Quality control Department case study solution provided whatsapp 91 9924764558

Quality control Department case study solution provided whatsapp 91 9924764558

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Human Resource Management


(i) There are three Sections A and B and C.
(ii) Attempt any three questions each from Section A and B. All questions carry 10 marks each.
(iii) Section C is compulsory for all and carries 40 marks.
SECTION A
1. Define and differentiate between Job Analysis, Job Description and Job Evaluation. Select an appropriate job evaluation method and create a plan for evaluating jobs of scientists in different grades.
2. Discuss the role of indoctrination in organizations. How can Performance Appraisal, and Training and Development be made an integral part of Human Resource Planning? Discuss.
3. Discuss the scope of Human Resource Audit. While auditing Reward systems for employees in a manufacturing organization, which factors should be taken into account and why? Explain with suitable examples.
4. Define and discuss the need for Human Resource Planning in an organization. Briefly discuss various approaches to HRP
5. Write short notes on any three of the following:
(a) Training methods
(b) Value determinants of HRP
(c) Human Resource accounting
(d) Labour Market Behavior
(e) Promotion and Reward Policies
SECTION B
1. Define and discuss the objectives of Human Resource Planning at organizational level. How does it help in determining and evaluating future organizational capabilities, needs and anticipated problems? Explain with suitable examples.
2. Define and describe Job Analysis. Briefly discuss several methods in which information about a job is collected and evaluated.
3. What is the purpose and process of recruitment function? Discuss various methods of sourcing manpower.
4. How is monetary value assigned to different dimensions of Human Resources costs, investments, and worth of the employees? Briefly explain Cost and Economic value approaches of measurement.
5. Write short notes on any three of the following :
(a) MBO
(b) Succession Planning
(c) Competency Mapping
(d) Job Evaluation
(e) H.R. Inventory

SECTION C
1. Quality control Department
Read the case given below and answer the questions given at the end.
Mr. Kapil Kumar and Mr. Abbas Ali were working in a scooter manufacturing public sector industry as Senior Quality Control Engineers in 1988. One post of Deputy Chief Quality Controller has fallen vacant due to the retirement of the incumbent and the management decided to recruit a qualified, knowledgeable and experienced professional from outside so that the present quality standard may be improved thus ensuring better marketability of their scooters in the face of stiff competition. Mr. Kapil Kumar, who was a mechanical engineer with about 15 years experience in the Quality Control Department dealing with mopeds and scooters, could have been promoted to fill the post on the basis of seniority. However, the management was looking for a graduate in statistics with experience in latest Quality Control (QC) techniques like statistical quality control, quality assurance and other related areas rather than a mechanical or automobile engineer with the routine experience in quality control. As such instead of promoting Kapil Kumar, the management advertised for the post of Deputy Chief Quality Controller - since as per company rules it was DR (Direct Recruitment) vacancy also.
Selection of Outsider
Out of the applications received in response to the advertisement, six candidates were called for interview including the two internal candidates, Mr. Kapil Kumar and Mr. Abbas Ali. The person selected was an outsider, one Mr. Ratnam, who had over 12 years experience SQC, quality assurance etc., in the two-wheeler private manufacturing industry. Mr. Ratnam joined within 2 months time expecting that in his new position he would be the main controller for quality. However, after joining the organization he came to know that he would be the second senior most person in the hierarchy for controlling the quality and would be reporting to one, Kirpal Sing,. The Chief for Quality Controls. Mr. Kirpal Singh had come up to this post by seniority and was basically a diploma holder in automobile engineering. He had to his credit about 28 years of industrial experience, out of which 20 years were spent in Quality Control Department of two industries. He joined the present organization in its Quality Control Department and had 17 years experience in the organization and was due for retirement within the next 2 or 3 years. On learning about the retirement time of Mr. Kirpal Singh, Mt. Ratnam had the consolation that he would be able to take up the position of 'Chief Controller of Quality' very soon.
Interference from Top
Ratnam could not put forth many good suggestions (for quality control) because of the interference and direct supervision of Kirpal Singh. He, however, could pick up a good deal of knowledge about the working of the company, the nature-and tendency of different production department heads particularly with regard to care for quality, organization for 'QC' in the company, the various components required for assembly of the company's two-wheeler scooter and the expected quality standards, drawback in the present system of quality controls. etc.
Right from the time the advertisement for the selection of Deputy Chief Quality Controller appeared, the O.A. (Officers Association) of the organization had been pressing the management to consider the case of Kapil Kumar for promotion to the above post based on his seniority in the organization.
Meanwhile, the management obtained a license in 1989 for producing Three-Wheeler Autos. As a result of this and the pressure from O.A., Ratnam was transferred to look after the Quality Control Department at the company's new Three-Wheeler plant, whereas Kapil Kumar was promoted as Deputy Chief Quality Controller in the present two-wheeler scooter plant in 1990 (after creating one additional post of Deputy Chief Quality Controller for the new Project).
In 1991, the State Government, which controlled the company in question, changed the Managing Director. During the regime of this new Managing Director, Kapil Kumar was promoted as Chief (Quality Controls) next year, when Kirpal Singh retired. This decision was based on the recommendations of Kirpal Singh and partly attributed to pressure from O.A., for further promotion of Kapil Kumar based on his vast experience in the Quality Control function of this industry. Abbas Ali rose to the position held earlier by Kapil Kumar.
Allotment of Company Quarters
The Company had its own township near the factory. Its quarter allotment scheme was based on the length of service, i.e., date of joining. Ratnam had asked for a suitable quarter at the time of interview and was thus allotted a tile quarter meant for the Senior Engineer's cadre. He learnt about this, after occupying the quarter. Ratnam asked for a change of Quarter - preferably a RCC-roof quarter, - but his request was turned down, since he had put in only few months of service whereas many others senior to him, on the beds of their longer length of service in the Company (having over 10 years service), were staying in tiled-roof quarters and were awaiting a chance for a RCC-roof quarter. Kapil Kumar and Abbas Ali were residing in RCC-roof quarters. Soon after Kapil Kumar's promotion to the post of Chief (Quality Controls), he was allotted a bungalow.
The management's decision in this case must be viewed in the context of the downtrend in the demand for scooters and three-wheeler autos during 1993 following complaints from dealers about the deteriorating quality of components as also their short life. Notably the complaints had risen ten-fold in that year as compared to that in 1988.
Questions
(a) Was the management justified in taking a decision to recruit a qualified and experienced person from outside as Deputy Chief Quality Controller?
(b) Was it in the interest of the organization to transfer Ratnam to the new auto-wheeler plant and promote Kapil Kumar? What could have prompted the management to take this decision?
(c) How do you view the role of O.A.s in supporting only the local and internal candidates and overlooking the interests of direct recruits even when they were family members of the Association, particularly at a time, when the industry needed professionally qualified persons to fill key technical posts?
(d) How would you react to the management's scheme for quarter allotment and why?




2. Pearl Engineering
Pearl Engineering Company was a large heavy-engineering unit. It attached great importance to the recruitment and training of its senior supervisors. Apart from selecting them from within the organization, the company recruited, every. Alternate year, about ten young engineering graduates and offered them training for a period of two years, before they were appointed as senior supervisors. Such appointments were made to about 40 per cent of the vacancies of senior supervisors that occurred in the organization. This was considered necessary by management as a planned programme of imparting vitality to the organization. Besides, many of the old-timers, who had risen from the ranks, did not possess the necessary academic background with the result that they could not keep pace with the technological changes. Management also believed that in the rapidly changing conditions of industry, a bank of technically competent supervisors played a pivotal role, besides serving as a pool from which to select future departmental managers.
Engineering Graduates were selected from amongst those who applied in response to an all-India advertisement. For the selection of one engineer, on an average, eight applicants were called for interview. A selection committee consisting of the General Manager, the Production Manager, the Personnel Manager and the Training Officer interviewed and selected the candidates. The selection interview was preceded by a written test and only those who secured 40 per cent marks qualified for interview.
The engineers thus selected had to undergo a two year intensive theoretical and practical training. A well-staffed and equipped Training Institute was directly responsible for the training of the graduate engineers, besides training trade apprentices and operatives required by the company. Lectures on theoretical subjects were given at the Training Institute and practical training was imparted in all the works departments under the guidance of qualified and experienced instructors. A few lectures by senior officers of the company were also arranged to acquaint them with the company policies on different matters. During the last quarter of their two-year training programme they were deputed to work fulltime to familiarize themselves with the conditions in departments where they were to be absorbed eventually.
On successful completion of training, the graduate engineers were offered appointments, depending on their performance and aptitude as revealed during training. On placement in the work departments, however, most of them faced some difficulty or the other.
According to management, some of the heads of departments, who were themselves not qualified engineers, did not have sufficient confidence in these younger men. They preferred the subordinates who came up from the ranks to hold positions of responsibility. A few discredited them saying that it would take years before these youngsters could pick up the job. Besides, some of the employees, whose promotional opportunities were adversely affected by the placement of graduate engineers, tried their best to run down the latter as a class, sometimes working on the group feelings of the workers. Some of the supervisors who were not graduate engineers also spoke derisively of them as "the blue-eyed boys" of the organization. Management knew that many of the graduate engineers were not utilized according to their capacity or training, nor was any attempt made to test or develop their potentialities. They also knew that many of the graduate engineers were, therefore, dissatisfied with their work life. Some of them who did not get equal promotional opportunities as their colleagues placed in other departments, were looking for better jobs elsewhere.
On the other hand, according to management, the young graduate engineers were themselves partly responsible for the hostile attitude of others in the organization. Some of them failed to appreciate that a newcomer invited hostility in the beginning and it took time before he was accepted as a member of the work-group. They did not realize that they would be fully productive only after gaining about five to seven years experience in the organization. A few thought that they belonged to a superior cadre and threw their weight around. They did not bother to understand and appreciate the problems of the rank-and-file of employees who worked under them.
In spite of these drawback, the General Manager of the company felt that these men were a set of disciplined supervisors. They had a sense of pride in their profession, and with the extensive training they had received, they would be able to take up any responsible position in the organization in course of time.
The General Manager could not allow the situation to continue especially when it was a difficult and costly process to recruit and train young engineering graduates of the requisite type and caliber. He knew that the prosperity of the company, to a large extent, depended on these young men. In addition, a large number of lucrative employment opportunities were available to these young engineers elsewhere and there was a systematic raid on them, He, therefore, called a meeting of all heads of departments to review the situation.
Questions:
(i) Identify the issues related to manpower planning as evident in the case.
(ii) Discuss the strategies to tackle the percentage of internal promotion at the organizational level.
(iii)What type of additional training programmes should be imparted for direct entrants?
(iv) Suppose you are the head of the personnel division. What would be your suggestions in the meeting - Which has been called by the General Manager?

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Communicating in a Crisis

Overview Valley High School, situated in Kodaikanal, was established in 1980 and is owned by a well respected charitable trust. It overlooks a lake and is a modern building equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. The total student enrolment is 2000, out of which more than 50% are girls and the rest boys. The students are all from affluent, educated families. The school has established a good reputation for itself, thanks to the consistently good performance of students in the public examinations. The school is headed by a lady Principal and also has a couple of Supervisors and a team of 25 teachers. The teachers have had extensive experience, are well qualified and are known for their commitment to imparting quality education to students. Due to the recent heavy monsoons, the school was faced with the problem of flooding, with water entering the rooms on the ground floor and water seepage on the terrace. Since repair work had to be done, the school had to be closed for a couple of weeks. The work was carried out by reputed contractors, but the building still looks a little run down.
The crisis the school had just reopened after this two week break. The same morning, a fire suddenly broke out on the third floor and spread to other floors, blocking the stairways. There was widespread panic, as the children started jumping off the balconies, injuring themselves in the process. The Principal and staff had a tough time trying to calm down the children and take control of the situation. Fire engines were called and several of them arrived and began their fire fighting operations. In the meanwhile, many parents also arrived and tried to enter the building to speak to the Principal. The phones were ringing continuously. There was total chaos.

Question 1 :- How communication crises arise?
Question 2 :- What Principal should do to calm down the angry parents?
Question 3 :- How school will regain its reputation? What services school should provide in order to maintain its reputation?






Case Study 2

Case Study on The power of Non-Verbal Communication

The Power of Nonverbal Communication Soon after I graduated from engineering college, I accepted a position with the Sundaram Foundry, a medium-sized firm located in a small town in Tamil Nadu. It was a good position, since I was the assistant to Mr. Vishwanath, the General Manager and president of this family owned company, although there were many technical problems, the work was extremely interesting and I soon learnt all about the foundry business. The foundry workers were mostly older men and were a closely knit team. Many of them were related and had been in the foundry for several years. Therefore, they felt that they knew the business in and out and that a technical education had no value. In fact, Mr. Vishwanath had mentioned to me even at the time of my joining, that I was the only engineer ever to be employed in the foundry. He also let me know that the foundry workers, although a good group, were very clannish, since they had been working together for several years. Therefore, it would probably take them some time to accept me. I introduced myself to the group of foundry workers, a few days after my joining. As I went around in turn, I felt them eyeing me coldly. As I went down the main aisle of the foundry, I heard them talking to each other in low voices and laughing. I found their behavior to be very childish and felt that it was best to ignore these signs of hostility. I thought that if I ignored them, they would automatically stop these antics. A few weeks after this incident, I happened to visit the enamel shop. As I entered, I noticed a worker cleaning the floor with a hose, from which water flowed at high pressure. I was aware that it was the practice to clean the shop at least once a week. I turned my back on the worker and was busy near a dipping tank, when I suddenly felt the force of a stream of water hitting me. I was almost knocked down by the pressure and slipped on the wet floor. When I turned around, the worker looked away in the other direction, as if he had not noticed this happening. However, I was pretty sure that he had intentionally turned the hose on me.


Question 1 - What message did the foundry workers and the new engineer convey to each other through their non-verbal behavior?

Question 2 - Mr. Vishwanath, the General Manager and President, was not often present at the foundry. What could this non-verbal behavior mean to the workers and the new engineer?

Question 3. How could the engineer, the foundry workers and Mr. Vishwanath be more effective, both verbally and nonverbally?


Question 4. What do you suggest that the engineer should do, after the hosing incident?



Case Study 3

BS GETS A D-PLUS ON DIVERSITY FROM MULTIETHNIC COALITOIN

On February 3, 2000, President and CEO of CBS Leslie Moonves signed a pact with Kweisi Mfume, president and CEO of the national association for advancement of colored people (NAACP), who had joined forces with the Hispanic media coalition, and the American Indians in film and television to request the CBS help to increase Indians in film and television to request that CBS help to increase ethnic presence in the television industry. The agreement stipulated the CBS would increase minority participation both on and off screen by June 30.

In April 2000, CBS announced the appointment of Josie Thomas to the newly created position of senior vice president of Diversity at CBS Television. Her job was to improve outreach and recruitment, hiring, promotion, and monitoring practices in all divisions of CBS. That fall Moonves announced that 16 of the 21 CBS shows, including news magazines, would prominently feature minorities. “We think we are a leader in this area,” Moonves said “We think we are ahead of the curves”

Despite Mooves’s Statement that as “broadcasters, we believe strongly that it is our duty to reflect the public that makes up our viewing audience,” there were many who did not feel the company was sincere in its efforts to improve hiring practices. The national Hispanic Foundation for the Arts criticized CBS for not scheduling “American Family,” A pilot drama about middle – class Hispanic family. Moonves said “American Family” simply did not fit in CBS’s schedule, since there were already too many strong dramas planned. He said he took the unusual step of allowing the show’s producer to pitch the CBS-developed networks but no one picked it up. Meanwhile, the June 30 deadline had come and gone without much outward sign of change at CBS television.

Josie Thomas is committed to CBS’s new mandate for multicultural diversity. Twelve of CBS’ prime time series will have minorities in permanent roles and other series will have minority in recurring role. Fore of the network’s shows- C.S.I., the district, the fugitive and welcome to New York have minorities in leading roles.

Since signing the agreement, CBS has established a strong working relationship with national minority supplier council in order to help minority supplier council and women’s businesses. The company has bolstered its internship program to include paid internships on the west coast, pairing up interns with their areas of interest, Such as finance or entertainment. There are 10 minority interns in the program. Moreover, CBS has now made diversity a factor in employee job performance evaluation. “Each area of the network has developed a detailed plan for diversity,” said Thomas. “Manager will be reviewed with respect to their diversity efforts and that will be a factor in compensation decisions.” Ms. Thomas noted that Ghen Maynard, an Asian American Pacific Islander, had just been promoted form director to vice president of alternative programming for the entertainment division.

“Will all believe there is a long way to go,” Thomas said. “What I have found is there are some things that already exist that are positive, such as news magazines having minority anchors. We think ‘city of angels’ renewal was an important step. The ratings were mediocre to low, and we did feel the program was a risk. It says a lot about our commitment”

In June 2001, the coalition gave the Big 4 Broadcast Networks (all of whom had signed an agreement) a report card for their efforts to diversity shows on – air and behind the scenes. CBS got a D-plus.

Mr. Nogales, of the National Hispanic Media Coalition, said he was disappointed “We expect progress; we signed for progress” “The numbers in comparison to last year actually look better” Nogales says. “There have been gains for people of color. There was movement. But it has to be movement across the board, not just for one group.”  He is referring to the fact that most of the gains have been made by black actors, writes and producers. Black actors appear as regular in at least 19 of the six major networks’30 new prime-time series. Hispanics shows up in only eight, Asians in five and Native Americans in one.

The pressure being put on the networks- including threats of “boycott” and legal action – is having results. At CBS the number of minority writers and producer has more than tripled, from four to fourteen, including six executive or co executive producer however, obstacles to a fully integrated future remain serious-particularly because of misconceptions about the nature of the television audience and about the way pop culture works. Network executive worry that “ghetto shows” might promote stereotypes. They wonder if shows like The cosby show are “black” enough. Then again, they think that casting too many minorities may drive white viewers away. Some network executives are afraid to cast minority actors in “negative” roles because they may be criticized for it minority writers, who have been getting more work lately, wonder if they are not just “tokens”; and despite some progress it is still almost impossible for Hispanic actor to get non- Hispanic roles.

Both the NAACP and the coalition have been battling discrimination for years. CBS is just finding out that a profound change toward pluralism can take place only with true insight on the part of management. CBS spokesperson Chris Ender says “We have made tremendous strides to increase diversity on screen, behind the camera and in the executive suites. However we certainly recognize that more can be done and more will be done.”

As far as Nogales is concerned. “It’s still a white guy’s world,” and the june 2001 statics for network television prove he is right.







Questions
Question 1:- What advantages would accrue to CBS if it becomes a more diverse workplace?

Question 2:- Where would you have placed CBS on the organizational diversity continuum and where would you place CBS now? Why?

Question 3:- Which approach (es) to pluralism best sums up the diversity policy that is being developed at CBS? Explain

Question 4:- How do the attitudes of management at CBS as depicted in your case study affect the company’s progress toward forming a more diverse workforce? Explain.






 Case Study 4

McDonald’s Listening Campaign

At the end of 2002, the world's largest quick service retailer made its first ever quarterly loss and faced a number of challenges. It responded by launching its Plan to Win program, part of a global strategy to modernize the business, followed by the Listening Campaign in the UK. Here, Ali Carruthers explains how the two initiatives were linked in the UK, and the impact The Listening Campaign has had on communication, culture, image and media perception.

 In 2003, things were looking bleak for McDonald's. Its share price was the lowest it had been in a decade and it faced a series of seemingly insurmountable problems: It was demonized by the UK media in the fierce debate raging over obesity; it faced huge competition on the high street; and it was suffering under a wave of Anti-Americanism in the wake of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Added to this was the fact that the restaurants themselves were beginning to look dated and UK health lobbyists were determined to push home the message that McDonald's food was bad for people.
Speaking earlier this year to the BBC, the UK CEO Peter Beresford said: "We had taken our eye off the customer, we were not customer focused, we were not customer driven. And so we reorganized and regrouped. We decided we had to stop and take stock of where we were. We had to be better, but we had to change the way we were running this business."
The Plan to Win
The senior management put their heads together and devised the Plan to Win program, which went public in the last quarter of 2003. A key part of its focus was a shift to more choice and variety foods, with salads appearing permanently on the menu for the first time in the organization's history. Key restaurants began to receive make over and a supporting advertising campaign with international stars was planned, all of which were intended to turn the food chain's image around.
But just as things were beginning to look up for the organization, trouble raised its head again in the shape of the documentary film "Supersize me," which in turn re-ignited the obesity debate in the media. It was then discovered that one of the salads McDonald's was marketing contained more calories than one of its hamburgers. The UK press reacted with predictable glee and once again McDonald's was in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
The Listening Campaign. The company responded promptly. Working with agency Blue Rubicon, the in-house communication and media relations team devised the Listening Campaign. It made the most of the arrival of new UK CEO Peter Beresford in July 2004, building on his personal credibility and that of McDonald's with the Listening Tour. Beresford spoke directly to customers in focus groups, met with franchise holders and with employees in 12 UK cities over the space of six weeks, starting at the end of October.
The key ingredient was listening to customers and staff and then showing the results of this. "Part of the reason [for doing it] was that we had to introduce Peter very quickly to employees, customers and stakeholders," says head of internal communications AIi Carruthers. "It was also signaling that he'd continue to work to change our culture and lead the drive for a real transparency of approach. We've been building on that work ever since."
Focus groups for stakeholders

The communication team made the most of Beresford's time by booking ahead so that local franchisees could meet him when he travelled to regional centers for customer focus groups. Next, Listening Groups were created for the company's regional offices with corporate rather than restaurant-based employees taking part. Initial meetings were centered around three classic focus group questions:
* What works?
* What would you change?
* How would you change it?
In each session, six to 10 employees took part and the sessions lasted around two hours. After the first session, an action plan was drawn up and fed back to the employees in a second round of focus groups. Then the agreed proposed changes were put in place by the organization.
Proposed changes put in place
A range of short, medium and long term actions have been instigated as a result of the focus groups. These include a firm commitment to hold monthly town-hall sessions to regularly address key issues within the organization. "We've agreed to use these sessions to feature various departmental heads," says Carruthers.
"That's so people can put names to faces, understand the organizational structure better and get an understanding of what goes on outside their own departments." The company has also committed itself to involving a new group of employees every six months, and to being more transparent about its promotion process and how people are assessed for promotion. It now holds regular Plan to Win meetings, which are related to the global strategy. "We're using the town-hall sessions to communicate the global strategy to thebroader office group rather than just senior management so there's a wider understanding of what we're doing," says Carruthers.
The company has also committed to a peer-nominated quarterly recognition scheme for the regional and head offices. It's planned that the town halls will also be used in the recognition scheme. "People need to say well done to each other and be acknowledged by the senior team," says Carruthers.
A change in company culture
According to Carruthers, the strategy has been recognized globally - a drive for greater face-to-face communication, more transparency, a growth in leadership behavior and accountability. "Basically we've been trying to make people feel they're able to ask questions," she says. "There's nothing wrong with challenging the status quo as long as it's done in a constructive and respectful way. If we can use some of those ideas we can probably make it a more enjoyable place for everyone to work."
There's no doubt that the Listening Campaign has had an impact on the senior team and general employees alike. Carruthers has had feedback from both groups and believes the exercise has been an eye-opener for the senior team: "They frequently mention experiences they've had in those groups. There's nothing quite like hearing issues for yourself; the good ones and the more awkward ones."
The feedback from focus-group participants has been very good; employees say they feel listened to and think their feedback is being taken on board. "They feel confident to ask questions or send e-mails directly to people they thought wouldn't have listened to their suggestions previously. It's changing the culture. Anything that builds trust and transparency is good. Now it's about delivering on the changes that we said we'd make."
A hotline to the CEO
A hotline to the CEO has made the company's drive for transparency and commitment to employees even more credible. The "Ask Peter" e-mail address was established when Beresford took up his post and has seen a fair amount of traffic. "It's word of mouth - people see that it's well responded to," says Carruthers. She sees it as important to be straight with employees about how e-mails are dealt with and who sees them. "We're very up-front about the fact that I see all e-mails as well as Peter, but if we forward them to other departments, they'll be anonymous."
A combination of high and low technology adds to the feeling of personal contact: Beresford will often answer e-mails with a hand-written reply. In one famous instance he replied to nearly 100 in one week. "It doesn't always happen that way, but it's these things that make a difference. People see it's coming from him and it's quite a personal touch."
Committing to communication, A new round of Listening focus groups with fresh employees is due to kick off in October. The whole cycle of questions, action-planning and feedback will be replayed. "We're working with a new group of employees because we want to keep changing and avoid having a formalized council of volunteers," says Carruthers. "They'll look at what they think has happened so far, whether anything could have been done differently and then we'll hold a review of the proposals."
It's a genuine commitment to keep the focus groups running on an ongoing basis. Carruthers is also expecting that the flexibility and fresh new faces will ensure that new topics arise: "They're things that inevitably come up along the way and get added to the agenda for change. We just need to follow them through and then tell people the results."
The results
Since Beresford's Listening Tour there's been a turnaround in the media coverage of McDonald's, which has been much more positive. The Listening Campaign is changing the internal culture of the company and its focus group cycles are becoming permanent two-way communication channels.
Results back in August this year from the last employee survey showed that internal communication is now ranked by employees as number four out of 25 departments. "The communications strategy has helped people become aware of who we are and what we do," says Carruthers. The Listening Campaign has also helped McDonald's raise its profile externally, as it was nominated in this year's UK Chartered Institute of Public Relations Excellence Awards and short-listed for Best Use of Media Relations in the PR Week Awards.





Questions

Question1. Based on this case, develop guidelines for improving communication with each of different stakeholders, through better listening.

Question 2:- What are the essentials for the effective communication?

Question 3:- Write about McDonald marketing plan which they have implemented for the success?

Question 4:- Do the SWOT analysis of following:-

• McDonald
• Food Industry

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Note: Solve any 4 Cases Study’s

CASE: I    Conceptualise and Get Sacked

HSS Ltd. is a leader in high-end textiles having headquarters in Bangalore.
The company records a turnover of Rs 1,000 cr. Plus a year. A year back, HSS set up a unit at Hassan (250 km away from Bangalore) to spin home textiles. The firm hired Maniyam as GM-HR and asked him to operationalise the Hassan unit.
Maniyam has a vision. Being a firm believer in affirmative actions, he plans to reach out to the rural areas and tap the potentials of teenaged girls with plus two educational background. Having completed their 12th standard, these girls are sitting at homes, idling their time, watching TV serials endlessly and probably dreaming about their marriages. Junior colleges are located in their respective villages and it is easy for these girls to get enrolled in them. But degree colleges are not nearby. The nearest degree college is minimum 10 km and no parents dare send their daughters on such long distances and that too for obtaining degrees, which would not guarantee them jobs but could make searching for suitable boys highly difficult.
These are the girls to whom Maniyam wants to reach out. How to go about hiring 1500 people from a large number who can be hired? And Karnataka is a big state with 27 districts. The GM-HR studies the geography of all the 27 districts and zeroes in on nine of them known for backwardness and industriousness.
Maniyam then thinks of the principals of Junior Colleges in all the nine districts as contact persons to identify potential candidates. This route is sure to ensure desirability and authenticity of the candidates. The girls are raw hands. Except the little educational background, they know nothing else. They need to be trained. Maniyam plans to set up a training centre at Hassan with hostel facilities for new hires. He even hires Anil, an MBA from UK, to head the training centre.
All is set. It is bright day in October 2006. MD and the newly hired VP-HR came to Hassan from Bangalore. 50 principals from different parts of the nine districts also came on invitation from Maniyam and Anil. Discussions, involving all, go on upto 2 PM. At that time, MD and VP-HR ask Maniyam to meet them at the guest house to discuss some confidential matter.
In this meeting, Maniyam is told that his style of functioning does not jell with the culture of HSS. He gets the shock of life. He responds on expected by submitting his papers.
Back in his room, Maniyam wonders what has gone wrong. Probably, the VP-HR being the same age as he is, is feeling jealous and insecure since the MD has all appreciation for the concept and the way things are happening. Maniyam does not have regrets. On the contrary he is happy that his concept is being followed though he has been sacked. After all, HSS has already hired 500 girls. With Rs 3,000 plus a month each, these girls and their parents now find it easy to find suitable boys.


Question:

1. What mad the MD change his mind and go against Maniyam? What role might the VP-HR have played in the episode?

2. If you were Maniyam, what would you do?




CASE: II  A Tale of Twists and Turns

Rudely shaken, Vijay came home in the evening. He was not in a mood to talk to his wife. Bolted inside, he sat in his room, lit a cigarette, and brooded over his experience with a company he loved most.
Vijay, an M.Com and an ICWA, joined the finance department of a Bangalore-based electric company (Unit 1), which boasts of an annual turnover of Rs. 400 crores. He is smart, intelligent, but conscientious. He introduced several new systems in record-keeping and was responsible for cost reduction in several areas. Being a loner, Vijay developed few friends in and outside the organization. He also missed promotions four times though he richly deserved them.
G.M. Finance saw to it that Vijay was shifted to Unit 2 where he was posted in purchasing. Though purchasing was not his cup of tea, Vijay went into it whole hog, streamlined the purchasing function, and introduced new systems, particularly in vendor development. Being honest himself, Vijay ensured that nobody else made money through questionable means.
After two years in purchasing, Vijay was shifted to stores. From finance to purchasing to stores was too much for Vijay to swallow.
He burst out before the unit head, and unable to control his anger, Vijay put in his papers too. The unit head was aghast at this development but did nothing to console Vijay. He forwarded the papers to the V.P. Finance, Unit 1.
The V.P. Finance called in Vijay, heard him for a couple of hours, advised him not to lose heart, assured him that his interests would be taken care of and requested him to resume duties in purchasing Unit 2. Vijay was also assured that no action would be taken on the papers he had put in.
Six months passed by. Then came the time to effect promotions. The list of promotees was announced and to his dismay, Vijay found that his name was missing. Angered, Vijay met the unit head who coolly told Vijay that he could collect his dues and pack off to his house for good. It was great betrayal for Vijay.

Question:

1. What should Vijay do?















CASE: III  Mechanist’s Indisciplined Behaviour

Dinesh, a machine operator, worked as a mechanist for Ganesh, the supervisor. Ganesh told Dinesh to pick up some trash that had fallen from Dinesh’s work area, and Dinesh replied, “I won’t do the janitor’s work.”
Ganesh replied, “when you drop it, you pick it up”. Dinesh became angry and abusive, calling Ganesh a number of names in a loud voice and refusing to pick up the trash. All employees in the department heard Dinesh’s comments.
Ganesh had been trying for two weeks to get his employees to pick up trash in order to have cleaner workplace and prevent accidents. He talked to all employees in a weekly departmental meeting and to each employee individually at least once. He stated that he was following the instructions of the general manager. The only objection came from Dinesh.
Dinesh has been with the company for five years, and in this department for six months. Ganesh had spoken to him twice about excessive alcoholism, but otherwise his record was good. He was known to have quick temper.
This outburst by Dinesh hurt Ganesh badly, Ganesh told Dinesh to come to the office and suspended him for one day for insubordination and abusive language to a supervisor. The decision was within company policy, and similar behaviours had been punished in other departments.
After Dinesh left Ganesh’s office, Ganesh phoned the HR manager, reported what he had done, and said that he was sending a copy of the suspension order for Dinesh’s file.

Question:

1. How would you rate Dinesh’s behaviour? What method of appraisal would you use? Why?

2. Do you assess any training needs of employees? If yes, what inputs should be embodied in the training programme?



















CASE: IV   A Case of Misunderstood Message

Indane Biscuits is located in an industrial area. The biscuit factory employs labour on a daily basis. The management does not follow statutory regulations, and are able to get away with violations by keeping the concerned inspectors in good books.
The factory has a designated room to which employees are periodically called either to hire or to fire.
On the National Safety Day, the Industries Association, of which Indane Biscuits is a member, decided to celebrate collectively at a central place. Each of the member was given a specific task. The Personnel Manager, Indane Biscuits, desired to consult his supervisors and to inform everybody through them about the safety day celebrations. He sent a memo requesting them to be present in the room meant for hiring and firing. As soon as the supervisors read the memo, they all got panicky thinking that now it was their turn to get fired. They started having ‘hush-hush’ consultations. The workers also learnt about it, and since they had a lot of scores to settle with the management they extended their sympathy and support to the supervisors. As a consequence, everybody struck work and the factory came to a grinding halt.
In the meantime, the personnel manager was unaware of the developments and when he came to know of it he went immediately and tried to convince the supervisors about the purpose of inviting them and the reason why that particular room was chosen. To be fair to the Personnel Manager, he selected the room because no other room was available. But the supervisors and the workers were in no mood to listen.
The Managing Director, who rushed to the factory on hearing about the strike, also couldn’t convince the workers.
The matter was referred to the labour department. The enquiry that followed resulted in all irregularities of the factory getting exposed and imposition of heavy penalties. The Personnel Manager was sacked.  The factory opened after prolonged negotiations and settlements.

Question:

1. In the case of the Indane Biscuits, bring out the importance of ‘context’ and ‘credibility’ in communication.
2. List the direct and indirect causes for the escalation of tension at Indane Biscuits.
3. If you were the Personnel Manager what would you do?












CASE: V  Rise and Fall

Jagannath (Jaggu to his friends) is an over ambitious young man. For him ends justify means.
With a diploma in engineering. Jaggu joined, in 1977, a Bangalore-based company as a Technical Assistant. He got himself enrolled as a student in a evening college and obtained his degree in engineering in 1982. Recognising his improved qualification, Jaggu was promoted as Engineer-Sales in 1984.
Jaggu excelled himself in the new role and became the blue-eyed boy of the management. Promotions came to him in quick succession. He was made Manager-Sales in 1986 and Senior Manager-Marketing in 1988.
Jaggu did not forget his academic pursuits. After being promoted as Engineer-Sales, he joined an MBA (part-time) programme. After completing MBA, Jaggu became a Ph.D. scholar and obtained his doctoral degree in 1989.
Functioning as Senior Manager-Marketing, Jaggu eyed on things beyond his jurisdiction. He started complaining Suresh—the Section Head and Phahalad the Unit Chief (both production) with Ravi, the EVP (Executive-Vice President). The complaints included delay in executing orders, poor quality and customer rejections. Most of the complaints were concocted.
Ravi was convinced and requested Jaggu to head the production section so that things could be straightened up there. Jaggu became the Section head and Suresh was shifted to sales.
Jaggu started spreading wings. He prevailed upon Ravi and got sales and quality under his control, in addition to production. Suresh, an equal in status, was now subordinated to Jaggu. Success had gone to Jaggu’s head. He had everything going in his favour—position, power, money and qualification. He divided workers and used them as pawns. He ignored Prahalad and established direct link with Ravi. Unable to bear the humiliation, Prahalad quit the company. Jaggu was promoted as General Manager. He became a megalomaniac.
Things had to end at some point. It happened in Jaggu’s life too. There were complaints against him. He had inducted his brother-in-law, Ganesh, as an engineer. Ganesh was by nature corrupt. He stole copper worth Rs.5 lakh and was suspended. Jaggu tried to defend Ganesh but failed in his effort. Corruption charges were also leveled against Jaggu who was reported to have made nearly Rs.20 lakh himself.
On the new-year day of 1993, Jaggu was reverted to his old position—sales. Suresh was promoted and was asked to head production. Roles got reversed. Suresh became the boss to Jaggu.
Unable to swallow the insult, Jaggu put in his papers.
From 1977 to 1993, Jaggu’s career graph has a steep rise and sudden fall. Whether there would be another hump in the curve is a big question.


Question:

1. Bring out the principles of promotion that were employed in promoting  Jaggu.

2. What would you do if you were (i) Suresh, (ii) Prahalad or (iii) Ravi?

3. Bring out the ethical issues involved in Jaggu’s behaviour.




CASE: VI   Chairman and CEO Seeking a Solution and Finding It

Sitting on 50-plus year old ION Tyres, the Kolkata-based tyres and tubes manufacturing company with a turnover of more than Rs.1,000 crore, both A.K. Mathur, and Raman Kumar, the CEO are searching for solutions to problems which their company started unfolding.
Financial performance of ION Tyres, is poor as reflected in its falling PBT. Performance gap between the top performer in tyres and tubes and ION Tyres ranges from 4 per cent to 5 per cent. The company has aging managerial people and equally old plant and equipment. High cost of production keeps the company in a disadvantaged position. “Boss is always right” culture has permeated everywhere. Common thread binding all the departments is missing. Each department is a stand alone entity.
There are positives nevertheless. ION Tyres and tubes are famous world-wide for durability, and superior quality. The company offers a wide range of bias tyres and tubes catering to all users segments like heavy and light commercial vehicles, motorbikes, scooters, and autos. The firm has state-of-the-art radial plant. The client list of ION comprises several big guns in Indian corporate sector. Tata Motors, Hero Honda, TVS Motors, Mahindra and Mahindra, L&T, Eicher, Swaraj Mazda, Maruti Udyog and Bajaj are the regularly buying ION’s tyres and tubes.
ION seems to have everything going in its favour. It is the market leader in the Indian market enjoying 19 per cent of the market share; manufactures 5.6 m tyres per year, has a network of 50 regional offices with over 4,000 dealers and 180 C&F agents.
Suddenly both Chairman and CEO have realised that there are too many road blocks ahead of them and the journey to be rough and bumpy.
Realisation dawned on Mathur and Raman Kumar way back in 2001 when they both attended a two-day seminar on “Enhancing Organisational Capability through Balanced Scorecard” organised by CII at Kolkotta. The duo had personal talk with Sanjeev Kumar, the then Chairman of CII. They are now convinced that Balanced Score card is ideal performance assessment tool that could be used in ION with greater benefits.
Mathur and Raman Kumar acted fast. They soon organised a workshop on “Balanced Score” to educate in-house managers about the concept and the procedural aspects of its implementation. There was initial resistance to accept the scorecard as the managers felt that they were already burdened since they were busy implementing other quality improvement initiatives. Deliberations in the workshop changed them. They are now convinced and enthusiastic about the positives of the scorecard. They are ready to implement the system.
A two member task force was constituted comprising Director—HRD and G.M.—Strategy and Planning. The task force travelled to all three factories as well as zonal headquarters to unfold the implementation of scorecard. The scorecard principles were implemented successfully from November 2002 and completed by March 2003. Figures 1 to 4 show the scorecards adopted by ION Tyres.











Financial
“To succeed financially how should we appear to our shareholder Objectives Measure Target Initiatives
To achieve turnover of Rs.1850 crs by FY05 • Sales turnover
• PBIDT • To achieve turnover of Rs.1850 crs by FY05
• PBIDT of Rs.150 crs (FY05)
• Decrease in conversion cost from Rs.25 to Rs.21/kg in Bhopal plant and Rs.25/kg in Mysore plant • Develop acceptable 1000-20 lug tyres
• Increasing number of sales offices from 180 to 220
• 7 day work week to be introduced at Bhopal plant
• Improve fuel wastage and ensure lower power
• VP Technology and MD to initiate technology tie-ups

Fig. 1


















Customer
“To achieve our vision, how should we appear to out customers” Objectives Measure Target Initiatives
Improvement in customer satisfaction • Customer satisfaction survey (by external agency) • To improve from 65% to 70%
• Customer engagement at 30% • Claim settlement to be reduced from 8 to 2 days
• Improvement of casing value of used tyres, atleast by 15%
• Cost per Kilometer of tyre comparable to competitors

Fig. 2

Outcomes of scorecard implementation have been very encouraging. PBT improved and the gap between ION Tyres and the toppers in the industry reduced by 50 per cent. A transparent and objective performance assessment system came to be kept in place. With inertia and the ennui being broken, both Mathur and Kumar felt galvanized and realised that the road ahead of them was no more bumpy and rough. Thus, solutions to the problems were found.

















Learning and Growth
“To achieve our vision, how will we sustain our ability to change an improve” Objectives Measure Target Initiatives
Identification of “high-fliers”; Talents to be identified through development workshops • Job enrichment, job enlargement,  job rotation
• Competency Assessment
• Potential Appraisals • Career planning for the High-Fliers (expected to be around 30 managers)
• Successions planning for all key positions
• 5 manday’s training/manager/year • Move people within same functions, in the first two years and at the year two move them to another function
• Variable pay component in the ration 1:4 for the “high-fliers”
• Non-financial rewards
• Felicitation by company chairman in presence of family members for recognizing extraordinary contributions

Fig. 3


















Internal Business Processes
“To satisfy our shareholders and customers, what business processes must we excel at” Objectives Measure Target Initiatives
Introduction of new products in the commercial tyre segment
Reduction of development time
Quarterly reconciliation of accounts receivables from dealers
Annual increases on-time to employees • Introduction of 3-4 new products per year in commercial tyre segment
• Reduction of development time from 18 months to 6 months
• Achieve 100% reconciliation
• Annual increases by on time by 1st July    • Introduction of 3-4 new products per year in commercial tyre segment
• Reduction of development time from 18 months to 6 months
• Achieve 100% reconciliation
• Annual increases by on time by 1st July • Regular quarterly review of performance
• KRA targets to be ready by 1st April
• European certification for tyres


Fig.4

Question:

1. Do you agree with the conclusion drawn at the end of the case that scorecard system has galvanised ION Tyres? In other words, does scorecard system deserve all the credit?

2. Will quality improvement initiatives clash with scorecard implementation? If yes, how to avoid the clashes?

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ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Note : All Questions are Compulsory
Each Cases Carries Equal Marks
GROUP A:
CASE 1
Q1) Imagine that you are in-charge of a major chemical plant, manufacturing points. At
present, the general awareness about the mandatory requirements for chemical
industry is very low. Even if the compliance record is maintained, it is not disclosed to
all employees. (25 marks)
In a recent seminar of the company, many experts from industry associations like
Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), conducted the seminar. The dangers of noncompliance
of ISO 14001 EMS certification and Trade Sanctions, which are likely to
increase, were discussed. Even the senior managers were involved and a lot of serious
discussions took place.
After a span of one month, the In-charge (i.e. you!) received a call from the top
management, who want you to find out more about the ISO Certification. The
management, wants to help you, with the help of other employees to list the critical
aspects that have potential environmental impact.
You may be feeling that you have only some vague ideas about air pollution in
paint industry and water pollution, due to paint manufacture. You may also recall the
newspaper clipping on internationalization of paint manufacturing practices, which
states the following points:
i) What are the activities that are critical to the company’s environmental
management certification?
ii) List the activities which have potential environmental impacts in a pint industry.
iii) List the legal requirements.
iv) Is there a trade related issue involved in this case
v) Explain, how your company can prepare itself towards certification.
CASE 2 :
Q2) XYZ company is an equal opportunity employer. XYZ Co has always upheld the
spirits of freedom, human welfare, fair practices and fair treatment to all employees. It
has the image of a socially responsible company in India. XYZ Co., has never involved
itself in any study deals, even if it could bring good profits. (15 Marks)
Also, XYZ Co. is a major IT solution provider. XYZ has
immense consultancy services in the African nations
and South East Asian countries. from an African
country, stating that they have an assignment for two
conditions are to be fulfilled.
potential for
providing A
request was
received years.
The following
a) Employees should not bring families with them during the assignment.
b) Women managers should not accompany the team.
c) The country and the collaborating company are not responsible if any accident
or any other untoward incidents take place.
Please answer the following questions :
i) Should XYZ Co take up the assignment?
ii) How can XYZ Co maintain business viability and growth without compromising on
basic rights and values enshrined? In the mission statement of the company?
iii) What alterations may be sought in the agreement and why?
GROUP – B
Environmental Pollution:
CASE 3
Q3) On the night of December 23, 1983 a dangerous chemical reation occurred in the
Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, when a large amount of water got into the MIC i.e.
Methyl Isocyanate storage tank. When the leak was detected by workers at 11.30 pm,
their eyes began to tear and burn. The rest is history. About 40 tons of MIC poured out
of the tank for nearly 2 hours and escaped into air, spreading within 8 km down wind,
About 4000 people were killed in sleep or as they fled in terror, hundreds of thousands
were injured or effected the victims who were almost entirely the poorest members of
the population. The poisonous gas, caused death and left the survivors with lingering
disability and diseases.
The Bhopal disaster was a result of the combination of legal, technological,
organizational and human errors. The long term effects were made worse by the
absence of systems to care for and compensate the victims. Also, the safety standards
and maintenance procedure at the Union Carbide plant had been deteriorating and
ignored for months.
Questions :
i) From Bhopal Tragedy, what an industrial manager learns? What safety procedures
are to be followed. Study the case deeply and state what were the defects of MIL unit.
In view of this case, prepare a disaster management plan, which could cover be useful
to a chemical company. (10 Marks)
Q 4)
i) List the methods of waste management in the order of preference. (5
Marks)
ii) What are the advantages of solid waste incernaton? (5 Marks)
iii) Define hazardous waste
(5 Marks)
iv) List the legal provisions in the Environment Protection Act pertaining to hazardous
waste
(5 Marks)
Q 5)
i) Discuss the role of CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) in the pollution control
activities in
India. (2
Marks)
ii) Mention the salient points of the 3 Acts : (2
Marks)
The Air (prevention and control of pollution) Act 1981
The Water (prevention and control of pollution)
Act 1974 The Environment (Protection) Act 1986
iii) Explain the very elements of EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) –
different types of Impact Assessments – the benefits of EIA – The EIA process, key
points to remember while
conducting an effective EIA. (2 Marks)
iv)
Compare and contrast “polluter pays principle” with “beneficiary pays
principle”. (2 Marks)
v)
What are the tenets of Risk management – explain the steps involved
through a chart. (2Marks)


Human Resource Management
Answer the following question.
Q1. What are the pay-surveys? And whats its usefulness? (10 marks)
Q2. What are the factors affecting Job Design? (10 marks)
Q3. Write short note on Manpower planning? Forecasting manpower requirements (10 marks)
Q4. What is compensation? And what are the main objectives of compensation? (10 marks)
Q5. Discus the role of employee referrals in recruitment? (10 marks)
Q6. Why there is need of Human Resource Planning? (10 marks)
Q7. Write short note on Executive pay. (10 marks)
Q8. What is Management By Objectives (MBO)? (10 marks)

Management Control System
Answer the following question.
Q1. Describe the various short-term and long-term incentive plans. (10
marks)
Q2. Define Transfer pricing. Describe the various transfer pricing methods in detail (10
marks)
Q3. What do you understand by the term responsibility center? (10
marks)
Q4. Explain, in detail, the various corporate level strategies and business unit, 'strategies with detail (10
marks)
Q5. Explain Mix and Volume Variance (10
marks)
Q6. Explain Balance Score Card (10
marks)
Q7.
25. Describe the need for MIS in a business organization focusing on Management Control System. Also explain the
important considerations in designing Management Information System (M l S) for the purpose of Management
Control
(10
marks)
Q8. Give performance measurement in service organisation. (10
marks)

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Quantitative Methods
Answer the following question.
Q1. Explain the concept of goal congruence (informal and formal) (10
marks)
Q2. Explain Management by Objectives (10
marks)
Q3.
compute chain index number with 2000 price base from the following table given the average wholesale price of
commodities A, B and C for the year 2000 to 2004 Commodity Average wholesale price in rs. 2000 2001 2002 2003
2004 A 20 16 28 35 21 B 25 30 24 36 45 C 20 25 30 24 30
(10
marks)
Q4. from the data given below, fit a straight line trend by the method of least squares Years 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980 1981 1982 Sales 00,00000 6.7 5.3 4.3 6.1 5.6 7.9 5.8 6.1
(10
marks)
Q5. in a sample of 500 people from a village in rajasthan, 280 are found to be rice eaters and rest wheat eaters. Can we
assume that both the food articles are equally popular?
(10
marks)
Q6. A machine puts out 16 imperfect articles in a sample of 500. After the machine is overhauled, it puts out 3 imperfect
articles in abatch of 100. Has the machine improved?
(10
marks)
Q7. intelligence test on two boys and girls give the following results: mean Sd N Girls 75 15 150 Boys 70 20 250 Is there a
significant difference in the mean scores obtained by boys and girls?
(10
marks)
Q8.
a certain drug is claimed to be effective in curing cold. In an experiment on 328 people with cold, half of them were
given the drug and half of them given sugar pills. The patients reactioms to the treatment are recorded in the following
table. Test the hypothesis that the drug is no better than sugar pils for curing colds(given v = 2 ϕ2 = 5.99)
(10
marks)

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 ACCOUNTING
Total Marks: 80
N.B. : 1) All questions are compulsory
Q1) ABC Ltd. Produces room coolers. The company is considering whether it should continue to
manufacture air circulating fans itself or purchase them from outside. Its annual requirement is
25000 units. An outsider vendor is prepared to supply fans for Rs 285 each. In addition, ABC Ltd
will have to incur costs of Rs 1.50 per unit for freight and Rs 10,000 per year for quality inspection,
storing etc of the product.
{25 Marks }
In the most recent year ABC Ltd. Produced 25000 fans at the following total cost :
Material Rs. 50,00,000
Labour Rs. 20,00,000
Supervision & other indirect labour Rs. 2,00,000
Power and Light Rs. 50,000
Depreciation Rs. 20,000
Factory Rent Rs. 5,000
Supplies Rs. 75,000
Power and light includes Rs 20,000 for general heating and lighting, which is an allocation based on
the light points. Indirect labour is attributed mainly to the manufacturing of fans. About 75% of it
can be dispensed with along with direct labour if manufacturing is discontinued. However, the
supervisor who receives annual salary of Rs 75,000 will have to be retained. The machines used for
manufacturing fans which have a book value of Rs 3,00,000 can be sold for Rs 1,25,000 and the
amount realized can be invested at 15% return. Factory rent is allocated on the basis of area, and the
company is not able to see an alternative use for the space which would be released. Should ABC
Ltd. Manufacture the fans or buy them?
AN ISO 9001 : 2000 CERTIFIED INTERNATIONAL B-SCHOOL
Page 1 Out of 1
Q2) Usha Company produces three consumer products : P, Q and R. The management of the
company wants to determine the most profitable mix. The cost accountant has supplied the following
data. {30 Marks }
Usha Company : Sales and Cost Data
Description Product Total
P Q R
Material Cost per unit
Quantity (Kg) 1.0 1.2 1.4
Rate per Kg (Rs) 50 50 50
Cost per unit (Rs) 50 60 70
Labour Cost per unit 30 90 90
Variable Overheads per unit 15 10 25
Fixed Overheads (Rs .000) 9,175
Current Sales (Units ,000) 100 50 60 210
Projected Sales (Units ,000) 109 55 125 289
Selling Price per unit (Rs) 150 200 270
Raw material used by the firm is in short supply and the firm can expect a maximum supply of 350
lakh kg for next year. Is the company’s projected sales mix most profitable or can it be changed for
the better?
Q3) DSQ Company Ltd, a diversified company, has three divisions, cement, fertilizers and
textiles. The summary of the company’s profit is given below : {25 Marks }
(Rs/Crore)
Cement Fertilizer Textiles Total
Sales 20.0 12.0 18.0 50.0
Less : Variable Cost 8.0 9.6 5.4 23.0
Contribution 12.0 2.4 12.6 27.0
Less : Fixed Cost (allocated to
divisions in proportion to
volumes of Sales)
8.0 4.8 7.2 20.0
Profit (Loss) 4.0 (2.4) 5.4 7.0
After allocating the company’s fixed overheads to products the Fertilizers, division incurs a loss of
Rs 2.4 crore. Should the company drop this division?


 Corporate Finance
Total Marks: 80
Note : All Questions are Compulsory
Each Question Carries Equal Marks 10 Marks
1. Explain in detail about Corporate Firm
2. Write a note on Short term solvency & Long-Term Solvency Measures
3. Explain Definition & Example of a Bond & Explain How to Value Bonds
4. Write a note on Growth Opportunities & Give one suitable example
5. You purchase a bond with an invoice price of $1,140. The bond has a coupon rate of 7.2 percent, and there are five months to the next semiannual coupon date. What is the clean price of the bond?
6. Explain in Detail about Monte Carlo Simulation
7. Calculating Future Values Compute the future value of $1,000 compounded annually for
a) 10 years at 5 percent
b) 10 years at 7 percent
c) 20 years at 5 percent
d) Why is the interest earned in part(C) not twice the amount earned in part(A)
8. Explain in Detail about Different types of Efficiency

 Corporate Law
Total Marks: 80
Note : All Questions are Compulsory
Each Question Carries Equal Marks 10 Marks
1. What are the functions of controller.
2. Distinguish cheque and bill of exchange
3. Discuss power to impose lesser penalty
4. State the miscellaneous provisions as regards charges.
5. How to convert public company in to a private company.
6. How to employ a controller and other officers.
7. What are the liability of members
8. How to determine the value of assets

 Cost & Management Accountancy
Total Marks: 80
Note : All Questions are Compulsory
Each Question Carries Equal Marks 10 Marks
1. Discuss the different methods of calculating depreciation.
2. Bring out the difference between FIFO and LIFO method.
3. What are the components of the Standard Costs ?
4. Differentiate between the Direct Labour Costs and Indirect Labour costs.
5. Explain the methods of preparing the Cash Flow Statements.
6. Discuss the various Accounting concepts & What are the various Accounting Principles ?
7. What do you mean by depreciation & Explain the requirement of depreciation.
8. Explain the causes of differences between the cash book and pass book.


Finance Institution
Total Marks: 80
Note : All Questions are Compulsory
Each Question Carries Equal Marks (10 Marks)
1. What is the implication for cross-border trades if it can be shown that interest rate parity is maintained consistently across different markets and different currencies ?
2. What forms of protection and regulation are imposed by regulators of CBs to ensure their safety and soundness ?
3. How has the composition of the assets of U.S. life insurance companies changed over time ?
4. Describe the difference between a defined benefit pension fund and a defined contribution pension fund.
5. Why is the length of time selected for repricing assets and liabilities important when using the repricing model ?
6. Contrast the use of financial futures options with the use of options on cash instruments to construct interest rate hedges.
7. What is a mortgage-backed bond ? Why do financial institutions issue MBBs ?
8. What is the difference between loan participations and loan assignments ?

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION XIBMS MBA ONGOING EXAM ANSWER SHEETS PROVIDED WHATSAPP 91 9924764558

 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION XIBMS MBA ONGOING EXAM ANSWER SHEETS PROVIDED WHATSAPP 91 9924764558

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


  BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 
N. B. : All cases are Compulsory.

CASE NO. 1
How to Proofread like a Pro :
Tips for creating the Perfect Document

You’ve carefully revised and polished your document, and it’s been sent off to the word-processing department or a designer to be put into final form.  You can breathe a sigh of relief, but only for the moment : You’ll still be proofreading what comes out of the printer.  To ensure that any document is error-free, always proofread the final version.  Following are some hints to help make your proofreading more effective.
 Multiple passes – Go through the document several times, focusing on a different aspect each time.  The first pass might be to look for omissions and errors in content; the second pass could be for layout, spacing, and other aesthetic features; a final pass might be to check for typographical, grammatical, and spelling errors.
 Perceptual tricks – Your brain has been trained to ignore transposed letters, improper capitalization, and misplaced punctuation.  Try (1) reading each page from the bottom to the top (starting at the last word in each line,) (2) Placing your finger under each word and reading it silently,  (3) making a slit in a sheet of paper that reveals only one line of type at a time, and (4) reading the document aloud and pronouncing each word carefully.
 Impartial reviews – Have a friend or colleague proofread the document for you.  Others are likely to catch mistakes that you continually fail to notice.  (All of us have blind spots when it comes to reviewing our own work)
 Typos – Look for the most common typographical errors (typos): transposition (such as teb), substitution (such as economic), and omission (such as productivity)
 Mechanics – When looking for errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization, if you’re unsure about something, look it up in a dictionary, a usage book, or another reference work.
 Accuracy – Double –check the spelling of names and the accuracy of dates, addresses, and all numbers (quantities ordered, prices, and so on).  It would not do to order 500 staples when you want only 50.
 Distance – If you have time, set the document aside and proofread it the next day.
 Vigilance – Avoid reading large amounts of material in one sitting, and try not to proofread when you’re tired.
 Focus – Concentrate on what you’re doing.  Try to block out distractions, and focus as completely as possible on your proofreading task.
 Caution – Take your time.  Quick proofreading is not careful proofreading.
Proofreading may require patience, but it adds creditability to your document.
Career Applications :
1. What qualities does a person need to be a good proofreader ? Are such qualities inborn, or can they be learned ?
2. Proofread the following sentence :
application of these methods in stores in San Deigo nd Cinncinati have resulted in a 30 drop in robberies an a 50 percent decling in violence there, according at the developers if the security system, Hanover brothrs, Inc.


CASE NO. 2
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS ALL AROUND
THE WORLD
“He wouldn’t look me in the eye.  I found it disconcerting that he kept looking all over the room but rarely at me,” said Barbara Walters after her interview with Libya’s Colonel Muammar al-Qadhafi.  Like many people in the United States, Walters was associating eye contact with trustworthiness, so when Qadhafi withheld eye contact, she felt uncomfortable.  In fact Qadhafi was paying Walters a compliment.  In Libya, not looking conveys respect, and looking straight at a woman is considered nearly as serious as physical assault.
Nonverbal communication varies widely between cultures, even between subcultures, and the differences strongly affect communication in the workplace.  Whether you’re trying to communicate with your new Asian American assistant, the Swedish managers who recently bought out your company, the African American college student who won a summer internship with your firm, or representatives from the French company you hope will buy your firm’s new designs, your efforts will depend as much on physical cues as on verbal ones.  Most Americans aren’t usually aware of their own nonverbal behavior, so they have trouble understanding the body language of people from other cultures.  The list of differences is endless.
 In Thailand it’s rude to place your arm over the back of a chair in which another person is sitting.
 Finnish female students are horrified by Arab girls who want to walk hand in hand with them.
 Canadian listeners nod to signal agreement.
 Japanese listeners nod to indicate only that they have understood.
 British listeners stare at the speaker, blinking their eyes to indicate understanding.
 People in the United States are taught that it’s impolite to stare.
 Saudis accept foreigners in Western business attire but are offended by tight – fitting clothing and by short sleeves.
 Spaniards indicate a receptive friendly handshake by clasping the other person’s forearm to form a double handshake.
 Canadians consider touching any part of the arm above the hand intrusive, except in intimate relationships.
It may take years to adjust your nonverbal communication to other
cultures, but you can choose from many options to help you prepare.  Books and seminars on cultural differences are readily available, as are motion pictures showing a wide range of cultures.  You can always rent videos of films and TV shows from other countries.  Examining the illustrations in news and business magazines can give you an idea of expected business dress and personal space.  Finally, remaining flexible and interacting with people from other cultures who are visiting or living in your country will go a long way toward lowering the barriers presented by nonverbal communication.
Career Applications :
1. Explain how watching a movie from another country might help you prepare to interpret nonverbal behavior from that culture correctly.
2. One of your co-workers is originally from Saudi Arabia. You like him, and the two of you work well together.  However, he stands so close when you speak with him that it makes you very uncomfortable. Do you tell him of your discomfort, or do you try to cover it up ?
CASE NO. 3
MASTERING THE ART OF CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
To become better writers, people need to be evaluated, but taking criticism
from others is often difficult.  The way you tell someone  “ You did it wrong” can destroy goodwill and cooperation, or it can build the relationship and help the person learn from the mistake, improve performance, and retain self-esteem.  To criticize more constructively, follow these suggestions :
 Get all the facts first : Don’t accept hearsay or rumors.
Find out specifically who did or said what, when, where, why, and how
 Don’t act in haste : Never act while you’re angry.  Think things out before you write or speak, and then explain your criticism calmly, rationally, and objectively.
 Phrase your remarks impersonally : Criticize the mistake, not the person.  Focus your remarks on the action only, and analyze it thoughtfully.
 Never criticize in an offhand manner : Treat the situation seriously.  Take the time to state the problem in detail, explaining what was wrong and why.
 Avoid an abusive tone : Ridiculing someone, talking down to a person, or using sarcasm prevents people from accepting what you have to say.
 Make the offense clear : Don’t talk in generalities.  Be specific about exactly what was done wrong.
 Preface the criticism with a kind word or a compliment : Start with a few words of praise or admiration, saying how much you value the person.  First the good news, then the bad.
 Supply the answer : Explain how to do things right.  Don’t dwell on the mistake, emphasize how to correct it and how to avoid repeating it.
 Ask for cooperation : Don’t demand cooperation.  Asking makes the person feel like a team member and provides an incentive to improve.
 Limit yourself to one criticism for each offense : Don’t dredge up or rehash past mistakes.  Focus on the current problem.
 End on a friendly note : Don’t conclude by leaving things up in the air, to be discussed again latter.  Settle them now, and make the close friendly.  Give the other person a pat on the back.  Let the last memory of the matter be a good one.
 Forgive and forget : Once the criticism has been made, let the person start with a clean slate.  Avoid looking for more mistakes, and give the person a chance to improve.
 Take steps to prevent a recurrence : Follow up to make sure the person is acting on your suggestions and doing things right.
If you follow these guidelines, constructive criticism can benefit you, your company, and – most important – the person you’re criticizing.
Career Applications :
1. Think back over the lessons you’ve learned in life.  How did you benefit from some one telling you the truth about something you were doing wrong ?
2. With a partner, role-play a situation in which one of you is the boss and the other an employee.  The boss is angry because the employee repeatedly arrives late for work, takes long lunches, and leaves 5 to 10 minutes early.  However, the employee’s work is always excellent.  After the role-play, analyze what the boss did right and what could be improved.
CASE NO. 4
WHAT YOU MAY LEGALLY SAY IN A SALES LETTER
As you prepare to write your sales letter, think carefully about your choice
of words.  False or misleading statements could land you in court, so make sure your language complies with legal and ethical standards.  To keep your sales letters within the limits of the law, review the legal considerations of these typical sales phrases :
 “Our product is the best on the market.” – This statement is acceptable for a sales letter because the law permits you to express an opinion about your product.  In the process of merchandising a product, statements of opinion are known as “puffery,” which is perfectly legal as long as you make no deceptive or fraudulent claims.
 “Our product will serve you well for many years to come.” This statement from a sales brochure triggered a lawsuit by a disgruntled customer who claimed the manufacturer’s product lasted only a few years.  The courts ruled that the statement was an acceptable form of puffery because the manufacturer did not promise that the product would last for a specific number of years.
 “We’re so confident you’ll enjoy our products that we’ve enclosed a sample of our most popular line.  This sample can be yours for only $5.00!  Please send your payment in the enclosed, prepaid envelope.”  If you include a product sample with your sales letter, your readers may keep the merchandise without paying for it.  Under the law, consumers may consider unordered goods as gifts.  They are not obligated to return the items to you or submit payments for unsolicited merchandise
 “Thousands of high school students – just like you – are already enjoying this fantastic CD collection ! Order before March 1 and save !” If your sales letter appeals to minors, you are legally obligated to honour their contracts.  At the same time, however, the law permits minors to cancel their contracts and return the merchandise to you.  Sellers are legally obligated to accept contracts voided by minors and any goods returned by them.  Legal adult status is defined differently from state to state, ranging from age 18 to age 21.
 “You’ll find hundreds of bargains at our annual scratch and dent’ sale!  All sales are final on merchandise marked as is.”  When you use the term as is in your sales letter, you are not misleading customers about the quality of your products.  By warning consumers that the condition of sales items is less than perfect, you are not legally obligated to issue refunds to customers who complain about defects later on.
Career Applications :
1. Review two sales letters for content.  List the “Puffery” statements in each letter.
2. Note any statements in these sales letters that appear questionable to you.  Rewrite one of the statements, carefully choosing words that won’t be misleading to consumers. 
CASE NO. 5
MINDING YOUR BUSINESS WITH ONLINE REPORTING
Mrs. Fields uses them.  Mrs. Paul’s uses them.  However, you don’t have to be in the cookie or fish business to work with electronic reports.  More and more companies are adopting electronic reports over hard-copy reports to keep employees, managers, investors, and other stakeholders informed.
Computerized cash registers in Mrs. Fields cookie outlets are the heart of a sophisticated reporting system for monitoring and controlling operations.  Rather than taking the time to write reports by hand, store managers enter data into the computer system by following report formats on their screen. Then they electronically transmit these reports to corporate headquarters in Park City, Utah.  The computer system also serves as a two-way communication device, allowing store and corporate personnel to send messages back and forth in seconds.  So Mrs. Fields corporate managers can quickly receive the information they need in order to track sales and productivity trends – and to spot potential problems – in more than 700 outlets around the world.
At Mrs. Paul’s a computerized reporting system allows production managers to continuously monitor and control the yield from the company’s fish – processing operation.  The system calculates the production yield using the weight of the fish before it’s processed, the weight if abt scraosm and the weight of the finished fish meals.  If the reports show that the actual yield drops below the expected yield, the managers can immediately adjust the equipment to improve the yield.  The production managers have instant access to electronic reports at each stage of the operation, so they can find and fix problems more quickly than if they had to wait for printed reports.
FedEx, the well-known package-shipping firm, uses extensive satellite and computer technologies to track the location of every package in the company’s system.  Customers can then access electronic reports to monitor the status of their shipments at any time. This tracking system not only helps the company serve its customers better, but it puts valuable information in the hands of customers with a click of the mouse. Like many companies, FedEx posts an electronic copy of its annual report and other corporate informational reports at its website.
As Mrs. Fields, Mrs. Pauls, FedEx, and other companies know, keeping customers, employees, investors, and other stakeholders informed with electronic reports is the only way to do business in the global workplace.

Career Applications
1. What advantages and disadvantages do you see in asking store managers at Mrs. Fields to file electronic troubleshooting reports immediately on the company’s intranet ?
2. What kinds of electronic reports might a company want to post on its website ? 








Human Resource Management


(i) There are three Sections A and B and C.
(ii) Attempt any three questions each from Section A and B. All questions carry 10 marks each.
(iii) Section C is compulsory for all and carries 40 marks.
SECTION A
1. Define and differentiate between Job Analysis, Job Description and Job Evaluation. Select an appropriate job evaluation method and create a plan for evaluating jobs of scientists in different grades.
2. Discuss the role of indoctrination in organizations. How can Performance Appraisal, and Training and Development be made an integral part of Human Resource Planning? Discuss.
3. Discuss the scope of Human Resource Audit. While auditing Reward systems for employees in a manufacturing organization, which factors should be taken into account and why? Explain with suitable examples.
4. Define and discuss the need for Human Resource Planning in an organization. Briefly discuss various approaches to HRP
5. Write short notes on any three of the following:
(a) Training methods
(b) Value determinants of HRP
(c) Human Resource accounting
(d) Labour Market Behavior
(e) Promotion and Reward Policies
SECTION B
1. Define and discuss the objectives of Human Resource Planning at organizational level. How does it help in determining and evaluating future organizational capabilities, needs and anticipated problems? Explain with suitable examples.
2. Define and describe Job Analysis. Briefly discuss several methods in which information about a job is collected and evaluated.
3. What is the purpose and process of recruitment function? Discuss various methods of sourcing manpower.
4. How is monetary value assigned to different dimensions of Human Resources costs, investments, and worth of the employees? Briefly explain Cost and Economic value approaches of measurement.
5. Write short notes on any three of the following :
(a) MBO
(b) Succession Planning
(c) Competency Mapping
(d) Job Evaluation
(e) H.R. Inventory

SECTION C
1. Quality control Department
Read the case given below and answer the questions given at the end.
Mr. Kapil Kumar and Mr. Abbas Ali were working in a scooter manufacturing public sector industry as Senior Quality Control Engineers in 1988. One post of Deputy Chief Quality Controller has fallen vacant due to the retirement of the incumbent and the management decided to recruit a qualified, knowledgeable and experienced professional from outside so that the present quality standard may be improved thus ensuring better marketability of their scooters in the face of stiff competition. Mr. Kapil Kumar, who was a mechanical engineer with about 15 years experience in the Quality Control Department dealing with mopeds and scooters, could have been promoted to fill the post on the basis of seniority. However, the management was looking for a graduate in statistics with experience in latest Quality Control (QC) techniques like statistical quality control, quality assurance and other related areas rather than a mechanical or automobile engineer with the routine experience in quality control. As such instead of promoting Kapil Kumar, the management advertised for the post of Deputy Chief Quality Controller - since as per company rules it was DR (Direct Recruitment) vacancy also.
Selection of Outsider
Out of the applications received in response to the advertisement, six candidates were called for interview including the two internal candidates, Mr. Kapil Kumar and Mr. Abbas Ali. The person selected was an outsider, one Mr. Ratnam, who had over 12 years experience SQC, quality assurance etc., in the two-wheeler private manufacturing industry. Mr. Ratnam joined within 2 months time expecting that in his new position he would be the main controller for quality. However, after joining the organization he came to know that he would be the second senior most person in the hierarchy for controlling the quality and would be reporting to one, Kirpal Sing,. The Chief for Quality Controls. Mr. Kirpal Singh had come up to this post by seniority and was basically a diploma holder in automobile engineering. He had to his credit about 28 years of industrial experience, out of which 20 years were spent in Quality Control Department of two industries. He joined the present organization in its Quality Control Department and had 17 years experience in the organization and was due for retirement within the next 2 or 3 years. On learning about the retirement time of Mr. Kirpal Singh, Mt. Ratnam had the consolation that he would be able to take up the position of 'Chief Controller of Quality' very soon.
Interference from Top
Ratnam could not put forth many good suggestions (for quality control) because of the interference and direct supervision of Kirpal Singh. He, however, could pick up a good deal of knowledge about the working of the company, the nature-and tendency of different production department heads particularly with regard to care for quality, organization for 'QC' in the company, the various components required for assembly of the company's two-wheeler scooter and the expected quality standards, drawback in the present system of quality controls. etc.
Right from the time the advertisement for the selection of Deputy Chief Quality Controller appeared, the O.A. (Officers Association) of the organization had been pressing the management to consider the case of Kapil Kumar for promotion to the above post based on his seniority in the organization.
Meanwhile, the management obtained a license in 1989 for producing Three-Wheeler Autos. As a result of this and the pressure from O.A., Ratnam was transferred to look after the Quality Control Department at the company's new Three-Wheeler plant, whereas Kapil Kumar was promoted as Deputy Chief Quality Controller in the present two-wheeler scooter plant in 1990 (after creating one additional post of Deputy Chief Quality Controller for the new Project).
In 1991, the State Government, which controlled the company in question, changed the Managing Director. During the regime of this new Managing Director, Kapil Kumar was promoted as Chief (Quality Controls) next year, when Kirpal Singh retired. This decision was based on the recommendations of Kirpal Singh and partly attributed to pressure from O.A., for further promotion of Kapil Kumar based on his vast experience in the Quality Control function of this industry. Abbas Ali rose to the position held earlier by Kapil Kumar.
Allotment of Company Quarters
The Company had its own township near the factory. Its quarter allotment scheme was based on the length of service, i.e., date of joining. Ratnam had asked for a suitable quarter at the time of interview and was thus allotted a tile quarter meant for the Senior Engineer's cadre. He learnt about this, after occupying the quarter. Ratnam asked for a change of Quarter - preferably a RCC-roof quarter, - but his request was turned down, since he had put in only few months of service whereas many others senior to him, on the beds of their longer length of service in the Company (having over 10 years service), were staying in tiled-roof quarters and were awaiting a chance for a RCC-roof quarter. Kapil Kumar and Abbas Ali were residing in RCC-roof quarters. Soon after Kapil Kumar's promotion to the post of Chief (Quality Controls), he was allotted a bungalow.
The management's decision in this case must be viewed in the context of the downtrend in the demand for scooters and three-wheeler autos during 1993 following complaints from dealers about the deteriorating quality of components as also their short life. Notably the complaints had risen ten-fold in that year as compared to that in 1988.
Questions
(a) Was the management justified in taking a decision to recruit a qualified and experienced person from outside as Deputy Chief Quality Controller?
(b) Was it in the interest of the organization to transfer Ratnam to the new auto-wheeler plant and promote Kapil Kumar? What could have prompted the management to take this decision?
(c) How do you view the role of O.A.s in supporting only the local and internal candidates and overlooking the interests of direct recruits even when they were family members of the Association, particularly at a time, when the industry needed professionally qualified persons to fill key technical posts?
(d) How would you react to the management's scheme for quarter allotment and why?




2. Pearl Engineering
Pearl Engineering Company was a large heavy-engineering unit. It attached great importance to the recruitment and training of its senior supervisors. Apart from selecting them from within the organization, the company recruited, every. Alternate year, about ten young engineering graduates and offered them training for a period of two years, before they were appointed as senior supervisors. Such appointments were made to about 40 per cent of the vacancies of senior supervisors that occurred in the organization. This was considered necessary by management as a planned programme of imparting vitality to the organization. Besides, many of the old-timers, who had risen from the ranks, did not possess the necessary academic background with the result that they could not keep pace with the technological changes. Management also believed that in the rapidly changing conditions of industry, a bank of technically competent supervisors played a pivotal role, besides serving as a pool from which to select future departmental managers.
Engineering Graduates were selected from amongst those who applied in response to an all-India advertisement. For the selection of one engineer, on an average, eight applicants were called for interview. A selection committee consisting of the General Manager, the Production Manager, the Personnel Manager and the Training Officer interviewed and selected the candidates. The selection interview was preceded by a written test and only those who secured 40 per cent marks qualified for interview.
The engineers thus selected had to undergo a two year intensive theoretical and practical training. A well-staffed and equipped Training Institute was directly responsible for the training of the graduate engineers, besides training trade apprentices and operatives required by the company. Lectures on theoretical subjects were given at the Training Institute and practical training was imparted in all the works departments under the guidance of qualified and experienced instructors. A few lectures by senior officers of the company were also arranged to acquaint them with the company policies on different matters. During the last quarter of their two-year training programme they were deputed to work fulltime to familiarize themselves with the conditions in departments where they were to be absorbed eventually.
On successful completion of training, the graduate engineers were offered appointments, depending on their performance and aptitude as revealed during training. On placement in the work departments, however, most of them faced some difficulty or the other.
According to management, some of the heads of departments, who were themselves not qualified engineers, did not have sufficient confidence in these younger men. They preferred the subordinates who came up from the ranks to hold positions of responsibility. A few discredited them saying that it would take years before these youngsters could pick up the job. Besides, some of the employees, whose promotional opportunities were adversely affected by the placement of graduate engineers, tried their best to run down the latter as a class, sometimes working on the group feelings of the workers. Some of the supervisors who were not graduate engineers also spoke derisively of them as "the blue-eyed boys" of the organization. Management knew that many of the graduate engineers were not utilized according to their capacity or training, nor was any attempt made to test or develop their potentialities. They also knew that many of the graduate engineers were, therefore, dissatisfied with their work life. Some of them who did not get equal promotional opportunities as their colleagues placed in other departments, were looking for better jobs elsewhere.
On the other hand, according to management, the young graduate engineers were themselves partly responsible for the hostile attitude of others in the organization. Some of them failed to appreciate that a newcomer invited hostility in the beginning and it took time before he was accepted as a member of the work-group. They did not realize that they would be fully productive only after gaining about five to seven years experience in the organization. A few thought that they belonged to a superior cadre and threw their weight around. They did not bother to understand and appreciate the problems of the rank-and-file of employees who worked under them.
In spite of these drawback, the General Manager of the company felt that these men were a set of disciplined supervisors. They had a sense of pride in their profession, and with the extensive training they had received, they would be able to take up any responsible position in the organization in course of time.
The General Manager could not allow the situation to continue especially when it was a difficult and costly process to recruit and train young engineering graduates of the requisite type and caliber. He knew that the prosperity of the company, to a large extent, depended on these young men. In addition, a large number of lucrative employment opportunities were available to these young engineers elsewhere and there was a systematic raid on them, He, therefore, called a meeting of all heads of departments to review the situation.
Questions:
(i) Identify the issues related to manpower planning as evident in the case.
(ii) Discuss the strategies to tackle the percentage of internal promotion at the organizational level.
(iii)What type of additional training programmes should be imparted for direct entrants?
(iv) Suppose you are the head of the personnel division. What would be your suggestions in the meeting - Which has been called by the General Manager?