SECTION - A

Q1: With examples, describe the various functions performed by managers. Also elaborate on Managerial Roles and Operational Approaches to the Management Process.

Q1: Elaborate upon the interrelationship between planning, organizing and control.

Q2: Taking examples, comment on how the macro environment affects the business of an organization

Q3: Why are Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives needed? Comment on the pros and cons of CSR activities for the organization

Q4: Elaborate on the steps in Decision Making. Comment on the techniques for effective decision making

SECTION - B

Q1: What is delegation? Comment on the steps in the delegation process. Discuss some reasons for the failure of delegation.

Q2: What is power? With examples, comment on the various sources of power.

Q3: What is employee retention? Why is it important? Comment on the utility of employee retention strategies.

Q4: What is conflict? With examples, comment on the sources of conflict in an organization. Discuss the relevance and impact of culture and gender in conflict handling.

Q5: Why is control important? Taking examples, explain the control process.

SECTION - C

Write Short Notes on:

Q1:  Approaches to Org. Structure and Work Design

a.       Span of Control

b.       Strategic Business Units (SBU)

c.       PERT and Balanced Scorecard

Q2: Ethical questions faced by managers of MNC's. Comment on the ethics of managing the environment around the company with the context of Clean Development mechanism and Carbon Credits

Q3: Goals and Objectives and how a Blue Ocean Strategy can help shape the future direction of the organization.

Q4: Recruitment and Selection Techniques

Q5: Key ingredients of Leadership with examples.

CASE STUDY - 1

(Union Problems at George A. Hormel & Co.)

George A. Hormel & Company has many meat packing plants in the US and one of these plants is located at Austin, Minnesota. During the mid 1980s, the company was faced with a decreasing demand for its products. It became necessary to cut the costs of operations in order to remain in business and be competitive. To keep its costs down, the management of the company cut the base wages of its union employees. This was done arbitrarily and without consulting or negotiating with the union representatives. Even though the dispute between the union and the management had been simmering for a long time at the plant in Austin, it culminated in a strike led by the union in August 1985.

An arbitrator was appointed to act as mediator and due to his recommendation; some of the cuts in wages were restored. The management offered to restore the balance of the cuts at the time when the previous labour contract would expire and a new contract would be signed. The new contract was signed by all the unions at all other Hormel plants, except the one in Austin, and hence the strike. Because of the worker 's strike, the plant was shut down.

The plant remained closed for nearly five months. The strike had not yet been settled when the management at the Austin plant decided to reopen the plant, and accordingly, some union members returned to work. Many other workers refused to return to work and formed a picket line and the local union urged its members not to cross the picket line. The management started to hire new workers to replace those who were on strike. There was conflict between the employees and the workers on strike, so much so that at one time, there was a danger of physical violence and local police had to be called in to restrain the workers who were on strike.

The local union sent some of its members to picket other Hormel plants and asked the union members at these other plants to honour the picket lines and not report for work. About a week after the Austin plant was reopened, the central management fired hundreds of their workers at plants in Texas, Iowa and Nebraska for refusing to cross the picket lines and refusing to report for work. This step was significant because picket lines at the other plants were not set up by the local employees but by the striking employees at the plant in Austin.

The strike at the plant in Austin went into ninth month. Tempers flared and violence erupted and in May 1986 hundreds of strikers fought with police outside the Austin plant. The parent union, United Food and Commercial Workers union also disagreed with the striking workers prompted by the local union, considering the economic slowdown and conditions in the industry. The President of the parent union decided to take over the operations of the local union and started proceedings to appoint a new union leadership at this plant. He believed that the conflict had gone too far and he hoped that with these changes, the strike would be over and the workers could go back to work.

Questions:

Q1. Who were the winners and who were the losers in this conflict?

Q2. Is the conflict between union and management inevitable? What preventive steps can be taken to avoid the

possibility of worker strike? Explain your viewpoints.

Q3. If you were hired as a mediator, after the union went on strike, what step would you recommend in order to

minimize the negative impact of this conflict?

CASE STUDY - 2 (Promotion of Mr. Ritesh Mashroo)

Mr. Ritesh Mashroo was Senior Sales Manager working in Indian Lever Limited, a most reputed FMCG company for a decade. He was an excellent worker and had always achieved beyond the target assigned by his superior. In March 2001 when he returned from his official tour of 15 days, he came to know from his colleagues that the promotion list has been displayed and his name does not appear in that list.

On hearing this, he felt annoyed, humiliated and in his gush of anger entered the office of Mr. Mithun Chatterjee, General Manager (Marketing) and began to discuss:

Mr. Mashroo : Why I have not been promoted, Sir? Since last year you are assuring me to continue working hard and

that I would be promoted this year. This year too, you have not promoted me. What is the matter? (Mr. Chatterjee felt

insulted at Mr. Mashroo's behaviour as some guests were waiting outside his cabin.)

Mr. Chatterjee: First take your seat and cool down. I am indeed surprised to find your name missing in the promotion

list, even though I had recommended you for promotion. As you are aware, these days Vice President (Marketing)

decides on all matters related to promotion and he mentioned about the feedback from the field staff he had received

regarding your poor interpersonal skills. So, I suggest you that you be careful about your work behaviour and try to

improve upon it. We will see next time. (Mr. Mashroo was very angry at Mr. Chatterjee's remark and left the office

uttering that he would meet VP Marketing on this issue. Next day he went to meet Mr. P. Venkatraman.)

Mr. Mashroo: Good morning Sir, I have come to know from Mr. Chatterjee that I have not been given promotion

because of my poor interpersonal skills. Sir, you may be aware that the new sales staff is very arrogant because they

proclaim that they have postgraduate degree from renowned business schools in the country and they are not

interested in working in the field. That is why I have to be strict in managing them, as our ultimate goal is to achieve

the target.

Mr. Venkatraman: Mr. Mashroo, don't feel annoyed. I was just informally discussing with Mr. Chatterjee that if you

started working on your problems you would become VP in few year's time. But as far as this promotion is concerned,

I have already given you 4 rating in your performance and recommended you for the same. I think that HR department

might have made certain changes in the grading and that may have worked against your benefit. Why will I harm you

in getting the promotion; after all, you are the high performer in the company.

Mr. Mashroo: How can it happen, Sir? How can they change the performance rating that you have given? Then in

that case I would like to meet HR Head to know the reason.

Mr. Venkatraman: You may meet HR Head, but it is too late for this year. (Next day, Mr. Mashroo goes to meet Mr.

Ashok Motiramani, Head of Human Resource Department.)

Mr. Mashroo: Good Morning, Sir. I have a problem regarding my promotion. I am the only person in the marketing

department who had for the past five years achieved beyond the target. But this time I have not been given promotion.

Mr. Venkatraman told me, that he had recommended by promotion, but it seems HR department has revised the list

and I am deprived of promotion.

Mr. Ramani: Mr. Mashroo, take it for granted that we cannot change the rating or modify the recommendation of your

VP (Marketing) because he is your HOD. Ultimately, HOD is the final decision-maker for promotional issues of a

department. I am sorry I cannot do anything for you.

Mr. Mashroo moves out of HR department, unable to decide what to do. Finally, he decided to go for long leave.

Answer these questions:

Q1. Reflect on the behaviour of Mr. Mashroo.

Q2. What are the problems in this organization as seen in this situation?

Q3. What would be suggest to Mr. Mashroo as his next course of action?