Final answer:
An incorrect statement for a firm aiming at differentiation might incorrectly assert that large-scale production is uniformly beneficial, neglecting the importance of creating differentiated products that might not be suitable for large-scale production.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question relates to the critical areas of operations management and how a global firm can achieve competitive advantage through differentiation. When considering this context, it's important to note that there are indeed ten critical decision areas in operations management, which typically include aspects like service or product design, quality management, process and capacity design, location, layout design, human resources and job design, supply chain management, inventory management, scheduling, and maintenance.
In the specific context of differentiation as a competitive strategy, one of the incorrect statements might suggest that large-scale production is always beneficial, disregarding the need for unique, differentiated offerings. Based on the provided theory of the firm, although large-scale production can reduce average costs, differentiation emphasizes the creation of innovative products tailored to specific customer needs, which might not always align with large-scale production.
The discussion provided in the theory of the firm chapters suggests that while competition drives innovation and keeps prices low, markets are seldom perfectly competitive, and intervention by government policymakers may be necessary to ensure healthy competition levels, especially in light of potential consolidations through mergers.