Financial Management and Global Business (Key Concepts and Principles)

Introduction 1. * 2. * 3. * 4. * 5. * 6. * Which of the following is the primary objective of a firm? A. employees' benefits B. satisfaction of customers C. satisfaction of suppliers D. prompt payment to creditors E. maximize stockholder wealth Financial risk involves ___. A. fluctuation in exchange rates B. different interest and inflation rates C. balance of payments position D. A and B E. A, B, and C Three sweeping changes include ___. A. the end of Cold War B. industrialization and growth of the developing world C. the creation of the North American Trade Agreement D. increased globalization E. A, B, and D Managers are generally defined as ___. A. stockholders B. agents C. creditors D. suppliers E. customers Which of the following is not one of seven principles of global finance? A. market imperfection B. risk-return tradeoff C. portfolio effect D. comparative advantage E. company advantage Incentives for multinational company managers include the following except ___. A. stock options B. bonuses C. perquisites D. salary increases E. vacation 7. * 8. * 9. * 10. * 11. * 12. * Environmental factors affecting international operations are as follows except ___. A. foreign customs B. foreign economic factors C. foreign political situations D. foreign legal aspect E. international distance Three major risks in international business are ___. A. political, financial and weather B. economic, political and people C. political, financial and regulatory D. accounting, management and information E. marketing, ethics and political Conflicts of interest for multinational corporations do not include ___. A. the interests of sovereign governments may be different B. the goals of multinationals are divergent from host countries C. some conflicts may exist within multinational subsidiaries D. multinational companies may conflict with local laws E. multinational managers live in different time zones The conflict between owners, employees, suppliers, and customers of a company is known as ___. A. regulatory risk B. problem of agency C. conflict of multiple environments D. conflict of interests E. none of the above The main differences between domestic and international companies from a financial manager's point of view are largely due to differences in ___. A. risks B. national laws C. economic factors D. political factors E. all of the above A global company is an organization that attempts to ___. A. have a worldwide presence in its market B. integrate its operations worldwide C. standardize operations in one or more of the company's functional areas D. A and B E. A, B, and C 13. * 14. * 15. * 16. * 17. * Corporate governance is often narrowly defined as the prudent exercise of ownership rights toward the goal of increased ___. A. shareholder value B. profit C. profit margin on sales D. asset turnover E. sales volume The most common form of shareholder activism includes ___. A. a shareholder proposal for proxy fight B. direct negotiation with management C. public targeting of a corporation D A, B, and C A and C only E. The OECD Principles of Corporate Governance covers ___. A. the rights of shareholders B. the equitable treatment of shareholders C. the responsibilities of the board D. disclosure and transparency E. all of the above The political, regulatory, technological, and economic forces radically changing the global competitive environment include ___. A. the collapse of communism B. the privatization of state-owned enterprises around the world C. the revolution in information technologies D. a wave of mergers, leveraged buyouts, and takeovers E. all of the above All of the following have played an important role in the globalization process of the world economy except ___. A. advances in information technologies B. increased tariffs C. reductions in trade barriers D. reduced transportation and communication costs E. reductions in technological barriers 18. * 19. * 20. * 21. * Reductions in transportation and communication costs have ___. A. facilitated international production activities B. enlarged trading areas C. enabled companies to exploit international cost differentials D. reduced technological barriers E. all of the above Reasons for management to focus on stockholder wealth maximization include ___. A. stockholders are the owners of the company B. stockholders provide the risk capital that protects the welfare of other constituents C. a high stock price provides the best defense against a hostile takeover D. enhanced shareholder value makes it easier for the company to attract additional equity capital E. all of the above Which of the following statements about financial planning and control is not true? A. financial planning and control must be considered simultaneously B. the preparation of budgets is a planning function, but their administration is a controlling function C. budgets are used to compare actual performance with planned performance D. the foreign exchange market plays a key role in MNC financial planning and control E. all of the above statements are true The role of the MNC financial manager has expanded in recent years to include ___. A. corporate strategy B. financial planning and control C. subsidiary performance D. multiple environments E. regulatory risks