The three components of building a capable organization aremaking periodic changes in the firm's internal organization to keep people from getting into a comfortable rut, instituting a decentralized approach to decision making, and developing the appropriate competencies and capabilities. hiring a capable top management team, empowering employees, and establishing a strategy-supportive corporate culture. optimizing the number of core competencies and competitive capabilities, making sure that all managers and employees are empowered, and maximizing internal operating efficiency. putting a centralized decision-making structure in place, determining who should have responsibility for each value chain activity, and aligning the corporate culture with key policies, procedures, and operating practices. staffing the organization, acquiring, developing, and strengthening key resources and competitive capabilities, and structuring the organization and work effort. staffing the organization, acquiring, developing, and strengthening key resources and competitive capabilities, and structuring the organization and work effort.

In the fall, jay thompson decided to live in a university dormitory. he signed a dorm contract under which he was obligated to pay the room rent for the full college year. one clause stated that if he moved out during the year, he could sell his dorm contract to another student who would move into the dormitory as his replacement. the dorm cost was $5000 for the two semesters, which jay had already paid a month after he moved into the dorm, he decided he would prefer to live in an apartment. that week, after some searching for a replacement to fulfill his dorm contract, jay had two offers. one student offered to move in immediately and to pay jay $300 per month for the eight remaining months of the school year. a second student offered to move in the second semester and pay $2500 to jay. jay estimates his food cost per month is $500 if he lives in the dorm and $450 if he lives in an apartment with three other students. his share of the apartment rent and utilities will be $404 per month. assume each semester is 4.5 months long. disregard the small differences in the timing of the disbursements or receipts. what is the cost of the cheapest alternative?

Atlas manufacturing produces a unique valve, and has the capacity to produce 50,000 valves annually. currently atlas produces 40,000 valves and is thinking about increasing production to 45,000 valves next year. what is the most likely behavior of total manufacturing costs and unit manufacturing costs given this change? a. total manufacturing costs will increase and unit manufacturing costs will also increase. b. total manufacturing costs will stay the same and unit manufacturing costs will stay the same. c. total manufacturing costs will increase and unit manufacturing costs will decrease. d. total manufacturing costs will increase and unit manufacturing costs will stay the same.

M. cotteleer electronics supplies microcomputer circuitry to a company that incorporates microprocessors into refrigerators and other home appliances. one of the components has an annual demand of 235 units, and this is constant throughout the year. carrying cost is estimated to be $1.25 per unit per year, and the ordering (setup) cost is $21 per order. a) to minimize cost, how many units should be ordered each time an order is placed? b) how many orders per year are needed with the optimal policy? c) what is the average inventory if costs are minimized? d) suppose that the ordering cost is not $21, and cotteleer has been ordering 125 units each time an order is placed. for this order policy (of q = 125) to be optimal, determine what the ordering cost would have to be.