Environmental scanning refers to
a. continually acquiring information on events occurring outside the organization to identify and interpret potential trends.
b. assessing any possible negative impact a firm’s activities might have on the local ecology.
c. initiating an internal talent search to identify employees who can think "outside the box" to generate solutions to marketing problems caused by changes in the marketing environment.
d. setting up a regular schedule to assess the performance of different divisions within a firm.
e. requiring all employees to spend time outside the office to avoid the "ivory tower" syndrome.

Jen heard that the bank where she kept her money was going to close for good. jen said she wasn't worried

Nikolas works in a shoe store as a salesperson. a teenage boy comes in looking for comfortable sports shoes because he is going on a hike. he tells nikolas he wants shoes that have velcro straps. nikolas shows him a wide variety of velcro-strapped shoes, but the customer rejects them because they don't feel comfortable. he asks for sports shoes with laces instead. nikolas once again shows him a wide variety. the boy is once again not satisfied and asks to see the velcro-strapped shoes again. nikolas is irritated but doesn't show his annoyance. what customer service skill is nikolas showing? nikolas is a. meekness b. patience c. persistence

Differentiate between the trait, behavioral, and results-based performance appraisal systems, providing an example where each would be most applicable.