To succeed with a low-cost provider strategy, company managers have to A. pursue backward or forward integration to detour suppliers or buyers with considerable bargaining power and leverage. B. keep all value chain activities in-house where they can be monitored. C. sell direct to users of their product or service and eliminate use of any wholesale and retail intermediaries. D. do two things: (1) perform value chain activities more cost-effectively than rivals and (2) be proactive in revamping the firm's overall value chain to eliminate or bypass "nonessential" cost-producing activities. E. outsource the vast majority of value chain activities.

What does the phrase limited liability mean in a corporate context?

Examine the following book-value balance sheet for university products inc. the preferred stock currently sells for $30 per share and pays a dividend of $3 a share. the common stock sells for $16 per share and has a beta of 0.9. there are 2 million common shares outstanding. the market risk premium is 9%, the risk-free rate is 5%, and the firm’s tax rate is 40%. book-value balance sheet (figures in $ millions) assets liabilities and net worth cash and short-term securities $ 2.0 bonds, coupon = 6%, paid annually (maturity = 10 years, current yield to maturity = 8%) $ 5.0 accounts receivable 3.0 preferred stock (par value $15 per share) 3.0 inventories 7.0 common stock (par value $0.20) 0.4 plant and equipment 21.0 additional paid-in stockholders’ equity 13.6 retained earnings 11.0 total $ 33.0 total $ 33.0 a. what is the market debt-to-value ratio of the firm? (do not round intermediate calculations. enter your answer as a percent rounded to 2 decimal places.) b. what is university’s wacc? (do not round intermediate calculations. enter your answer as a percent rounded to 2 decimal places.)

Which of the following statements is true of the balanced-scorecard? a. it is a more or less a one-dimensional metric of measuring competitive advantages of a firm. b. it is one of the traditional approaches of measuring firm performance. c. its primary focus is to base a firm's strategic goals entirely on external performance dimensions. d. it attempts to provide a holistic perspective on firm performance.