L3M1 Sample Questions Answers

Explanation

This is true. In my view, 'Industry Structure Analysis' is a better term, not only because that is what Michael Porter originally called it, but because it better describes what the model is about. For ex-ample, it reminds us that the model is not about a single firm, but it is about an entire industry, and the structure around that industry.

Explanation

Exchange rate fluctuations and escalating materials costs can both substantially impact on a contract price. Where a contract has been drafted to allow for it, the price may be adjusted in line with some pre-agreed mechanism or formula to make the price paid more equitable.

Quality problems of the supplier's own making and shareholders seeking extra profit - neither being uncommon - are not seen as being grounds for adjusting price (upwards).

I should mention that price adjustment clauses can result in prices being adjusted either upwards or downwards, or not at all, depending on circumstances.

Explanation

Non-tariff barriers are restraints on international trade which are not so obvious as simple duties or tariffs. Complex procedures can slow things down, reducing the incentive to export to that country resulting in protected domestic business; subsidies to one's own producers make it more difficult for foreign firms to compete - again creating a barrier to trade.

Increased import duties would be a form of tariff (potentially in breach of GATT / WTO agree-ments); reduced import duties would free up / encourage trade.

Explanation

A competitive exercise is being referred to, in which the seller is under competitive pressure to try to win the business, yet not charge so much they don't win the business. This is commonly known as a 'tender', or 'tender exercise'; also 'competitive bidding' etc.

It is this desire to win profitable business, restricted by an upper limit on price because of competitor behaviour, that forces suppliers to be competitive with their prices. This tension between the bid-der's desire for profit; and the need to be realistic with price, explains why the competitive approach is so highly valued in procurement.

Explanation

This is a description of a depression - the worst of all economic situations, which governments will do almost anything to avoid.

A recession is a decline in the performance of the economic factors mentioned (unemployment ris-es), and technically in the UK, a recession would be two successive quarters of decline (reducing economic activity / reducing GDP). A recovery is coming out of recession, and a boom is when the economy is in the opposite state to the depression shown in the question. Generally, an economy's behaviour is cyclical.

Explanation

Sources of funds for private sector commonly include revenues from sales, shareholders and long-term loans. Taxpayers would not normally be thought of as a source of funds for private sector, alt-hough in recent Coronavirus times, in some countries, such as the UK, businesses have received considerable support. But that is abnormal.

Short-term sources such as overdrafts are not to be relied upon on a regular or long-term basis.

Explanation

Gross National Product; Gross Domestic Product.

Seen by some commentators as outdated measures, although it's difficult to know what they should / would be replaced by.

Explanation

A well-known measure of carbon footprint.

Procurement professionals are encouraged to incorporate environmentally-friendly thinking into their workplace activities and decision-making.

Explanation

A monopoly is a single supplier (or for some authorities where one supplier has control of the market eg 75% market share); a monopsony is a single buyer.

Perfect competition involves many suppliers and many buyers.

The clue here is the 'small number' of suppliers.

Explanation

This should be straightforward.

If unclear, check your notes / textbook.

Explanation

An easy question.

Price is what the customer will pay for goods or services eg fifty dollars; payment terms are the ar-rangements under which you pay the price eg in advance, on delivery, 30 days, 60 days, etc.

Although this may seem rather obvious, I have encountered a surprising number of people who seem to confuse the two.

Explanation

It is an economy in which the public and private sectors work together. This is now the norm in most countries, with private sector involvement to a greater or lesser extent. In North Korea there is a (rare example of a) planned economy, and in the United States there is a heavily market-led (pri-vate sector) economy.

Explanation

The correct answer is 'taxpayers'. On occasion, part of a public sector organisation may make sales which will generate revenue. In some mega-projects (eg power generation), public sector bodies will sometimes into long-term arrangements with private sector financiers, but this is not the mainstream. Delaying payments to suppliers is a tactic used by some organisations, but they are more likely to be private sector, and such a practice is regarded as unethical by many, including CIPS.

Explanation

The base rate is often used as a basis for the calculation of other rates, some of which eg credit card repayment rates, bear no resemblance to the base rate. Some longer-term, perhaps more responsible, lending, uses changes in the base rate to determine a repayment rate for debt egmortgage rates. For credit card repayment rates and for late payments in business contracts there is often a considerable amount of freedom to agree relevant rates, but government is often encouraged to influence to try to ensure some level of sanity.

The answer which references procurement of a new 'instrument' is an attempt at humour, 'base' be-ing a type of guitar.

Explanation

It's a supplier quotation.

Both the RFQ and the PQQ (sometimes known as 'SQ') are issued by the buying side, not the sell-ing side.

A commercial invoice doesn't tell you what the price 'would be' - it tells you what is owed after the event (usually - an exception being with prepayment in mind; or a 'proforma invoice' which is issued in some circumstances, especially internationally).

Explanation

'Retention' - from the word 'retain', meaning to 'keep in place', 'hold back', 'keep possession of' something (Concise Oxford Dictionary, fifth edition) . In this case, 5% of the contract price.

Explanation

All of these are ways of classifying organisations.

Examples: Retailers, SMEs, limited companies, etc

Explanation

Causal, not casual. They exert pressure about particular causes.

'Sectional' is an invention by me; blood pressure group is a rather weak attempt at humour.

Explanation

It's 'delegated authority' - where the authority to spend has been delegated to others, at a 'lower lev-el' in the organisation.

Normally organisational finance or procurement policies will explain how this is to work, often with a written delegation provided by a more senior manager. The authority to spend is invariably a tem-porary permission, which may be withdrawn under certain circumstances eg breach of rules, exces-sive spend, maverick spend, etc.

Explanation

Increasingly practised, albeit often quietly, protectionism seeks to protect domestic industries, re-ducing access to markets for foreign companies. The aim is normally to protect domestic worker's jobs, often with an eye on domestic politics. Industries recently (late 2020) mentioned in this subject area include agriculture, airlines, defence, shipbuilding, steel, etc - not just in UK or Europe, but worldwide.

The World Trade Organisation seeks to reduce protectionism - an activity supported by many econ-omists, as globalism is believed by many to increase global wealth overall.

However, this is not clear cut, and there are a variety of views.

Interventionism is not relevant to this QUESTION NO:, and preventionism is a made-up word.

Explanation

All of these.

Explanation

Social arrangement because it involves people; they have a collective goal eg to be a profitable or-ganisation; and their performance must be controlled to work towards or to achieve that goal / those goals.

Explanation

This is true: the liability of shareholders is limited to their agreed financial commitment, not beyond that.

Explanation

Because a wide range of organisations (or even individuals) may respond to an open tender, consid-erable administrative resource may have to be devoted to analysing offers.