Quiz #1
Communications 487, Tuesday, 13 February 1996
(each question worth 2 points)

1. Describe two of the ways in which "the information economy" has changed 
the way businesses operate.

* Organizational changes (flatter organizations)
Reduce cycle time
Improve quality
Improve community with customer
Cut Costs
Increase competition
Encourage new products

2. What is the Internet and how is it different from an on-line service such as 
America OnLine? 

Internet is a network of networks of computer resources, internationally 
located. It was created a department of defense initiative to continue 
communications despite nuclear or other warfare.  The Internet is free 
(although access may cost some users some money). On-line services such 
as America On-Line are proprietary (private) and available only for a fee to 
subscribers. Some of the content on AOL (and Prodigy, Genie, CompuServe, 
etc.) is unique to those services.

3. Why did Time-Warner (a publishing/cable company) and Disney (a movie 
studio/theme park company) each buy a television network ?

They wanted a broadcast outlet for their films and other video products; they 
recognize that, despite great competition for viewers, that broadcast 
networks remain the most cost effective ways to reach broad (i.e. very large 
audiences); Sheer size is important for media companies in these turbulent 
times--small companies can't compete as effectively. These mergers create 
very big media empires.

FYI: These mergers are NOT an example of convergence (which is more the 
technical process of delivering video/data/voice through various media). 
These media mergers are examples of vertical integration.

4. What is a "killer ap"? Provide at least one example.

Killer application. A product or service that can create enough demand to 
drive the use of another product.

Examples:

movies are killer aps for VCRs
Education for the internet
Shopping for cable channels (Home shopping)
pornography  for cable and videocassettes

5. What are the four traditional roles or activities of management?

Planning
Organizing
Directing
Controlling

6.  Why are many companies dispensing with or significantly changing their 
structure? What do these new organizations look like? 

WHY:
To reduce costs
Increase efficiency
Achieve breakthroughs

They are interlocking puzzles, team oriented, flattened, look like an orchestra 
rather than a pyramid.

7. List at least two ingredients for the successful working of groups or teams.  

understand and share objectives
trust each other
appreciate differening communications skills and personalities
use talents of all
have a leader
distribute work fairly

8. Describe the process of organization change (sometimes described as 
"acts in the change play")  

1. Recognize that change is needed
2. Make the case for change
3. Communicate, communicate
4. Gather data and measure progress
5. Delegate and empower others to take charge of change
6. Expect mid-course corrections will be needed.

9. Why do organizations find it difficult to achieve a "customer focus?"  

Customers are difficult
Customer can't describe their needs
There is no honor in service in our culture; service = servitude
Customer needs change
Companies organize for their own convenience, not their customers' needs

10. Steve Case from  America OnLine says that media companies should be 
moving into on-line applications now, or they will lose some important 
opportunities. What are the examples he cites of lost opportunities in the 
recent past? 

MTV could have been the Rolling Stone Channel
CNN could have been the Newsweek Channel
ESPN could have been the Sports Illustrated Channel