Merger and acquisition strategies
a. are aimed at facilitating a company's shift from a broad differentiation strategy to a low-cost provider strategy
b. tend to be the most often used and most effective strategic options available to multi business companies
c. provide superior means for firms to rapidly increase the vertical scope of their core business
d. are one of the best ways for a company strongly differentiate its product offerings
e. are often driven by such strategic objectives as to expand a company's geographic coverage or extend its business into a new product categories

If you were running a company, what are at least two things you could do to improve its productivity.

Turrubiates corporation makes a product that uses a material with the following standards standard quantity 8.0 liters per unit standard price $2.50 per liter standard cost $20.00 per unit the company budgeted for production of 3,800 units in april, but actual production was 3,900 units. the company used 32,000 liters of direct material to produce this output. the company purchased 20,100 liters of the direct material at $2.6 per liter. the direct materials purchases variance is computed when the materials are purchased. the materials quantity variance for april is:

Garrett is an executive vice president at samm hardware. he researches a proposal by a larger company, maximum hardware, to combine the two companies. by analyzing past performance, conducting focus groups, and interviewing maximum employees, garrett concludes that maximum has poor profit margins, sells shoddy merchandise, and treats customers poorly. what actions should garrett and samm hardware take? a. turn down the acquisition offer and prepare to resist a hostile takeover. b. attempt a friendly merger and use managerial hubris to improve results at maximum. c. welcome the acquisition and use knowledge transfer to impart sam hardware's management practices. d. do nothing; the two companies cannot combine without samm hardware's explicit consent.