Research indicates that companies undertaking cost-cutting programs are four times more likely than others to cut costs again, typically by reducing staff

In which of the following situations would a firm most likely pursue a low-cost leader strategy?

A) There are no competitors in the market and the firm is the market leader. B) The nature of its products does not allow the firm to maintain a volume advantage in the market. C) The company's product is a niche product and appeals to only a few customers. D) The market is quality-sensitive rather than price-sensitive. E) The firm can minimize its operational expenses in order to sell higher volumes of products.

Designing a research plan calls for decisions on all of the following EXCEPT ________

A) research objectives B) data sources C) research approaches D) research instruments E) sampling plans