Ms-21 Question bank (12)
Ms-21 Question bank
Ms-21 dec 2009
Written by sales@mbaonlinepapers.com sales@mbaonlinepapers.comMS-21 Dec, 2009
MS-21 : SOCIAL PROCESSES AND BEHAVIOURAL ISSUES
1. Describe Maslow's need hierarchy theory and it's relevance in the present day organizational context.
2. Describe Johari window model in enhancing interpersonal relations.
3.Discuss the importance of organisational culture and how it contributes to organisational success.
4. What are the barriers to effective communication and how to overcome them. Give examples.
5. Write short notes on any three of the following :
a) Learning organisations
b) Counselling
c) Groups vs teams
d) Emotional intelligence
(e) Conflict resolution
6. Read the following case carefully and answer the questions given at the end :
Arun joins 'ZAPTO' chain of casual wear stores as a sales representative, immediately after the completion of graduation and a diploma in sales management. The firm was very happy with his extremely good performance. Arun was awarded the 'Star Performer Prize' for his continuous display of the highest sales volume record for 12 consecutive months. The General Manager of 'ZAPTO' chain of stores, Rajkumar, was informed by his Marketing Manager, Madhuraj, that Arun was a very aggressive and dynamic sales representative having a strong target commitment and orientation. Within a span of two years, based on his good performance appraisal, Arun was promoted to the position of Assistant Marketing Manager. Under his new assignment, Arun had 8 sales representatives reporting to him and also to ensure that the sales target of his shop was met. Arun took to his new promoted assignments with the same zeal and enthusiasm. Arun now set the targets to be met by his team members for the first month and communicated the same, clearly indicating that all the team members have to meet the target without fail. The eight team members (sales representatives) felt that the targets set were too ambitious but declined to comment on it directly. After the meeting, during an informal chat all the team members discussed the matter amongst themselves and then dispersed. Arun called for a review meeting at the end of a fortnight to take stock of the situation and was shocked and disappointed to learn that all the representatives were well behind the target set for them. Arun could not control his disappointment and openly and bluntly condemned them for not reaching the target. He once again reiterated that he expected all his team members to achieve their targets by the end of the month. After the meeting, the team members amongst themselves admitted that they found Arun to be a difficult person with an unapproachable mind-set. However, they also decided to give in their best efforts to achieve the targets assigned to them. But even with their sustained efforts they could achieve only 70 per cent of the target set by Arun, by the end of the
month. At the end of the month, when Arun reviewed the sales statements of his team, he was disappointed though slightly happy with the marginal improved efforts of his team. However, in the meeting instead of praising and encouraging his team's efforts, Arun communicated his displeasure and once again was emphatic and told his team that lack of
commitment from them was stopping them from attaining their target, so they had to try hard once again. This outburst was not liked by his team. And in the next month-end briefing, Arun was greeted with well below the target set. Arun now openly rebuked his sales representatives team, for their slow performance and refused to accept that he had set too high targets for his team. Ultimately, the team members met their Marketing Manager, Madhuraj and conveyed everything to him. Madhuraj was shocked but promised to talk to Arun.
Questions for discussion :
a) In the above case, what are the problems affecting the team's effectiveness and performance ?
b) Do you feel Madhuraj should modify team members roles before talking to Arun ?
(c) Can you suggest ways by which Arun can be developed as good team leader ?
Ms-21 dec 2010
Written by sales@mbaonlinepapers.com sales@mbaonlinepapers.comMS-21 Dec, 2010
MS-21 : SOCIAL PROCESSES AND BEHAVIOURAL ISSUES
download this paper
Ms-21 dec 2011
Written by sales@mbaonlinepapers.com sales@mbaonlinepapers.comMS-21 Dec, 2011
MS-21 : SOCIAL PROCESSES AND BEHAVIOURAL ISSUES
1.Describe the growing importance of Teams in today's business scenario. Discuss the processes involved in building effective Teams.
2. Discuss any two theories of motivation and their usefulness in organisation cite suitable examples.
3. Define and describe communication channels. Discuss with examples how effectively they can be used in organisations.
4. What is work culture ? Explain various attributes of work culture. Briefly discuss the measures to be undertaken for developing work culture.
5. Write short notes on any three of the following :
(a) Work ethics
(b) Group cohesiveness
(c) Ethical issues in counselling in organisations
(d) Halo effect
(e) Emotional intelligence.
6. Read the following case carefully and answer the questions given at the end.
Case Incident : I can't take it any more! Sonia was the head of the marketing services
division at the Triumph Management Group Head office based in Bangalore. On face it appeared Sonia was very lucky as she had it all - a high profile job with a big company, high pay along with stock options, a likeable enthusiastic team of co-workers. On the personal front Sonia's husband was a senior financial specialist with a multinational firm and they had a daughter who was going to a reputed school with a good housekeeper to look after the daughter and home.
On the job front, Sonia was liked not only by her colleagues but by her subordinates as well as her superiors for her total commitment to the task assigned to her, communication abilities and pleasant personality. The board of the Triumph Management Group were deliberating on the merging of this company with their sister concern Trident Value Group so as to gain strategic competence. After this decision was tentatively communicated there seemed to be visible certain working conditions leading to manager's level of perceived stress. The most stressful organisational change events were the frequent changes in instructions, policies and procedures, facing unexpected crises and deadlines and sudden increase in the activity level or pace of work. Sonia realised that stress was affecting her team's performance because many of her
managers complained about work overload, absence of a proper feedback and only
communication was received when performance was found to be unsatisfactory, along with role conflict and ambiguity. Sonia, at her level tried to address these issues by frankly telling her subordinates that the management had not given clear guidelines on how the organisational changes were going to affect this firm's employees. So till such instructions were received, they (employees) continue to work as per the current requirement. She also advised them to do regular physical exercise and ensure a proper intake of balanced diet so as to reduce stress. Very soon Sonia also started feeling that
stress was affecting her performance. She recalled the turn of events after receiving oral information on the managements decision to elevate her to the post of Vice President (marketing). She had made two presentations of two important issues to the board during the past 11/2 months. And they were reasonably good based on the feedback received from her superior. Sonia remembered that at the time of the presentation though 'keyed up', her presentation had revealed a lot of enthusiasm, energy and confidence. She had been able to answer almost all the questions put forward to
her by the board members. But after the presentations, Sonia started feelling that at the work place, her schedule was dominated by one crisis after another. On most of
the days when she came home it was very late, giving her hardly any time to talk and play with her daughter or talk to her husband. Many of her work days started at 7 a.m. and continued till almost 10 p.m. She longed for quality time specially to be with her family and also pursue her passion of playing the 'Veena', her favourite musical instrument. Finally one fine day Sonia presented her resignation letter to her superior quoting "personal reasons" as the reason for leaving.
Questions for Discussion
1. Identify the causes of stress at the individual level (for Sonia), and the general work stressors in the above case.
2. What methods of stress management would you suggest to the organisation in the above case, to reduce stress at the individual employee level and organisational level ?
