Final answer:
When Sprint found they had an ASA of over eight minutes when the industry average was 30 seconds, this demonstrated the need for change.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Sprint found they had an ASA (Average Speed of Answer) of over eight minutes when the industry average was 30 seconds, this demonstrated the need for change. An ASA of over eight minutes signifies a long wait time for customers, which can lead to dissatisfaction and potential loss of business. Improving the ASA is important for Sprint to provide better customer service and retain market share. Therefore, the correct option in this case is the need for change.
Sprint's significant deviation from the industry average ASA points to the need for organizational changes to improve service times and maintain competitiveness in the telecommunications market.
When Sprint discovered they had an Average Speed of Answer (ASA) of over eight minutes, while the industry average was 30 seconds, it demonstrated a clear need for change. This difference in response times could significantly impact customer satisfaction and the company's competitive edge within the telecommunications industry. The situation relates to the discussions surrounding the merger of AT&T and BellSouth, which was intended to produce a firm that could offer better services at lower costs due to economies of scale. However, the fear was that such consolidations might reduce competition and potentially result in higher prices for consumers.
Contrasting Sprint's situation with post-merger AT&T, which became the largest telecommunications company by revenue, highlights the overall impacts of market strategies and corporate structure changes in a competitive industry. Sprint's lengthy ASA might also reflect issues with operational efficiency, potentially linked to the consequences seen in other industries facing deregulation, where competition can result in significant changes to company size and market share.