CIPS L3M1 Procurement and Supply Environments Exam Practice Test

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

This is true.

The purpose of creating or entering into a trading bloc is to increase the volumes of trade between countries within that bloc. This is irrespective of trade between blocs, which may grow or not, de-pending on circumstances.

Explanation

Both customers and shareholders are core stakeholders of a private sector organisation, although this fact appears to be somewhat diluted in the minds of some modern-day academics and commenta-tors. The shareholders are the owners of the business - it is for them that everyone is working and their objective is invariably profit. The profit is derived fromreligiously focusing on another core stakeholder group - the customers. If either of these two stakeholder groups is ignored, it is unlikely that happy times lie ahead.

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

The x-axis shows time. For some products, it may represent a year; for others, a century.

The other answers given could all be shown on the y-axis of the PLC, depending on circumstances.

Explanation

The definition shown refers to the word 'price'. The price is what someone will pay for something - the extent to which a customer values something - and the reference to the standard monetary unit refers to, for example, a dollar, a Euro, a dinar or whatever.

The other answers are, to some extent, intended to confuse, as they use some of the words shown in the definition. Care must be taken not to jump to a conclusion here.

The response 'cost' should give pause for thought, as, in a sense, the cost of doing or making some-thing may have value. But value is determined by the customer - this definition is a reference to the value the customer would pay - the price.

Explanation

All except the self-employed tutor have a social arrangement with collective goals, and controls on performance.

The self-employed tutor may have a goal, but it is not collective; is not part of a(n internal) social arrangement and controls on performance may be entirely in their own hands, or perhaps even ab-sent altogether.

Explanation

Government decisions and actions regarding the level of interest rates and supply of money in the economy.

Fiscal policy relates to taxation and its relationship to government expenditure.

The other two suggested answers: exchange rates and unemployment rates are a factor of other poli-cies; the size of coins and banknotes is beyond the scope of your syllabus and my knowledge. :)

Explanation

A market with only one buyer is called a 'monopsony'.

There may be other QUESTION NO:s in this test about the other terms shown, so I shall hold back on expla-nation(s) here.

Explanation

The only one of these four which fits the bill is 'purchase order'.

The supplier quotation and the invoice both come from the supply side.

The requisition is an internal document.

Explanation

Payment of high salaries and large allowances, may, fairly obviously reduce the amount of profit which can be retained for capital growth. If money is being distributed in this way, it isn't being re-tained.

A profitable company has a choice: to pay dividends to a greater or lesser extent; or retain some of its profits to a greater or lesser extent in the form of retained capital - capital growth.

Increased sales and increased profit may result in increased capital growth, all other things being equal, depending on the firm's dividend policy.

Explanation

This should be straightforward.

If unclear, check your notes / textbook.

Explanation

Demographics now seen as being a part of STEEPLED.

The other terms shown have nothing to do with this topic and are simply fillers.

Explanation

This is normally true, often resulting in greater complexity in managing public sector organisations.

Explanation

Pre-qualification QUESTION NO:naire is the correct answer.

A supplier quotation comes from the supplier side; both the RFQ and the ITT are intended to be more formally binding, including the price element, than what is described here.

Explanation

It's climate change.

Interestingly I've seen writings from climate activists who say that the film provides clear evidence that human-made climate change will be disastrous for the human race; and I've seen writings from climate-change deniers saying that if things were that bad we'd have become extinct a while ago. You decide.

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

Shareholders are one example of a range of stakeholders in a private or public limited company.

Explanation

Competitive rivalry within an industry.

This can be quite an important point, and why I have such a dislike of the less formal title for the model - the model is about entire industries, not just about a single firm - this is commonly misun-derstood by students (and sadly, some tutors) - and the original Porter title - 'Industry Structure Analysis' - helps us understand that, I think. I find this tool of analysis to be very helpful in under-standing behaviour within sectors, despite criticism of the model and its age from some commenta-tors

The other answers shown are mere fictions.

Explanation

The model speaks of the threat of new entrants and the threat of substitutes. New entrants are par-ticularly attracted by high profitability in the sector. Substitutes can come about in a number of ways for example, through lower prices or because of technology.

Explanation

The 3 E's are economy, efficiency, effectiveness. The 3 E's are often seen as part of the role of pro-curement in an organisation.

Therefore all the other answers here should be selected, as they are not part of the 3 E's.

The 3 E's are often seen as part of the role of procurement in an organisation.

Explanation

We are now aware that the cost of externalities to society are considerable. A simple example would be that proximity to flow of motor vehicles is likely to increase ill-health requiring state-funded medical services where they exist, to treat at state (taxpayers') expense those who become ill. In the UK the number of people affected this way is believed to be numbered in the tens of thousands an-nually. Thus some businesses' cost structures do not reflect their true cost to society.

Another example would be the discharge of untreated waste into rivers or the sea, where the com-panies undertaking these activities may not be contributing financially to the cleaning up required.

In future years there is likely to be much debate about this, as some people will attempt to find ways to make companies pay the full cost of running their businesses.

Explanation

A local independent supermarket would be a private sector organisation - that is one intended to make a profit. The others suggested here would all be not-for-profit.

Public sector organisations, although not created to make a profit, are generally referred to as 'public sector' - often funded from taxation - with 'not-for-profit' often being funded from members, do-nors, or other voluntary sources.

Explanation

This is true.

A limited company has its own legal identity.

(Your syllabus makes reference to 'unincorporated companies'. This is something of a contradiction - the term 'company' implies incorporation. Although I have not been permitted to see your actual ex-am QUESTION NO:s, it seems unlikely that you will be QUESTION NO:ed on this particular point).

Explanation

Exchange rate - the rate at which the currencies are exchanged. This rate can vary frequently, some-times several times per hour, depending on circumstances.

The interest rate is the rate charged on loans - the cost of borrowing.

The base rate is the basic interest rate used for agreeing loans within an economy. This rate is nor-mally set by the government or the central bank. Loans within that economy will usually be at a higher rate than the base rate, often much higher.

The equilibrium rate (more commonly 'equilibrium price') is the rate at which supply and demand meet, not necessarily related to currency.

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

This is the standard definition, widely used, and given in your textbook.