This chapter focuses on market research, specifically on the function of providing management with information for more accurate decision making. It differs from domestic marketing research in that customer attitudes about providing information to a researcher are culturally conditioned. Foreign market surveys must be carefully designed to elicit the desired data and at the same time not offend the respondent's sense of privacy. International market research must also contend with inadequate or unreliable bases of secondary information. There are three keys to successful international marketing research:
(1) the inclusion of natives of the foreign culture on research teams;
(2) the use of multiple methods and triangulation;
(3) the inclusion of decision makers, even top executives, who must on occasion talk directly to or directly observe customers in foreign markets.

Oceanside marine company manufactures special metallic materials and decorative fittings for luxury yachts that require highly skilled labor. oceanside uses standard costs to prepare its flexible budget. for the first quarter of the year, direct materials and direct labor standards for one of their popular products were as follows: direct materials: 2 pound per unit; $ 11 per pound direct labor: 2 hours per unit; $ 19 per hour oceanside produced 2 comma 000 units during the quarter. at the end of the quarter, an examination of the direct materials records showed that the company used 7 comma 500 pounds of direct materials and actual total materials costs were $ 98 comma 100. what is the direct materials cost variance? (round any intermediate calculations to the nearest cent, and your final answer to the nearest dollar.)

Annuity payments are assumed to come at the end of each payment period (termed an ordinary annuity). however, an exception occurs when the annuity payments come at the beginning of each period (termed an annuity due). what is the future value of a 13-year annuity of $2,800 per period where payments come at the beginning of each period? the interest rate is 9 percent. use appendix c for an approximate answer, but calculate your final answer using the formula and financial calculator methods. to find the future value of an annuity due when using the appendix tables, add 1 to n and subtract 1 from the tabular value. for example, to find the future value of a $100 payment at the beginning of each period for five periods at 10 percent, go to appendix c for n = 6 and i = 10 percent. look up the value of 7.716 and subtract 1 from it for an answer of 6.716 or $671.60 ($100 × 6.716)

An employer who is considering hiring eva has asked donna, eva’s former supervisor, for a report on eva. in truth, eva’s work for donna has been only average. however, eva is donna’s friend, and donna knows that eva probably will not get the job if she says anything negative about eva, and donna knows that eva desperately needs the job. further, donna knows that if the situation were reversed, she would not want eva to mention her deficiencies. nevertheless, it has been donna’s policy to reveal the deficiencies of employees when she has been asked for references by employers, and she knows that some of eva’s faults may be bothersome to this particular employer. finally, this employer has leveled with donna in the past when donna has asked for a report on people who have worked for him. should donna reveal deficiencies in eva’s past performance? (remember to use one of the three moral theories acceptable for this test to solve this dilemma. any discussion of any personal opinion, religious perspective, or theory other than the moral theories acceptable for this test will result in a score of "0" for this question.)