Team Work

IN-CLASS EXERCISE: Company Histories Questions and Answers.

1) What was Boeing’s first two business lines? Boeing’s first two business lines were employed the plan for mail delivery and pilot traing . 2) What major products did Boeing produce during WWII? During WWII Boeing led the way in developing sing-wing airplanes. They were constructed completely of metal to make them stronger and faster ;more efficient aerodynamic desings were emphasized ;retractable landing gear and better wings were developed,along with multiple ‘power plant’ technology;and directional radios were installed which enabled beter navigaion and night plying. . 3) What products did Boeing contribute to the development of space exploration? In 1969 Boeing began building the Lunar Roving Vehicle ,which was used to explore the moon in the early 1970s on the final thee Apollo missions. 4) What did Boeing do to become the world leader in the aerospace industry in the late 1990s? In August 1997 Boeing completed a $14 billion acquisition of McDonnell Douglas. McDonnell had been the world’s number three maker of commercial aircraft,with its MD series of jet;the acquisition therefore increased Boeing’s share of the world maeket for large commercial jetliners to more than 60 percent and it left Boeing with just one major competitor in that sector:the European Airbus consortium, which held about one-third of the world mrket. 5) Which company is Boeing’s main competitor and which product are they competing to commercialize? Boeing’s main competitor is Aeronautic Defense & Space Company. They had in the planning stages a brand-new jet, the A-308, envisioned as the largest

jetliner ever, featuring four engines, double decks running the length of the fuselage, a rang of 8,800 miles, and passenger capacity of 555 to 655.

1) How did Rolex revolutionalize the watch industry in its early years as Wilsdorf &Davis? Founded by Hans Wilsdorf in 1905, the Swiss company is credited with marking the wristwatch popular. Rolex – the first to create a waterproof, airtight, and dustproof watch. In 1908, Rolex was founded by Mr. Hans Wilsdorf. Initially the company was named Wilsdorf & Davis as Wilsdorf founded company together with his brother in law. 2) What technology breakthroughs did Rolex develop in the watch industry? Rolex`s big breakthrough came in 1926, when Wilsdorf developed a case that was impervious and waterproof. 3) What did Rolex do to survive the Japanese invention of the quartz watch? Omega, Longines, Blancpain, Tissot, Rado, and Hamilton, were subsumed into a

publicly owned consortium to avoid bankruptcy. Wilsdorf, at his death, created a private trust run by a board of directors to insure the company would never be sold. 4) What corporate philosophy has Rolex always adhered to? Every watch will engage in a precision face-off against an atomic-generated clock.

1) What was Hitler’s and Porche’s visionary goal for Volkswagen? The world’s third largest automobile company. 2) How did Volkswagen enter the US market with its Beetle model? Doyle Dane Bernbach coined the name ‘Beetle’ for the Volkswagen.In a series of award-winning advertisements,the ad angency took what had been the car’s drawbacks and turned them into selling points with such slogans as ‘Think Small’ and ‘Ugly Is Only Skin-Deep.’ 3) What business activities did Volkswagen undertake to avoid bankruptcy in the mid 1970s? When the new Golf was finally unveiled, it lookd very much like the Rabbit but had a larger engine, more interior space, and batter overall performance.The changes paid off: sales rose 25 percent in 1985, profits doibled, and Volkswagen became the leading Eoropean auto manufacturer. The Golf GTI was named ‘Car of the Year’ by Motor Trend magazine in 1985. In the luxury car market, sales of the Audi were up 50 percent for a second straight record year. Even more remarkable was that sales of the jetta, a model costing about $1,000 more than the Golf, jumped 120 percent. Also in 1985, the company changed its name to Volkswagen Akitengesellschaft.

4) What two business strategies is Volkswagen pursuing to compete in the auto industry at the turn of the century? In 1999 Volkswagen produced the 100 millionth vehicle in its 50-plus-year history, becoming the first European automaker to reach this lofty mark. The company had strengthened its position as Europe`s number one auto company in the 1990s.