SPHR CERTIFICATION PAPER 2026 FULL
SOLUTION GRADED A+
● What is the premise of Porter's Competitive Forces. Answer: The
greater the power of force, the lower the profitability. Businesses have to
address the forces in order to develop a winning strategy
● Define competitive rivalry within the industry (Porter's Competitive
Forces). Answer: Price competition, new product introduction, and
product promotions are just a few examples of activities companies will
use to compete. If rivalry is intense, businesses will make decisions
based on winning, and will erode profits at the expense of the rivalry.
Profits diminish either through extreme cost cutting or by increasing the
cost to compete with each other.
● Define bargaining power of customers (Porter's Competitive Forces).
Answer: Customers can be fickle friends, and their needs drive many
strategic considerations. If customers want a higher quality product, for
example, they may be willing to pay a higher price, and a differentiation
product strategy makes sense. Powerful buyers will use their collective
force to drive prices down, affecting firm profitability.
● Define threat of new entrants (Porter's Competitive Forces). Answer:
This force refers to the entry of new competitors to an industry. High
barriers to entry protect an industry from new rivals. In industries with
high barriers to entry, this force is not a significant threat. In industries
, where there are low barriers to entry, a plan for dealing with new
competition must be built.
● Define bargaining power of suppliers (Porter's Competitive Forces).
Answer: In this factor of competition, the ability of a material supplier is
addressed. Vendors/Suppliers that have multiple customers to whom
they may sell their products have a higher degree of bargaining power
than firms with only a single customer or group. From a threat
perspective, a company that is reliant on a single supplier may need a
backup plan in place should the supplier go out of business or be unable
to meet demand. Additionally, the company may need to charge higher
prices for its products to compensate for the supplier markup. If supplier
power is high, profits will be low because costs of goods will go up.
● Define threat of substitute products (Porter's Competitive Forces).
Answer: Substitutes for any product will curb industry profitability
overall. Substitutes are not exact replicas of a product or service, but
rather a product or service that solves the same or a similar problem.
● What are the three things are included in Schein's model of
organizational culture?. Answer: Artifacts
Values
Assumed Values
● What are artifacts?. Answer: Artifacts are organizational
characteristics that are seen, heard, or felt. HR influences over artifacts
SOLUTION GRADED A+
● What is the premise of Porter's Competitive Forces. Answer: The
greater the power of force, the lower the profitability. Businesses have to
address the forces in order to develop a winning strategy
● Define competitive rivalry within the industry (Porter's Competitive
Forces). Answer: Price competition, new product introduction, and
product promotions are just a few examples of activities companies will
use to compete. If rivalry is intense, businesses will make decisions
based on winning, and will erode profits at the expense of the rivalry.
Profits diminish either through extreme cost cutting or by increasing the
cost to compete with each other.
● Define bargaining power of customers (Porter's Competitive Forces).
Answer: Customers can be fickle friends, and their needs drive many
strategic considerations. If customers want a higher quality product, for
example, they may be willing to pay a higher price, and a differentiation
product strategy makes sense. Powerful buyers will use their collective
force to drive prices down, affecting firm profitability.
● Define threat of new entrants (Porter's Competitive Forces). Answer:
This force refers to the entry of new competitors to an industry. High
barriers to entry protect an industry from new rivals. In industries with
high barriers to entry, this force is not a significant threat. In industries
, where there are low barriers to entry, a plan for dealing with new
competition must be built.
● Define bargaining power of suppliers (Porter's Competitive Forces).
Answer: In this factor of competition, the ability of a material supplier is
addressed. Vendors/Suppliers that have multiple customers to whom
they may sell their products have a higher degree of bargaining power
than firms with only a single customer or group. From a threat
perspective, a company that is reliant on a single supplier may need a
backup plan in place should the supplier go out of business or be unable
to meet demand. Additionally, the company may need to charge higher
prices for its products to compensate for the supplier markup. If supplier
power is high, profits will be low because costs of goods will go up.
● Define threat of substitute products (Porter's Competitive Forces).
Answer: Substitutes for any product will curb industry profitability
overall. Substitutes are not exact replicas of a product or service, but
rather a product or service that solves the same or a similar problem.
● What are the three things are included in Schein's model of
organizational culture?. Answer: Artifacts
Values
Assumed Values
● What are artifacts?. Answer: Artifacts are organizational
characteristics that are seen, heard, or felt. HR influences over artifacts
