In the context of the external environment of an organization, the task environment:

a. is formed by the interaction among a community of organizations.
b. is composed of current employees, management, and especially corporate culture.
c. affects organizations indirectly and eventually.
d. includes the sectors that conduct day-to-day transactions with the organization.

The gilbert instrument corporation is considering replacing the wood steamer it currently uses to shape guitar sides. the steamer has 6 years of remaining life. if kept,the steamer will have depreciaiton expenses of $650 for five years and $325 for the sixthyear. its current book value is $3,575, and it can be sold on an internet auction site for$4,150 at this time. if the old steamer is not replaced, it can be sold for $800 at the endof its useful life. gilbert is considering purchasing the side steamer 3000, a higher-end steamer, whichcosts $12,000 and has an estimated useful life of 6 years with an estimated salvage value of$1,500. this steamer falls into the macrs 5-year class, so the applicable depreciationrates are 20.00%, 32.00%, 19.20%, 11.52%, 11.52%, and 5.76%. the new steamer is fasterand allows for an output expansion, so sales would rise by $2,000 per year; the newmachine's much greater efficiency would reduce operating expenses by $1,900 per year.to support the greater sales, the new machine would require that inventories increase by$2,900, but accounts payable would simultaneously increase by $700. gilbert's marginalfederal-plus-state tax rate is 40%, and its wacc is 15%.a. should it replace the old steamer? b. npv of replace = $2,083.51

5. if you were to take a typical payday loan for $150, with an interest rate of 24.5% due in full after two weeks, what is the total amount you would have to repay? a. $186.75 b. $174.50 c. $157.33 d. $153.67

When conducting a swot analysis, information about turnover, profit margins, and staff quality can be used to identify: