IMT - 01: MANAGEMENT PROCESS & ORGANIZATION

PART - A

Q1. F.W. Taylor is called the father of scientific management. Discuss his contribution and its importance in the current scenario.

Q2. Mention the characteristics of Distributive and Integrative bargaining.

Q3. Mention the advantages and limitations of bureaucracy.

Q4. List out the barriers to communication and how they can be overcome.

Q5. Creativity, though at times not tangible is an essential ingredient of organizational growth. Explain the creative problem solving process.

PART - B

Q1. Distinguish between divisional and matrix organization.

Q2. MBO is a goal oriented process. Discuss five advantages and disadvantages of the MBO process and give two suggestions for improving its effectiveness.

Q3. List and explain the factors that contribute towards group cohesiveness.

Q4. The success of the organization as a whole depends upon the harmonial relations among all interdependent groups. Are there circumstances where a moderate degree of conflict is actually beneficial to the individuals and the organizations? If so, what can the management do to maintain such degree of conflict?

Q5. How is Transactional Analysis (TA) relevant in dealing with people and situations?

PART - C

Q1. Explain the concept of group-think. Identify the symptoms of groupthink. How does it affect the quality of decisions?

Q2. Define an organization and mention the key elements. Discuss five guidelines for effective organization.

Q3. Give a brief account of the evolution of management thought from the early pioneers to the modern experts

Q4. Discuss the primary functions of management.

Q5. Discuss the importance of McKinsey's 7-S framework for effective management.

CASE STUDY-1:

Be Careful What You Wish For: From the Middle

Sharbari was delighted when she was promoted as the Regional Sales Controller of a leading chemical producer, where she had been employed for the last three years. It was a big boost in responsibility and would enable her to participate in the incentive compensation program. Now that he was facing her first end-of-the quarter Sales Report, however, she wondered what she had got herself into.

A major customer has placed a large order just one week before the end of the quarter, but they do not want delivery till the middle of the next quarter. The Sales Director of Sharbari's group wants to recognize the revenue now, thereby ensuring the maximum bonus for his group for the quarter.

This means processing the order, shipping the product to a warehouse and bearing the carrying costs until shipment to the customer.

Sharbari feels pressure from all sides. When she used to sit in the Accounting department, she saw the costs of such revenue recognition problems - it involved the cost of sending messages to all levels of the organization that it is OK to blame the system; the loss of information and distortion in expectation that jeopardized effective decision-making; the cost of cleaning up of the records when the distortion in expectation that jeopardized effective decision-making; the cost of cleaning up records when the distortion eventually came to light; and so on. She still reports to her old team and she knows that they are counting on her to make the right decisions on this kind of thing.

On the other hand, she wants the Sales Director and her new unit's General Manager to consider her as one of the team. She wants to earn their trust and respect.

Questions:

1. What are the sources of conflict for Sharbari?

2. What is at stake for the parties concerned?

3. What arguments can Sharbari use to influence those with whom she disagrees?

4. What actions do you recommend for dealing with this and similar situations in future?

CASE STUDY-2:

Following is the excerpt from an interview of Adi B.Godrej, Chairman, Godrej Group.

Q. "Some people who worked with Godrej a few years back and have since left, remember the Group as a great place to get started but lacking a sieve to subsequently separate the performers from the laggards. Has this worried you?"

A: "We have changed a lot since. I would agree with their evaluation, five to six years ago. That is why I said that whilst we have been human resource development oriented, we need to become much more so. We have done a lot of positive work in that direction in the last couple of years and will do more in the next three years.

But remember, this happens in all good companies. In which good company do people not leave at that stage? After all, the room at the top is always less than at the bottom. So people have to leave. The challenge is, that our not-so-good performers should leave and not our very good performers.

Questions:

1. What are the challenges the group faces if their managers wanted to retain the 'good performers' and allow 'not-so-good-performers' to leave?

2. Advise effective solutions for achieving Mr.Godrej's goal?