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Ms-22 Question bank (13)
Ms-22 Question bank
Ms-22 june 2007
Written by sales@mbaonlinepapers.com sales@mbaonlinepapers.comMS-22 June, 2007
MS-22 : HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
1. Explain the concept of Career Paths. Briefly discuss various career problems faced by the professionals in their career, with suitable examples.
2. What is Performance Management ? How are Profit and Performance linked to each other ? Briefly discuss the major methods and movements aimed at increasing organisational performance.
3. What is Compensation System ? Discuss in brief the characteristics which should be rewarded and explain why. Explain with suitable examples.
4. Discuss the concept of HRD Audit, and briefly describe the methodology adopted for the process. Explain with example.
5. Write short notes on any three of the following :
(i) Developing Business Ethics
(ii) Coaching
(iii) Re-organisation of work
(iv) HRD and Technological changes
(v) Approaches to Knowledge Management
6. Please read the case and answer the questions given at the end.
Hara Food Products Company, which was founded in 1955 to manufacture grocery and other food products, had in the course of years grown into a vast enterprise having offices and branches in almost all the important cities of the country. Its annual sales amounted to about Rs. 50 to 60 lakhs a year.
The company's Head Office and factory were situated at Calcutta. Its products were distributed through five zonal sales offices which directed 25 district sales offices throughout the country.
The administrative responsibility of each zonal office was borne by a manager whose duty it was to promote sales in his zone. He was advised and instructed by the Head Office from time to time. Under the control of each ZonalManager, there were four functional heads viz., Personnel Manager, Accounts Manager, Sales Manager and office Manager. These executives advised and assisted the Zonal Manager on various functions relating to the zonal administration. Each functional head enjoyed sufficient freedom and independence in respect of his work.
On matters relating to sales, the Zonal Manager received advice from Sales Manager. The latter often formulated policies, plans and schedules for sales operations and submitted his views on all the matters concerning sales to the Zonal Manager. Many a times, he also issued orders and instructions to the District Sales Managers but all these were routed through the Zonal Manager. Ordinarily all his views and advice were accepted and approved by the Zonal Manager.
The Sales Manager was assisted in his work by three product managers, who were considered to be experts in their respective fields. Their duty was to travel with the
sales supervisors of various districts and study the market for the company's products; survey the competitive position of the company's products; study dealer and consumer reactions, trend in sales, etc., and advise the district sales supervisors from time to time regarding the steps to be taken for promoting sales in the districts.
Every month each one of them submitted a report on the sales activities of the company to the Sales Manager. The relationship between the Product Manager and the Sales Manager is the same as that between the Zonal Manager and the Sales Manager.
Directly responsible to the Zonal Manager were five District Sales Managers besides the four functional heads. Each District Sales Manager was responsible for sales in his territory. In promoting the sales of the company, each District Manager was assisted by five sales supervisors besides several salesmen. The duties and functions of the District Sales Manager were to :
1. Select, train and supervise his sales supervisors and salesmen in consultation with the Zonal Manager;
2. Make a study of the nature of consumer demand, changing markets, existing stocks and formulate sales campaigns and promotional methods;
3. Fix up targets of sales to be attained in his territory from time to time;
4. Formulate credit policies to be followed in consultation with the Zonal Manager;
5. Develop better team work among the sales supervisors and salesm€o;
6. See that the customers are satisfied with the company's services; and
7 Do such other functions and duties as might be assigned to him from time to time by the Zonal Manager
every month each district sales manager submitted a detailed report on the sales activities of the company in his district, to the Zonal Manager. Ordinarily these reports were passed on to the Sales Manag er for necessary action to be taken with respect to each district. on the morning of June 6, 1981 the following conversation took place over phone between Mr. Raju, the Sales Manager at the South zonal office and Mr. Hari one of the District Managers in the Zone. Hari : "l wish to bring to your notice an important matter that needs your urgent consideration..... The Product Managers are interfering too much with the sales activities of my district. I receive frequent complaints from the supervisors that they are not able to carry out my instructions due to unnecessary interfe rence from these people. If this state of affairs continues it would be very difficult to maintain our sales. The morale of the supervisors would be seriously affected. I will not be responsible if sales go down this year in our area on this account. You must take some steps to see that the relationship between the line and staff is maintained on good terms. "
Raju: "Mr. Hari, you need not worry. I shall call the Product Managers and see that they maintain proper relationship with you. ..." Next day Mr. Raju called all the Product Managers and after discussing routine matters, he said, "I was told. by Mr Hari that his sales supervisors are complaining that you are interfering with their activities. Definitely you are all expected to advise them on the steps to be taken for increasing sales. But at the same tirne please remernber that you have to play only an advisory role. While advising these people you must also see that the line
authority is respected.... "
The product managers did not say anything. In the subsequent months Mr. Raju did not receive any complaint from the District Office. But in the first week of October, while scrutinising the sales progress reports of the various districts for the previous quarter, the Zonal Manager found an unusual decline in sales in the District which was under the supervision of Mr. Hari. The Zonal Manager called Mr. Hari and asked him why there was so much decline in sales in his territory while all the other districts showed very good progress.
Hari replied, ".... during the past three months the Product Managers did not seem to have advised our men properly. In fact, they never cared to advise the supervisors on the recent changes and the latest trends in the market. They seem to be unwilling to co-ope rate with our men to maintain sales."
by Mr Hari that his sales supervisors are complaining that you are interfering with their activities. Definitely you are all expected to advise them on the steps to be taken for increasing sales. But at the same tirne please remernber that you have to play only an advisory role. While advising these people you must also see that the line authority is respected.... "
The product managers did not say anything. In the subsequent months Mr. Raju did not receive any complaint from the District Office. But in the first week of October, while scrutinising the sales progress reports of the various districts for the previous quarter, the Zonal Manager found an unusual decline in sales in the District which was under the supervision of Mr. Hari.
The Zonal Manager called Mr. Hari and asked him why there was so much decline in sales in his territory while all the other districts showed very good progress. Hari replied, ".... during the past three months the Product Managers did not seem to have advised our men properly. In fact, they never cared to advise the supervisors on the recent changes and the latest trends in the market. They seem to be unwilling to cooperate with our men to maintain sales."
When asked about this by the Zonal Manager, one of the Product Managers said, "We used to give advice to this district office also as we usually do with other district offices. On a complaint, seems from Mr. Hari, we had been told by Mr. Raju that we were exceeding our authority and unnecessarily interfering with the activities in the district. We had been asked to restrain ourselves. The District Manager takes advice directly from the Zonal Sales Manager. We have got nothing to do in this matter....'
Questions
(a) What is the problem in the case ?
(b) Analyse the causes which led to the problem.
(c) As a member of the management team, what would you do to solve the problem immediately ?
(d) Suggest a suitable organisation structure for this company so that such problems do not occur in future.
Ms-22 june 2008
Written by sales@mbaonlinepapers.com sales@mbaonlinepapers.comMS-22 June, 2008
MS-22 : HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
1. Explain the concept of career. Describe different strategies for career development.
2. What is Human Resource Development ? Discuss briefly the various strategies of HRD.
3. Critically analyse the process which brings us from performance appraisal to performance management.
4 Discuss the ways and means of managing technological change in work organisation. Cite suitable illustrations.
5. write short nctes on any three of the following :
(a) Diversity management
(b) Socialization
(c) Induction Training
(d) Coaching
(e) Reward svstem
Ms-22 june 2009
Written by sales@mbaonlinepapers.com sales@mbaonlinepapers.comMS-22 June, 2009
MS-22 : HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
1. Define HRD and discuss value-anchored processes of HRD. Explain how do these processes help an organization in achieving excellence. Explain with relevant examples.
2. What is Action Research ? How does it differ from OD ? Discuss the important factors to be considered in the development of internal self-renewal facilitators, with suitable examples.
3. Define and describe the objectives and disadvantages of Multisource Feedback and Assessment Feedback System (MAFS). Discuss what are the indicators of an organization's readiness to participate in MAFS ?
4. Discuss the means of managing technological changes in work organization. Briefly describe the factors which facilitate developing the change mind-set. Explain with suitable examples.
5. Write short notes on any three of the following:
(a) Need for competency mapping
(b) Diversity management
(c) Horizontal re-skilling
(d) Mentoring
(e) Role of Trade Unions in HRD
6. Read the csse and answer the questions giaen at the end.
ABC Food Limited, a multinational corporation dealing in consumer food products,
started its operations in India from 1965. Initially, the growth of the company has
been very slow, because of the limited market size in India for ready food items. However, during the last three years there has been a boom in the fast food market and many new companies have ventured into the same product line. ABC Food Limited, being an old company operating in India, has distinct advantages vis-a-vis its competitors who are of recent standing. The products of the company have enjoyed very good reputation in the market from the day of its inception. Over a period of time, the company has added many new products which have been successfully accepted by the market. In view of the recent competition offered to its existing product line, the company has launched a number of new products in the last three years. Based on the Market Research Survey conducted by the company regarding acceptance of their new products, the feedback has been excellent. There is ample scope for the company to penetrate into the existing rnarkets as well as expand the size of the existi.g market by introducing its products into areas in which the company does not have any marketing set-up till date.
The organisational set-up of the company in India consists of Marketing Director at the corporate level and four Zonal Managers Marketing, each in charge of East, West, North, South zone independently. The order of promotion in Marketing Department is Management Trainee – Marketing Officer - Branch Manager - Regronal Manager -Zonal Manager - Director Marketing. Mr. Khan joined the company in 1982 as a Management Trainee, Marketing and after completion of two years of rigorous Management Training in all the four zonal offices, he was placed in Bombay Zonal Office as Marketing Officer. Mr. Khan did his MBA in 1982 after graduating in Commerce. He was selected on the basis of Campus Interview by the company. Mr. Khan has been recognized as an outstanding officer based on his previous Performance Appraisal Reports throughout his career with the company by
different bosses with whom he had worked during the relevant time.
The company's performance appraisal system has been recently updated and modified with the cooperation and consultation of an outside consultant in the area of Human Resource Development. The thrust of the new performance appraisal system is on mutual consultation and fixation of target on the basis of joint discussion between the appraisee and the appraiser. Another distinct feature of the new system is that it has two-tier system of assessment, one by the immediate boss under whom the appraisee is working and second by the boss of the reporting officer.
The immediate boss of Mr.Khan is Mr. Singh, who is in the grade of Branch Manager but placed at Zonal Office, Bombay. During the last three years, Mr.Khan and Mr. Singh have been given the assignment of conducting Market Research in various parts of the country with the help of an advertising company. In this connection both have to travel extensively to different parts of the country, being away from their families and permanent place of work at times for even more than 15 days in a month. Mr. Dutt, the Zonal Manager, Marketing in charge of Bombay division since 1985, was transferred on promotion as Zonal Manager form Northern Zane where he was working as Regional Manger. He has been observing the working of Mr. Khan as reviewing officer, being the immediate boss of Mr. Singh. During this period, Mr. Dutt had developed a fancy for Mr.Khan being smart, energetic and
dynamic in his approach to work. He has been talking good about him to Mr. Singh from time to time. However, during some of the trips to outstation which were jointly undertaken by Mr. Khan and Mr. Singh, Mr.Singh observed that Mr. Khan has started taking his work lightly as he tends to spend more time with clients in informal get-togethers instead of serious business discussions. Moreover, he has developed tendency of overcharging his expenses on such tours to the company. So far, all such expenses were authorized by Mr. Singh for payment to Mr. Khan. Keeping in mind Mr.Khan's excellent performance, Mr.Singh has been avoiding bringing it to Mr. Khan's notice. Mr. Singh has to fill up the Appraisal Report of Mr.Khan for the calendar year 1988. For the last three years, ever since Mr. Khan started working wit-h Mr.Singh, he has been getting excellent reports from Mr.Singh. In view of the above developments, Mr.Singh has not given an excellent report to Mr. Khan for the Appraisal Year 1988. He has also made certain adverse remarks about his integrity and honesty.
Mr. Khan is due for promotion and the Appraisal Report for 1988 is very important for him because as per the promotion policy of the company, promotions are decided on the basis of the last three years' appraisal reports.
Questions :
(a) Identify and discuss the core issue in the case.
(b) Was Mr. Singh justified in giving adverse remarks regarding Mr. Khan's integrity and honesty?
(c) How would you view the action of Mr.Singh, if you were the M.D. of the company?
(d) If you were the M.D. of the company, how do you solve the issue?