Javon is consuming his optimal utility-maximiring consumption bundle of lobster and macaroni-and-cheese dinners when he loses his job and has less money to spend. Both are normal goods. When he adjusts his consumption to reflect the new level of income, the number of macaroni-and-cheese dinners he consumes:

a. falls.
b. stays the same
c. changes, but it is impossible to determine in what way,
d. rises.

You work as the sales manager for a company that sells office supplies to businesses of all sizes. because the profit margins are razor-thin, you need to ensure that you are getting the very best prices on paper, pencils, pens, post-it notes, and other office supplies from the manufacturers. when reviewing the quarterly profit statement, you realize that your costs are higher than they should be, and you trace the higher costs back to an employee who has been lax about getting competitive bids to ensure the lowest prices. when you conduct your research to determine the reason for the higher costs, and take action to bring those costs back down, in which of the key management processes are you taking part?