Members Only > AMA Member Challenge Archive

Answers to AMA Member Challenge
October 2007

1.  Fortune magazine chose this global corporation, whose alumni include Jack Welch, Robert Nardelli (CEO of Chrysler), and James McNerney (CEO of Boeing), as #1 on its “Top Companies for Leaders, 2007” list.

1. General Electric
2. American Express
3. General Mills
4. eBay

Correct answer: A. General Electric.  To compile its “Top Companies for Leaders” list, Fortune worked with human resources consultants Hewitt Associates and RBL Group to rank the world's companies that do the best job of developing strong leaders.  No. 2 on the list is Procter & Gamble; No. 3 is Nokia.

2. First there was John Ashcroft, then Alberto R. Gonzales.  Now, in the wake of Mr. Gonzales’ resignation, President Bush has nominated Michael B. Mukasey to fill what cabinet position?

1. Secretary of State
2. Attorney General
3. Press Secretary
4. Chief of Staff

Correct answer: B. Attorney General.   John Ashcroft was George W. Bush’s first Attorney General, serving from 2001–2005.  Mr. Gonzales recently resigned during a Congressional inquiry into the firing of federal prosecutors.  Mr. Mukasey is a former federal judge from New York.

3. Amazon is hoping to take a bite out of Apple by offering digital music downloads that undercut iTunes’ prices.  What is the name of Amazon’s new online music store?

1. aTunes
2. Music Madness
3. Amusic
4. Amazon MP3

Correct answer: D. Amazon MP3.  Amazon hopes to gain a competitive advantage over iTunes by offering digital music that is compatible with any MP3 device and that does not include copy protection.  Additionally, Amazon MP3 charges 89 cents per single (versus iTunes’ 99 cents).  Amazon is currently the No. 4 retailer of music in the U.S., behind Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Apple.

4.  Felicity, Kirsten, and Addy recently welcomed their first “modern” playmate when which hugely successful brand of historical dolls introduced Julie, a child of the 1970s?

1. Effanbee
2. Madame Alexander
3. Eura Doll
4. American Girl

Correct answer: D. American Girl.    Julie and her Chinese-American friend Ivy are the first American Girl dolls who represent a recent era.  Julie, who lives in San Francisco, is coping with her parents’ divorce.  American Girl has sold more than 117 million books and 13 million dolls since 1986, but sales slowed last year.

5. Xbox 360 aficionados were in heaven on Sept. 25 when Microsoft released the eagerly awaited third installment of which video game franchise that features the saga of hero Master Chief?

1. Command and Conquer
2. Resident Evil
3. Halo
4. Molto Mario

Correct answer: C. Halo.  Halo 2, with 5.9 million units sold to date, grossed $125 million during the first 24 hours of its release in 2004.  Sales of Halo 3 are expected to exceed those numbers.