2

1.1 PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT

1. "Planning is looking ahead, and Control is looking back". Comment.
2. Why do most of the large department stores and supermarket chains
organize their stores on a territorial basis and then organize the internal
store units by products? Give examples from your own experience.
3. "You cannot motivate managers. They are self-propelled. You just get out of
their way if you really want performance". Comment.
4. Why do most of the controls of overall performance tend to be financial?
Should they be? What else would you suggest?
_ 2 MARKEMANAGEMENT
1. Write on various marketing environment like economic,
technological, sociocultural, demographic, political, legal
and competitive.
2. Discuss the various steps involved in media planning. When and why
media planning assumes relevance and significance for a marketer.
3. Discuss the challenges in designing marketing mix strategies for a small
sized car priced more than Rs. 1 Lakh and less than 2 Lakhs for the
Indian market.
4. Discuss the importance of 'Promotions' for a hill resort during the offseason. Also identify the possible sales promotion schemes it can offer.
1.3 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
1. "The credit policy of a company is criticized because the bad debt
losses have increased considerably and the collection period has also
increased". Discuss under what conditions this criticism may not be
justified.
2. Is the adjustment of time relatively more important for financial
decisions with short-range implications or for decisions with longrange implications? Justify you answer with suitable examples.
3. If the use of financial leverage magnifies the earnings per share
under favourable economic conditions, why do companies not employ
veiy large amount of debt in their capital structure. Illustrate your
answer by giving justification.
4. "The analysis of debt to equity ratios alone can be decreasing and an
analysis of the magnitude and stability of cash flows relative to fixed
changes is extremely important in determining the appropriate
capital structure" give your opinion.

1.4 PRODUCTION AND MATERIALS MANAGEMENT

1. What factors are considered while designing a factory building?
Will you prefer an 'L' shape building or a rectangular building for
a new plant? Why?
2. State the factors governing the choice of site for a Thermal power
plant in a city or a sub-urban part of a country.
3. Discuss the functions of purchasing department in an industry.
Explain some methods of purchasing commonly adopted in an
industrial purchasing. Why should the purchasing documents be
legally sound?
4. What are the various methods of purchasing and explain the
importance and steps.
1.5 HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

1. Considering the large number of pending retirement, in India.

What should your organization do to prepare for this
phenomenon? How will ensure that your organization has
necessary human resources it needs for the next 15 years?
2. If you were the chairperson of your company. What
consideration would guide your judgment on the following
employment issues:
a} Hiring of relatives and friends of employees.
b) Promotion from within Vs Choosing the best from outside.
c) Hiring SC's ST's and candidates belonging to minority communities.
d) Hiring Physically challenged persons.
3. "Good raters are born, not made". Do you agree or disagree?
Discuss. "Performance appraisal should be a two way street.
So managers evaluate their subordinates and subordinates
should evaluate their managers". Critically evaluate this
statement.
4. If a First-line supervisor is aware that one of his subordinates
has a drinking problem, but it is having no adverse effect on
the subordinate's performance or attendance, should the
supervisor take any action against him? Are there moral
implications involved in this situation? State your views in
this context.
1.6 BUSINESS MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS

1. Calculate the Index number by the application of Laspeyre's formula for the
following data.
COMMODITY

UNIT

CONSUMED

PRICE PER UNIT

YEAR

2010

2012

2010

2012

20

16

1.2

2.0

35

38

2.1

2.4

10

3.0'

4.1

45

50

0.8

1.2

And also calculate Fisher's Index number 2. Obtain the seasonal fluctuations
from the following time series by the method of link relatives.
YEAR / QUARTER
I
II
III
IV
2010

65

58

56

61

2011

68

63

63

67

2012

70

59

56

52

2013

60

55

51

58

3. Productivity test of two articles - paddy and wheat given the following result.
Mean Yield Standard No.
of
(in tones)
Deviation Hectare
Paddy

80

10

120

Wheat

75

12

90

Is the difference between standard deviation is significant?

4. Find out the regression equation showing the regression of capacityjutilization
on production.
Averge
Production (in lakh unit)
Capacity utilization (in %)

35.6
84.8

Standard Deviation
10.4
8.5

Given that r =0.62

Estimate the production when the capacity utilization is 70%. Also
check whether the regression line is a good fit.
1.7

MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION

1. "Communication trends have changed very rapidly in managerial

practices." Discuss this statement by providing examples from corporate
world.
2. Explain about the various models of interpersonal relationship adopted
in Information Technology companies. What are the lacunas you find?
Suggest remedies to overcome the drawbacks.
3. Assume that you are the General Manager of a company involved in
manufacturing agricultural products. Draft a speech highlighting the
satisfactory performance of your company during 2014-15, to be
delivered in the
forth coming General Body meeting.
*

4. "Writing a report is a skill or an art. Elucidate" - How does a executive

writes write reports effectively?

1.8

ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

1. Identify some of the major personality traits of Indian managers. Can a

manager use such traits in shaping his/her actions for better results in
the organizations?
2. Discuss the motivational profile of Indian managers and workers. Give
your suggestion towards enhancing the motivational profile of the same.
3. 'Organisational development involves the growth and development of
organization in the light of its future expansion plan'. Elaborate your
views.
4. 'Managers must do everything they can enhance the Job satisfaction of
their employees'. Do you agree or disagree. Support your views.

M.B.A.
[HRM]
1st
YEAR
_______________________
ANNAMALAI UNIVERSITY PRESS 2015 -2016

Assignment