Final answer:
The subject question involves business managers from marketing, engineering, and production departments coordinating to brainstorm new product ideas. This cross-functional collaboration is key to innovating and ideating while considering the feasibility and production capabilities of potential products.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the process of coordinating activities among managers in different departments to brainstorm new product ideas. This coordination suggests a cross-functional approach where managers from marketing, engineering, and production work collaboratively to leverage their diverse expertise.
For example, in brainstorming sessions, marketing could provide consumer insights, engineering could address technical feasibility, and production could consider manufacturing capabilities. Managers find this approach valuable in the context of design lead strategies where a standardization of products is imperative for efficient mass production.
During brainstorming activities, just like students writing ideas on whiteboards, the managers could visualize their concepts and systematically eliminate unfeasible options. Discarding a one-wheel vehicle configuration due to its impracticality is an example of such a selection process.
Furthermore, the notion that directors often start in various departments but eventually take on roles with broader responsibilities encapsulates the importance of having a well-rounded skill set in collaborative environments.
Finally, as depicted in the step where two factory owners find it easy to coordinate their activities profitably, there is a great incentive for managers to similarly collaborate and drive innovation that benefits the company in the long run as well as encourages research and development efforts.