Amity CampusUttar PradeshIndia 201303

ASSIGNMENTSPROGRAM: DBM

Subject Name :Study COUNTRY :Roll Number (Reg.No.) :Student Name :

INSTRUCTIONSa) Students are required to submit all three assignment sets.

ASSIGNMENT DETAILS MARKSAssignment A Five Subjective Questions 10Assignment B Three Subjective Questions + Case Study 10Assignment C Objective or one line Questions 10

b) Total weightage given to these assignments is 30%. OR 30 Marksc) All assignments are to be completed as typed in word/pdf.d) All questions are required to be attempted.e) All the three assignments are to be completed by due dates and need to be

submitted for evaluation by Amity University.f) The students have to attached a scan signature in the form.

Signature : _________________________________Date : _________________________________

( √ ) Tick mark in front of the assignments submittedAssignment

‘A’Assignment ‘B’ Assignment ‘C’

Principles and practices of Management

Section A

All questions carry equal marks.

1. Compare the three schools of management thought and discuss which theory as per you is most important and why?

Classical school of thought is mostly concerned with managing workers and organization more efficiently, it emphasized efficiency, process and principle, while the Behavioral school of thought focused on understanding the factors that affect human behavior in the organization and Quantitative school of thought focuses on improving the quality of managerial decision making by the use of mathematical and statistical method.

I think behavioral school of thought is more important because it takes management as a process of making active communication between individuals in an organization to influence individual or collective behavior and also to understand factors that affect human behavior at work. It is also important because it helps in knowing workers attitude which is associated with productivity therefore I believe in strength of Behavioral School of Management because the persons working in an organization should be developed and should be aware of the latest technologies which will help them to better the organization and it requires time to time upgradation & motivation of the employee.

2. Discuss the 14 general principles of management given by Fayol. Which principle do you think is the most important?

The 14 general principles of management given by Fayol are as follows:

Division of Work: This means that a job or work should be divided to its specialist to make sure that each portion of the task is given attention and effort

Authority and Responsibility: Fayol found these related, with the latter arising from the former. The manager is given the right to give commands and orders and made responsible for any job therefore the manager who assumes authority also assumes responsibility.

Discipline: Fayol said discipline requires good superiors at all levels. Rules that govern the organization must be obeyed and respected by employees. Good leadership provided by management result in good discipline. To encourage good discipline penalties should be applied judiciously.

Unity of Command: Only one manager should give command to employees

Unity of Direction: Each group of activities with the same objectives must have one head and one plan

Subordination of individuals to general interest

Remuneration: must be fair giving maximum possible satisfaction to employees and employer.

Centralisation: Fayol says individual circumstances will determine the degree to which authority is concentrated or dispersed.

Scalar Chain: Fayol believed that “Chain Superiors” from highest to lowest ranks should not be departed from needlessly but can be shot-circuited when the need to be.

Order: “A place for everything and everyone”

Equity: Loyal can be elicited from personnel by combination of kindliness and justice.

Stability of tenure: Unnecessary turnover can have high danger and costs

Initiative: Managers must sacrifice personal vanity to permit subordinates to exercise initiative.

Espirit-De-Corps: “In union there is strength” emphasizing the need for team work” and importance of communication in obtaining it.

From all the mentioned general principles, I think the most important one is discipline because it ensures that there is a good management in the organisation.

3. "Decision making is the most critical managerial task." Discuss the above statement in light of decision-making steps.

Decision making is at the core of all planned activities. Effective decision making must be rational, that is you have to identify and select the problem. A problem is deviation between the actual result and the target level at which the result should be or an opportunity level at which result could be. After that you have to analyse the course of the problem, brainstorming all potential causes of the deviation, usually there are several causes of a problem that require analyzing and prioritizing. This will require collecting data which provides the facts needed rather than opinions, determine the root causes.

Generate potential decisions, for most problems there usually several solution, the first idea is not always the best. Brainstorming and building on ideas are the most effective

ways to find the right solutions. You have use competitive benchmarking to adopt other’s ideas. From there you select and plan the decision to be implemented, Prioritise the solutions identifies using cost-benefit analysis together with the timetable demanded by the urgency of the problem. A specific Action plan must be prepared identifying the key activities with start and finish dates, and the named individuals who will carry them out. The proposed plan is then presented to the next higher manager for approval, giving opportunity for team recognition.

Decide and Implement, the project teams are responsible for implementing the decision. Regular review of the project is essential to control progress and cost, ensuring that the benefits are gained. Contingency plans may need to be activated to overcome practical difficulties arising. And lastly Evaluate the decision, following successful implementation, the project must be monitored and evaluated.

4. Which party bears more responsibility in the communication process- sender, receiver or both'? Justify your answer.

Both parties bears more responsibilities in the communication process. Communication is the process of sharing facts ideas and opinions in the common manner so there has to be a sender and a receiver in order to have a complete communication. It’s a two-ways process. Communication helps in and planning and making the right decision. A sender is the person who sends the message while a receiver is the person who receives the message. A message is the subject matter of communication. It may consist of certain facts, ideas, opinions etc.

5. "Planning is charting the future course of action at present." Do you agree? Discuss the advantage of planning as a management process.

Yes, because planning establishes coordinated effort. Planning also reduces overlapping and wasteful activities and lastly planning establishes goals and standards used in controlling.

Section B

All questions carry equal marks.

1. Management can be defined as "a process of bringing about improvement in knowledge, skill, habits, and attitudes of the employees 'in an organization". Discuss.

2. Which are the various types of plans you are familiar with? Discuss the steps involved in the planning process.

There are various types of plans which include short term planning, medium term planning and long term planning. The steps that are involved in planning are as follows:

Identify business opportunity: You have to make an analysis of both the internal and external environment to know the trends in the near future.

Establishment of objectives: the overall objectives of the organisation must be stated along the specific objectives of department.

Determination of planning premises: Planning premises are the assumptions about the future happenings. As planning is for future and future is uncertain, certain assumptions about the future become necessary.

Identifying the alternative course of action: once the alternative courses of action are identified, the next step is to evaluate the same.

Selecting the best course of action: once the alternative course of action has been evaluated the next step is to select the best.

Formulation of derivative plans: after the basis plan of the organisation has been determined the next step is to prepare the subsidiary plans to support the basic plan.

Periodic Evaluation and review: once the implantation of the plan starts, it becomes necessary to evaluate performance of the periodic intervals to ensure that the activities of the originations precede in the right direction and laid down in the plan.

3. Departmentalization is grouping activities and people into departments. Which are the various forms seen in the industry?

Departmentation by numbers: This is telling off persons who are to perform the same duties and putting them under the superior of a manager. This method is rapidly applying in the army.

Departmentation by time: it is grouping activities on the basis of time. It is the oldest form of departmentation and it is generally used in low level of departmentation.

Departmentation by Function: It is grouping activities on the basis of function of an enterprise. The basic enterprise factions are production, selling and financing functional departmentation bases for organisation activities and in organizational structure.

Departmentation by Geography: is followed where geographic marked appear to offer advantages. Geographic department most often use in sales and production, it is not used in finance.

Depatmentation by CustomerL: group jobs on the basis of a common set of needs or problems of specific customer.

Case Study

NO COMMISSIONS ALLOWED

When Mr. Ram Bansal took over the handbag department at RK & Company New Delhi, he established several important goals for the department. One was to increase sales without increasing the number of salespeople or the way they were paid. Unlike some retail supervisors, Mr. Bansal was not in a position to use commissions to reward improved performance. All his employees were paid a straight wage without commissions and all members of the staff were union led. He also wanted to improve customer service and employee satisfaction.

This arrangement offered few motivational options and had a negative effect on employee attitudes. In other departments of the company, customers were often shown a dressing room "cop" who asked how many garments were included and gave them the appropriately coloured tag.

The original sales clerk rarely appeared for additional customer service. Many sales people in the company were painfully aware of the lack of personal commitment to their job and customers. One employee commented, "There's a lot of talk about increasing customers." Mr. Bansal knew he had to make some changes in order to improve the sales production in the department.

His first step was to give full-time employees their own counter area and their own line of merchandise. He also increased the responsibility of the sales staff for managing their own inventory and their own line of merchandise. Any sales person who needed information was encouraged to offer the buying staff suggestions, was encouraged to talk with buyer of handbags. Previously, the sales staff had felt they were not supposed to talk to buyers.

Every week, Mr.Bansal brings the staff together for a meeting. At these meetings, he emphasizes the importance of customer service 'and reviews any change in departmental policies and procedures. He also encourages employees to discuss problems and ask questions. These meetings provide Mr. Bansal with an opportunity to publicly recognize the accomplishments of employees.

Questions

1. What motivational need did Mr. Bansal satisfy for his full-time employees?

2. Discuss these needs with reference to Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

3. Mr. Bansal achieved significant productivity gains because of a positive change in employee's attitudes. What motivational strategies did he use to achieve this success?

Section C

Objective Type Questions

All questions carry equal marks

1. The ability to see the organization as a whole and being aware how changes in anyone part of

the organization affect all the other parts is known as:

a. Leading skill

b. Human Skill

c. Conceptual skill

d. Organising skill

2. Which of the following should be encouraged by a manager in order to develop subordinate

loyalty?

a. Understanding and camaraderie

b. Open communication and effective delegation

c. Effective delegation and clear task definition

d. Opening communication and effective motivation

3. A system in which the level of equilibrium between its subsystems is always dynamic may be

termed as:

a. An open system

b. A closed system

c. A system which is self sufficient and self regulatory

d. All of the above

4. A plan can not be said to exist unless:

a. It has been reduced to writing

b. It has been signed by the chairman

c. It has been conveyed to all managers

d. Commitment of resources, direction, or reputation has been made

5. The managerial function of staffing means:

a. Hiring people for the organization

b. Filling, and keeping filled, positions in the organization structure

c. Right man for the right job

d. Maintaining good relationship between staff and the line personnel

6. Corporate planning is nothing but (choose the most appropriate one).

a. Planning the future of the organization

b. Planning for expansion of the organization

c. Planning for Human Resources Utilization

d. Budgeting for an extended period

7. (2+2 = 5) effect is often used to indicate:

a. Error in mathematical problems

b. Synergy

c. Enhanced skills

d. Better management control and supervision

8. Which one of the following is not a component of McKingsey's 7-S Framework?

a. Staff

b. Skills

c. Shared value

d. Sale

9. SWOT Analysis (TOWS Matrix) is a modem management tool for:

a. Inventory control

b. Production scheduling

c. Human Resource Development

d. Developing of alternate strategies during planning 10.

10. A company

a. Is a person

b. Though a person has neither a mind nor a body of its own

c. Is an artificial person which has no body but has a mind of its own

d. Is an artificial person, invisible, intangible and existing only in contemplation of law

11. Effective communication means:

a. 20 per cent listening

b. 50 per cent listening

c. 50 per cent reading

d. 50 per cent speaking

12. Conflict is:

a. Always destructive

b. Always constructive

c. Never constructive

d. Could be destructive or constructive

13. Job Evaluation is a technique which aims at:

a. Establishing fair and equitable pay structure

b. Analysing of requirement of updating technology

c. Assessing safety requirement of jobs

d. Improving productivity

14. Induction or Orientation is an integral part of:

a. Training

b. Selection

c. Recruitment

d. Neither of the above

15. Conflicts in work environment could be classified as under (Tick mark wrong one).

a. Perceived conflict

b. Apparent conflict

c. Manifest conflict

d. Latent conflict

16. Industrial Dispute Act, 1947 provides the following Industrial Relations machinery for resolution

of conflicts: (Tick mark wrong one)

a. Negotiation

b. Conciliation

c. Mediation

d. Arbitration

17. The most common type of performance appraisal scheme followed in Public Sector is:

a. Management Group Appraisal

b. Superior-subordinate Appraisal

c. Staff-group Appraisal

d. Committee Appraisal

18. What can an organization do to alleviate stress (Tick mark wrong one).

a. Undertake a stress audit

b. Use scientific input

c. Spread the message of stress awareness

d. Organise job evaluation

19. The power a person derives from the closeness to a powerful person is known as:

a. Authority

b. Emotional power

c. Expert power

d. All of the above

20. The saying "Give a man fish, He will eat it, Train a man to Fish, He will feed his family" is used

in relation to which management activity?

a. Motivation

b. Recruitment

c. Training

d. Production

21. Performance review is done to:

a. Reward work done

b. Focus on areas requiring improvement

c. Giving appropriate feed back to individuals

d. All of the above

22. The influence a person has because of his high competence may be termed as:

a. Authority

b. Reflected power

c. Referrent Power

d. Reinforcing power

23. When a young person joins an organization he needs some senior person in whom he can

confide and get advice and support. Such a relationship may be called:

a. Mentoring

b. Counselling

c. Listening

d. Understanding

24. Counselling is:

a. Helping the employee to grow and develop

b. Giving him feed back

c. Reading hi9s performance report

d. Explaining legal implications

25. The term OCTAPAC is used in relation to which of following:

a. Organisational Development

b. Organisational culture and climate

c. Quality control

d. Marketing synergy

26. Line Managers are:

a. Supervisors

b. Staff authorities

c. Managers with authority to direct operations in their spheres of activity

d. Production.& Marketing Managers

27. Job specification spell out:

a. The functional description of the job.

b. The attributes of person in terms of education, training expenses, abilities, skills &

aptitude

c. Neither of the above

d. Both (a) & (b) above

28. The methods of recruitment may include:

a. Internal

b. Direct

c. Indirect and Third Party

d. All of the above

29. Which of the following is not a typical Rater error:

a. Average behaviour

b. First Impressions

c. Central Tendency

d. Halo effect

30. Spillover Effect in Rater Errors means:

a. Rating is influenced by the most recent Behaviour

b. Basing the entire appraisal on the basis of one perceived positive quality

c. Allowing past performance to influence how present performance is evaluated

d. Ratee may be rated very strictly or very leniently

31. Key result areas are usually termed as:

a. Objectives

b. Mission

c. Goals

d. KRAs

32. The logical and possible sequences of positions that could be held by an individual based on

what and how people perform in an organization is called:

a. Career

b. Career Anchors

c. Career Path

d. Succession Planning

33. "In-Basket" Technique is used in:

a. Production

b. Marketing

c. Training

d. Accounting

34. The Act which aims to ensure regular and prompt payment of wages and to prevent the

exploitation of wage earners by prohibiting arbitrary fines and deductions is called:

a. The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976

b. The Payment of Bonus Act, 1965

c. TheMinimumWagesAct,l948

d. The Payment of Wages Act, 1936

35. "All reasonably healthy adults have a considerable Reservoir of Potential Energy" is one of the

basis principles of:

a. Motivation

b. Performance Appraisals

c. Development

d. Job Evaluation

36. For reduction/retrenchment firms now offer inducements to the Workforce to leave on their

own before they reach the age of superannuation. Such a scheme is called:

a. Golden Handshake

b. Voluntary Retirement Scheme

c. Both (a) and (b) above

d. Neither (a) nor (b) above.

37. An enquiry into the allegations of misconduct against an employee conducted within the

organization based on the principles of natural justice is called:

a. Investigation

b. Disciplinary proceeding

c. Domestic Enquiry

d. Disciplinary action

38. What are the barriers to communication?

a. Noise

b. Ourselves

c. Stress

d. All of the above

39. Which one is not a type of communication?

a. Horizontal

b. Upwards

c. Inwards

d. Downward

40. Which one is not a stage of Group process?

a. Forming

b. Norming

c. Welcoming

d. Performing