Determine each of the following approaches that a business firm could use to gather information about competition.
1. definitely not appropriate, 2. probably not appropriate, 3. undecided, 4. probably appropriate, and 5. definitely appropriate
The business firm should try to get useful information about competitors by:
_____careful study of trade journals
_____wiretapping the telephone of competitors
_____posing as a potential customer to competitors
_____getting loyal customers to put out a phone "request for proposal" soliciting competitors' bids
_____buying competitors' products and taking them appart
_____hiring management consultants who have worked for competitors
_____rewarding competitors' employees for useful "tips"
_____questioning competitors' customers and/or suppliers
_____buying and analyzing competitors' garbage
_____advertising and interviewing for nonexistent jobs
_____taking public tours of competitors' facilities
_____releasing false information about the company in order to confuse competitors
_____questioning competitors' technical people at trade shows and conferences
_____hiring key people away from competitors
_____analyzing competitors' labor union contracts
_____having employees date persons who work for competitors
_____studying aerial photographs of competitors' facilities
After marking each of the proceding approaches, indicate why any 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, why you thought these acts were either appropriate or inappropriate.