(Glossary) A Activity Ratios measures used to assess the efficiency of a firm’s use of assets; ., sales divided by assets. Area Structure an organizational form that divides and organizes the firm’s activities according to where operations and people are located (also known as place structures, geographic divisions). C CAD/CAM Network the linking up of multiple design and manufacturing activities (both within and across) firms through the use of complex networks of computers. CAD stands for computer-assisted design; CAM stands for computer-assisted manufacturing. Capability Drivers the basic economic and strategic means by which a firm builds an underlying source of competitive advantage in its. | Glossary A Activity Ratios measures used to assess the efficiency of a firm s use of assets . sales divided by assets. Area Structure an organizational form that divides and organizes the firm s activities according to where operations and people are located also known as place structures geographic divisions . B Backbone a high-speed transmission line often of fiber-optic cable that forms a critical pathway in a telecommunications network. Backbones represent the most important building blocks of modern telephone and Internet-based networks. Backward Integration a strategy that moves the firm upstream into an activity currently conducted by a supplier see vertical integration forward integration . Bandwidth the defined range of frequencies used by a transmission signal to carry voice video data or other information. The need for greater bandwidth is a fundamental constraint that limits the speed with which all types of information voice video data is transmitted across the Internet and other networks. Barriers to Entry economic forces that slow down or prevent entry into an industry. Benchmarking a firm s process of searching identifying and using ideas techniques and improvements of other companies in its own activities. Boundaryless Organization an organization design in which people can easily share information resources and skills across departments and divisions. Bureaucratization the gradual process by which information flow becomes steadily slower within the firm. Business Managers people in charge of managing and operating a single line of business. Business Strategy plans and actions that firms devise to compete in a given product market scope or setting addresses the question how do we compete within an industry. Business System the subset of value chain activities that a firm actually performs. C CAD CAM Network the linking up of multiple design and manufacturing activities both within and across firms through the use of complex networks of .
