BS Quiz 2023

  1. In the long run, investors’ returns on a company’s equity should be lower than their returns on bonds issued by the same company.
    1. False
  2. According to the cost-of-production method, profit equals the monetary value of the goods/services sold during a time period (revenues) minus the monetary value of resources consumed to produce these goods/services (expenses).
    1. False
  3. When a company distributes its profits of the year 2021 to its owners at the end of the year, then the company’s net value (according to the Balance Sheet) at the end of 2021 equals its net value at the beginning of the year.
    1. Correct
  4. When a taxi company buys a new car by lending money then this transaction leads to a lower ROI because capital increases while profits do not change (they only change once the taxi gets used)
    1. Correct
  5. When a taxi company buys a new taxi for 40,000 EUR then this transaction is a capital expenditure.
    1. Correct
  6. If an investment today generates a stream of positive cash flows in the future, then the internal rate of return of this investment is the discount rate for which the present value of the generated future cash flows equals today’s investment.
    1. Correct
  7. When a company pays back a loan, then EBIT increases
    1. False
  8. When a company pays back a loan, then Free Cashflow increases
    1. False
  9. Red Bull is an example of a differentiation strategy because the brand sets the product apart from the competition.
    1. Correct
  10. If cash flow generated by cash cows is used to finance a question mark then this is an example of using external sources of finance (external capital market)
    1. False
  11. A firm’s top managers are likely to prefer internal sources of finance to raising new equity because internal sources of finance give them a high level of discretion, while their investment decisions are tightly controlled by owners when raising new equity.
    1. Correct
  12. In the BCG portfolio a cash cow generates cash flow that can be used to finance question marks or growth of stars
    1. Correct
  13. Decisions on the 4P’s can be used to differentiate a given product from competitors’ products
    1. Correct
  14. The money spent for a marketing campaign is cash outflow but no expense.
    1. False
  15. From a financial perspective, a marketing campaign can be seen as an investment that aims at generating higher revenues in the future
    1. Correct
  16. When a company invests money to build up a brand then such investment always decreases overall profit since brand name capital is an intangible asset that cannot be listed in the Balance Sheet.
    1. False
  17. From a P&L-perspective employees cause expenses (salary), but with their expertise and knowhow they help to generate revenues.
    1. Correct
  18. When a company borrows money to buy a new car, then both sides of the Balance Sheet (assets and claims) increase.
    1. Correct
  19. When the price of a product is increased then it can be expected that less units of the product will be sold but revenues may still increase.
    1. Correct
  20. When a company buys machinery from its cash reserves then this does not change the overall monetary value of assets in the Balance Sheet.
    1. Correct
  21. When a company pays the interest for a bank loan, then this is no expense because there is no ‘resource consumption”.
    1. False
  22. Paying salary to employees is an expense.
    1. Correct
  23. When a company pays back a loan by using its cash reserves, then this is an expense because cash money is consumed.
    1. False
  24. The SWOT analysis combines the market-based view with the resource-based view.
    1. Correct
  25. With its Model T, the Ford Motor Company pursued a differentiation strategy, since the production process differed significantly from existing production processes for cars at that time.
    1. False
  26. The market-based view deals with how competitive advantage is achieved by taking advantage of imperfect factor markets.
    1. False
  27. Goods sold on digital platforms can only provide demand-side economies of scale, if the costs of reproduction are close to zero.
    1. False
  28. High complexity of services by tailoring services to the variety of customer preferences, is a typical characteristic of cost leadership strategies.
    1. False
  29. If a company’s core competence is marketing, then this indicates a cost leadership strategy.
    1. False
  30. Recombinant Innovation means that a business model combines innovative products.
    1. False
  31. When managers resist technological change then this is called intrapreneurship.
    1. False

BS Final 2021

  1. Red Bull is an example of a differentiation strategy because the brand sets the product apart from the competition.
    1. Correct
  2. In the BCG Portfolio a cash cow generates cash flow that can be used to finance question marks or growth of stars
    1. Correct
  3. If cash flow generated by cash cows is used to finance a question mark then this is an example of using external sources of finance (external capital market)
    1. False
  4. A firm’s top managers are likely to prefer internal sources of finance to raising new equity because internal sources of finance give them a high level of discretion while their investment decisions are tightly controlled by owners when raising new equity.
    1. Correct
  5. Within the 4 P’s framework, the choice of sales channels is a promotion decision
    1. False
  6. From a financial perspective, a marketing campaign can be seen as an investment that aims at generating higher revenues in the future
    1. Correct
  7. Decisions on the 4P’s can be used to differentiate a given product from competitors’ products
    1. Correct
  8. The money spent for a marketing campaign is cash outflow but no expense.
    1. False
  9. If a company’s core competence is marketing then this indicates a cost leadership strategy.
    1. False
  10. High complexity of services by tailoring services to the variety of customer preferences, is a typical characteristic of cost leadership strategies.
    1. False
  11. The question of which processes a company should focus on and which processes should be outsourced is a typical question asked in “value chain analysis”.
    1. Correct
  12. In a knowledge-based society, human resources tend to be easily replaced.
    1. False
  13. With its Model T, the Ford Motor Company pursued a differentiation strategy, since the production process differed significantly from existing production processes for cars at that time.
    1. False
  14. Edith Penrose is one of the leading scientists when it comes to the Market-based view.
    1. False
  15. When companies propagate a purpose in their employer branding activities, then this addresses people’s need for self-actualization in Maslovs hierachy of needs.
    1. Correct
  16. When a company considers selling its products online, then this is a decision on “Place” in the “4Ps concept”.
    1. Correct
  17. The supply chain can be defined as the collection of production processes performed within a company.
    1. False
  18. When Red Bull decides on whether product distribution should be organized “in-house” or organized by collaboration with a partner firm, then this is a make-or-buy decision.
    1. Correct
  19. From a production perspective, efficiency means that no inputs are wasted.
    1. Correct
  20. Taylorism is a form of humanistic management
    1. False
  21. According to the cost-of-production method, profit equals the monetary value of the goods/services sold during a time period (revenues) minus the monetary value of resources consumed to produce these goods/services (expenses)
    1. False
  22. In the long run, investors’ returns on a company’s equity should be lower than their returns on bonds issued by the same company.
    1. False
  23. When a company distributes its profits of the year 2021 to its owners at the end of the year, then the company’s net value (according to the Balance Sheet) at the end of 2021 equals its net value at the beginning of the year.
    1. Correct
  24. The fact that balance sheets do not contain most intangible assets is one main reason why the market capitalization of companies is very often higher than their net value (equity) according to the Balance Sheet.
    1. Correct
  25. When a company pays the interest for a bank loan, then this is no expense because there is no “resource consumption”.
    1. False
  26. When a company buys machinery from its cash reserves then this does not change the overall monetary value of assets in the Balance Sheet.
    1. Correct
  27. When a company pays back a loan by using its cash reserves, then this is an expense because cash money is consumed.
    1. False
  28. Paying salary to employees is an expense
    1. Correct
  29. When a company invests money to build up a brand then such investment always decreases overall profit in the long run, since brand name capital is an intangible asset that cannot be listed in the Balance Sheet.
    1. False
  30. Taylorism emphasizes the role of intrinsic Motivation
    1. False
  31. Bureaucracy is characterized by centralized authority, rules and defined procedures
    1. True
  32. From a P&L-perspective employees cause expenses (salary), but with their expertise and knowhow they help to generate revenues.
    1. True
  33. When a taxi company buys a new car then this transaction leads to a lower ROI because capital increases while profits do not change (they only change once the taxi gets used)
    1. Correct
  34. When a taxi company buys a new taxi for 40,000 EUR then this transaction is a capital expenditure.
    1. Correct
  35. Assume that you make an investment of 1,000 EUR today, which provides you with a return of 10 EUR one year later, and again 10 EUR two years later; three years later you will get back the initial investment of 1,000 EUR plus 15 EUR. For this investment, the internal rate of return is calculated by solving the following equation for r.
    1. False
  36. When a taxi company sells an unused car above its book value, then ROI increases.
    1. Correct
  37. When a car producing company sells cars in distribution centers owned by the company, then this is franchising.
    1. False
  38. The SWOT analysis combines the market-based view with the resource-based view
    1. Correct
  39. From a strategic perspective, it is a common rule for make-or-buy decisions to outsource only activities that are not essential for establishing the company’s USP.
    1. Correct
  40. Supply Chain Management includes make-or-buy decisions.
    1. Correct
  41. A profit margin of 0.3 means that one Euro of revenue generates on average 3 cents of profit
    1. False
  42. According to the Balance Sheet logic the (net) value of a company is determined by its equity.
    1. Correct
  43. Companies can raise equity by issuing bonds
    1. False
  44. If it is possible for a company to invest cash money at 5% per year and to lend money at the same interest rate of 5%, then the value of a cash flow of 1,000 Euro one year in the future seen from the viewpoint of today is 1,000/1.05.
    1. Correct
  45. When a company pays back a loan, then gearing goes down
    1. Correct
  46. When a company pays back a loan, then Free Cash Flow increases
    1. False
  47. When a company pays back a loan, then Cash Flow from financing decreases
    1. Correct
  48. When a company pays back a loan, then EBIT increases
    1. False
  49. Herzberg’s theory explains the importance of extrinsic Motivation 50. False
  50. The “Taylorism” approach emphasizes the important role of leadership.
    1. False
  51. From a Taylorism perspective, management deals with the optimal division of the production process into individual tasks, in order to economize on the benefits of specialization.
    1. Correct
  52. The “Hawthorne effect” shows the importance of incentives in companies
    1. False
  53. The value of a company can be determined by calculating the present value of the future cash flows it generates for the owners.
    1. Correct
  54. An investment that involves lower risk should have a higher internal rate of return.
    1. False
  55. The value of a company can be determined from its market capitalization
    1. Correct
  56. If an investment made today generates a positive NPV then this means that the value of the future cash flow stream generated by this investment is higher than the initial investment.
    1. Correct
  57. When the price of a product is increased then it can be expected that less units of the product will be sold but revenues may still increase.
    1. Correct
  58. Taylorism combined with assembly line production has been known as Fordism.
    1. Correct
  59. When a company invests money to build up a brand then such investment only makes economic sense if the company is able to get the invested money back through higher revenues.
    1. Correct
  60. In Herzberg’s theory, recognition, responsibility, autonomy, and challenging work are main motivators.
    1. Correct
  61. According to Michael Porter’s value chain, a process is a bundle of interrelated activities that create value for the customer
    1. Correct
  62. Corporate Governance refers to the rules and mechanisms of the generation and appropriation of value created by companies.
    1. Correct
  63. A production function associates produced output with the cost necessary to produce this output.
    1. False
  64. Piece rate bay is an example for extrinsic Motivation
    1. Correct

BS Final 2020

  1. Strategic Perspective
    1. Cost leadership means that a company produces at higher costs than its competitors
      1. False
    2. Core competencies are skills that enable a company to deliver a fundamental customer benefit
      1. Correct
    3. Red Bull is an example of a differentiation strategy because the brand sets the product apart from the competition
      1. Correct
    4. A strong brand can be interpreted as a market barrier.
      1. Correct
    5. Assume that the sales of smartphones worldwide in year t is 500 billon USD, while in t-1 it was 450 billion USD. Moreover assume that Samsung and Apple are the two largest players in the market in terms of smartphone sales. Samsung’s smartphone sales in year t are 100 billion USD, while Apple’s smartphone sales in year t are 120 billion USD
      1. Apple’s market share is: 120/500 = 21%
        1. False
      2. Apples relative market share is 0.83
        1. False
      3. The overall market growth for smartphones from t-1 to t is given by (500-450)/450=50/450 = 11%
        1. Correct
      4. Samsung’s market share in year t is 100/500 = 0.2 = 20%
        1. Correct
    6. A firm’s top managers are likely to prefer internal sources of finance to raising new equity because internal sources of finance give them a high level of discretion while their investment decisions is tightly controlled by owners when raising new equity.
      1. Correct
    7. In the BCG portfolio a question mark is characterized by low market growth and high relative market share
      1. False
    8. In the BCG portfolio a cash cow generates Cash Flow which can be used to finance question marks or growth of stars
      1. Correct
    9. If Cash flow generated by cash cows is used to finance a question mark then this is an example of using external sources of finance (external capital market)
      1. False
  2. Customer Perspective
    1. The money spent for a marketing campaign is cash outflow but no expense.
      1. False
    2. Decisions on 4P’s can be used to differentiate a given product as part of a quality leadership strategy
      1. Correct
    3. From a financial perspective, a marketing campaign can be seen as an investment that aims at generating higher revenues in the future
      1. Correct
    4. Within the 4 P’s framework, the choice of sales channels is a promotion decision
      1. False
  3. Employee Perspective
    1. The “Hawthorne effect” shows the importance of incentives in business firms
      1. False
    2. Herzberg’s theory explains the importance of extrinsic Motivation
      1. False
    3. The “Scientific Management” approach emphasizes the important role of leadership
      1. False
    4. From a Taylorism perspective, management deals with the optimal division of the production process into individual tasks, in order to economize on the benefits of specialization.
      1. Correct
  4. Financial Perspective
    1. According to the Balance Sheet logic the value of a company is determined by its equity.
      1. Correct
    2. Investment decisions are decisions about business transactions with an initial cash inflow, in the expectation of future cash outflows
      1. False
    3. Companies can raise equity by issuing bonds
      1. False
    4. Owners of bonds tend to bear higher risk than owners of equity
      1. False
    5. When a taxi company buys a new car then this transaction leads to a lower ROI because capital increases while profits do not change (they only change once the taxi gets used)
      1. Correct
    6. When a taxi company buys a new taxi for 40,000 EUR then this transaction is an expense.
      1. False
    7. When a taxi company sells an unused car above its (book) value in the Balance Sheet, then ROI increases.
      1. Correct
    8. When a taxi company buys a new taxi for 40,000 EUR then this transaction is a capital expenditure.
      1. Correct
    9. According to the cost-of-production method, profit equals the monetary value of the goods/services sold during a time period (revenues) minus the monetary value of resources consumed to produce these goods/services (expenses)
      1. False
    10. When a company distributes its profits of the year 2020 to its owners at the end of the year, then the company’s net value (according to Balance Sheet) at the end of 2020 equals its value at the beginning of the year.
      1. Correct
    11. When a company borrows money to buy a new car, then both sides of the Balance Sheet (assets and claims) increase.
      1. Correct
    12. On average, investors’ returns on a company’s equity should be lower than their returns on bonds issued by the same company.
      1. False
    13. Depreciation reduces operating cashflow
      1. False
    14. EBIT + interest income - interest expense - taxes = Profit
      1. Correct
    15. If you invest 1,000 EUR in 2020 and receive 10 EUR in 2021 and also in 2022 as interest, while you get back the initial investment of 1,000 plus 15 EUR interest in 2023, then the internal rate of return is calculated by solving the following equation for r:
      1. False
    16. If a taxi company owns an apartment which earns a monthly rent, then the value of this apartment is not part of operating assets as defined in the formula for ROCE
      1. Correct
    17. If it is possible for a company to invest cash money at 5% per year and to lend money at the same interest rate of 5%, then the value of a cash flow of 1,000 Euro one year in the future seen from the viewpoint of today is 1,000/1.05.
      1. Correct
    18. A profit margin of 0.3 means that one Euro of revenue generates on average 3 cents of profit
      1. False
    19. Patents and brand name are intangible assets.
      1. Correct
    20. The value of a company can be determined by calculating the net present value of cash flow streams generated by the company.
      1. Correct
    21. The fact that balance sheets do not contain most intangible assets is one main reason why the market capitalization of companies is very often higher than their net value (=equity) according to the Balance Sheet.
      1. Correct
    22. The value of a company can be determined from its market capitalization
      1. Correct
    23. If an investment made today generates a positive NPV then this means that the value of the future cash flow stream generated by this investment is higher than the initial investment.
      1. Correct
  5. Production Perspective
    1. From a production perspective, efficiency means that no inputs are wasted
      1. Correct
    2. The supply chain can be defined as the collection of production processes performed within a company
      1. False
    3. When Red Bull decides on whether product distribution should be organized “in-house” or organized by collaboration with a partner firm, then this is a make-or-buy decision.
      1. Correct
    4. Taylorism is a form of humanistic management
      1. False
  6. Entrepreneurial Perspective
    1. Netflix and similar internet entertainment services created a new business that displaced the business of video rental shops and thus they can be seen as an example of creative distruction.
      1. Correct
    2. Recombinant Innovation means that business models combine innovative products.
      1. False
    3. When managers resist technological change then this is called intrapreneurship.
      1. False
    4. Venture Capital is capital that is provided to corporations by banks.
      1. False
  7. When a company pays back a loan, then
    1. gearing goes down.
      1. Correct
    2. Free Cash Flow increases
      1. False
    3. Cash Flow from financing decreases
      1. Correct
    4. EBIT increases
      1. False
  8. Mixed
    1. From a P&L-perspective employees cause expenses (salary) but on the other hand they help to generate revenues.
      1. Correct
    2. When Red Bull decides on whether product distribution should be organized “in-house” or organized by another firm, then this is a make-or-buy decision
      1. Correct
    3. Taylorism emphasizes the role of intrinsic Motivation
      1. False
    4. When a company invests money to build up a brand than such investment always decreases profit in the long run, since brand name capital is an intangible asset that cannot be listed in the Balance Sheet.
      1. False

BS Final 2019

  1. Which statements about “Customer Perceptive” are correct?
    1. The money spent for a marketing campaign is cash outflow but no expense.
      1. False
    2. Within the 4P´s framework the choice of sales channels is a promotion decision?
      1. False
    3. From a financial perspective a marketing campaign can be seen as an investment that aims generating higher revenues in the future.
      1. Correct
    4. Decisions on 4P´s can be used to differentiate a given product as part of quality leadership
      1. Correct
  2. Strategic Perspective and customer perspective assume that the sales of smartphones worldwide in year t is 500 billion USD, while in t-1 it was 450 billion USD. Moreover, assume that Samsung and Apple are the two largest players in the market in terms of smartphone sales. Samsung´s smartphone sales in year t are 100 billion USD, while Apple´s smartphone sales in year t are 120 billion USD. Which answers are correct?
    1. The overall market growth for smartphones from t+1 to t is given by 500-450/450=50/450=11%
      1. Correct
    2. Apple´s relative market share is 0.83
      1. False
    3. Samsung’s market share in year t is 100/500=0.2=20%
      1. Correct
    4. Apple´s market share is 120/500=21%
      1. False
  3. Which statement/s on the Employee Perspective is/are correct?
    1. Herzberg´s theory explains the importance of extrinsic Motivation
      1. False
    2. The “Hawthorne effect” shows the importance of incentives in business firms.
      1. False
    3. The “Scientific Management” approach emphasizes the important role of leadership
      1. False
    4. From a P&L-perspective employees cause expenses (salary)but on the other hand they help to generate revenue.
      1. Correct
  4. Which statement/s on the “Strategic Perspective” is/are correct?
    1. Red Bull is an example of a differentiation strategy because the brand sets the product apparat from the competition
      1. Correct
    2. Cost leadership means that a company produces at a higher cost than its competitors.
      1. False
    3. A strong brand can be interpreted as a market barrier.
      1. True
    4. Core competencies are skills that enable a company to deliver a fundamental customer benefit
      1. True
  5. Which statement/s on the “Financial Perspective” is/are correct?
    1. The market capitalization of a company equals the number of shares divided by the share price
      1. False
    2. The value of a company can be determined by calculating the net present value of cash flow streams generated by the company
      1. Correct
    3. The value of a company can be determined by looking at its market capitalization
      1. Correct
    4. When an investment of 100.000 EUR generates a positive NPV then this means that the value of the future cash flow stream generated by this investment is higher than the initial investment.
      1. Correct
  6. Which statements on the “Production Perspective” is/are correct?
    1. The supply chain can be defined as the collection of production processes performed within a company
      1. False
    2. When Red Bull decides on whether product distribution should be organized “in-house” or organized by collaboration with a partner firm, then this is a make or buy decision
      1. Correct
    3. From a production perspective, efficiency means that no inputs are wasted
      1. Correct
    4. Taylorism is a form of humanistic management
      1. False
  7. Which statement on the “Strategic Perspective” is/are correct?
    1. If cash Flow generated by cash cows is used to finance question marks, then this is a example of using external sources of investment (external capital market)
      1. False
    2. A firm´s top managers are likely to prefer internal sources of finance to raising new equity because internal sources of finance give them high level of discretion while their investment decision is tightly controlled by owners when raising new equity.
      1. True
    3. In the BCG portfolio a question mark generates enough cash flow to support itself and to finance growth
      1. False
    4. In the BCG portfolio cash cow generates Cash Flow which can be used to finance question marks or growth of stars.
      1. Correct
  8. Which statement/s on the “Financial Perspective” is/are correct?
    1. When a company distributes its profits of the year 2018 to its owners at the end of the year, then the company´s net value (according to Balance Sheet) at the end of 2018 equals it´s value at the beginning of the year
      1. Correct
    2. When a company uses debt to buy a new car, then then both sides of the Balance Sheet (assets and claims) increase.
      1. Correct
    3. When a taxi company sells an unused car above its (book)value in the Balance Sheet than the ROI increases
      1. Correct
    4. Long term debt means that such capital only creates profit in the long term
      1. False
  9. Which statement/s on the “Financial Perspective” is/are correct?
    1. ROCE is defined as revenues divided by capital employed
      1. False
    2. A profit margin of 10% means that 1 EUR of revenue generates 10 cents of profit on average
      1. Correct
    3. When a company has 1 million EUR in debt and 0.5 million EUR in equity then its gearing is 2
      1. Correct
    4. Patents and brand names are intangible assets
      1. Correct
  10. Which statement/s on the “Financial Perspective” is/are correct?
    1. According to the Balance Sheet logic the value of a company is determined by its equity.
      1. Correct
    2. Investment decisions are decisions about business transactions with an initial cash inflow in the expectation of future cash outflows.
      1. False
    3. A rational buyer will buy an asset only if the price is lower than the value the asset generates for the asset owner.
      1. Correct
    4. Companies can raise equity by issuing bonds
      1. False
  11. Which statement/s on the “Financial Perspective” is/are correct?
    1. Owners of bonds tend to bear higher risk than owners of equity
      1. False
    2. On average investors returns on a company’s equity should be lower than then their returns on bonds issued by the same company.
      1. False
    3. When it is possible for a company to invest cash money at 5% per year and to lend money at the same interest rate of 5% then the value of cash flow of 1.000 Euro one year in the future from the viewpoint of today is 1000/1.05.
      1. Correct
    4. The fact that balance sheets do not contain most intangible assets is one main reason why the market capitalization of companies is very often higher than their net value=equity according to the Balance Sheet.
      1. Correct
  12. Which statement is/are correct?
    1. When a company invests money to build up a brand than such investments always decrease profit since brand name capital is an intangible asset that cannot be listed in the Balance Sheet
      1. False
    2. When the price of a product is increased then it can be expected that less units of the product will be sold but revenues may still increase
      1. Correct 3. Taylorism emphasizes the role of intrinsic Motivation
      2. False
    3. From a Taylorism perspective, management deals with the optimal division of the production process into individual tasks, in order to economize on the benefits of specialization
      1. Correct
  13. Which statement/s on the “Financial Perspective” is/are correct? When a company pays back a loan then…
    1. EBIT increases
      1. False
    2. … gearing goes down
      1. Correct
    3. … Free Cash Flow increases
      1. False
    4. Cash Flow from financing decreases
      1. Correct
  14. Which statement/s on the “Financial Perspective” is/are correct?
    1. If you invest 1000 EUR in 2019 and receive 10 EU in 2020 and also 2021 as interest, while you get back the initial investment of 1000 plus 15 EUR interest in 2022, then the internal rate of return is calculated by solving the following equation for r: -1000+10/(1+r)+10/(1+r)^2+15/(1+r)^3=0
      1. False
    2. EBIT+ interest income-interest expense-taxes=Profit
      1. Correct
    3. If r is the interest rate then today´s value of x Euro to be received in n years in the future is: x/(1+r)^n.
      1. Correct
    4. If you calculate the net present value of an investment´s cash flow stream using a discount factor higher than the internal rate of return of this investment then this net present value will be positive.
      1. False