assignmentssolution@gmail.com

Get Assignments and Projects prepared by experts at a very nominal fee.

More than 8 years in assisting assignments and projects/dissertation/thesis of MBA,BBA,BCA,MCA,PhD and others-

Contact us at : Email : assignmentssolution@gmail.com

Help for : SMU, IIBM,IMT, NMIMS, NIBM ,KSBM, KAIZAN, ISBM, SYMBIOSIS, NIMS, IGNOU, XAVIER, XIBMS, ISM, PSBM, NSBM, NIRM, ISBM, ISMRC, ICMIND, UPES and many others.

Help in : Assignments, projects, M.Phil,Ph.D disseration & thesis,case studies

Courses,MBA,BBA,PhD,MPhil,EMBA,MIB,DMS,MMS,BMS,GDS etc

Contact us at : Email : assignmentssolution@gmail.com



Wednesday 28 February 2018

NMIMS Assignments April 2018: Contact us at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

Internal Assignment Applicable for APRIL 2018 Examination

Essentials of HRM
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

1. Poshak Ltd. is an apparel company where after Sid joined as an AVP-HR and understood that workforce w as not happy with their job profile as they were finding it too routine and monotonous. It has also been noted that the work productivity was decreasing and the employee attrition was increasing. It was implicit that the organisation needed to go for job designing. Suggest all the approaches to Sid for job designing which would prove beneficial for Poshak Ltd.



2. MiniBurgs is a fast food outlet which is now expanding its operation throughout Mumbai. Since it was initially a small joint which kept on growing and now is becoming a chain therefore undergoing a lots of changes. MiniBurgs can only respond better to these changes when the employees are also willing to accept and adapt to the same. The HR team is emphasising that since the business is expanding the workforce must develop their KSA (Knowledge, skill and competencies) regularly for combating any kind of change in the external or internal environment. It was also discussed that there is a need for HRD in Miniburgs. Discuss that why Miniburgs has a need for HRD.



3. Yes bank did something different for its Induction program rather than going by the old conventional methods. The new employees in Yes Bank were greeted with its drum beating session which acted as a stress buster and then it was followed by other various fun activities aimed at experiential learning, instead of the old way of inducting employees which merely focused on PPTs as well speech on organisational culture, etiquettes and opportunities. The employees really appreciated this novel way of induction. As per this case answer the following questions:

a. Yes Bank could have directly asked the employees to report at work, but why induction was needed? Discuss it from organization’s perspective.

b. The employees seemed to have really like the induction, so why it is important from their (employees) perspective? Discuss

Corporate Social Responsibility

NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com
Caselet :

Biobeauty Ltd‘s idea of responsible business is to use only natural ingredients sourced from all over the country, it believes that this will help protect the planet and the people depending on it. It is especially recognised for not testing its products on animals, other brand values are support community, defend human rights and activate self esteem. Last year it donated Rs. 50 lac to support various human rights and women empowerment organization across India.

According to its annual report of 2015-16 it now needs to comply with section 135 of the Companies Act 2013 and spend 2 % of its net profit on CSR. Hence this year Biobeauty will have to spend Rs 10 crore on CSR as per the mandate.

Biobeauty is deeply entrenched in working with the community through its supply chain as it sources majority of its raw material through self help groups (SHG) run and managed by women from rural and tribal areas. It has partnered with multiple NGO’s to help organize these rural/tribal women set up SHG’s and co-operative societies for growing and trading in herbs / flowers/ fruits / berries etc for which it is the captive buyer.



Q1. As CSR Manager you have been asked to come up with three new initiatives/projects from those listed under schedule VII of the Companies Act 2013 that the company can spend its CSR budget on. Design and develop a business plan around these 3 areas that you have selected covering the objectives (impacts expected), goals (target set), target stakeholder, geographical area where it will be implemented, time frame. Please be very specific and relevant to the company and section 135 requirements.



Q2. The CEO at Biobeauty Ltd wants your opinion on whether to partner with an NGO or should Biobeauty work directly with the target stakeholders for the 3 new CSR initiatives /projects selected by you. Prepare a document of approx 1000 words for your CEO giving the advantages and disadvantages for Biobeauty in both the scenarios.



Q3A. Companies Act 2013 requires Biobeauty Ltd to disclose its CSR Policy on its website as well as Annual Report of the company. Based on what you know so far about Biobeauty, frame a relevant and suitable CSR Policy, what is the key purpose of the policy and what are the CSR focus areas of Biobeauty Ltd.

Q3B. As part of CSR Team you have been asked to write a report of approx 500 words, which will be published on the company’s website under “CSR at Biobeauty”, detailing the 3 new CSR initiatives/projects that Biobeauty has implemented in 2016-17. You must use the ones you shortlisted in Ans1.

Financial Accounting & Analysis
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

1. The following trial balance has been extracted from the books of XYZ Ltd as on 31st March 2017.

Particulars                                      Debit (Rs.)       Credit (Rs.)

Share Capital                                                                     1000000           

Plant and Machinery                     1600000

Sales                                                                                      3540000

Purchases                                           1200000

Returns                                                20000                   15000

Opening Stock                                  600000

Discount                                             7000                     16000

Bank Charges                                    1500   

Sundry Debtors                               900000

Sundry Creditors                                                             500000

Salaries                                                136000

9% Debentures                                                                400000

Manufacturing Wages                   200000

Carriage Inwards                            15000

Carriage Outwards                         24000

Debenture Interest                         18000

Bad Debts Provision                                                      10500

Rent, Rates and Taxes                   200000

Advertisement                                 40000

Cash in hand                                      18000

Cash at bank                                      120000

10% Investment                             300000

Goodwill                                             300000

Interest on Investment                                                                30000

Factory Expenses                           12000

General Reserve                                                              100000

Last year profit                                                                250000

Furniture                                            150000

5861500           5861500

The following additional information is available:

? Depreciation on Furniture, Plant and Machinery to be provided at 10% per annum

? Write off Rs. 10000 as bad debts and make a provision for doubtful debts at 5% on sundry debtors

? Closing stock was Rs. 700000

a. Mention the formula to calculate gross profit and net profit

b. Prepare the profit and loss account for the year ended 31st march 2017 and Balance sheet as on that date.

c. Comment on the position of financial statements as on date prepared by you. (10 Marks)



2. A company acquired the following assets three years ago:

Asset                   Cost (Rs.)              Scrap Value (Rs.)     Useful Life (Years)      Depreciation Policy

Equipment         5000000                             500000                                5                             Straight Line Method

Building               8000000                             1000000                             30                           Straight Line Method

After using the assets for three years, the company decided to change its Depreciation policy as follows:

? The useful life of the equipment was revised upwards to 8 years, keeping its residual value at Rs. 500000.

? The useful life of the building was revised upwards to 40 years, keeping its residual value at Rs. 1000000.

These changes have been implemented from the fourth year onwards.

a. You are required to analyze the impact of such changes in depreciation policy on the financial statements of firms, and write a detailed note on the same..

b. How do you think future profits of this company will be impacted because of these changes?

c. Are any disclosures regarding these required to be made? (10 Marks)



3. Both A Ltd. and B Ltd. operate wholesale electronic stores throughout India. The financial statements of each business for the year ended as on 31st March, 2017 are as follows:

Balance Sheet as on 31st march, 2017 (Rs. in millions)

A Ltd.                   B Ltd.

Assets

Non-current assets

Property, plant and equipment (Cost less depreciation)            

Land and buildings                                                                                         360.0                    510.0

Furniture                                                                                                            87.0                       91.2

Current assets

Inventories                                                                                                        592.0                    403.0

Trade Receivables                                                                                          176.4                    321.9

Cash at Bank                                                                                                      84.6                       91.6

Total assets                                                                                                    1,300.0              1,417.7

Equity and Liabilities

Share Capital of Rs.10                                                                                   320.0                    250.0

Retained Earnings                                                                                          367.6                    624.6

Non-current liabilities

Long term, borrowings                                                                                                190.0                    250.0

Current liabilities                                    

Trade Payables                                                                                                                406.4                    275.7

Provision for Taxation                                                                                 16.0                       17.4

Total equity and liabilities                                                                  1,300.0              1,417.7

Statement of Profit and Loss for the year ended as on 31st march, 2017 (Rs. in millions)

A Ltd.                   B Ltd.

Revenue                                                                                                              1,478.1                 1,790.4

Cost of Sales                                                                                                      (1,018.3)             (1,214.9)

Gross Profit                                                                                                       459.8                   575.5

Operating expenses                                                                                        (308.5)                  (408.6)

Operating profit                                                                                              151.3                   166.9

Interest                                                                                                                (19.4)                   (27.5)

Profit before tax                                                                                              131.9                   139.4

Taxation                                                                                                              (32.0)                   (34.8)

Profit for the year                                                                                      99.9                      104.6

All purchases and sales were made on credit. A Ltd. and B Ltd. have declared a dividend of Rs. 135 million and Rs. 95 million in respect of the year. The market prices of a share of A Ltd. and B Ltd. are Rs. 6.50 and Rs. 8.20 respectively.

a. Both the companies have approached a particular bank for seeking long term loans. Critically evaluate which of the two companies will get the loan at better terms and conditions. (5 Marks)

b. As a potential investor looking for good investment opportunities in this sector, which of the two companies do you find more attractive?

Financial Institutions and Markets
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

Q1. Ms. Vijaya, after completing her graduation, has recently joined a bank. With a steady income now and good growth prospects for her career, she intends to save regularly and increase the amount of savings gradually over the years. Her colleagues in the bank have advised her investing in Mutual Funds (MFs), as a suitable option for her. However, Ms. Vijaya is not at all familiar with MFs and has some queries such as:

a) What are mutual funds and why should she be investing through mutual fund?

b) What are the various types of mutual funds? Prepare a detailed answer for her queries.


Q2. Mr. Sudhindra Kumar, aged 60, has been an investor in stock market for the last 35 years. When he initially started investing in late 1980s, he used to take positions in the stock markets after studying the annual reports of the company. He used to scan financial newspaper everyday to spot a scrip for buying or selling. He used to generate better returns on his investments than his other colleagues who would solely rely on the trends in stock prices to choose the stock. However, by the end of late 1990s, Mr. Sudhindra realized that he is not able to spot as many investment opportunities through his existing methods. He observed that her junior colleague, Ms. Rama was generating better returns than him. Ms. Rama also shared with Mr. Sudhindra that she picks up stocks based on the recommendation of his stock-broker friend. His recommendations have been a hit as he is very well connected to many corporates, financial intermediaries and other brokers. He seems to get to know about the corporate and market developments ahead of the many investors. Mr. Sudhindra requested Ms. Rama to share such invest tips with him as well in future. Using these tips judiciously along with his old methods of investing, he continued to generate handsome returns on his investment. After various stock-market scams, in the early and mid 2000s, various regulations were brought in place by SEBI to curb manipulation of stock prices and bring more transparency of information, especially for the small investors. As a result, the flow of reliable and worthy investment tips through Ms. Rama dried up and once again. Today, Mr. Sudhindra finds that his older methods of investing are not as effective as they used to be in past, in identifying an investment-worthy stock. All the information related to any stock is almost instantaneously and simultaneously available to the whole market, with the help of technology. Hence, opportunities to beat the market in generating returns have become far lesser than in past. Based on the above information, what are your observations regarding the market efficiency of Indian market since 1980s? Put your commentary/conclusions with your rationale for the same.


Q.3 DEF Limited is an Indian company, engaged in export oriented trading of various manufactured items. The company buys products manufactured in India and sells its products primarily in US. The company pays to its vendors/sellers in Indian rupee and it receives payment in USD after 90 days of dispatching its products. Also, the company borrows money in Indian Rupee for working capital purposes. The cost of borrowing for the company is around 14%-15%. The company aims to reduce its borrowing cost and is exploring options for the same.
a) How can DEF limited manage/mitigate the forex risks?

b) What kind of Swaps instruments DEF Limited can use to manage the forex related risks and reduce borrowing costs?



Business Economics
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

1. Suppose the demand equation for computers by Teetan Ltd for the year 2017 is given by Qd= 1200-P and the supply equation is given by Qs= 120+3P. Find equilibrium price and analyse what would be the excess demand or supply if price changes to Rs 400 and Rs 120.


2. Assume that at the price of 75, the demand for the product is 250 units. If the price of the product increases to 90, the demand decreases to 150 units. Calculate and analyse the difference in the value of price elasticity using Arc Elasticity Method and Percentage Method.


3. Alpha Ltd was planning to start production next year. Different departments of the company were working together to forecast the demand of the product in the market.

a) If you are manager of the company mention the steps and the factors that would be relevant

for forecasting the demand of rice in the market.

b) The price of rice and its demand (in kg) produced by Alpha Ltd in 2018 is given in the table. Fit a linear regression line and estimate and analyse the demand for rice when price is Rs 50 per kg.

Price(Rs/kg) 17 20 24 28 32

Demand(Kg) 80 75 65 60 54



Business Communication and Etiquette

Q 1) Share your most memorable interpersonal and intrapersonal interactions in the recent past at your workplace. Which principles govern interpersonal communication?


Q 2) As a customer relationship executive, it is your responsibility to convey the refusal of loan request to your loyal customer via a letter. What steps will you take while drafting the reply to ensure the customer continues to trust your services?


Q 3) You are the lead flight attendant on your aircraft. Your prime responsibility is to guide your crew to provide the best hospitality to the passengers so they prefer travelling with your airlines.
a) During greeting the passengers on board, two things are most important eye contact and body language. What guidance will you provide to your crew on these important non-verbal behaviors?
b) If your team encounters an irate customer travelling alone with a baby who has been delayed by 7 hours owing to flight cancellation, how will you communicate so that the customer feels comfortable?

Business Law
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

1. Explain which type of contract does an Insurance falls under. Also, please explain the features of such contract along with rights of an Insurer and Insured vis-à-vis the type of contract entered.



2. Competition law is a specific law which was passed in 2002 and called as “The Competition Act”. It aims at promoting sustainable competition between the various market parties and protect the interests of customers. It also ensures that the freedom to carry out a trade by each party in the market is maintained. It avoids any player from carrying out any activities which have an “adverse appreciable effect on the competition”. Under this law, the Competition Commission of India has been established which is aimed at preventing those activities that have an adverse effect on competition in India. Please describe atleast 2 cases in which Competition Commission of India has prevented adverse effect on competition in India. (For each case please present an introduction, facts and the order passed in the case) (10 Marks)



3. Amar had gone to buy Crockery from a Mall. He impulsively selected the crockery from the display area and proceeded to the billing counter. The crockery was from the stock clearance sale and therefore there was no guarantee or warranty on the goods. He paid the amount and left the Mall. Upon exiting the mall he realized that the crockery selected by him suffered from some defects. He went back to the shop and asked to replace the goods, the shopkeeper refused stating that there was no guarantee or warranty and hence was not liable to replace or give any refund. Please advise Amar

a. Can Amar insist on his claim to replace the goods. Please give reasons for your answer and explain the underlying legal principle. (Please provide an introduction, to your answer along with reasoning and underlying principle)

b. Assuming, “if Amar had not selected the goods but had informed the shopkeeper about his requirement and based on such requirement Amar was provided with crockery”. Would such assumption have any affect to claim of Amar. (Please provide an introduction, to your answer along with reasoning)

Business Statistics
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

1. The following results were obtained from medical records about age (x) and systolic blood pressure (y) of a group of 10 women: The mean and variance of x are 53 and 121 respectively and mean and variance of y are 142 and 169 respectively. S(x-X)(y-Y)=1210. (X is the mean of x and Y is mean of y). Find the regression equation of systolic blood pressure on age of a women. Also estimate systolic blood pressure of a women whose age is 55.While solving this example, explain the relevant terms used in details. (10 Marks)



2. A sarcastic graduate student from Waterloo was testing the American media at the Salt Lake City Olympics about Canadian history and geography. Reporters were given a 10- item multiple-choice questionnaire to complete. Each question had four possible answers. Unfortunately, one reporter wanted to return to the bar for the rest of the morning, so he simply guessed on all of the questions and then handed in the questionnaire. What is the probability that he will score at least 6 out of 10 in this questionnaire? State clearly the assumptions you need to make to solve this question. Also, write a note on the relevant probability distribution you used to solve this example. (10 Marks)



3. In order to compare the batting performances in Test Cricket of Indian legends, in a meeting of administrators it was proposed that instead of using arithmetic mean of runs scored in all the innings played, Median score be used as an average to represent the performance. But one member, who happened to be a statistician, objected to the proposal saying that by doing so we are favouring the players like Sachin Tendulkar.

a) Give your opinion with appropriate justification. (5 Marks)

b) If it is further decided to compare the performance based on consistency in performance, which statistical measures would you recommend? Substantiate your answer with appropriate justification.

Management Theory and Practice
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

1. Jeff Weiner (CEO- LinkedIn) is known for his open and compassionate leadership style. He spends quite some time coaching his executives and encourages them to put the customer first and think like an owner. Explain with examples, what type of leader is Jeff Weiner and what kind of leadership style (with reference to leadership styles mentioned in your text book) does he practice?



2. ‘The New You’ manufactures garments and is currently engaged in jeans, shirts, trousers, swimwear for men and school uniforms for boys. They have product based organization structure in place. However, it is prohibiting the company to achieve its company-wide goals as each unit operates on its own. The organization intends sharing equipments and experts across products to achieve higher utilization rate. Design an organization structure for ‘The New You’ and list benefits of the proposed structure. (10 Marks)



3. Joe was heading the Human Resources Department at Lifelong Insurance Pvt. Ltd. Joe was an experienced HR professional with a track record of successfully managing Human Resources and reducing labor attrition. He recently happened to attend a session on employee motivation where various theories of motivation were discussed. He was highly impressed with the simplicity of the Maslow’s Need Hierarchy theory and Herzberg’s motivation model. He decided to implement the same at the workplace for employees of Lifelong Insurance. He convinced the CEO of the company to incorporate the factors of recognition, advancement, growth for employees. The CEO supported Joe and various plans for employee recognition, advancement, etc were rolled out. The plans received a mixed response. Some found them as a cheap substitute to salary hikes while the back-office staff enjoyed the processes but failed to recognize its impact on work. The field executives said that their job was already challenging and commission on insurance sales acted as a motivator to them. After about a couple of months of implementing these programs, Joe was highly disappointed to notice that the programs did not have the impact as desired. Joe faced severe criticism from the top management of the company.

a. What according to you were the reasons of failure of the strategy adopted by Joe? Discuss with reference to Maslow and Herzberg’s theories. (5 Marks)

b. To what extent do you think is money a motivator?

Information Systems for Managers
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

Q.1) A leading global organization GEMS dealing in production field has spread its business all over the world and deal in production of automobile parts at a large scale. Due to market fluctuations and change in customers’ needs and preferences it has become difficult for the organization to manage their operations efficiently. As a result, the products were not delivered on time. There is a need of implementing a robust business process to reduce overhead and move ahead of the competitors. Hence, the organization decided to implement an ERP system for the same. Discuss any five benefits of implementing ERP system in the organization so that it can be benefitted and also the different phases of ERP implementation. (10 Marks)



Q.2) Pizza Express is a food chain which has just started its various restaurants all over India which offers various types of pizzas. In order to maintain high rate of consistency and defined standards, the company needs to have an excellent supply chain management. Discuss how maintaining a high standard of supply chain management in the Pizza Express organization will keep stronghold in the country. Also, explain the various steps of supply chain process which can be implemented by the organization. (10 Marks)



Q.3) ‘The Coffee’ a leading brand in the field of brand of Coffee sells various varieties of coffees. The company maintained its quality and standards by following and implementing different quality standards in the organization. But few months ago, the security of the organization went on stake due to virus attack by intruders.

3 a). You as Head of the Company will follow which steps for incident handling in the organization.

3.b) Explain the disaster recovery and business continuity planning mechanisms which will help the ‘ The Coffee’ organization to bring back its normal operation.

Organisational Behaviour
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

1. Sana and Reema joined a quick serve restaurant chain at the head office in the marketing department. Both of them were very happy with the compensation and designation offered to them. Since Sana and Reema joined in the same month so they bonded well together, during one of the conversation Sana got to know that Reema was getting paid 25% more than her. This revelation had caused a conflict between them as it had really saddened Sana which was observable by her hostile behaviour towards Reema. Sana never missed a chance to make Reema feel miserable. Sana Started comparing the fact that both of them had the same qualification and work experience and still she (Sana) was getting paid less than her peer. The situation had worsened so much that they both stopped communicating with each other. You are the HR manager who has observed all this and now you have to come up with techniques with the help of which this conflict can be resolved. Discuss any 4 (four) techniques of conflict resolution and management. Also, conclude the answer by discussing how organisations can avoid/minimise such conflicts. (10 Marks)

2. Karan and Sanjay work as Project Lead for two different teams. It has been noticed that Karan is very helpful and empathetic towards his team and supports them in every possible manner. The team in turn is very close knit and can really works hard to accomplish the objectives. They also give Karan full support whenever required by going out of their way. Whereas Sanjay just wants to get the work done by being a tight fisted man. He reprimands his team members in front of outsiders. He only instructs his team and is never in execution front. Sanjay's team is really petrified of him and always is under fear. Team's motivation is very low and everyone is searching for opportunity to move out of Sanjay's team. Compare the leadership style of Karan and Sanjay. Conclude by discussing that in a workplace which style of leadership is better suited. (10 Marks)

3. Rajat and Suresh have got their yearly targets and both of them are working hard to surpass each other as by the year end the one who achieves the maximum is going to be awarded in the sales conference with a cash prize of Rs. 50000 which would be given by the CEO of the company. They both are doing their best to win this contest for Rajat, the prime factor is money as he has recently got married and his expenses have increased. Whereas, Suresh comes from a very affluent family and for him getting recognized in front of PAN India team and by the CEO is the driving force. Here, we can see that both Rajat and Suresh had different motives.

a. Based on the above scenario discuss the different types of motives which regulate the behaviour of individuals. (5 Marks)

b. With the help of Maslow need hierarchy theory discuss why Rajat, Suresh and even every individual has different motive?

Marketing Management
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

1. Construct the 4P’s of Marketing Mix for Starbucks Coffee chain in India alongwith the 3 extended P’s for Services. ( 10 Marks)



2. You are the Chief Marketing Officer for Apple India. Conduct a macro external environmental analysis on 8 factors & suggest whether India is an attractive market for higher range of iphone devices such as iPhone 8, iPhone 8plus & iPhoneX? (10 Marks)



3. You are an Italian shoe making firm by the name of “Scarpa” & your target audience is primarily middle class in Europe. You wish to enter the Indian market looking at India’s vast middle class segment which is your intended target market.

a. Which one of the following pricing strategies would you wish to pursue in India? Explain the reasons behind choosing this pricing strategy (5 Marks)

? Full Cost pricing

? Psychological pricing

? Premium pricing

b. Given that Scarpa is a new entrant into India, describe atleast 6 innovative sales promotions campaign aimed at Indian consumers (5 Marks)

Manpower Planning, Recruitment and Selection
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

1. Gone are the days when State and National Employment Exchanges, newspapers like ‘The Employment News’, the ‘Classified ‘columns in the newspapers were largely used as the sources of recruitment. Though they still largely dominate recruitments for certain type of jobs and industries; there has been a global shift towards recruitment using social media. Presence on sites like LinkedIn, being a part of various trade specific groups on Facebook, WhatsApp and other social media platforms is on a rise exponentially. What according to you is the role of Social Media in recruitment? (Focus on points of reach, costs, time frame, etc.) (10 Marks)



2. Differentiate between Career and Succession Planning. Discuss the state of succession planning in Indian companies with special reference to Infosys (since 2002- Mr. Murthy stepped down to 2017- Vishal Sikka’s exit) (10 Marks)



3. ‘Fly Bird’ manufactures and sells denims for men, women and kids. It is more than a century old company and has 500+ exclusive stores in the country. It has been observed for the past six months that for the stores located in Mumbai, the productivity levels of the front-line staff have gone down which has slashed the profit figures. Further probing into the matter revealed that there has been a new training manager for the Mumbai region. There have been a lot of new recruits due to rapid expansion, who haven’t undergone any training, the existing staff is overworked, and the store managers are struggling between responsibilities of contributing to opening of new stores, supervising existing staff and giving OJT for new recruits.

a. According to you how could training contribute to solving of the issue mentioned above?

b. If you were the training manager, what kind of trainings would you plan for the new recruits? Make reference to Organizational, Task and Person Analysis while giving solutions.

Strategic Financial Management
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

1. A company is evaluating a proposal to replace a machine costing Rs. 800000 and having a written down value of Rs. 400000. The machine has a remaining economic life of 5 years after which it will have no salvage value. However, if sold today, it will fetch an amount equal to its book value. The new machine is expected to cost Rs. 1400000. It is also expected to have a life of 5 years with a scrap value of Rs. 400000. Owing to its technological superiority, the new machine is expected to contribute additional annual benefit (before depreciation and tax) of Rs. 400000. The company’s opportunity cost of capital is 10%. The tax rate applicable to the firm is 30%. The company follows Straight Line Method of Depreciation for its machines. Should the company replace the old machine with the new one? (10 Marks)



2. The country’s leading oil company is planning to set up a Greenfield project to carry out exploration work in a recently identified prospective site. Keeping the high risks associated with this project in mind, funding the project is turning out to be tricky issue for the company. You, being a subject specialist, have been approached by the company to assist it in project funding. Identify the possible sources of fund for this Greenfield project. Also, guide the company through the various stages involved in the project financing. (10 Marks)



3. A) A company is considering an investment of Rs. 500 million in a project. Expected earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) are Rs. 150 million per year. The operational risks associated with the project are fairly low, and EBIT is expected to remain steady during the project tenure. The company can raise equity, 14% preference shares, 10% debentures, or any combination thereof. Face value of equity shares is Rs. 100. Tax rate is 30%. The company is exploring the following four financing options:

? Issue equity capital at par value

? Raise 50% by equity share capital and 50% by preference capital

? Raise 50% by equity share capital, 25% by preference capital, and 25% by debenture

? Raise 25% by equity share capital, 25% by preference capital, and 50% by debenture

Identify the best financing option for the company.

3. B) Which of the above four options will be the best, if the expected EBIT is only Rs. 60 million per year, everything else remaining the same?

Consumer Behavior
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

Q1. What do you understand by consumer involvement. How would you classify the following purchase decision in terms of high or low involvement decisions? Explain the reason for your classification in each case.

    Gel Pen
    An Birthday Greeting Card to wife
    Restaurant selection
    Car
    Selection of school for your child
    Stationery for everyday use.



Q2. A well-known International fitness company is planning to set up a nationwide fitness centers in India. Describe how this international company can use psychographics to plan its segmentation and promotion strategy. Using VALS II typology, suggest which segments should the company target and why?



Q3 What type of information search behaviour would you expect in the first time purchase of the following products and why?

a Ice Cream

Skin whitening Cream

Lap top

A study table

3b. What are the implications of the above information search behavior for marketers of these products? Explain.

Corporate Finance
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

1: Calculate the degree of operating leverage and degree of financial leverage for the following firms:

Firms
   

A
   

B

Sales (Rs.)

Variable cost p.u

Fixed cost (Rs.)

Output (units)

Interest
   

3,60,000

20

72,000

6,000

40,000
   

7,50,000

150

1,40,000

1,500

80,000




Q2. A Project costs Rs 60,000 and is expected to generate cash inflows as:

Year
   

Cash inflows(Rs)

1
   

10000

2
   

12000

3
   

15000

4
   

18000

5
   

20000

6
   

22000


Calculate the Net Present Value of the project if the cost of capital is 10%.



Q3. Solve the following:

a) A company earns 5 per share. The cost of capital is 10%, the rate of return on investment is 14% and the dividend payout ratio is 25%. Calculate the value of each share by using Walter’s Model.

b) XYZ Limited has a paid-up share capital of Rs. 10 lakhs of Rs. 10 each. The company has a dividend payout rate of 10%. Annual growth rate is expected to be 4%. The capitalisation rate is 20%. Calculate the value of the share of XYZ based on Gordon’s Model.

International Business
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

Q1. A Mumbai based manufacturer of textile products is negotiating an export contract with a new prospective customer based in Mexico. He is concerned that international trade presents a spectrum of risk, involving differences in regulatory and legal environment, cultural differences, etc. More specifically, he is unsure of how he would receive the payment and the associated risks involved. As a specialist in the subject, you are required to guide him and help him resolve his dilemma regarding choice of payment instrument.



Q2. A newly appointed General Manager of a domestically strong FMCG company feels that the next big growth thrust can only come from venturing into new international markets. Despite a strong domestic presence, the company is yet to foray into international markets. The CEO of the company, however, is not too convinced about the benefits of such a move, and is not too clear about the ways to enter an international market. Discuss and conclude whether entering international markets will be helpful? If yes, discuss the different ways for the company to enter international markets.



Q3A) A globally renowned MNC, headquartered in the US and specializing in Children’s toys, has recently forayed into India. However, it has very soon realized that its marketing campaigns and product lines, which have been so successful in other parts of the world, are not working in India. Sales have stagnated and the company is finding it difficult to establish a significant presence in India. It has recently appointed you as General Manager to look into these issues and take the company forward. Could cultural intricacies in the Indian market be a reason behind this?

B) Suggest ways through which the company can turn around its fortunes in the Indian market.

Organisational Theory and Design
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

Q1. Areva is a big invertor and transformer manufacturer with more than 1200 employees .The Company is facing a big challenge of organizational effectiveness mainly due to fast changing market. The company appointed you as a consultant to overcome these challenges, the company is ready to do modifications without losing its existing employees. Provide an appropriate solution to the company.



Q2. Ms Nandita an MBA graduate from Stanford University joins her father’s company after coming back to India. It is a small organization which depends on Ms Mohan Kapoor’s (Nandita’s Father and Owner) and his team having three very senior people who joined the organization since inception. Now Nandita is having big expansion plan for the company but what she is missing in executing her expansion plan is culture. Explain why culture is very important, and what are the factors required for the formation of organizational culture.



Q3. Mr. Nandan, a Sr. Manager in an IT company at Bangalore, is very clear that he wants only males, that too from Bangalore and nearby places, in his team. He said that we generally have to work late nights; hence managing female staff for late night work is difficult and people from Bangalore have better communication skills. But slowly he observed that his team is losing creativity, motivation and design thinking. Same gender in the same vicinity has a very limited scope of thinking out of the box. You are also a Sr. Manager in the same company with a diverse team having more fun and doing great on employee engagement and the team is performing extraordinarily. Your Boss wants you to convince Mr Nandan to go in for a diverse team.

Answer the following:

a) Identify various barriers in creating diverse workforce. ?

b) Give points how you will convince Mr Nandan in favour of Diversity

Taxation - Direct and Indirect
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

Q1. Dr Kabra is planning to visit Singapore to attend a round table conference on Neurological diseases. The conference is for 25 days. He wants to plan his tour in such a manner that his residential status for the relevant previous year remains unaffected. Discuss the charging section which governs the residential status of an Individual? Further, what conditions he has to satisfy in order to remain as Ordinary resident of India for the applicable assessment year.



Q2. From Income Tax Preview, what factors every Company needs to consider while disbursement of Salary to its Employees? In case of general CTC structure, on which types of allowances management needs to consider tax imposition? Explain the same in light of provisions applicable to the allowances which are fully taxable. What if, an Individual receives salary from more than one employer during the same previous year, how the same will be assessed at the year end? Provide sufficient reasoning for your answer.



Q3a) Apart from Normal Salary, House Rent, Income from Business / Profession and capital gain, what could be other differential sources of Income for an Individual from Income Tax Act point. of view. Conclude the same with relevant examples.

b) Mr. Pratik – a Corporate Employee lives in New Delhi and earns a basic salary of Rs. 30,000 per month. The HRA component of his salary is Rs. 15,000 but the actual rent paid by him is Rs. 10,000. How much exemption can he get? What steps Company Management will undertake for calculation of this HRA exemption amount?

Performance Management System
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

1. Define mentoring and discuss the mentoring programmes of at least two companies with benefits accrued. (10 Marks)



2. ‘24x7’is a hypermarket chain introduced in the city. It has launched four stores and has been in operation for almost a year now. The HR manager intends setting up a reward system for the employees. Chalk out a detailed plan of action for the same. (10 Marks)



3. DKMG is a CA firm having 15 branches in different parts of the country. In the home office there are more than 45 employees. This company has a performance rating under which the employees are rated quarterly by a committee of executives. Linear rating scales are used for conducting the appraisal. The qualities considered are responsibility, initiative, interest in work, leadership potential, co-operative attitude and community service. After the performance is evaluated, the ratings are discussed with the concerned employees by their immediate boss who counsels them. The ratings are used to influence promotions and salary adjustments of the employees. Recently few employees of the company called on the firm’s owner to express their dissatisfaction with the ratings they had received. Because their ratings were comparatively low, they had been denied annual increments in salary. Approximately, two thirds of all the employees received such increments. The aggrieved employees argued that their ratings did not accurately represent their qualifications or performance. They insisted that “community service” was not actually a part of their job and that what they do off the job is none of the company’s business. The employees threatened to stop work. The threat caused concern to the management. This particular experience convinced the management that ratings may represent a serious hazard to satisfactory relationship with employees. Even the owner finds that performance appraisal is a dangerous source of friction and its hazards outweigh its values; so it should be discontinued altogether.

Questions:

a. How far do you agree with the management that performance appraisal should be discontinued? (5 Marks)

b. If you were the HR manager, how would you tackle the situation?

Services Marketing
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

1. BodyPluz is planning to introduce a new service of gyms focusing on the kids segment. It is planning to launch its first ever gym in Mumbai. Based on this scenario, prepare a Service Marketing Mix Plan for BodyPluz (10 Marks)



2. Consider the following scenario: Mr. Rajesh is planning to introduce a travel company. He wants an appropriate Segmentation Plan to be designed for the same. As a Service Consultant, suggest Mr. Rajesh for an appropriate Segmentation Plan. (10 Marks)



3. Read the following Case & solve the questions given:

The passengers were through with their final security check and were boarding the aircraft. The Lotus Airlines personnel were awaiting the arrival of a V.I.P. to clear the take off. Finally the V.I.P. arrived half an hour late and went directly for the security check. During the check the security personnel came across weapon with live cartilages. He was requested not to carry the weapon on flight. However the V.I.P. refused to part with the weapon for personal security. When he was asked for license, he said he was not carrying it. The security personnel refused to give permission to the V.I.P. to board the aircraft. This led to heated argument and in rage the V.I.P. threw one of the security staff across the floor. This further delayed the flight. The passengers were very restless since they were in the aircraft last 1 ½ hours. To top it up they were not allowed to leave the aircraft for security purpose.

Questions:

a. In this case, where do the service gaps exist and how would you close the gaps? (5 Marks)

b. Elaborate the importance of ‘People’ in airline service. (5 Marks)

International Marketing
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

Q1. Yoghurt Lab, a US Based Frozen Yoghurt chain, is planning its foray in India in 2018. It is confused about how to enter India since it would be an absolutely new market for them. Can you guide them with the options available and suggest the best alternative to them? (10 Marks)



Q2.Chikamanglu, the owner of multiple banana and coconut plantations down south in Kerala plans to export these high quality products. But he is unaware about the entire export process and is seeking your support as a consultant. Can you please guide him about the process and documents required for the same? (10 Marks)



Q3. Read the below given Case Study and answer the questions below?

Dunkin Donuts brand is owned by Dunkin Brands Group which is a well known pioneering brand of quick service restaurants. It has more than 18000 points of distribution in the world with presence in more than 60 countries (Dunkin Donuts, 2014). The company is headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts. The company reported a sale of $9.3 billion in the year 2013. The company operates on a 100 percent franchised model and there are nearly 11000 Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants in 33 countries (Dunkin Donuts, 2014). The company has an established leadership in coffee segment for more than 60 years and sells more than 1.8 billion cups of coffee all over the world. The brand has a high level of customer loyalty and is a socially responsible brand. India is an attractive expanding economy for global fast food chains such as Dunkin Donuts and offers the company with a large customer base.

Dunkin Donuts was launched in India in the year 2012 on the basis of the classic donuts model to serve breakfast to customers 7 am onwards. The brand quickly realized that Indians do not like doughnuts and are unlikely to buy doughnuts in bulk (Rana, 2014). The concept of doughnuts is new in India and Indians are more likely to consume burgers or pizza than doughnuts in the current fast food market scenario. The brand had to quickly customize its menu in India to include burgers like competitor McDonald’s and had to advertise in its marketing campaign that the brand offered much more than Bavarian Cream and coffee in its menu. This article shall highlight the issues faced by Dunkin Donuts brand in India and its offerings for the Indian customers and how the brand was repositioned to suit the Indian customers.

Dunkin Donuts began offering American Doughnuts for breakfast in India with its stores opening at 8 am with the aim of offering breakfast to Indians. The brand offered doughnuts that were priced high in accordance with the American culture of having a light breakfast.

How Dunkin Donuts failed to understand consumer preferences?

The company was treated no more than a pastry shop initially on its launch in India in the year 2012 where people would visit to consume Doughnuts as a dessert. The company was initially launched as an AM brand that offered breakfast menu to customers. Dunkin Donuts had initially failed to understand the consumer preferences in India for a fast food restaurant that offered full meals rather than light doughnuts for a breakfast. After looking at poor response from customers with respect to doughnuts, the company decided to rebrand itself as a PM brand that offered much more than doughnuts and coffee.

Dunkin’ Donuts less than impressive performance so far

Dunkin Donuts has been successful in adapting its donought menu to suit Indian preferences by offering India centric doughnuts in its menu that are a hit among the Indian customers. Since its launch in the year 2012, Dunkin Donuts has been successful in expanding its reach to 38 locations in India (Spiegel, 2014). The restaurant faced rejection initially as a breakfast menu restaurant that offered only American doughnuts at 7 am. The company failed in India due to its inability to understand the Indian culture and the concept of healthy and complete breakfast in India with family members. The restaurant has now customized its food menu to offer burgers and cheese sandwiches that are popular among the Indian consumers. In view of successful fast food chains such as McDonald’s and KFC well established in India, Dunkin Doughnuts has also expanded its menu to lure Indian customers. However, it remains a challenge for the company to expand its operations and menu items to increase its market share in the Indian fast food industry.

a. What has Dunkin Donuts done wrong in India? (5 Marks)

b. What steps should the company take in order to recover? (5 Marks)

Integrated Marketing Communications
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

1) You are about to launch a product (you can select a product of your choice) in India. Using the customer-controlled market concept how will you ensure the success of that product? (10 Marks)



2) You have been assigned a role to market a deodorant by a well known company. How will you use and improve your personal selling skills to increase the market share of this brand? (10 Marks)



3) Case Study

Its not Tesla that scares Europe in electric-car race.

Electric car production in the European Union got a spur on Wednesday as EU regulators acted to close a technological gap with China by seeking stricter emission curbs on manufacturers such as Volkswagen and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

The European commission, the EU’s regulatory arm, proposed a 30 percent reduction in car discharges of carbon dioxide by 2030 compared with 2021 levels, as part of a steeped-up ight against global warming. The plan which will progressive tighten existing CO2 limits, features incentives or automakers to shift to electric vehicles.

There’s a component of trying to facilitate the development of a powerful car-manufacturing industry of electric vehicles. Miguel Arias Canete, EU climate and energy commissioner, said in an interview in his Brussels office.

There will be a race for developing lean-energy vehicles. We are seeing that the others are taking a global lead. Europe is gearing up for a technological revolution in road transport that would push the traditional internal combustion engine from showrooms into museums in a bid to retain leadership in the worldwide market of passenger cars.

The combustion is taking advantage of the landmark climate-protection agreement reached by almost 200 countries in Paris in late 2015 to get a grip on the European road-transportation pollution, which has bucked a general trend of falling EU discharges of greenhouse gases including CO2 that are blamed for climate change. Under the Paris accord, the EU aims to slash such pollution at least 40 percent by 2030.

As China expands its electric-vehicle prowess with the blunt policy of quotas, Europe is counting on a more nuanced approach that would force carmakers to choose between making the combustion engine cleaner or abandoning it in favour of electric vehicles.

The production of Tesla cars in 2016 was around 80,000 cars, Canate said. The big problem is China which has mandatory target of 10 percent in 2019, 12 percent in 2020 and 7.5 million vehicles per year in the future. The Chinese market already boasts 400 types of electric vehicles, whereas Europe has six, according to Canate. India meanwhile aims for all new passenger cars sold by 2030 to be electric. There is a huge gap between European Union, which invented the car, and developing countries, Canete said.

a. If India develops the Electric car and by 2030 all cars sold will be electric which media do you think is suitable to advertise from the Integrated marketing communication perspective? How would you plan to launch the car? (5 Marks)

b. What do you think the future of this industry will be? How can one leverage and grow the market share of electric vehicles? (5 Marks)

Business Ethics: Governance & Risk
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

1. Fashion Styles Ltd is a garment manufacturing and exporting company based out of Mumbai, India. They are suppliers to an International Brand in Europe. As Head of Supply Chain, Anup is responsible for selection and appointment of third party manufacturer in some of the product category. With recent media explosion about use of migrant worker in garment supply chain he wants to sit with his Human Resources Head, Amrita to review all the relevant compliances, voluntary code / standards they adhere to before appointing new supplier for the next financial year. Anup has given you the responsibility to prepare a document consisting of all the relevant points/topics that he needs to review and discuss with Amrita. So what all topics / points should be included and what should he discuss about each of those topics/points? (10 Marks)



2. Do you think pollution is customer responsibility as well? Why do you think so? Who are the other stakeholders around this issue and how are they contributing to the escalating problem? Analyse atleast three ethical dilemmas faced by companies while trying to reduce their pollution levels. (10 Marks)



3. A.) Andrew, a customer executive from Southeast Asia will visit your HQ facility and meet with your executive team. Your independent Southeast Asian agent requests that you reimburse the customer executive for his expenses, including expenses that could violate your company's policies. The agent will reimburse you. How do you proceed? Explain the thought process behind your decision. (5 Marks)

B.) Our company prides itself on hiring minorities. One African candidate fully fits the job requirements for the open position. However, we are concerned that our customers will not understand his limited command of the English language. What should be done in these circumstances? As the person to whom he will report what steps will you take and why? (5 Marks)

B2B Marketing
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

Q.1 Crompton Greaves Ltd is the leader in Indian Domestic market for electric motors, which conform to Indian & International Standards. The company faces a severe competition from small scale motor manufacturer as well as large global players like Siemens & ABB. What suggestions you would like to give to the company to maintain its leadership position in this product category?



Q.2 Sam Chem Corporation is into the business of House Keeping products & equipments. Develop an effective communication programme for the company.



Q.3 Read the following Case & solve the questions given:

Mahindra Parikh, Senior Manager-Commercial, India Textiles Ltd., felt doubtful on bringing down the delivery time from 60 days to 45 days, demanded by some international buyers of garments. The company's manufacturing unit at Bangalore produced garments like shirts, trousers, for domestic as well as international customers, including Walmart, i.e. Penny, and Gap. The production process included various operations like dyeing of yarn, weaving, and processing.

The production was organized on three shift basis. The company had outsourced some of the operations like processing because it did not have facility to do the processing, although it had adequate space.

Mahindra asked the market research manager to get the information about the competitor’s delivery time for the garments. The market research manager informed him that only four out of about 100 garment (or apparel) manufacturing units were in a position to fulfill the important purchasing objectives of 45 days delivery time and consistent product quality. Mahindra applied a lot of pressure on the existing processing firms to bring down the delivery time. However, he did not receive any positive commitments from them. Mahindra felt that it was very important to satisfy the delivery and quality objectives of the garment buying firms, in order to achieve the company's sales and profitability goals.

Questions:

a. If you were Mahindra Parikh, what would you do? (5 Marks)

b. ‘The company had outsourced some of the operations like processing because it did not have facility to do the processing, although it had adequate space’. Do you agree with this decision? Justify ( 5 Marks)

Capital Market and Portfolio Management
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

Q.1 Mr. Mahendra Kumar would like to invest in mutual funds. He has been suggested by his friend to choose a fund from any of the three mutual funds, as given in the table below. Mr. Mahendra learns that he can use Sharpe’s ratio, Treynor’s ratio and Jensen’s Alpha to measure the performance of a mutual fund. Help Mr. Mahendra to rank the three funds on each of the measures.

Fund A Fund B Fund C

Portfolio Return 12% 15% 18%

Standard Deviation 0.15 0.25 0.4

Beta of the portfolio 0.6 0.8 1.4

Return from the market 12%

Risk free rate of return 6%



Q.2 Mr. Virendra Kumar invests Rs. 10,000 in a stock that gives him dividend of Rs. 100, Rs. 200 and Rs. 300 at the end of the first, second and third year respectively. He sells his holdings at Rs. 13,500 at the end of the third year. How much returns did he earn, as per Money weighted rate of return method? Further, instructions- students can directly calculate the IRR either using in-built formula in MS Excel or create calculations of Present Values (PVs) in MS Excel. Find sum of PVs and set the sum to zero by changing the value of the discounting rate. (you may use Goal Seek function of MS Excel to accurately calculate the IRR). The rate at which the sum is zero is IRR. (10 Marks)



Q.3 Mr. Dhirendra Kumar is a 24 years old professional, working as a programmer for the largest software company in India. He has earned his bachelor degree of engineering in Computer Science from IIT Mumbai and has been working for the company for last three years. He belongs to Pathankot and his parents live there. For last three years, he has been staying in Bengaluru along with his other colleagues in a rented accommodation. He plans to get married not before the age of 28 and would like to have his own house before he gets married. His father is working currently at Pathankot and is due to retire in another ten years. He plans to convince to his parents to shift to Bengaluru from Pathankot to stay with him post his father’s retirement. Mr. Dhirendra is the star performer of his company. He currently enjoys a package of Rs. 18 lakhs per annum. After accounting for his expenditure, he has been able to save close to Rs. 30 lakhs over the last three years. Till date he has been putting his savings in either Fixed deposits (FDs) of his bank or some of the tax savings instruments such as Public Provident Fund etc. However, now he would like to see his investments grow much faster so that he can meet his marriage related expenditure four years later and also make the down payment for his new house before marriage. He has been getting various investment advices from different people telling him where to put his money. His parents are advising him to buy some gold every year and put rest of the money in FD. His boss tells him to buy the house right away, even though it could be smaller than he would need later. According to his boss, value of his small house would appreciate in four years and that the sale proceeds would partially fund the new purchase. Some of his friends have told him that investing in high safety corporate bonds will give him better returns than putting money in PPF. Amongst all this, he is getting the constant feed through newspapers of Sensex and Nifty scaling new heights every other day and a few one-off stories of rags to riches. Mr. Dhirendra is thoroughly confused between the choices and he now approaches a professional (you) to advice him on the right investment strategy. Some questions that you need to answer for Mr. Dhirendra:

a) Where should he put his money, in gold, in FD, in PPF, in real estate, in corporate bonds or in stocks? Or do you have some other strategy in mind? Provide your answer with the rationale.

b) Should he invest in any of these assets directly or should he choose the mutual fund route or create a portfolio of mutual funds? How will choosing the mutual fund route (single mutual fund or a portfolio of mutual funds) will prove beneficial to Mr. Dhirendra? Explain your recommendation with reasons for the same.

Industrial Relations & Labour Laws
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

1. The working hours of each of the manufacturing unit differ depending upon the availability of resources in that particular area. The management decides on the working hours, the facilities provided to the employees, the wages etc. However, at no point of the decision making is the suggestion of the workers taken. Infact, any grievances by the employees on the decision given by the management is also not appreciated. The trade union met the management and informed them that if such a behavior continued the employees would go a strike. The management replied saying that it would be physically difficult to travel to all the units before implementing a decision and an economical loss to the company also. Analyze the case and find a suitable suggestion (10 Marks)



2. Nitin had been working in an industry for the past 10 years. He has been efficient in his work and also been appreciated by his seniors and employers. In the month of November 2017, he was given a promotion. Next month he was transferred to a new unit in a rural area. Nitin refused the transfer stating that he would be getting married within 2 months. The management felt offended and removed his promotion. When Nitin questioned the decision, the management did not give a satisfactory answer, he approached the trade union. The other workers also sympathized with Nitin and joined his dispute. The management told the trade union that if it raises this dispute it shall deduct the wages of the employees. This created a strain in the relation between the employers and the employees. Analyze the case and suggest the various ways in which the dispute can be settled (10 Marks)



3. Yash was working in a factory. While working a part of machinery fell on his head. He was rushed to the hospital, but was declared dead. The employer said that it was the neglect of the employee, and refused to pay any compensation to the dependents of Yash. One of the employees in the factory informed the Commissioner about the accident

a. Advise the dependents on the compensation payable to the employee under the Employees Compensation act. (5 Marks)

b. Advise the dependents on the procedure followed by the Commissioner in case of fatal accidents.

Strategic Management
NMIMS April 2018 Assignments: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com
1. You are the CEO of an Automotive firm in India. Recently you have expressed interest to change your Traditional Inventory System to a Just-in Time Inventory System. Conduct a detailed Force Field Analysis by identifying atleast 3 Driving
12. forces & 3 Restraining forces each & suggest atleast 3 ways of reducing the restraining forces. 2. During the year 1999, Vodafone, a UK based telecom company decided to acquire Mannesmann, a German cellphone company. Identify the nature of acquisition in this case. Which one of the following types of acquisition would you categorise this to be the most appropriate? ? Hostile Takeover ? Friendly Takeover ? Merger OR ? Demerger Describe in detail the process undertaken of your chosen option. If you were the CEO of the Vodafone, would you undertake this above mentioned step? 3. You have been appointed as a Consultant to a Malaysian automotive company wanting to enter India. a. Conduct a PEST analysis for India as a market. b. Based on the PEST analysis conducted, would you recommend a positive entry or suggest a no entry into the Indian market. State your response with atleast 4 reasons.


Operations Management

Q1. The traditional definition of Operations Management considers it to be a transformation system. Explain the transformation system of a restaurant of your choice.



Q2. There are several production systems adopted by firms. Critically evaluate each of the production systems.



Q3. S K Chand furniture manufacturers has provided the following data, units are Rs 1000.

a) Calculate the labour, raw materials and total productivity for the current year

b) Compare the labour, raw materials and total productivity values for the two years

IIBMS case studies: Contact us for answers at assignmentssolution@gmail.com

Case Study-1
HERO CYCLES PVT. LIMITED

Hero Bicycles Pvt. Ltd. is a Ludhiana-based bicycle manufacturing company. Hero is one of the biggest bicycle manufacturing companies in the world. Basically, Hero has attained its present commanding heights after long years of struggle. It started as a sole proprietorship concern in 1950. Mr. C. L. Munjal who owned a bicycle repair shop in Ludhiana has four sons who joined hands with their father and established a partnership concern. Now, this company has developed into a Pvt. Ltd. Company. There are several companies at present in Hero Group which manufacture a wide range of products, viz., mopeds, motorcycles, shock-absorbers, bicycles, spare parts, textile fibres, etc. at present, Hero group has many professional managers working in their various companies which have
become public limited (widely held) companies but Hero Bicycle still remains a private limited
company (narrowly held). Lala type tendencies are very ostensively visible in the functioning of this
group as a whole and more particularly in the Hero Bicycles Pvt. Ltd. As a result, many employees of
this company and the group as a whole are not a highly satisfied lot. But still Hero Group and Hero
Cycles in particular are working as highly efficient and profit making unit in their business.
Lately, Hero started experiencing a cut-throat competition in the bicycle business in the home and
world markets. They have started experiencing some flatness in their sales and profit curves.
Recently, Hero Cycles Pvt. Ltd. recruited an M.B.A. Miss Anuradha Goswami. Miss Anuradha who
specialised in Marketing, was the first M.B.A. to be recruited from the outside as there was an
emphasis to recruit only technically equipped people like engineers, etc., without management
qualifications. But some of the sons of the four brothers of Hero Group are having technical as well as
management qualifications. Even some of these third generation, Hero Promoters and managers are
M.B.A.’s from some reputed universities. They have lot of management exposure in India as well as
abroad as they keep on touring domestic and international markets quite frequently. The chairman,
Mr. Ravinder Lall is also a very ambitious and dynamic man who talks of promoting a Hero culture
among Hero Group employees as a whole. He aspires to take bigger strides and make the group as
one of the few big business houses in India. He intends to start his own training college to impact
management training to his group employees and also to managers of other companies.
One day, Mr. Ravinder Lall called his marketing Manager Mr. Siripat Dass in his cabin and
discussed with him in detail the marketing problems facing Hero Cycles Pvt. Ltd. Mr. Dass told Mr.
Ravinder Lall, “Sir, our main problem is that we are continuing our manufacturing on traditional lines
hence many problems of marketing are the result of that. We never tried to have a feel of the
consumers in domestic as well as in international markets. To be very frank sir, we must undertake
some marketing research projects so that we can understand the purchase behaviour of bicycle buyers.
Also there is a need to understand the dealers’ view-points through certain dealers’ surveys.” I think
you can guide and instruct Ms. Anuradha Goswami on this and she would be able to carry out the
research work. Ask her to prepare a research report on the basis of collected research data.”
Mr. Dass summoned Miss. Anuradha to his cabin and asked her to prepare a research proposal
and get it approved to study buyers’ and dealers’ behaviour within ten days. Miss Anuradha started
the maiden exercise of preparing a research design from that moment onwards. She established the
study objectives as follows:
1. To study the buyers’ needs and behaviour after establishing certain basic attributes of bicycles
needed by them.
2. To study the dealers’ attitudes towards Hero Bicycle policies and its products.
3. To distinguish the rural buyers’ needs and attitudes from those of the urban buyers.
Examination Paper of Semester III
IIBM Institute of Business Management 4
Ms. Anuradha decided to adopt an exploratory research design because much secondary data
were not available. She wanted to collect primary data on the buyer’s and dealers’ attitudes. For this,
she decided to take a sample of 100 buyers (males and females) from each of the urban and rural
population from and around Ludhiana city in the samples. She decided to include some juveniles,
children and students. In the samples, she decided to take a sample of 50 dealers from the North
Indian States. Buyers’ sample was to be taken on the judgement and convenience basis whereas
dealers’ sample was to be taken on the random stratified sampling basis.
She decided that data collection from buyers will be carried out with the help of a structuredundisguised
interview schedule. Personal interviews would also be conducted with the dealers with
the help of a separately designed interview schedules. She decided that many questions on each
schedule would be on attitude measurement on the pattern of Likert Scaling Techniques covering the
bicycle attributes like price, quality, colour, availability of spare parts, repair costs, sleekness in looks,
durability etc.
Further, Ms. Anuradha decided that data thus collected would be categorized in favorable and
unfavorable categories (with regard to attributes) and z-test would be applied to examine the
significance after calculating the mean scores. Ranking of various attributes will also be carried out.
General profile of consumers and dealers will also be prepared on the basis of their biographic
information like age, sex, qualifications, income, place of living, etc.
Finally, it was decided that two outside investigators (MBA students) would be engaged for the
purpose of survey who would collect and compile the survey results.
She assumed that survey would be having certain limitations as the samples would be small in size
because of limited time within which the research report is to be prepared. But she justified that
buyers and dealers attitudes would be same even in larger sample as people have similar viewpoints
regarding bicycles.

1. Was the problem identification and formulation systematically carried out? Discuss and put forward your viewpoints for improvement in this regard.

2. Whether the objectives were decided and listed in an appropriate manner? Whether hypothesis were to be formulated? What can be the hypothesis in this case?

Case Study-2

Over the past two years Linux has spread like wildfire through corporate data centers. Companies
once dependent on expensive proprietary systems from Sun, IBM, or Hewlett-Packard have replaced
them with dirt-cheap Dell or no-name servers that are Intel powered and loaded with the Linux
operating system. Linux now runs almost 15 percent of all servers and is growing at about 23 percent
a year. And even mainframe systems have joined in, with IBM estimating that over 10 percent of its
mainframe sales are for running Linux applications.
Though PC users haven’t switched to Linux – less than 1 percent of all computers run Linux – a
2002 survey by CIO magazine found that almost 30 percent of chief technologists were considering
moving their companies’ PCs to a Linux PC operating system like Windows. Wal-Mart, which began
selling Lindows-ready PCs on its website in September 2002, had such success with that offering
that by Christmas it was having trouble meeting demand. Almost every major PC electronics maker,
from HP in printers to Epson in scanners, is making sure it has Linux-compatible offerings. And Sun
has poured millions of dollars into its Star Office software suite, which gives Linux users programs
that work like – and more important, are compatible with – Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.
Backed by technology titans such as Intel, IBM, Hewlett Packard, and Dell, Linux is just now
going mainstream. From DaimlerChrysler to Tommy Hilfiger – not to mention just about every
major brokerage on Wall Street – Linux is gaining ground. Coming from near zero three years ago,
Linux grabbed 13.7 percent of the $50.9 billion market for server computers in 2002. That figure is
expected to jump to 25.2 percent in 2006, putting Linux in the No. 2 position, according to market
researcher IDC. And get this: Starting in 2003, No. 1 Microsoft’s 59.9 percent share in the
backwards. Even the surprise but shaky assault on Linux by SCO in its suit of IBM is not expected
to slow the steady growth of Linux.
Meanwhile, Linux is finding its way into countless consumer-electronics gizmos, including Sony
PlayStation videogame consoles and TiVo TV-program recorders. “Has Linux come of age? The
answer is absolutely, positively, unequivocally yes,” says Steven A. Mills, group executive for IBM
Software.
How did Linux make the jump into the mainstream? A trio of powerful forces converged. First,
credit the sagging economy. Corporations under intense pressure to reduce their computing bills
began casting about for low-cost alternatives. Second, Intel Corp., the dominant maker of processors
for PCs, loosened its tight links with Microsoft and started marking chips for Linux; at the same time
a resurgent IBM made a $1 billion investment in Linux compatibility across its entire product line.
This made it possible for corporations to get all the computing power they wanted at a fraction of the
price. The third ingredient was widespread resentment of Microsoft and fear that the company was
on the verge of gaining a stranglehold on corporate customers. “I always want to have the right
competitive dynamics. That’s why we focus on Linux. Riding that were will give us choices going
forward,” says John A. McKinley Jr., executive vice-president for global technology and services at
Merrill Lynch Co., which runs some key securities trading applications on Linux.
Using open-source software like Linux is a no-brainer for many companies. It’s stable and can be
fixed easily if bugs appear, and you can’t beat the price. But some companies and government
organizations are taking their commitment to open source a step further by actively participating in
the open-source community that develops Linux. When their developers write patches, modifications
Examination Paper of Semester III
IIBM Institute of Business Management 4
or new implementations of open-source software for in-house use, these organizations are releasing
that new code back to the open-source community, thereby assisting in the software’s ongoing
development.
What’s the payoff? It makes for better software. “If we find a bug or a problem, we’re interested
fixing that problem. We’re also interested in not fixing it again in the next version,” explains Robert
M. Lefkowitz, director of open-source strategy at Merrill Lynch & Co. in New York.
This is why Merrill Lunch sent the fixes it made to open-source software during one of its
projects back to the open-source community. “The way a typical open-source project works is that
there is a core team in the open-source community with direct access to modifying the code on its
central website,” Lefkowitz says. “People who want to contribute to that community submit their
code, which is looked at by a core team and integrated if found appropriate.”
For all contributions, Lefkowitz emphasizes the importance of creating a corporate policy with
help from the departments that could be affected by open-source involvement. At Merrill Lynch, an
eight-member Open-Source Review Board determines when contributing is appropriate.

1. Should businesses continue to switch to the Linux operating system on servers and mainframes?
Why or why not?

2. Should the IT departments of companies like Merrill Lynch contribute their software
improvements to the open-source community for products like Linux? Explain your reasoning?

Case Study-3
This case is based on an actual incident which took place in an Army Unit deployed in field area. A part of a Battery (about ¼ of an Artillery Regiment) was deployed in a snow bound high altitude area of Kashmir. This was the first time, an artillery unit was deployed in an area with roads and tracks still under development. Preparation of this area for such a development needed a lot of digging for guns, pits for ammunition storage, living place of the personnel, slit trenches and weapon pits for local ….
incident very sympathetically and promised to assist in whatever way he could. This officer was a contemporary of the unit in a previous station and had excellent relations and interaction with the unit. Some items were offered by the workshop officer and replaced accordingly. The vehicle was made roadworthy again within a fortnight and put on road for duty. All the enquiries were dispensed with and there was no loss of face by anyone at any level. It is pertinent to mention that it had snowed in that location as soon as the recovery party came out of the hills.

QUESTIONS:

1.    Which factors contributed to motivate the troops to go ahead for such a difficult task as recovering a damaged vehicle from such a difficult and treacherous terrain and getting it repaired in such a short time?
2.    Which incidents indicate the importance of good interpersonal relationships with juniors, peers and superiors and what is the importance of good interpersonal relationships?
Case Study-4
The stakes were high for Gene Elliot, whose on-the-job injuries were estimated to be serious enough
to merit at least a $2.4 million settlement. But who should pay for his injuries: Turner Construction
or B&C Steel? Or should he be forced to pay for at least part of his injuries because of his own
carelessness?
Gene Elliot worked for Mabey Bridge and Shore, a small business that rented temporary steel
pedestrian foot bridges to other companies. The temporary bridges had to be put together by the
renter, and Gene Elliot’s job was to go to the site where the steel bridge was going to be installed,
show the renter how to bolt the bridge sections together and how to install the bridge over a river or
waterway, and inspect the bridge to make sure it was done properly and according to Mabey
Bridge’s high standards. Elliot was a devoted hard worker who strove to do everything possible to
ensure that a bridge installation was successful and according to Mabey’s standards.
Turner Construction was a general contractor hired to build Invesco Field at the Mile High
Stadium in Denver, Colorado. Part of the job involved installing a temporary pedestrian bridge over
the Platte River near the stadium. Turner Construction subcontracted (hired) B&C Steel to build and
install the bridge, which Turner Construction would pay for. B&C Steel was a small company that
specialized in putting together and installing steel structures like those Mabey Bridge rented out.
B&C Steel would pick up the bridge, put it together, and install it for Turner.
Turner Construction rented the long steel bridge from Mabey Bridge. Mabey Bridge agreed that
the rental included the services of Gene Elliot, who would be loaned to Turner to instruct and inspect
the bridge assembly and installation. B&C Steel’s workers picked up the bridge sections from
Mabey Bridge’s warehouse and drove them to the river but didn’t unload the bridge sections where
they had to be assembled. B&C then had to move the sections to the correct site but didn’t plan for
the fence, guardrails, and trolley tracks that were in the way and later had to work around these
obstructions. B&C Steel began bolting the bridge sections together. When Elliot inspected the job,
he found the bridge had been bolted together upside down. Elliot made B&C do the job over, while
he climbed up and down and over the bridge, continuously checking and making sure that all the
bolts were tight and all the pieces were in the right place so that the installation would be a success.
When the bridge was finished, B&C workers used a truck to move the long steel structure to the
edge of the river. Unfortunately, B&C had not adequately checked the route and their truck hit a low
hanging power line, which sparked and started a fire. The fire department arrived and put out the
fire. Afterwards, the installation job continued.
B&C workers set up a crane on the other side of the river near a retaining wall, and a strong nylon
strap was strung from the crane, over the water, and tied to one end of the bridge, which was set on
rollers. The B&C crane would lift and pull the bridge over the river to its side, while workers on the
other side of the river pushed on their end of the bridge. The work began, and as the pulling crane
held the bridge suspended in the air about a quarter of the way over the river, Elliot noticed that the
retaining wall which was supporting the crane on the other side of the river was beginning to
collapse, causing the crane to begin to tip sideways. The B&C crane operator on the other side began
to untie the strap holding the bridge, Concerned that once the strap was cut the bridge would fall into
the river and the installation would end in failure, Elliot ran up on the bridge and gave the standard
Examination Paper of Business Ethics
IIBM Institute of Business Management 4
emergency OSHA all-stop signal that all construction workers know means not to move anything.
But the bridge, still attached to the crane, somehow moved, and Elliot felt, sustaining numerous
pelvic injuries and a severed urethra (the tube that carries urine). The cause of the movement was
never established.
Elliot sued Turner Construction and B&C Steel for negligence resulting in economic losses of
$28,000, noneconomic injuries of $1,200,000, and permanent impairment of $1,200,000. These
figures were established by a qualified expert in the field of worker injuries and were not seriously
contested.
Turner Construction, however, denied its responsibility. It claimed that Turner was Elliot’s
temporary employer and workers’ compensation law required employees to pay only the economic
looses, here only $28,000, suffered by their employees. Turner Construction pointed to the law,
which stated: “Any company leasing or contracting out any part of the work to any lessee or
subcontractor, shall be constructed to be an employer and shall be liable to pay [only] compensation
for injury resulting therefrom to said lessees and subcontractors and their employees.” Turner
Construction claimed that Mabey was a subcontractor to Turner, so Turner should be construed to be
Elliot’s temporary employer. Moreover, Colorado’s worker’s compensation law, which was
designed to ensure that employers always paid for workers injuries “grants an injured employee
compensation from the employer without regard to negligence and, in return, the responsible
employer is granted immunity from common law negligence liability.”
B&C claimed that it, too, was not responsible, because according to the law a company is not
responsible for negligence when an injury is not “reasonably foreseeable” to the company. B&C
contended that a reasonable person could not have anticipated that placing the crane near to the
retaining wall and subsequently attempting to remove the nylon strap holding up the bridge might
end by prompting someone to get on the bridge in an attempt to save it from falling into the river. On
the other hand, B&C claimed, since “Elliot chose to remove himself from a secure and safe position
and placed himself in one that he understood was potentially unsafe,” Elliot was himself responsible
for his injuries.
Elliot claimed that he was not really Turner’s employee, since he was working for Mabey. He
also argued that B&C had shown a pattern of negligence from the time that the bridge was received
until the time that it was installed. B&C and its employees, he said, were unprepared for the project
and negligently failed to adequately plan for it, as shown by the sequence of events leading up to his
injury. B&C there fore did not exercise the degree of care that a reasonably careful person should
have exercised in similar circumstances and so was liable to him for his injuries. He himself was not
responsible, he said, because good, devoted employee would try his best to ensure that the bridge
installation did not end in failure, and he would have been perfectly safe if the standard OSHA allstop
signal had been followed by B&C employees, as he had a right to expect it to be.
1. In your judgement, and from an ethical point of view, should Turner Construction and/or B&C
Steel pay for all or part of the $2,428,000 (if part, indicate which part)? Explain your view?
2. In your judgement, is the Colorado worker’s compensation law to which Turner Construction
appealed fair? Explain your view?
Case Study-5
Most companies store reams of data about their customers. The IT challenge has been how to
integrate and massage that information so the business units can respond immediately to changes in
sales and customer preferences.
Hency Schein Inc. (www.henryschein.com) has it figured out. The $2.8 billion distributor of
health care products designed and built a data warehouse with an in-house team of six IS
professionals. CIO Jim Harding says he knew that having the right skills was critical to the data
warehouse project, yet at the time, Schein had zero warehousing experience in its IT shop. So he and
Grace Monahan, vice president of business systems, hired people for what they call “Team Schein.”
Because Harding had chosen two key tools for the data warehouse – data extraction software
from Informatica Corp. and user query and reporting software from Micro Strategy Inc. – the focus
was on finding people who had experience with those tools. So Monahan hired three people from
outside: project director Daryll Kelly, data modeler Christine Bates, and front-end specialist Rena
Levy, who’s responsible for the user interface and data analysis, as well as user support and training.
Dawen Sun, who handles extract, transform, and load issues, and database administrator Jamil
Uddin hold two other key positions. Another term member is rotated in form Schein’s application
development group.
Besides having the right skills, the other top priority was ensuring data quality. “It seems kind of
obvious,” says Harding, “but sometimes these projects forget about quality, and then the data
warehouse ends up being worthless because nobody trusts it.” So at the outset of the project, the
team interviewed about 175 potential business users to determine the information they needed to
access and the reports they wanted to see. Plus, the team analyzed the old paper reports and the
condition of the data housed in the company’s core transaction system. Monahan says those steps
brought to light the importance of cleansing data in a system that’s designed for transactional
purpose but not suitable for a data warehouse. That led to a long period of standardizing
transactional codes in order to produce the sales reporting that business analysts needed.
“It’s in-house people who have this gold coin of knowledge of how their systems really work,
which data is really good and not so good, and how the end users really want to use the data,”
Kimball says. “Data quality is the hardest part of the project, because it’s very time-consuming and
detailed, and not everyone appreciates it unless they’ve been through a couple of projects, like Daryll
has,” Harding says.
And there was yet another tedious obstacle. The data warehouse was designed to provide a very
granular level of detail about customers, “so we can slice and dice at will,” Harding says. But the
result was sluggish system performance. So the team created summary tables to make the queries
work faster, and those tables needed to be tested. It was a lengthy process, Harding says, but in the
end, it worked very well. The journey has taken well over two years. The system went live 18
months ago but “really came into its own” in February, Harding says.
Of course, building a data warehouse is a never-ending job. New companies are acquired,
products are added, customers come and go, and new features and enhancements are ongoing. But
from an IT standpoint, the data warehouse is complete and has 85 percent of the data is to provide
the European operation with its own data warehouse system and tie it into in the U.S.
Examination Paper of Semester IV
IIBM Institute of Business Management 4
Harding says his project will surely justify the costs, but he lacks hard numbers. “We didn’t have
a formal ROI that you could track later. I don’t even know how you would do it,” he says. “The
reason we’re doing the project is because of the value it brings to the business.”
Lou Ferraro, vice president and general manager of Schein’s medical group, says the business
benefits are outstanding. He can now figure out who his most profitable customers are, target
customers for certain types of promotions, and look at the business by product categories or sales
territories. Ferraro says the data warehouse also helps select customers for direct-mail marketing
campaigns that range “upward of million pieces annually.”
One of the most valuable features of the data warehouse has been the ability it gives users to add
more fields to reports as they are using the system. “Once you create a basic report, draw a
conclusion, and drill further based on those assumptions, it allows you to use that data and go even
further, as opposed to creating a new report, and another and another,” Ferraro says. The IT
department used to create, edit, revise, run, download, reprogram, and print piles of paper reports –
daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly – for the analysis of sales and market trends. But today,
business users search, sort, and drill down for that information themselves in a fraction of the time.
The data warehouse has become “a part of our culture,” says Harding. “It’s got that kind of aura
about it within the company.”
1. What are some of the key requirements for building a good data warehouse? Use Henry Schein
Inc. as an example.
2. What are the key software tools needed to construct and use a data warehouse?
Case Study-6
A company has a central warehouse in Chicago that supplies the demand of three branch warehouse: one in Baltimore, one in New Orleans, and one in Cleveland. The following tables provide the relevant data:

Warehouse     Safety Stock         Lead Time         Order Quantity     On-hand
Baltimore             50         2 periods                  350              250
New Orleans           100         1 period         200             150
Cleveland     80             2 periods         500             200
Chicago     200             2 periods         1500             750

Gross requirements on the branch warehouses:

Period                1           2            3           4           5           6           7           8           9
___________________________________________________________
Baltimore        100      80       150         90       100        85        110       120      100
New Orleans     70       65         75         50         90        80          75        80        55
Cleveland         110       90        65        135         85        70        140      100       60

1. Determine DRP records for all four warehouses?
2. What will be the DRP structure for the above four warehouses?
Case Study-7
Allen Specialty Company, located in Detroit, Michigan, manufactured a line of Ballpoint pens, and
mechanical pencils and, in the past five years, had added a line of stationary. Allen products were sold to
stationary and office supply wholesalers and retailers, as well as to department stores, discount houses,
drugstores, variety stores, and supermarkets. A field sales force of eighty-two persons operated out of six
district sales offices. Allen management believed that a critical factor in the company’s sales success was
the coordination of its national advertising and the activities of Allen salespeople and dealers.
The sales promotion program was the responsibility of the sales promotion manager, Jack Biggerstaff,
and his staff, in conjunction with the sales planning committee at Allen headquarters in Detroit. The sales
planning committee consisted of the managers of merchandising, advertising, and marketing research.
The sales promotion plan, for both new and existing products, described objectives; roles of salespersons
and dealers; anticipated sales; the national, local, and trade advertising; and point-of-purchase displays,
deals, premiums, and contest offers.
With approval of the sales promotion plan by the sales planning committee and the sales promotion
manager, Jack Biggerstaff, the sales promotion department prepared sales promotion kits for the Allen
sales staff. The kit included advertising proofs, products samples, illustrations of the point-of-purchase
displays, samples of premiums offered, and a description of the special deal or context featured in the
promotion.
The sales promotion department prepared a timetable for each promotion plan, showing the date when
each advertisement appeared in various media. The timetable was distributed to the sales force and
dealers to enable them to time their sale and advertising to coincide with the national advertising, thereby
achieving full impact from the advertising.
When the sales promotion plan was approved by headquarters, it was presented to Allen sales personnel
at meetings in each of the six district sales offices. The sales promotion manager and the field sales
promotion manager, who reported to the former and whose job was to work with Allen salespeople and
dealers on sales promotion projects, made the presentation. Following the meetings, the field sales
promotion manager trained the salespeople in proper presentation of the promotion and called on key
dealers to enlist their support.
The sales promotion program used with a recent new product introduction was typical of Allen’s efforts.
In addition to the objectives and timetables, the sales promotion program included(1) selling tools for
Allen sales people- circular letters describing the promotion, a visual presentation portfolio for making
promotion presentations, product samples, reprints of consumer advertisements; (2) selling tools for Alen
dealers- presentation kits for selling the new product to consumers , mail circulars for delears to send to
consumers, mailing folders for use by dealers, sample folders, and a considerable amount of prize money
for dealers sales personnel; and (3) advertising support for Allen dealers- advertising in national media
and sample folders to be sent to consumers who responded to a coupon offer.
The sales promotion programs were presented one each week in the district offices in late November and
December. When the schedule was announced, Mike Halloran, assistant sales manager in charge of the
Pacific Northwest district called Jack Biggerstaff to complain that the sales promotion orientation session
in his district had been scheduled for December 27 during the quiet week when many of his salespeople
had found extra time to spend with their families and when several had customarily taken short skiing
vacations, Biggerstaff explained that the promotion plan would not be completed by home office
personnel in the six sales regions, it was not possible to schedule more than one a week. It was tough, but
Halloran’s district had drawn the bad week this year.
Halloran responded that he thought the sales promotion sessions were a waste of time anyhow. His
salespeople lost two productive days in these sessions, and, in his opinion, knowledge of details of the
Allen Company’s advertising and promotion plans didn’t make the sales rep’s job of selling to
wholesalers and retailers any easier. Anyhow, it was the responsibility of the field sale promotion
manager to work with the individual salespeople and call on key dealers. He also complained that when
these sessions were scheduled in mid-November, they interfered with sales productivity in the busiest
season of the year.
1. Evaluate the Allen Specialty Company’s organization and plan for coordinating sales and
advertising?
2. How should Biggerstaff answer Halloram’s complaint?
Case Study-8
Tech Knowledge is a start-up founded in 1997 by Robert Thyer. The company is a distributer of
presentation technologies, including computer based projection systems, video equipment, and
display technologies. The firm has 25 employees and does $5 million in sales. It is growing rapidly.
The owner, Robert Thyer, would like to netsource the back-office functions of the firm because the
company does not have an internal IT capability. The applications to be netsourced would include
sales and distribution, financial accounting, and inventory management.
TechKnowledge would like to source SAP or another ERP vendor via a hosting arrangement. It
does not expect to do much customization, and it does not have any legacy systems.
1. What factors should it use to evaluate each of these potential hosts?
2. What controls should be in place to monitor the hosting arrangement?