PART-A

1. What are the stages in the development of groups? Explain the various steps.

2. What is a well-functioning group? What are the characteristics of a mature group?

3. What is a team? How does it differ from a group?

4. What is the managerial grid? Contrast its approach to leadership with the approach of the Ohio State and Michigan groups.

5. Leadership is the driving force which gets thing done by others. Discuss.

PART-B

1. Explain the various techniques used by organizations to empower their employees.

2. Explain the self-theory and evaluate it with examples.

3. What are the functions of counselling? Elaborate.

4. What are the drawbacks of counselling?

5. Explain the various frameworks for understanding human behavior.

PART-C

1. Under what circumstances would the group decision]making style be preferable over the individual decision]making style?

2. Explain in detail the process of brainstorming for making innovative decisions. Is entertaining wild ideas justified when it is so time consuming and the success of these ideas is so uncertain?

3. What are the major reasons individuals resist change? How can organizations deal with such resistance?

4. Who plays the role of a change agent? Explain the various types of change agents.

5. Give the advantages and disadvantages of internal and external change agents.

CASE STUDY -1

UNWANTED PROMOTION

Vinod was a scientist in the Research and Development department of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). He had worked for the Institution ever since he received his degree 15 years earlier and he was clearly recognized as one of the best researchers in the area. He spent many hours keeping up on the current literature, and he knew how to set up tight research designs. Knowledgeable about space research, he had a reputation for sticking to his guns about how specific research studies should be conducted. He believed that if something was not done well, it should not be done at all. A number of his discoveries had saved the company of millions of dollars in foreign exchange. His colleagues frequently came to him for advice about how to proceed on various projects. He was convinced about the correctness of his advice. In short Vinod was a star in the organization.

Early in February 2000, Roney would retire as head of R & D. The decision about his successor was in the hands of Dr. Arun, the chairman of ISRO. Roney recommended Vinod because of his record of his outstanding service. The new position required large amounts of administrative work and less research. Roney and Dr. Arun discussed some of these issues with Vinod. He would no longer be in charge of specific research projects, but because everyone came to him for advice, he could still be actively involved in research. Vinod thought long about the offer. The promotion meant more money and recognition. Starting June 1, Vinod became the head of the R & D department.

It was not long before things started to go wrong. First, of all, Vinod had more difficulty keeping up with the literature. Other priorities seemed to always interfere with his reading time. He also noticed a distinct cooling in the way his colleagues treated him. At first they had continued to come to him with questions and problems, Vinod responded as he always had ‘Here’s how it has to be cone’. Om a few cases his advice was not followed.

He also got into a number of arguments with Dr. Arun. In many cases he demanded more financial support from Dr. Arun to conduct various research projects in the way he felt it should be done. It got to the point where almost every interaction between the two resulted in an argument.

Finally, Dr. Arun knew that something had to be changed. He went to Vinod and told him that he had to (1) compromise more and accept the realities of his job. (2) Step down from his position, or (3) leave ISRO.

Questions:

1. Why do you think Vinod was not successful at this job?

2. Why did problems start to occur between Vinod and his colleagues?

3. Do you think the selection of Vinod to the position of R & D Head was the right move? How should this process of selection have been conducted?

CASE STUDY -2

SIX HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE

Mr. Vijayant is a CEO of a small startup sports magazine. He had with him a handful of young, exuberant and talented professionals, who are gifted but inexperienced. Mr. Vijayant has always been a disciplined and dedicated person and a ‘doer’. His first issue is greeted with much acclaim by the readers. However, he soon finds himself shorn of new ideas and the subsequent magazine sales dwindle. He tries to find solutions to the problem but to no avail. One day, he is watching a talk show in a television programme where the host talks about the benefits of group discussion. The next day he duly brings together five of his best employees in the conference room and indulges in a two hour session of brainstorming to find the solutions to the magazines problems.

The meeting is a success. The ideas initially border on the absurd and even downright hilarious, but later on, as the session progresses, they manage to come up with some novel ideas. The subsequent issues are full of life and are well appreciated by the readers.

Questions:

1. If you were in the CEO’s position, would you take a similar step or would you be using a different method?

2. What are the benefits of brainstorming? Evaluate your answer.