GM11
Management Functions & Organizational Behaviour
Assignment I
Assignment Code: 2012 GM11 B1 Last Date of Submission: 15th October 2012
Maximum Marks: 100
Attempt all Questions. All questions carry equal marks.
Section A
1. (a) Define management and contrast the nature of management in (i) service and production
industries; (ii) private and public sector organization.
(b) As a manager do you think it is important to go through the various management theories
and make use of the learnings from them. (10+10=20)
2. (a) If you were the Chief Executive of a large corporation such as Sony or Infosys, how
would you “institutionalize” ethics in the organization?
(b) “Decentralization is the tendency to disperse decision-making authority.” Comment on the statement. (10+10=20)
3. (a) “Planning is looking ahead, and control is looking back”. Comment with appropriate
example.
(b) Future of Indian Industrial Relation Scenario. (10+10=20)
4. What do you understand by authority and power? How are they different from each other? (20)
Section B
Case Study
Case Study: XYZ Company
John Tan, the service manager, had Ram Lim as a supervisor in the equipment service section to oversee the work of the servicemen. The supervisor was a nice person, but a bit soft in dealing with people. After working for four years, Ram Lim left the company for a new job elsewhere. A new supervisor was recruited from outside.
Roy Lee, a senior technician who had 10 years of service with the company, was disappointed because he was not considered for the supervisor’s post. Robert had maintained a good record all along, and in fact, came up through the ranks from trainee to senior technician.
The new supervisor, Mehra, was generally a more aggressive person. Shortly after taking over the job, he started asking his subordinates to record the actual hours spent on various activities and idle time, if any. (Prior to this, the hours spent on each job were based on some kind of estimate.) The technicians were not happy with this, but unwillingly complied with the demand.
The relationship between the supervisor and his workers deteriorated when Mehra started to change certain routine matters which were supposed to improve the flow of work and reduce overtime.
A few months later, two servicemen resigned. Then the senior technician also tendered his resignation and complained to the service manager accusing Mehra of trying to create more work for them unnecessarily. However, these complaints were found to be not fully justifiable, but to a great extent were the result of misunderstandings between Mehra and his men.
The service manager did not want to lose the senior technician, and managed to persuade him to stay on and reconcile with the supervisor. Shortly after, the supervisor left the company.
Questions:
1. Do you consider the actions taken by the new supervisor not tactful enough? What would have been the tactful approach?
2. There is a general tendency for employees to resist changes in routine, particularly when such changes may encounter initial teething problems and affect the morale of the employees. In view of this, what should be the right approach in implementing changes?
(10+10=20)
GM11
Management Functions & Organizational Behaviour
Assignment II
Assignment Code: 2012 GM11 B2 Last Date of Submission: 15th Nov 2012
Maximum Marks: 100
Attempt all Questions. All questions carry equal marks.
Section A
1. What are the control systems used in organizations? What features of these systems contribute towards its effectiveness? What contingency factors do you think influence these control systems?
(20)
2. (a) Type and trait theories of personality.
(b) Which behavioural theory explains it’s attitude towards employees? How does it differ from other related theories? (10+10=20)
3. “Co-ordination is imperative for the success of any organization”. Explain the underlying concept, suggest ways to achieve effective co-ordination in a decentralized organization. (20)
4. Write short notes:
(a) Locus of Control
(b) Conflict Management
(c) Group Vs. Team
(d) Distribution of Authority (4x5=20)
Section B
Case Study: Palmer Machinery Company
Palmer Machinery Company has encountered hard times, not only because of an economic recession but also because of competition from products imported from Japan. In the past, labor relations have been rather poor. The unions usually asked for big pay increases for the workers and got them. But things have changed during the last few months, and labor and management have realized that they are in for some bad times ahead.
The company, maintaining it is in a precarious condition, has asked labor for concessions and givebacks. The union has called a membership meeting to discuss the situation. While Ann Stewart, an assembler, thinks that she is overpaid and argues for a wage reduction, the majority of those present disagrees and do not want to make any concessions. In fact, there is a great mistrust of management’s intentions and the workers feel that giving concessions will encourage the company to ask for additional ones. After a long discussion some workers are more agreeable to concessions if management makes similar sacrifices. But management does not make any commitments. During the next few weeks the situation gets worse; faced with a layoff, the union agrees to some cutbacks with the understanding that employees will share in some way in the profits of the company when things get better.
One month later, a national-magazine survey of executives’ salaries at major companies shows that the executives at Palmer received a substantial increase in compensation. One worker remarks; “You just can’t trust top management. I wish our situation was like the one in Japan, where in hard times the dividends are cut first, then the salary of top management is reduced and later middle-level managers get a pay cut; the workers’ pay is affected last.”
Questions:
1. Do you think the workers should have made concessions and agreed to givebacks?
2. If you were the president of the company, how would you have handled the situation?
(10+10=20)
Management Functions & Organizational Behaviour
Assignment I
Assignment Code: 2012 GM11 B1 Last Date of Submission: 15th October 2012
Maximum Marks: 100
Attempt all Questions. All questions carry equal marks.
Section A
1. (a) Define management and contrast the nature of management in (i) service and production
industries; (ii) private and public sector organization.
(b) As a manager do you think it is important to go through the various management theories
and make use of the learnings from them. (10+10=20)
2. (a) If you were the Chief Executive of a large corporation such as Sony or Infosys, how
would you “institutionalize” ethics in the organization?
(b) “Decentralization is the tendency to disperse decision-making authority.” Comment on the statement. (10+10=20)
3. (a) “Planning is looking ahead, and control is looking back”. Comment with appropriate
example.
(b) Future of Indian Industrial Relation Scenario. (10+10=20)
4. What do you understand by authority and power? How are they different from each other? (20)
Section B
Case Study
Case Study: XYZ Company
John Tan, the service manager, had Ram Lim as a supervisor in the equipment service section to oversee the work of the servicemen. The supervisor was a nice person, but a bit soft in dealing with people. After working for four years, Ram Lim left the company for a new job elsewhere. A new supervisor was recruited from outside.
Roy Lee, a senior technician who had 10 years of service with the company, was disappointed because he was not considered for the supervisor’s post. Robert had maintained a good record all along, and in fact, came up through the ranks from trainee to senior technician.
The new supervisor, Mehra, was generally a more aggressive person. Shortly after taking over the job, he started asking his subordinates to record the actual hours spent on various activities and idle time, if any. (Prior to this, the hours spent on each job were based on some kind of estimate.) The technicians were not happy with this, but unwillingly complied with the demand.
The relationship between the supervisor and his workers deteriorated when Mehra started to change certain routine matters which were supposed to improve the flow of work and reduce overtime.
A few months later, two servicemen resigned. Then the senior technician also tendered his resignation and complained to the service manager accusing Mehra of trying to create more work for them unnecessarily. However, these complaints were found to be not fully justifiable, but to a great extent were the result of misunderstandings between Mehra and his men.
The service manager did not want to lose the senior technician, and managed to persuade him to stay on and reconcile with the supervisor. Shortly after, the supervisor left the company.
Questions:
1. Do you consider the actions taken by the new supervisor not tactful enough? What would have been the tactful approach?
2. There is a general tendency for employees to resist changes in routine, particularly when such changes may encounter initial teething problems and affect the morale of the employees. In view of this, what should be the right approach in implementing changes?
(10+10=20)
GM11
Management Functions & Organizational Behaviour
Assignment II
Assignment Code: 2012 GM11 B2 Last Date of Submission: 15th Nov 2012
Maximum Marks: 100
Attempt all Questions. All questions carry equal marks.
Section A
1. What are the control systems used in organizations? What features of these systems contribute towards its effectiveness? What contingency factors do you think influence these control systems?
(20)
2. (a) Type and trait theories of personality.
(b) Which behavioural theory explains it’s attitude towards employees? How does it differ from other related theories? (10+10=20)
3. “Co-ordination is imperative for the success of any organization”. Explain the underlying concept, suggest ways to achieve effective co-ordination in a decentralized organization. (20)
4. Write short notes:
(a) Locus of Control
(b) Conflict Management
(c) Group Vs. Team
(d) Distribution of Authority (4x5=20)
Section B
Case Study: Palmer Machinery Company
Palmer Machinery Company has encountered hard times, not only because of an economic recession but also because of competition from products imported from Japan. In the past, labor relations have been rather poor. The unions usually asked for big pay increases for the workers and got them. But things have changed during the last few months, and labor and management have realized that they are in for some bad times ahead.
The company, maintaining it is in a precarious condition, has asked labor for concessions and givebacks. The union has called a membership meeting to discuss the situation. While Ann Stewart, an assembler, thinks that she is overpaid and argues for a wage reduction, the majority of those present disagrees and do not want to make any concessions. In fact, there is a great mistrust of management’s intentions and the workers feel that giving concessions will encourage the company to ask for additional ones. After a long discussion some workers are more agreeable to concessions if management makes similar sacrifices. But management does not make any commitments. During the next few weeks the situation gets worse; faced with a layoff, the union agrees to some cutbacks with the understanding that employees will share in some way in the profits of the company when things get better.
One month later, a national-magazine survey of executives’ salaries at major companies shows that the executives at Palmer received a substantial increase in compensation. One worker remarks; “You just can’t trust top management. I wish our situation was like the one in Japan, where in hard times the dividends are cut first, then the salary of top management is reduced and later middle-level managers get a pay cut; the workers’ pay is affected last.”
Questions:
1. Do you think the workers should have made concessions and agreed to givebacks?
2. If you were the president of the company, how would you have handled the situation?
(10+10=20)
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