumes that the firm’s mix of resources is heterogenous (unique) and ___________.

Case studies use a single method to learn about a given case. 

Which of the following is the ability of a measure to provide consistent results?

Which of the following is an accurate description of triangulation?

According to the readings, having the focus group located farther away from a person’s home will increase the likelihood that they will attend the focus group. 

George is the SVP of Strategy and Innovative Solutions for Georgia Lumber Company, a family owned business that offers the “finest of materials in Pine and Hardwood lumber”. The firm is divided into two SBUs (Strategic Business Units). One SBU, North Georgia Mills, sells directly at wholesale prices to regional Building and Construction firms as well as to Home Improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowes.  The other SBU, North Georgia Products, sells directly to the public at three retail locations located in North and Central Georgia. Lumber sold at these locations is specifically milled for barns and other out buildings one might find on a farm or a ranch.  Although family owned, the business (Georgia Lumber Company) employs over 300 employees and in its most recent year, generated about $65 million in net revenues. The Georgia Lumber Company, does not own its own forest or timber production facilities and sources all of its wood from  National Timber Inc. located in Cartersville, Georgia. The Georgia Lumber Company also does not have its own eCommerce site. All products, wholesale and retail, are sold through physical distribution channels. George knows from market research and industry analysis that Georgia Lumber’s cost is at the industry average for similar firms. The firm prices its products higher than industry average since the firm’s customers value its North Georgia roots, the consistent quality of the firm’s products, and the firm’s reputation for customer service. The firm’s “folksy” radio commercials are a big hit and entertain its rural customer base.  George has been asked by Otis Thomsan, CEO and Chairman of the Georgia Lumber Company to develop a growth strategy for the firm. Mr. Thomsan has specifically set a goal of achieving 50% growth in net revenues over the next three years. Essentially the goal is to be a $100 million firm by FY2025. This growth would be significantly higher than the overall market growth rate which averages about 5% per year. Based on this scenario answer the next 5 questions (including this one). Based on our class discussion of Michael Porter’s generic strategies; what strategy is the North Georgia Products SBU  currently pursuing?

Intangible assets are _______  likely to drive sustainable competitive advantage than physical assets

Environmental scanning and monitoring are typically done as background research and should be an ongoing process. 

In a diagram of electric field lines, what is represented by lines that are drawn closer together?