ANNAMALAI UNIVERSITY FIRST YEAR MBA ASSIGNMENT ANSWER

ANNAMALAI UNIVERSITY FIRST YEAR MBA ASSIGNMENT ANSWER  

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DR. PRASANTH BE BBA MBA PH.D. MOBILE / WHATSAPP: +91 9924764558 OR +91 9447965521 EMAIL: prasanththampi1975@gmail.com WEBSITE: www.casestudyandprojectreports.com

ANNAMALAI
UNIVERSITY
DIRECTORATE OF DISTANCE EDUCATION
M.B.A. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
FIRST YEAR
Academic Year 2019 - 2020
ASSIGNMENT TOPICS

1.1 PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT
1. Management is said to have universal application. How do you justify the
Universality of Management? Give examples to illustrate your arguments.
2. “The importance of strategic planning is now fully realized by the Indian
corporate sector than before”- Discuss

ANSWER

Strategic planning means planning for making and implementing strategies to achieve organisational goals. It starts by asking oneself simple questions like : What are we doing, should we continue to do it or change our product line or the way of working, what is the impact of social, political, technological and other environmental factors on our operations, are we prepared to accept these changes etc.

Strategic planning helps in knowing where we are and where we want to go so that environmental threats and opportunities can be exploited, given the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation. Strategic planning is “a thorough self-examination regarding the goals and means of their accomplishment so that the enterprise is given both direction and cohesion.”

It is “a process through which managers formulate and implement strategies geared to optimising strategic goal achievement, given available environmental and internal conditions.” Strategic planning is planning for long periods of time for effective and efficient attainment of organisational goals. Strategic planning is based on extensive environmental scanning. It is a projection into environmental threats and opportunities and an effort to match them with organisational strengths and weaknesses.

Strategic planning is done to comprehend, anticipate and absorb environmental vagaries. It is a continuous process. Every time business organisations want to increase the growth rate or change their operations, desire for better management information system, co-ordinate activities of different departments, remove complacency from organisations; they make strategic plans.

It aims at long-term planning, keeping in view the environmental opportunities. It helps organisations analyse their strengths and weaknesses and adapt to the environment. Managers should be farsighted to make strategic planning meaningful.

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3. Explain about the personal challenges involved in becoming a manager and a
leader in today's turbulent environment.
4. Without effective management the resources will remain as resources cannot be
converted into productive utilities - Do you agree? Give reasons.

1.2 MARKETING MANAGEMENT
1. What is market segmentation? What are the different ways of segmentation?
Suggest the segmentation strategy for the following products: edible oil, table
top wet grinder and business magazine.

ANSWER

Market segmentation also reduces the risk of an unsuccessful or ineffective marketing campaign. When marketers divide a market based on key characteristics and personalize their strategies based on that information, there is a much higher chance of success than if they were to create a generic campaign and try to implement it across all segments.

Marketers can also us segmentation to prioritize their target audience. If segmentation shows that some consumers would be more likely to buy a product than others, marketers can better allocate their attention and resources.

At its core, market segmentation is the practice of dividing your target market into approachable groups. Market segmentation creates subsets of a market based on demographics, needs, priorities, common interests, and other psychographic or behavioral criteria used to better understand the target audience.

By understanding your market segments, you can leverage this targeting in product, sales, and marketing strategies. Creating your marketing communications both in ad messaging and advanced targeting on digital platforms like Facebook and Google using your segmentation will allow for better response rates and lower acquisition costs. Market segments can power your product development cycles by informing how you create product offerings for different segments like men vs women or high income vs low income.

2. What strategies you would recommend to be followed during the four stages of
PLC? Identify one product and one service for each stage in the PLC. Give
reasons for your answer.
3. What are the objectives of pricing strategies? Discuss the merits of different
pricing techniques that you would recommend for the following products.
Laptop, Sports utility vehicle, designer tiles.
4. Do you think that social media advertisements would kill all other traditional
media? Discuss your answer with proper justification. Also explain under what
circumstances online advertisements would be highly recommended.
1.3 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
1. It is usual to declare good dividends when the company is making good
profit. It is profitable for companies not to declare any dividend even when
they are making good profits. What will be the reaction of the shareholders?
Discuss.

ANSWER

Dividend refers to a reward, cash or otherwise, that a company gives to its shareholders. Dividends can be issued in various forms, such as cash payment, stocks or any other form. A company’s dividend is decided by its board of directors and it requires the shareholders’ approval. However, it is not obligatory for a company to pay dividend. Dividend is usually a part of the profit that the company shares with its shareholders. 

After paying its creditors, a company can use part or whole of the residual profits to reward its shareholders as dividends. However, when firms face cash shortage or when it needs cash for reinvestments, it can also skip paying dividends. When a company announces dividend, it also fixes a record date and all shareholders who are registered as of that date become eligible to get dividend payout in proportion to their shareholding. The company usually mails the cheques to shareholders within in a week or so. Stocks are normally bought or sold with dividend until two business days ahead of the record date and then they turn ex-dividend. A recent study found that dividend-paying firms in India fell from 24 per cent in 2001 to almost 16 per cent in 2009 before rising to 19 per cent in 2010. 

2. “In managing working capital the finance manager faces the problem of
compromising the conflicting goals of liquidity and profitability”. –Comment.
What strategy should the finance manager develop to solve this problem?
3. Design an appropriate capital structure which yield more profitability for a
service industry. Illustrate your answer with the help of EBIT-EPS analysis.
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4. “The success of a business concern depends upon the way in which it’s
earnings are computed, distributed and retained”- Comment on this
statement.
1.4 OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
1. Elaborate the role of SAP software applications on supply chain management.

ANSWER

Supply chain management (SCM) is the management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the provision of product and service packages required by the end customers in a supply chain. Supply chain management spans all movement and storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point of origin to point of consumption.

There are myriad reasons for improving your supply chain (see below) but it is widely acknowledged that a tighter integration between a principal wholesaler and its (global) distributors can only improve the overall success of an organisation which is reliant on excellent service to the consumer.

A supply chain management system works well on a trusted ERP such as SAP Business One, particularly for distributor operations.

The biggest improvement can be seen when an organisation’s supply chain relies on information being exchanged between the principal and its distributors or different offices in various ways. Item master data and price lists can be pushed to distributors with the SAP integration tool – B1i. Subsequently, Crystal Reports and dashboards can be used to provide more intuitive reports across the business based on accurate and timely data.

2. As an automobile production manager, how will you take Make or Buy decision
in your unit?
3. "Spending Money for Maintenance is waste" - Discuss.
4. Describe the steps in ISO quality certification process by any Agency in India.
1.5 HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
1. “Human resource planning is a pre-requisite for effective management of human
resources”. In the light of this statement, analyse the significance of human
resource planning.

ANSWER

Human resources undoubtedly play the most important part in the functioning of an organization. The term ‘resource’ or ‘hu­man resource’ signifies potentials, abilities, capacities, and skills, which can be developed through continuous interaction in an organizational setting.

The interactions, interrelationships, and activities performed all contribute in some way or other to the development of human potential. Organizational productivity, growth of companies, and economic development are to a large extent contingent upon the effective utilization of human capa­cities.

Hence, it is essential for an organization to take steps for effective utilization of these resources. In the various stages in the growth of an organization, effective planning of human resources plays a key role. Matching the requirements of the job with the individual is important at all stages, including the recruitment procedures, in this endeavour.

2. Explain a sample HR departmental structure for a large manufacturing
organization and explain the functions.
3. You are appointed as HR manager for a mid size leather company which is new.
Now you are asked to fix pay scale for the employees. Explain your process of
pay fixation.
4. Performance Appraisal System helps employees to identify the areas in which
they need to improve – Do You agree or disagree? Justify with the suitable
methods.
1.6 STATISTICS FOR MANAGERS
1. Develop a research problem that requires the use of discriminate analysis. Use
‘entered college’ ‘did not enter college’ as dependent variables. Discuss with
basic functions
2. A Statistical survey is a scientific process of collection and analysis of
numerical data. Explain the stages of statistical survey. Describe the various
methods for collecting data in a statistical survey.

ANSWER

A statistical survey is any structured inquiry designed to obtain aggregated data, which may be qualitative or quantitative where the individual or corporate identities of the respondents are in themselves of little significance.

Statistical surveys in scope are not limited to those conducted by statistics divisions and do not necessarily involve completion of a form; telephone and personal interview surveys are also included.

3. Two groups of 100 people each were taken for testing the use of vaccine.
15 persons contracted the disease out of the inoculated persons, while
25 contracted the disease in the other group. Test the efficiency of the vaccine,
use X square value (at 5 percent level for one degree of freedom the value of
X square = 3.82)
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4. A panel of two judges P and Q graded seven dramatic performance by
independently awarding marks as follows
Performance: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Marks by P: 46 42 44 40 43 41 45
Marks by Q 40 38 36 35 39 37 41
The eighth performance, for which judge Q could not attend, was awarded 37
marks by judge P. If judge Q has also been present, how many marks would be
expected to have been awarded by him to the eighth performance?
1.7 MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION
1. You have recently joined a branch of a Bank as its manager. Write a report to the
head office on the short falls in the routine work of the branch.
2. Design an Agenda and Minutes of an annual general body meeting. (Assume your
own choice of company)

ANSWER

Minutes of Annual General Body Meeting held on 24-Nov-2019

Agenda

1. Welcome Speech
2. Summary of Activities
3. Presenting and Passing the Balance Sheet
4. Increment of Monthly Subscription
5. Beautification of Lobby and Front area
6. Bathroom Leaks Rectification
7. General matters to be discussed
8. Any other points as deemed appropriate by the Chair
9. Election of New Committee
10. Vote of Thanks

3. Explain the process of designing and developing oral presentation. Also, prepare a
five minutes presentation to address your managers on any matter of your choice.
4. Develop a complaint letter as a dealer to the manufacturer about the replacements
of defective products. Highlight the complaints pointed out by the customers
regarding the products.
1.8 ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
1. Prepare an interview schedule for the concept Personality and its components,
conduct an interview with a few executives of any one organization known to
you and present the results with critical analysis.
2. To highlight the concept, components, process, and importance of Groups in an
organization prepare a role play script and explain group dynamics.
3. After listing out the qualities and theories of leadership view YouTube on
executive leadership and present the outcome of your perception on leadership.

ANSWER

As a leader, it’s important to be aware of your own perceptual biases and shortcuts. However, as difficult as these may be to overcome, you can always mitigate their impacts by being aware of how bias informs your perceptions and avoid jumping to conclusions.

In terms of effective leadership, recognising the impact of bias is extremely important as perceptual errors can lead to poor decision-making. This means you can never truly understand others if you don’t start by developing your own self-awareness.

4. Make telephone calls to your friends and seniors working in various
organizations and collect information about their Organizational Culture,
analyze them and present them with issues and strategies.