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ASSIGNMENT - 1, DEC - 2015.

EXECUTIVE M.B.A. DEGREE EXAMINATION

First and Second Years

Paper � XI : BUSINESS POLICY AND STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

Maximum : 25 MARKS

Answer ALL questions

1) a) Steps involved in corporate planning.

b) Top management functions.

c) Considerations in SWOT analysis.

d) Elements of portfolio analysis.

e) Determination of exchange ratio.

f) Concept of Turn-around management.

2) Explain the qualities and skills of a strategist.

3) How do you organise environmental analysis?

4) Bring out the highlights in the formulation of portfolio strategy.

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Paper � XI : BUSINESS POLICY AND STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

Maximum : 25 MARKS


1) Describe the corporate strategy of a concern known to you.

2) When does merger make sense?

3) Enumerate the role of top management in an organization.

4) Hindustan teleprinters LTD (HTL) was initially set upto manufacture electro � mechanical

teleprinters and associated accessories in technical collaboration with an Italian company by

name Olivetti. But within a few years, indigenization was completed. The company was the

only company in India, which was manufacturing teleprinters and was supplying to the

department of telecommunications. During the first ten years of operations, the company

made reasonable profits and built up fair amount of reserves and surplus. In theninties, the

company looked for queues of diversification as the demand for teleprinters had become

stagnant. Export markets were not the answer as the electronic teleprinters had already

entered into the scene. The company had decide to go in for the manufacture of electric

typewriters. It was to be an indigenous machine based on inhouse research. The management

hoped to sell it at a modest price of Rs. 5,000. But the project failed. In 2002, the entire

market as changed and the other companies came with electronic type writers and the HTL

was not in a position to sell its products. In addition, the requirements for tele printers

whether electro mechanical or electronic has dwindled due to the introduction of fax

machines on telephone lines and customers are not interested in telex machines.

Questions

a) Comment on the company�s strategic decision in going for electric type writers; and

b) Discuss the areas of strategic decision where the company has failed.

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Paper � XII : INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Maximum : 25 MARKS


1) a) Concept of International business.

b) Structure of global business.

c) Competitive advantage

d) Export promotion strategy.

e) Kinds of non-tariffs.

f) Benefits of MNCs to host countries.

2) What is international business environment? How does its study help an international

manager?

3) Explain the trade barriers imposed in the international trading environment.

4) What do you mean by economic integration? State the role of regional trade organization in

international business.

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Paper � XII : INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Maximum : 25 MARKS


1) Discuss the strategies followed in international human resource management.

2) Enumerate the strategy planning process followed by MNCs.

3) Bring out the trend in the international business of LDCs.

4) Mr.Pratap Mehta went to Saudi Arabia for the first time on a business visit in 1998. During

his sojourn at Riyadh, he purchased a match box for one Riyal. He was surprised at the price

of the match box as one Riyal is equal to Rs.10 (nearly) and the match box is India costs

Re.0.50. The price of a match box in Riyadh was ringering in his mind that night. At one

point of time he got a wonderful idea. The idea included :

Preparing a feasibility report for establishing a match box factory in Saudi Arabia.

Importing necessary machinery from India.

Obtaining necessary permissions from the Government of Saudi Arabia.

Selecting the market intermediaries in Saudi Arabia.

Finally establishing the match box factory in Riyadh or Jeddah.

Mr. Pratap conducted a survey and concluded that the idea was commercially feasible and

financially profitable. Immediately, he approached a consultant in Jeddah and finalized the

deal for getting the necessary permissions from the Government of Saudi Arabia. The

consultant arranged to get all the permissions. Mr. Pratap got all the permissions to establish

the factory in Jeddah. Then he arranged to import the machinery and equipment from India.

After importing the machinery and equipment, Mr. Mehta established the factory and started

producing the match boxes on a commercial scale in January, 2000.

Mr. Mehta conducted another market survey, and fixed the price of each mach box at Riyal

0.50 as the competitor�s match boxes were price at Riyal 1.00 in order to hit all the competing

firms and get as much market share as possible.

Mr. Mehta released the first batch of match boxes into the market in March 2000. The first

batch of the match boxes were sold like hot cakes and Mr. Pratap was very much thrilled of

the success of his project. He released the second batch of match boxes into the market. But,

unfortunately, he could not sell even a single match box of the second batch. The same was

the case of the subsequent batches. Ultimately, Mr. Pratap was forced to close the factory.

Questions:

1. What were the reasons for the highly positive response for the first batch of products?

2. What was the reason for very poor response for second batch of products?

3. Why did Mr. Pratap Mehta fail in his project?

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Paper � XIII : MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Maximum : 25 MARKS


1) a) Character multiplexing.

b) Hardware.

c) Pocket switching.

d) Data filling.

e) LAN.

f) Machine language.

2) State the nature and significance of information resource management.

3) What are the key issues of MIS implementation?

4) Discuss the uses of information system in an organization.

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Paper � XIII : MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Maximum : 25 MARKS


1) Explain the components of DBMS.

2) Assess the importance of computers in networks system.

3) Elucidate the stages involved in the system development life cycle.

4) Recent surveys by Gartner Group and Forrester research show that CIOS over whelmingly

favour finance as their top priority for business process reengineering and that financial

information systems can become invaluable decision support systems. There are many

reasons for the growing interest in developing financial information systems and using them

to achieve business goals. First, many financial system are aging because finance was one of

the first functions to be automated in companies. Hence, many venerable accounting and

financial systems are now in desperate need of redesign and rebuilding second, more and

more managers need financial information to make decisions concerning every aspect of the

business, from choosing a marketing campaign to developing new products. But that

information is not always reading available or complete and many financia1 reports are in

summary form, insufficient to meet management�s need for detailed information.

At viacom International, the New-York based parent of MTV, Nickelodeon and other

entertainment interest, the CFO teamed with executives from sales, marketing and contracting

to lead the company new directions. Because financial processes are so intertwined with the

processes of other departments, top managers felt that redesigning finance should ideally be

part of a company wide, comprehensive reengineering project. Although some turf wars were

inevitable executives involved in this large-scale efforts to reorganize the Company were

persuaded to support cross-departmental process change viacom targeted its financial system

to find a better way to handle the financial reporting of its wholly owned subsidiaries which it

is acquiring at the rate of about three every year. Another goal in rebuilding the financial

application was to eliminate the Company�s dependence on paper, particularly the financial

transaction which often involve re-keying, rechecking and doing accruals. The Company

plans to develop a systems which reduces paper pushing and facilities the electronics

transmission of transactions from one decision maker to the next. Another goal of the

Company is to build financial systems that give decisions makers time to analyze data rather

than spending their time, collecting it.

a) Identify the reasons why financial information systems are excellent tools for

facilitating decision making.

b) Explain why financial information systems were at the centre of initiating change at

Viacom.

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(DEMBC 1)




GROUP C � Human Resource Management

Paper � I : HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Maximum : 25 MARKS


1) a) Man Power Inventory.

b) HRD intervention.

c) Supply of HR.

d) Impact of culture on HRD.

e) Concept of counselling.

f) Strategic HRD.

2) Explain HR scenario at the macro level.

3) Describe the HRD experiences of Indian corporates.

4) What are the motivational aspects of HRD?

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(DEMBC 1)





Paper � I : HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Maximum : 25 MARKS


1) Elucidate the HRD in service sector.

2) State the perspectives of HRD.

3) Enumerate the techniques employed to forecast demand for HR.

4) Analyse the following case and answer the questions given at the end.

You are Director of education at a 400 bed hospital. Authorisation has just been

received to create a new job title �Nurse Aide� and to hire 30 individuals over the next year.

None of the other hospitals in your area have a similar job title, there are no occasional

training programme producing nurse aid in your part of the state. You have been requested a

develop a combined classroom and training programme (on the job) for the new job. You

have a staff of one secretary and two trainers (who are degreed nurses) to help you.

Recruiting will begin in three months and the first �Class� of fifteen nurse aids will begin

training in four months.

Questions

a) Develop a plan to assess needs of the project;

b) What are the sources of information?;

c) State the methods in this regard; and

d) What kind of information is required?

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(DEMBC 2)





Paper � II : ORGANISATIONAL DYNAMICS AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT

Maximum : 25 MARKS


1) a) Phases in group development.

b) Role of flexibility.

c) Transformational leadership.

d) Process of organizational change.

e) Manager as agent of change.

f) Cross cultural dynamics.

2) Describe the process of empowerment of employees in a concern.

3) What are the essentials for effective implementation of change?

4) State the impact of power and politics on OB.

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(DEMBC 2)





Paper � II : ORGANISATIONAL DYNAMICS AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT

Maximum : 25 MARKS


1) How do you evaluate the programme of organizational change?

2) Bring out the features of learning organizations.

3) Suggest measures to cope with stress and burnout.

4) Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) is one of the three major communication

networks in America and is involved in television, radio, records, books and magazine

publishing. All major corporate decisions are made by the board of directors which decides

the fate of millions of dollars and thousands of jobs, careers and reputations. With so much at

stake, corporate politics plays a very important role in making decisions. Such political play

is indicated by a major top level shake-up in the company in 1986. The story of this shake

down began earlier.

In 1980, the founder and chairman of CBS, William Paley Hired Thomas Wyman as

Chief Operating Officer (CEO) of the company. Three years later in 1983, because of some

economic setbacks and personality conflicts, the board of directors forced Paley out of the

Chairman�s position and appointed Wyman as the Chairman. This was a big blow to Paley

who had started the company and had brought it up to be one of the major media leaders in

the country. Unfortunately he could not anticipate the political play played by Wyman and his

supporters in the board.

From 1983 to 1986, when the big shake up occurred, CBS went through a number of

significant events affecting its operations and its future. For example, in 1985, a group of

entrepreneurs showed its interest in buying the company. On that speculation, the company

stock share value rose and a number of financial investors made bids for the company,

Among these bidders was Ted Turner, who currently owns CNN, the news channel. Turner

expressed his desire to focus purely on broadcasting business and sell off other entities such

as records, books, and magazine publishing. None of these bids materialized and CBS started

slipping in its stock price and doing poorly financially.

Another bidder Laurence Tisch bought about 25 per cent of the company stock in 1985

and by virtue of his portfolio, he was appointed to be a member of the board of directors.

On the fateful day of September 10, 1986, in a board meeting, William Paley, who was

still a member of the board, tried unsuccessfully to remove Wyman as Chairman of the

company. Wyman had appointed some board members who supported him along with some

others. However, Wyman was afraid that either Tisch or some other group unfriendly to him

might make an offer to CBS that would be acceptable and he might find himself in a hostile

environment. With that fear in mind, Wyman played his card. He announced that Coca Cola

company was willing to buy CBS.

This statement stunned the entire board as none of the members knew anything about it.

The company had been fighting to remain independent since the first bid and now Wyman

was asking the board to consider selling the company to Coca Cola whose leaders were

known to be friendly with Wyman. Since none of the board members knew of this offer prior

to the announcement by Wyman, this made them suspicious that Wyman was negotiating

with Coca Cola behind their backs. They could not know whether this offer was real or

simply a political ploy by Wyman, since he did not bring any concrete evidence to support his

claim, or any other paper suggesting a solid commitment by Coca Cola, at the meeting.

The move cost Wyman his credibility and integrity and the board became highly

suspicious of his motives. Both Tisch and Paley refused to consider the offer and many other

board members joined them. Wyman was forced to resign and the board asked Tisch to act as

CEO and Paley returned to his position as Chairman. Soon after, CBS started selling its

records, books and magazine publishing business, which interestingly enough was the focus

of Ted Turner who was one of the original-bidders but failed to buy the company. As a post

script to this meeting, it may be noted that Tisch consolidated his position as CEO of the

company and was in solid and total control of CBS within two years of the shake upon

September 10, 1986.

Questions :

a) What type of power and politics you think both Paley and Wyman in play in the final

shake up at CBS; and

b) Do you think the various bids to buy CBS in 1985 were real or could they have been

manipulated by vested interests to raise the stock share price of the company; and

c) Given the later information that Tisch came in firm control of the company within two

years of this shake up, do you think that Tisch was playing silent politics all along.

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(DEMBC 3)





Paper � III : LABOUR LEGISLATION AND IR

Maximum : 25 MARKS


1) a) Compulsory arbitration.

b) Concept of industrial relations.

c) Joint management councils.

d) Modern social legislation.

e) Minimum wage.

f) Social security.

2) What are the important provisions of work comen�s compensation Act?

3) State labour standards adopted by ILO for the protection of industrial workers.

4) Enumerate the factors that influence collective bargaining units.

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(DEMBC 3)





Paper � III : LABOUR LEGISLATION AND IR

Maximum : 25 MARKS


1) Enumerate the settlement of disputes without state intervention.

2) Give an account of the principles of modern labour legislation.

3) Elucidate the salient features of Equal Remuneration Act.

4) Indian General Navigation and Railway Co. Ltd. carries on a business of inland water

transport and maintain a huge number of wharves, jetties, godowns, etc., at different river

stations in India. One such set is at Dhubri in Assam, where many workmen are employed.

These men load and unload the Company�s vessels and help to transship goods from railway

wagons to vessels and vice versa. The company was a public utility concern and the persons

employed therein were �workmen� under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. There were two

unions of workmen in the establishment.

On 31.10.1986 both the unions gave a notice demanding 20 percent bonus and two months

average total wages as ex gratia for the accounting year 1984-85. The Company rejected the

demand. Thereupon workmen resorted to various acts of indiscipline, go-slow and persistent

refusal to work overtime. As a result of which the Company dismissed eight employees, after

framing charges against them and after giving each an opportunity to be heard.

On 15.11.1986 both unions served strike notices on the company. The Conciliation Officer

interfered but no settlement was arrived at between the company and the Unions. He

accordingly sent a failure report to the appropriate government. In the meantime during the

tendency of conciliation before the Conciliation Officer a large number of workmen went on

strike on 26.11.1986. They forcibly entered the Company�s jetties and other working places,

and obstructed the work of loyal workmen. On 27.11.1986, the District Magistrate issued an

order under the Code of Criminal Procedure to maintain law and order. The Company

declared a lockout in the same day. On 10.12.1986 the Unions called off the strike. The

Company lifted the lockout on 15.12.1986. The Company dismissed those workmen whom it

claimed to have obstructed the loyal workmen during the strike. On 21.12.1986, 37 workmen

were convicted for violation of the order of the District Magistrate. On 22.12.1986 the

Company dismissed them.

Questions :

i) Can the company legally dismiss workmen for adopting go-slow tactics?;

ii) Is the strike declared by the workmen on 26.11.1986 legal?;

iii) Are the workmen entitled to wages for the period of strike and lock-out; and

iv) Is the order of dismissal make by the Company on 22.12.1986, a day after the

conviction by the District Magistrate, legal?

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(DEMBC 4)





Paper � IV : ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

Maximum : 25 MARKS


1) a) Elements of OB.

b) Johari Window.

c) Causes for stress.

d) Job enrichment.

e) Democratic leader.

f) Concept of organisational culture.

2) How do you assess the effectiveness of small groups?

3) �Learning theory can be used to explain behaviour and to control behaviour�. Comment.

4) Critically examine the need Hierarchy theory of motivation.

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(DEMBC 4)





Paper � IV : ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

Maximum : 25 MARKS


1) Explain the contribution of classical studies towards leadership.

2) What are the determinants of organisational climate?

3) Elucidate the approaches to organisational behaviour.

4) In 2000, Sanjay Kataria a chartered accountant, was elected as the chairman of Promising

Life Insurance Company, which was at the time, the third largest life insurance company in

the country. During the next 5 years, however, while its business increased, it did not grow as

fast as its major competitors and promising company dropped from third to sixth place.

This naturally perturbed Sanjay Kataria as it did to the board of directors of the company.

Finally, after deliberations, the board of directors concluded that the lack of leadership in the

sales of both ordinary life policies and group life insurance was the major case of company�s

comparative slow progress. It was also generally concluded that the two directors incharge of

sales in these two major areas of business were competent executives and leaders, but the

regional and district managers working under them were not very competent leaders.

Sanjay Kataria called these two directors and asked them to ensure strong leadership at the

regional and district level or else quit their jobs. As these directors left the meeting with the

chairman, one director told other, �Now just how do we make people leaders? How can we be

sure whether or not a person is a leader? You know this is tough job�.

Questions :

a) If you were one of the directors, how would you answer the questions that the other

director has raised?; and

b) What should you do to develop strong leaders?

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(DEMBC 5)





Paper � V : EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION MANAGEMENT

Maximum : 25 MARKS


1) a) Minimum wage.

b) Wage differential.

c) DA

d) Incremental time scale.

e) Wage incentive

f) Stock options.

2) Examine the concept of employee compensation management.

3) Elucidate different methods of wage determination.

4) Critically evaluate the working of Pay Commissions.

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(DEMBC 5)





Paper � V : EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION MANAGEMENT

Maximum : 25 MARKS


1) Elaborate the principles of wage fixation.

2) Describe the wage incentive systems adopted by Indian industry.

3) Bring out the role of H.R. Department in compensation management.

4) Of all its HR programs, those relating to pay for performance and incentives are

LearnlnMotion.com�s most fully developed. For one thing, the venture capital firm that

funded it was very explicit about reserving at east 10% of the company�s stock for employee

incentives.

The agreement with the venture capital firm also included very explicit terms and conditions

regarding LearnlnMotions stock option plan. The venture fund agreement included among its

500 or so pages the specific written agreement that LearnlnMotion.com would have to send to

each of its employees, laying out the details of the company�s stock option plan. While there

was some flexibility the stock option plan details came down, in a nutshell, to this (1)

Employees would get stock options (the right to buy shares of LearnlnMotion.com stock) at a

price equal to 15% less than the venture capital fund paid for those shares when it funded

LearnlnMotion.com; (2) the shares will have a vesting schedule of 36 months, with one-third

of the shares vesting once the employee lies completed 12 full months of employment with

the company, and one-third vesting upon successful completion of each of the following two

full 12 months of employment (3) If an employee leaves the company for any reason prior to

his or her first full 12 months with me firm, the person is eligible for no stock options (4) if

the person has stock options and leaves the firm for any reason, he or she must exercise the

options within 90 days of the date of leaving the firm, or lose the right to exercise them.

The actual number of options an employee gets depends on the person�s bargaining power

and on how much Jennifer and Mel think the person brings to the company: The options

granted generally ranged from options to buy 10,000 shares for some employees, up to

50,000 shares for other employees, but this has not raised any questions to date, When a new

employee signs on, he or she receives a letter of offer. This provides minimal details

regarding the option plan; after the person has completed the 90 day introductory period, he

or she receives the five-page document describing the stock option plan, which Jennifer or

Mel, as well as the employee, signs.

Beyond that, the only incentive plan is the one for the two salespeople. In addition to their

respective salaries, both salespeople receive about 20% of any sales they bring in whether

those sales are from advertising banners or course listing fees. It�s not clear to Jennifer and

Mel whether this incentive is effective. Each salesperson gets a base regardless of what he or

she sells (one gets about $ 50,000, the other about $ 35,000). However, sales have simply not

come up to the levels anticipated. Jennifer and Mel are not sure why. It could be that Internet

advertising dried up after March 2000. It could be that their own business model is no good,

and there�s not enough demand for their company�s services. They may be charging too much

or too little. It could be that the salespeople can�t do the job due to in adequate skills or

inadequate training. Or, of course, it could be the incentive plan. (�Or it could be all of the

above,� as Mel some what dejectedly said late one Friday evening.) They want to try to figure

out what the problem is. They want you, their management consultants, to help them figure

out what to do Here�s what they want you to do for them.

Questions :

i) Up to this point, we�ve awarded only a tiny fraction of the total stock options available

for distribution. Should we give anyone or everyone additional options?;

ii) Should we put other employees on a pay-for-performance plan that somehow links

their monthly or yearly pay to sales?;

iii) If so, how should we do it?

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