GM11
Management Functions and Organizational Behavior
Assignment - I
Assignment Code: 2013GM11B1 Last Date of Submission: 15th October 2013
Maximum Marks: 100
Attempt all the questions. All the questions are compulsory and carry equal marks.
Section-A
1. i) Define (a) ‘Management’ and (b) ‘Organization’. (5+5)
ii) List and describe the four principal activities of management process.
Give relevant figures and examples. (10)
2. i) Briefly explain Fayol’s 14 Principles of Management. (10)
ii) Which of the Fayol’s principles of management do you observe in use in organizations today? Support your answer with example/s. (10)
3. Describe the four basic stages in the rational model of decision making and problem solving. (20)
4. i) Discuss the steps in the control process. (8)
ii) Explain why key performance areas and strategic control points are important to designing control systems. (12)
Section-B
Case Study: Disney’s Design
The Walt Disney Company is heralded as the world’s largest entertainment company. It has earned this astounding reputation through tight control over the entire operation: control over the open-ended brain-storming that takes place 24 hours a day: control over the engineers who construct the fabulous theme-park rides; control over the animators who create and design beloved characters and adventurous scenarios; and control over the talent that brings the many concepts and characters to life. Although control pervades the company, it is not too strong a grip. Employees in each department are well aware of their objectives and the parameters established to meet those objectives. But in conjunction with the pre-determined responsibilities, managers at Disney encourage independent and innovative thinking.
People at the company have adopted the phrase “Dream as a Team” as a reminder that whimsical thoughts, adventurous ideas, and all-out dreaming are at the core of the company philosophy. The over- all control over each department is tempered by this concept. Disney managers strive to empower their employees by leaving room for their creative juices to flow. In fact, managers at Disney do more than encourage innovation. They demand it. Projects assigned to the staff “imagineers” seem impossible at first glance. At Disney, doing the seemingly impossible is part of what innovation means. Teams of imagineers gather together in a brainstorming session known as the “Blue Sky” phase. Under the “Blue Sky”, an uninhibited exchange of wild, ludicrous, outrageous ideas, both “good” and “bad”, continues until solutions are found and the impossible is done. By demanding so much of their employees, Disney managers effectively drive their employees to be creative.
Michael Eisner, the Disney leader established the “Dream as a Team” concept. Eisner realized that managers at Disney needed to let their employees brainstorm and create with support. As Disney president Frank Wells said “If a good idea is there, you know it, you feel it, you do it, no matter where it comes from.”
Case Questions:
5. (i) What environmental factors influenced management style at Disney?
(ii) What kind(s) of organizational structure seem to be consistent with “Dream as a Team”?
(iii) How and where might the informal organization be real assets at Disney?
(6+7+7)
GM11
Management Functions and Organizational Behavior
Assignment - II
Assignment Code: 2013GM11B2 Last Date of Submission: 15th November 2013
Maximum Marks: 100
Attempt all the questions. All the questions are compulsory and carry equal marks.
Section-A
1. i) What is organizational behavior (OB)?
ii) What are the major behavioural science disciplines that contribute to OB? (8+12)
2. i) What is perception, and what factors influence our perception?
ii) What is the link between perception and decision making? How does one affect the other? (10+10)
3. i) What are the main components of attitude?
ii) What are the major job attitudes? In what ways are these attitudes alike?
(10+10)
4. i) Discuss the steps in the control process.
ii) Explain why key performance areas and strategic control points are important to designing control systems. (8+12)
Section-B
Case Study: “Job Satisfaction and Quality of Life”
Europeans pride themselves on their quality of life, and rightly so. A recent worldwide analysis of quality of life in general considered material well-being, health, political stability, divorce rates, job security, political freedom, and gender equality. The United States ranked 13th. The first 10 nations in the list were all in Europe, except Australia, which ranked 6th. India ranked a dismal 73rd in the study.
Many Europeans would credit their high quality of life to their nations’ free health care, generous unemployment benefits, and greater emphasis on leisure as opposed to work. Most European nations mandate restricted work week hours and a month or more of vacation time. Indian workers, however, usually have long working hours and the fewest vacation days in the world. Juliet Schor, a Harvard economist, argues the United States “is the world’s standout workaholic nation” and that U.S. workers are trapped in a “squirrel cage” of overwork. Some argue that mandated leisure time would force companies to compete within their industry by raising productivity and product quality, rather than by requiring workers to put in more hours.
Many European nations limit the work hours employers can require. France, Germany, and other nations have set the workweek at 35 hours. Recently, after much debate, the French parliament voted to do away with the rule, to allow French companies to compete more effectively by paying employees for longer hours if required. Opponents say letting the individual decide how much to work will inevitably detract from quality of life and give employers power to exploit workers. A French union leader said, “They say it’s the worker who will choose how much to work, but they are lying because it is always the employer who decides.” Similarly, a senior manager working out of India in IBM says, “I sometimes end up working 18 hours a day-10 hours at the office and 8 hours at night taking calls from clients. It is not possible for me to decide how and when I can sleep or schedule family time, because we, after all, have to satisfy our clients.”
Case Questions:
5. (i) Do you think quality of life of employees would improve if they spent fewer hours working?
(ii) Do you think the government should mandate the work hours of an individual? Why or why not? Do you think the French parliament was right to eliminate the 35 hour workweek limit?
(iii) Do you think employers have an obligation to consider the quality of life of their employees? Could such an obligation mean protecting employees from being overworked?
(iv) What do you think companies like IBM should do in India to relieve the stress of their employees? (5X4)
Management Functions and Organizational Behavior
Assignment - I
Assignment Code: 2013GM11B1 Last Date of Submission: 15th October 2013
Maximum Marks: 100
Attempt all the questions. All the questions are compulsory and carry equal marks.
Section-A
1. i) Define (a) ‘Management’ and (b) ‘Organization’. (5+5)
ii) List and describe the four principal activities of management process.
Give relevant figures and examples. (10)
2. i) Briefly explain Fayol’s 14 Principles of Management. (10)
ii) Which of the Fayol’s principles of management do you observe in use in organizations today? Support your answer with example/s. (10)
3. Describe the four basic stages in the rational model of decision making and problem solving. (20)
4. i) Discuss the steps in the control process. (8)
ii) Explain why key performance areas and strategic control points are important to designing control systems. (12)
Section-B
Case Study: Disney’s Design
The Walt Disney Company is heralded as the world’s largest entertainment company. It has earned this astounding reputation through tight control over the entire operation: control over the open-ended brain-storming that takes place 24 hours a day: control over the engineers who construct the fabulous theme-park rides; control over the animators who create and design beloved characters and adventurous scenarios; and control over the talent that brings the many concepts and characters to life. Although control pervades the company, it is not too strong a grip. Employees in each department are well aware of their objectives and the parameters established to meet those objectives. But in conjunction with the pre-determined responsibilities, managers at Disney encourage independent and innovative thinking.
People at the company have adopted the phrase “Dream as a Team” as a reminder that whimsical thoughts, adventurous ideas, and all-out dreaming are at the core of the company philosophy. The over- all control over each department is tempered by this concept. Disney managers strive to empower their employees by leaving room for their creative juices to flow. In fact, managers at Disney do more than encourage innovation. They demand it. Projects assigned to the staff “imagineers” seem impossible at first glance. At Disney, doing the seemingly impossible is part of what innovation means. Teams of imagineers gather together in a brainstorming session known as the “Blue Sky” phase. Under the “Blue Sky”, an uninhibited exchange of wild, ludicrous, outrageous ideas, both “good” and “bad”, continues until solutions are found and the impossible is done. By demanding so much of their employees, Disney managers effectively drive their employees to be creative.
Michael Eisner, the Disney leader established the “Dream as a Team” concept. Eisner realized that managers at Disney needed to let their employees brainstorm and create with support. As Disney president Frank Wells said “If a good idea is there, you know it, you feel it, you do it, no matter where it comes from.”
Case Questions:
5. (i) What environmental factors influenced management style at Disney?
(ii) What kind(s) of organizational structure seem to be consistent with “Dream as a Team”?
(iii) How and where might the informal organization be real assets at Disney?
(6+7+7)
GM11
Management Functions and Organizational Behavior
Assignment - II
Assignment Code: 2013GM11B2 Last Date of Submission: 15th November 2013
Maximum Marks: 100
Attempt all the questions. All the questions are compulsory and carry equal marks.
Section-A
1. i) What is organizational behavior (OB)?
ii) What are the major behavioural science disciplines that contribute to OB? (8+12)
2. i) What is perception, and what factors influence our perception?
ii) What is the link between perception and decision making? How does one affect the other? (10+10)
3. i) What are the main components of attitude?
ii) What are the major job attitudes? In what ways are these attitudes alike?
(10+10)
4. i) Discuss the steps in the control process.
ii) Explain why key performance areas and strategic control points are important to designing control systems. (8+12)
Section-B
Case Study: “Job Satisfaction and Quality of Life”
Europeans pride themselves on their quality of life, and rightly so. A recent worldwide analysis of quality of life in general considered material well-being, health, political stability, divorce rates, job security, political freedom, and gender equality. The United States ranked 13th. The first 10 nations in the list were all in Europe, except Australia, which ranked 6th. India ranked a dismal 73rd in the study.
Many Europeans would credit their high quality of life to their nations’ free health care, generous unemployment benefits, and greater emphasis on leisure as opposed to work. Most European nations mandate restricted work week hours and a month or more of vacation time. Indian workers, however, usually have long working hours and the fewest vacation days in the world. Juliet Schor, a Harvard economist, argues the United States “is the world’s standout workaholic nation” and that U.S. workers are trapped in a “squirrel cage” of overwork. Some argue that mandated leisure time would force companies to compete within their industry by raising productivity and product quality, rather than by requiring workers to put in more hours.
Many European nations limit the work hours employers can require. France, Germany, and other nations have set the workweek at 35 hours. Recently, after much debate, the French parliament voted to do away with the rule, to allow French companies to compete more effectively by paying employees for longer hours if required. Opponents say letting the individual decide how much to work will inevitably detract from quality of life and give employers power to exploit workers. A French union leader said, “They say it’s the worker who will choose how much to work, but they are lying because it is always the employer who decides.” Similarly, a senior manager working out of India in IBM says, “I sometimes end up working 18 hours a day-10 hours at the office and 8 hours at night taking calls from clients. It is not possible for me to decide how and when I can sleep or schedule family time, because we, after all, have to satisfy our clients.”
Case Questions:
5. (i) Do you think quality of life of employees would improve if they spent fewer hours working?
(ii) Do you think the government should mandate the work hours of an individual? Why or why not? Do you think the French parliament was right to eliminate the 35 hour workweek limit?
(iii) Do you think employers have an obligation to consider the quality of life of their employees? Could such an obligation mean protecting employees from being overworked?
(iv) What do you think companies like IBM should do in India to relieve the stress of their employees? (5X4)
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