Test Papers / Previous Question Papers of IGNOU MS1 Management Functions and Behaviour December 2002

MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME
Term-End Examination

December, 2002

MS1 : MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS AND BEHAVIOUR

Time: 3 hours
Maximum Marks: 100
(Weightage 70%)

SECTION A

1 Describe various tasks and responsibilities of a professional manager in today’s context. Cite suitable examples from your experience.

2 Explain briefly the major elements of management processes. what new skills would a manager require as he/she moves from middle to top management level? Discuss.

3 Differentiate between the decision-making models and techniques. Explain with suitable examples.

4 What are the various determinants of organistional culture? How does leadership influence the culture of an organisation? Discuss.

5 Identify major sources of conflict in an organisation. What approaches will you suggest for managing conflict in a service organisation in today’s context?

6 Describe the inter-personal needs in terms of expressed behaivour and wanted behaviour. Give suitable examples.

7 Write short notes on any three of the following :
(i) Delegation and Decentralisation
(ii) Process of organizational change
(iii) Johari Window model of communication
(iv) Enriching relationship with others
(v) Group dynamics

SECTION B

8 Read the case and answer th question given at the end.

The ABC Manufacturing Company is a plant under the direction of a plant manager who is known as a strict disciplinarian. One day a strict disciplinarian. One day a foreman noticed Bhola,one of the workers, at the time-clock punching out two cards- his own and the card of Nathu, a fellow worker. Since it was the rule of the company that each man must punch out his own card, the foreman asked Bhola to accompany him to the Personnel Director,who interpreted the incident as a direct violation of a rule and gave immediate notice of discharge to both workers.

The two workers came to see the Personnel Director on the following day. Nathu claimed innocence on the ground that he had not asked for his card to be punched and did not know at the time that it was being punched. He had been offered a ride by a frienf who could not wait for him to go through the punch-out procedure. Nathu was worried about his wife who was ill at home and was anxious to reach home and was anxious to reach home as quickly as possible. He planned to take his card to the foreman the next morning for reintatement, a provision sometimes exercised in such cases.

These circumstances were verified by Bhola. He claimed that he had punched Nathu’s card the same time he punched his own, not being conscious of any wrongdoing.

The Personnel Director was inclined to believe the story of the two men but did not feel he could reverse the action taken. He recognized that these men were good workers and had good records prior to this incident. Nevertheless, they had violated a rule for which the penalty was immediate discharge. He also reminded them that it was the policy of the company to enforce the rules without exception.

A few days later the Personnel Director, the plant Manager, and the Sales Manager sat together at lunch. The Sales Manager reported that he was faced with the necessity of notifying one of their best customers that his order must be delayed because of the inability of one department to conform to schedule. The department in question was the one from which the two workers had been discharged. Not only had men to date, but disgruntlement over the incident had led to significant decline in the cooperation of other workers.

The Personnel Director and the Sales Manager took the position that the discharge of these two valuable men could have been avoided if there had been provision for considering the incident was costly to the company in the possible loss of a costomer,in the dissatisfaction within the employee group, and in the time and money that would be involved in recruiting and training replacements.

The Plant Manager could not agree with this point of view. “ We must have rules if we are to have efficiency; and the rules are no good unless we enforce them. Further more, if we start considering all these variations in circumstances, we start considering all these variations in circumstances, we will find ourselves loaded down with everybody thinking he is an exception.” He admitted that the grievances were frequent but countered with the point that they could be of little consequence if the contract agreed to by the union was followed to the letter.

Questions

1 Place yourself in the position of the Personnel Director in this situation. Which of the following courses of the information which he has available at the time of the decision?
(a) Would you have discharged both men?
(b) Would you have discharged Bhola only?
(c) Would you have discharged Nathu only?
(d) Would you have discharged neither of them?

Justify your choice of decision.

2 What policy and procedural changes would you recommend for the handling of future cases of this type?