Business Research Methods, 9th Edition Test Bank

Chapter 2–Information Systems and Knowledge Management Student: ___________________________________________________________________________ 1. Data, information, and intelligence all have the potential to create value to the firm through better decision making. True False 2. Data are a subset of market intelligence. True False 3. Relevant data are facts about things that cannot be changed. True False 4. Timely data are the most current data. True False 5. Knowledge cannot be managed. True False 6. One way to describe business research is to categorize it based on the four possible functions it serves in business: foundational, testing, issues, and validation. True False 7. The purpose of a decision support system is to store data and transform data into information that is easily accessible to managers. True False 8. The goal of a CRM system is to describe customer relationships so that managers can access information themselves. True False 9. A decision support system requires databases and software. True False 10. A data warehouse is the multitiered computer storehouse of current and historical data. True False 11. Input data can come from internal sources of the organization, but not from external sources. True False 12. Proprietary marketing research is available to anyone via the Internet. True False 13. An organization’s salesforce frequently provides important business intelligence information. True False 14. Modern technology provides new ways of tracking human behavior. True False 15. Scanner data is collected at store checkout counters. True False 16. Tracking a person’s Internet surfing behavior is illegal. True False 17. Types of databases include statistical databases, financial databases, and video databases. True False 18. Foxnews.com is an example of a content provider on the World Wide Web. True False 19. A key word search entails all information gathering designed to detect changes in the external operating environment of the firm. True False 20. Data and information can be delivered to consumers or other end users via pull technology or push technology. True False 21. Facts or recorded measures of certain phenomena (things or events) are known as _____. A. data B. information C. market intelligence D. knowledge E. value 22. Data formatted (structured) to support decision making or define the relationship between two facts is referred to as _____ A. interpretive B. inductive C. information D. interactive 23. Which of the following is a subset of data and information that actually has some explanatory power enabling effective decisions to be made? A. knowledge B. intellectual capital C. business intelligence D. decision support system 24. All of the following are important characteristics used to evaluate the value of information EXCEPT_____. A. timeliness B. relevance C. completeness D. cost 25. The characteristic of data reflecting how pertinent these particular facts are to the situation at hand is called ____. A. relevance B. timeliness C. completeness D. significance 26. A researcher has assessed the reliability and validity of his data and is comfortable in thinking the data accurately matches reality. Which characteristic of valuable information does this best describe? A. relevance B. completeness C. quality D. timeliness 27. Which of the following data characteristic refers to the degree to which data represent the true situation? A. timeliness B. completeness C. quality D. relevance 28. Merck, a pharmaceutical company, places a tiny chip on drug packaging to track its product from the manufacturing plant to the consumer to ensure the product flows through the proper distribution channel and safety for consumers. The tiny chip is an application of which technology? A. RFID B. smart technology C. market dynamism D. GPS 29. Which of the following represents a blend of previous experience, insight, and data that forms organizational memory? A. data B. knowledge C. market intelligence D. information 30. Which of the following is an organized collection of computer hardware, software, data, and personnel designed to capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and immediately display information about worldwide business activities? A. Internet B. Intranet C. global information system D. global positioning satellite system 31. All of the following are functions supported by marketing research EXCEPT _____. A. testing B. foundational C. compliance D. performance 32. Harold is conducting research to determine what consumer segment his company should serve with its services. Which function is this research serving? A. testing B. issues C. foundational D. performance 33. A computer-based system that helps decision makers confront problems through direct interaction with databases and systems is known as a(n) _____. A. Internet B. Intranet C. decision support system (DSS) D. global positioning satellite system 34. Which part of the decision support system addresses exchanges between the firm and its customers? A. customer relationship management (CRM) system B. data warehouse C. global information system (GIS) D. intellectual capital system 35. Who can provide data to a decision support system? A. production managers B. sales managers C. accountants D. all of these choices 36. An organization’s mailing list of current customers is an example of _____. A. a cookie B. software C. a database D. a hyperlink 37. Which of the following is a process that allows important day-to-day operational data to be stored and organized for simplified access? A. global information system B. data warehousing C. proprietary business research D. keyword search 38. An organization’s inventory figures are a good example of _____. A. cookies B. internal records C. external records D. CRM 39. Which source of input data is represented when a company conducts research to identify the characteristics of its customers? A. internal records B. proprietary business research C. salesperson input D. behavioral tracking 40. Accumulated records resulting from point-of-sale data recordings are known as _____. A. scanner data B. multiple-source data C. cookies D. environmental scanning data 41. Which of the following is an example of behavioral tracking? A. product sales histories B. test market results C. supermarket scanner data D. survey findings 42. Data which relates purchase information with promotional exposures and advertising frequency data by particular households are known as _____. A. single-source data B. multiple-source data C. cookies D. environmental scanning data 43. LEXIS-NEXIS is a company that puts together data sources into packages that are offered to municipal, corporate, and university libraries for a fee. LEXIS-NEXIS is an example of a _____. A. data compiler B. data wholesaler C. data warehouse D. data miner 44. CompuStat, which publishes financial data, such as income statements and balance sheets, is an example of which type of database? A. statistical database B. financial database C. video database D. electronic interchange database 45. The type of exchange that occurs when one company’s computer system is integrated with another companys’ system is called _____. A. electronic data interchange (EDI) B. radio frequency exchanged (RFE) C. electronic synergy D. realtime communication 46. When Walmart transmits information electronically each day to Wrangler jeans about unit sales of this product in its retail outlets so that Wrangler can replenish Walmart’s inventory on an as-needed basis, this is an example of _____. A. cookies B. EDI C. the Internet D. data transference 47. Where does the content for a particular website physically reside? A. content provider B. electronic data interchange C. host D. Intranet 48. Parties that furnish information on the World Wide Web are called _____. A. browsers B. content providers C. search engines D. hosts 49. What is the opening screen of a Web site called? A. cookie B. home page C. hyperlink D. browser 50. A Web site address that Web browsers recognize is called a(n) _____. A. URL B. EDI C. DSS D. UPC 51. www.fda.gov, www.nike.com, and www.fsu.edu are examples of _____. A. EDIs B. URLs C. DSSs D. UPCs 52. Yahoo! and Google are examples of _____. A. home pages B. search engines C. ISPs D. CRMs 53. A(n) _____ searches through the Internet almost instantly looking for content containing specific words. A. environmental scan B. history sniff C. web craw D. keyword search 54. Karl is searching “digital cameras” in Google to learn more about the brands available and prices for each. Karl is performing a(n) _____. A. predictive analysis B. keyword search C. environmental scan D. history sniff 55. What type of medium is the Internet? A. interactive medium B. one-way medium C. flow medium D. ionic medium 56. Melanie is using the Internet to gather information designed to detect changes in her company’s external operating environment. What is Melanie performing? A. environmental scanning B. behavioral tracking C. search engine optimization D. electronic data interchange 57. In which type of technology does the consumer request information from a Web page and the browser then determines a response? A. Intranet B. push technology C. pull technology D. interactive technology 58. When amazon.com recommends books for purchase when a customer who has ordered books from Amazon previously returns to the site, this is an example of _____. A. push technology B. electronic data interchange C. pull technology D. a URL 59. When an Internet user sets up his computer so that it will send him regular news about his favorite professional football team, this is an example of the application of _____. A. push technology B. pull technology C. smart agent software D. RFID 60. When you visit websites, most likely a small computer file that records your Web usage history is created. Often this is done so the site will know you when you return and you won’t have to reenter information if you have already done so on that site. This small computer file is called a(n) _____. A. electronic data exchange B. cookie C. URL D. Intranet 61. Most companies use a private data network that uses Internet standards and technology but only allows those individuals whom the organization deems as appropriate participants to access data. This is an example of a(n) _____. A. Intranet B. smart network C. internal source D. content provider 62. Which of the following is a collaborative effort involving many universities, government entities, and corporations? A. Intranet B. Internet2 C. Web2.0 D. smart agent network 63. In information technology, _____ is data formatted (structured) to support decision-making or define the relationship between two facts. ________________________________________ 64. Information that is accurate, valid, and reliable is said to be of high ______. ________________________________________ 65. Information that is provided when a manager needs it to make an important decision is said to be ______. ________________________________________ 66. When a manager has sufficient information to make a good decision, the information is said to be ______. ________________________________________ 67. _____ management is the process of creating an inclusive, comprehensive, easily accessible organizational memory, which is often called the organization’s intellectual capital. ________________________________________ 68. A computer-based system that helps managers to solve problems through interaction with databases is known as a(n) ______. ________________________________________ 69. A decision support system that gathers information about customers such as sales history and customer preferences is known as a(n) _____ system. ________________________________________ 70. Numerical, text, voice, and image data that enter a decision support system are known as ______. ________________________________________ 71. _____ data refers to the accumulated records resulting from point-of-sale data recordings. ________________________________________ 72. An _____ occurs when one company’s computer system is integrated with another company’s computer system. ________________________________________ 73. A(n) _____ is where the content for a particular website physically resides and is accessed. ________________________________________ 74. Parties that furnish information on the World Wide Web are called _____. ________________________________________ 75. A website address that Web browsers recognize is called a(n) _____. ________________________________________ 76. A computerized directory that allows users to search the World Wide Web for information based on a keyword search is called a(n) ______. ________________________________________ 77. When a computer user types in “speed boats” in Google, he or she is conducting a(n) _____. ________________________________________ 78. A medium that a person can use to communicate with and interact with other users is called a(n) _____ medium. ________________________________________ 79. The Internet is a(n) _____ medium. ________________________________________ 80. _____ technology refers to users requesting information from a web page and the browser then determining a response. ________________________________________ 81. ______ software is capable of learning an Internet user’s preferences and automatically searching out information and distributing the information to a user’s computer. ________________________________________ 82. A company’s private computer network that uses Internet standard but which is accessible only by its own employees is known as a(n) ______. ________________________________________ 83. Going from data to information to intelligence is like a funnel. Explain what that means. 84. A manager is considering purchasing data from an outside vendor to get a better understanding of the target market for his firm’s services. What factors should the manager consider when evaluating the data’s usefulness for his needs? 85. What is knowledge management? Explain why is it important for businesses to manage knowledge. 86. Name and describe the four possible functions research serves in business. 87. Explain what a decision support system (DSS) is and how it helps managers. 88. Compare and contrast pull technology and push technology. Chapter 2–Information Systems and Knowledge Management Key 1. Data, information, and intelligence all have the potential to create value to the firm through better decision making. TRUE 2. Data are a subset of market intelligence. FALSE 3. Relevant data are facts about things that cannot be changed. FALSE 4. Timely data are the most current data. FALSE 5. Knowledge cannot be managed. FALSE 6. One way to describe business research is to categorize it based on the four possible functions it serves in business: foundational, testing, issues, and validation. FALSE 7. The purpose of a decision support system is to store data and transform data into information that is easily accessible to managers. TRUE 8. The goal of a CRM system is to describe customer relationships so that managers can access information themselves. TRUE 9. A decision support system requires databases and software. TRUE 10. A data warehouse is the multitiered computer storehouse of current and historical data. TRUE 11. Input data can come from internal sources of the organization, but not from external sources. FALSE 12. Proprietary marketing research is available to anyone via the Internet. FALSE 13. An organization’s salesforce frequently provides important business intelligence information. TRUE 14. Modern technology provides new ways of tracking human behavior. TRUE 15. Scanner data is collected at store checkout counters. TRUE 16. Tracking a person’s Internet surfing behavior is illegal. FALSE 17. Types of databases include statistical databases, financial databases, and video databases. TRUE 18. Foxnews.com is an example of a content provider on the World Wide Web. TRUE 19. A key word search entails all information gathering designed to detect changes in the external operating environment of the firm. FALSE 20. Data and information can be delivered to consumers or other end users via pull technology or push technology. TRUE 21. Facts or recorded measures of certain phenomena (things or events) are known as _____. A. data B. information C. market intelligence D. knowledge E. value 22. Data formatted (structured) to support decision making or define the relationship between two facts is referred to as _____ A. interpretive B. inductive C. information D. interactive 23. Which of the following is a subset of data and information that actually has some explanatory power enabling effective decisions to be made? A. knowledge B. intellectual capital C. business intelligence D. decision support system 24. All of the following are important characteristics used to evaluate the value of information EXCEPT_____. A. timeliness B. relevance C. completeness D. cost 25. The characteristic of data reflecting how pertinent these particular facts are to the situation at hand is called ____. A. relevance B. timeliness C. completeness D. significance 26. A researcher has assessed the reliability and validity of his data and is comfortable in thinking the data accurately matches reality. Which characteristic of valuable information does this best describe? A. relevance B. completeness C. quality D. timeliness 27. Which of the following data characteristic refers to the degree to which data represent the true situation? A. timeliness B. completeness C. quality D. relevance 28. Merck, a pharmaceutical company, places a tiny chip on drug packaging to track its product from the manufacturing plant to the consumer to ensure the product flows through the proper distribution channel and safety for consumers. The tiny chip is an application of which technology? A. RFID B. smart technology C. market dynamism D. GPS 29. Which of the following represents a blend of previous experience, insight, and data that forms organizational memory? A. data B. knowledge C. market intelligence D. information 30. Which of the following is an organized collection of computer hardware, software, data, and personnel designed to capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and immediately display information about worldwide business activities? A. Internet B. Intranet C. global information system D. global positioning satellite system 31. All of the following are functions supported by marketing research EXCEPT _____. A. testing B. foundational C. compliance D. performance 32. Harold is conducting research to determine what consumer segment his company should serve with its services. Which function is this research serving? A. testing B. issues C. foundational D. performance 33. A computer-based system that helps decision makers confront problems through direct interaction with databases and systems is known as a(n) _____. A. Internet B. Intranet C. decision support system (DSS) D. global positioning satellite system 34. Which part of the decision support system addresses exchanges between the firm and its customers? A. customer relationship management (CRM) system B. data warehouse C. global information system (GIS) D. intellectual capital system 35. Who can provide data to a decision support system? A. production managers B. sales managers C. accountants D. all of these choices 36. An organization’s mailing list of current customers is an example of _____. A. a cookie B. software C. a database D. a hyperlink 37. Which of the following is a process that allows important day-to-day operational data to be stored and organized for simplified access? A. global information system B. data warehousing C. proprietary business research D. keyword search 38. An organization’s inventory figures are a good example of _____. A. cookies B. internal records C. external records D. CRM 39. Which source of input data is represented when a company conducts research to identify the characteristics of its customers? A. internal records B. proprietary business research C. salesperson input D. behavioral tracking 40. Accumulated records resulting from point-of-sale data recordings are known as _____. A. scanner data B. multiple-source data C. cookies D. environmental scanning data 41. Which of the following is an example of behavioral tracking? A. product sales histories B. test market results C. supermarket scanner data D. survey findings 42. Data which relates purchase information with promotional exposures and advertising frequency data by particular households are known as _____. A. single-source data B. multiple-source data C. cookies D. environmental scanning data 43. LEXIS-NEXIS is a company that puts together data sources into packages that are offered to municipal, corporate, and university libraries for a fee. LEXIS-NEXIS is an example of a _____. A. data compiler B. data wholesaler C. data warehouse D. data miner 44. CompuStat, which publishes financial data, such as income statements and balance sheets, is an example of which type of database? A. statistical database B. financial database C. video database D. electronic interchange database 45. The type of exchange that occurs when one company’s computer system is integrated with another companys’ system is called _____. A. electronic data interchange (EDI) B. radio frequency exchanged (RFE) C. electronic synergy D. realtime communication 46. When Walmart transmits information electronically each day to Wrangler jeans about unit sales of this product in its retail outlets so that Wrangler can replenish Walmart’s inventory on an as-needed basis, this is an example of _____. A. cookies B. EDI C. the Internet D. data transference 47. Where does the content for a particular website physically reside? A. content provider B. electronic data interchange C. host D. Intranet 48. Parties that furnish information on the World Wide Web are called _____. A. browsers B. content providers C. search engines D. hosts 49. What is the opening screen of a Web site called? A. cookie B. home page C. hyperlink D. browser 50. A Web site address that Web browsers recognize is called a(n) _____. A. URL B. EDI C. DSS D. UPC 51. www.fda.gov, www.nike.com, and www.fsu.edu are examples of _____. A. EDIs B. URLs C. DSSs D. UPCs 52. Yahoo! and Google are examples of _____. A. home pages B. search engines C. ISPs D. CRMs 53. A(n) _____ searches through the Internet almost instantly looking for content containing specific words. A. environmental scan B. history sniff C. web craw D. keyword search 54. Karl is searching “digital cameras” in Google to learn more about the brands available and prices for each. Karl is performing a(n) _____. A. predictive analysis B. keyword search C. environmental scan D. history sniff 55. What type of medium is the Internet? A. interactive medium B. one-way medium C. flow medium D. ionic medium 56. Melanie is using the Internet to gather information designed to detect changes in her company’s external operating environment. What is Melanie performing? A. environmental scanning B. behavioral tracking C. search engine optimization D. electronic data interchange 57. In which type of technology does the consumer request information from a Web page and the browser then determines a response? A. Intranet B. push technology C. pull technology D. interactive technology 58. When amazon.com recommends books for purchase when a customer who has ordered books from Amazon previously returns to the site, this is an example of _____. A. push technology B. electronic data interchange C. pull technology D. a URL 59. When an Internet user sets up his computer so that it will send him regular news about his favorite professional football team, this is an example of the application of _____. A. push technology B. pull technology C. smart agent software D. RFID 60. When you visit websites, most likely a small computer file that records your Web usage history is created. Often this is done so the site will know you when you return and you won’t have to reenter information if you have already done so on that site. This small computer file is called a(n) _____. A. electronic data exchange B. cookie C. URL D. Intranet 61. Most companies use a private data network that uses Internet standards and technology but only allows those individuals whom the organization deems as appropriate participants to access data. This is an example of a(n) _____. A. Intranet B. smart network C. internal source D. content provider 62. Which of the following is a collaborative effort involving many universities, government entities, and corporations? A. Intranet B. Internet2 C. Web2.0 D. smart agent network 63. In information technology, _____ is data formatted (structured) to support decision-making or define the relationship between two facts. information 64. Information that is accurate, valid, and reliable is said to be of high ______. quality 65. Information that is provided when a manager needs it to make an important decision is said to be ______. timely 66. When a manager has sufficient information to make a good decision, the information is said to be ______. complete 67. _____ management is the process of creating an inclusive, comprehensive, easily accessible organizational memory, which is often called the organization’s intellectual capital. Knowledge 68. A computer-based system that helps managers to solve problems through interaction with databases is known as a(n) ______. decision support system (DSS) 69. A decision support system that gathers information about customers such as sales history and customer preferences is known as a(n) _____ system. customer-relationship management (CRM) 70. Numerical, text, voice, and image data that enter a decision support system are known as ______. input 71. _____ data refers to the accumulated records resulting from point-of-sale data recordings. Scanner 72. An _____ occurs when one company’s computer system is integrated with another company’s computer system. electronic data interchange (EDI) 73. A(n) _____ is where the content for a particular website physically resides and is accessed. host 74. Parties that furnish information on the World Wide Web are called _____. content providers 75. A website address that Web browsers recognize is called a(n) _____. uniform resource locator (URL) 76. A computerized directory that allows users to search the World Wide Web for information based on a keyword search is called a(n) ______. search engine 77. When a computer user types in “speed boats” in Google, he or she is conducting a(n) _____. keyword search 78. A medium that a person can use to communicate with and interact with other users is called a(n) _____ medium. interactive 79. The Internet is a(n) _____ medium. interactive 80. _____ technology refers to users requesting information from a web page and the browser then determining a response. Pull 81. ______ software is capable of learning an Internet user’s preferences and automatically searching out information and distributing the information to a user’s computer. Smart agent 82. A company’s private computer network that uses Internet standard but which is accessible only by its own employees is known as a(n) ______. Intranet 83. Going from data to information to intelligence is like a funnel. Explain what that means. Data are simply facts or recorded measures of certain phenomena (things or events). Information is data formatted (structured) to support decision making or define the relationship between two facts. Business intelligence is the subset of data and information that actually has some explanatory power enabling effective decisions to be made. So there is more data than information and business intelligence. 84. A manager is considering purchasing data from an outside vendor to get a better understanding of the target market for his firm’s services. What factors should the manager consider when evaluating the data’s usefulness for his needs? The four characteristics that help determine how valuable data may be are: Relevance – reflects how pertinent these particular facts are to the situation at hand. Relevant data are facts about things that can be changed, and if they are changed, it will materially alter the situation. Quality – the degree to which data represent the true situation. High-quality data are accurate, valid, and reliable. Timeliness – the data are current enough to still be relevant. Completeness – refers to having the right amount of information. 85. What is knowledge management? Explain why is it important for businesses to manage knowledge. Knowledge management is the process of creating an inclusive, comprehensive, easily accessible organizational memory, which can be called the organization’s intellectual capital. The purpose of knowledge management is to organize the intellectual capital of an organization in a formally structured way for easy use. Knowledge is presented in a way that helps managers comprehend and act on that information and make better decisions in all areas of business. Knowledge management systems are particularly useful in making data available across the functional areas of the firm so they can be integrated. 86. Name and describe the four possible functions research serves in business. The four possible function research serves in business are: (1) Foundational – answers basic questions (e,g., What business should we be in?) (2) Testing – addresses things like new product concepts or promotional ideas (e.g., How effective will they be?) (3) Issues – examines how specific issues impact the firm (e.g., How does organizational structure impact employee job satisfaction and turnover?) (4) Performance – monitors specific metrics including financial statistics like profitability and delivery times. They are critical in real-time management and in “what-if” types of analyses examining the potential impact of a change in policy. 87. Explain what a decision support system (DSS) is and how it helps managers. A decision support system (DSS) is a system that helps decision makers confront problems through direct interaction with computerized databases and analytical software programs. The purpose of a DSS is to store data and transform them into organized information that is easily accessible to managers. Doing so saves mangers time so that decisions that might take days or even weeks otherwise can be made in minutes using a DSS. A DSS requires both databases and software. Modern decision support systems greatly facilitate customer relationship management (CRM), which is a system that is part of the DSS that address exchanges between the firm and its customers. 88. Compare and contrast pull technology and push technology. Data and information can be delivered to consumers or other end users via either pull technology or push technology. Conventionally, pull technology refers to consumers requesting information from a Web page and the browser then determines a response. Thus, the consumer is essentially asking for the data. In this case, it is said to be pulled through the channel. The opposite of pull is push. Push technology sends data to a user’s computer without a request being made. In other words, software is used to guess what information might be interesting to consumers based on the patterns of previous responses. Push technology allows personalized information to be delivered to consumers without the need for them to even be physically at their Internet device.