Directorate of Distance Education Dibrugarh University Dibrugarh 786004 Fax : 0373 - 2370323 E-mail : Website: www.ddedu.org Ph. 0373-2370207(O) [email protected] Dear Learner, I, on behalf of the Directorate of Distance Education, Dibrugarh University, congratulate you for getting yourself enrolled under the Directorate of Distance Education, Dibrugarh University. You are aware that you have to submit Home Assignments of 25 marks in each course (paper). The questions for the Home Assignments are enclosed herewith. At the time of submitting the assignments, please note the following: * Write your assignment in A4 size paper neatly, with your own hand-writing on one side of the paper. You may also submit a computer printed copy of your assignments with your signature at the end. * Stick to the word limit mentioned in the questions. * Keep a margin of about 5 cm on the left side of the paper. * You have to submit the assignments directly in the Study Centre in which you have enrolled yourself. * The assignments for a course (paper) should be tagged/stapled together to make a booklet, i.e. you have to submit a total of 8 (eight) booklets for the eight courses (papers) of your programme. * Keep a duplicate or xerox copy of the assignment with you (compulsory). * The last date of submitting the Assignments is 29th August, 2014 (excluding Sundays). * The cover page of your booklet should contain the following label: Home Assignment Name of Study Centre: _________________________________________ Name : ___________________________________ Programme : MBA (Self Management & Crisis Management) Course (Paper): Session : 2013-2014 Student No. : _______________________ D.U. Registration No.(if received) ____________ of ________ Date of Submission:_____________________ Wish you all the best for your future! Sincerely Yours Sd/(Nirode Boruah) Director, DDE, D.U. Directorate of Distance Education DIBRUGARH UNIVERSITY MBA (Self Management & Crisis Management) 2013 – 14 session HOME ASSIGNMENTS 1.1 PRINCIPALES OF MANAGEMENT ( 5+5+5+10) 1) Enumerate Fayol’s principles of Management. How are they different from Taylor’s principles? Comment on them in brief. 2) Described any two motivation theories and suggest how the motivation theories might aid in getting managers to motivate their staff. 3) What is MBO? Explain the significance and process of MBO. Can a manager be successful without following MBO concept? Compare MBO with MBE. 4) R & R Machinery Company has encountered hard times, not only because of economic recession but also because of competition from products imported from Japan. In the past, labour relations have been rather poor. The Unions usually asked for big pay increases for the workers and got them. But things have changed during the last few months, and labour and management have realized that they are in for some bad times ahead. The company, maintaining it is in a precarious condition, has asked labour for concessions and give backs. The Union has called a membership meeting to discuss the situation. The issue of give backs was discussed and majority disagreed for wage reduction. In fact, there is a major mistrust of managements’ intentions and the workers feel that giving concessions will encourage the company to ask for additional ones. After a long discussion-some workers are more agreeable to concessions if management makes similar sacrifices. But management does not make any commitments. Situation of the R & R Company gets worse; it faced few days of lay-off, the union agrees to some cut backs with the understanding that employees will share in some way in the profits of the company when things get better. One month later, a national-magazine survey of executive’s salaries at major companies shows that the executives at R & R received a substantial increase in compensation. One worker remarks: “You just can’t trust the top management of R & R. I wish our situation was like the one in Japan, where in hard times the dividends are cut first, then the salary of the top-management is reduced, and later middle-level managers get a pay cut; the worker’s pay is affected last” Questions: (a) Do you think the workers should have made concessions and agree to givebacks? (b) If you were the President of the company, how would you have handled the situation? (c) What do you think of the Japanese approach to dealings with economic problems? 1.2 MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS ( 6+6+6+7) 1) Explain with example different demand forecasting methods. 2) Explain the application of Break even analysis with its assumption and limitations 3) What is a Business cycle? Analyze the characteristics features of Business Cycle. 4) Discuss how far national income is a reliable index of economic welfare of a nation. 1.3 ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR ( 5+5+5+10) 1) What is personality? Describe the big five model and its implication on employee selection. 2) Various theories of Motivation approach the problems of motivation from different perspectives. Do you agree or disagree? Compare and contrast Maslow’s need hierarchy with Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory of Motivation. 3) Give reasons for organizational conflict. How can organizational conflict be managed? 4) Kesav Chand, a young man of thirty years, has been working for the past five years for Zenith Trends a small software company. He knows that the company’s business is down but it is a matter of time before it picks up stream. He likes the company’s pay and benefits. The work climate too is good. Yet of late, he has observed the company tracking his usage of the internet. He believes the company should not be doing so. Kesav feels it will not be long before the company starts prying into other activities of the employee. He loves his freedom so much that he does not think he can continue here any longer. He wishes to submit his resignation soon. Questions: (i) Is the company ethically right? Substantiate. (ii) Should Kesav really get bothered about the company’s action? (iii) What evaluations should Kesav make before he really resigns? (iv) Explain how the company can reduce resistance to the change it has brought about. 1.4 MANAGING THE SELF ( 6+6+6+7) 1) “Our life revolves within narrow limits, distinctions and desires as we pay the game of labeling ourselves and others on the basis of purely physical characteristics.” Do you agree this statement? Narrate the anatomy of the self, cyclic process within the self and Innate and acquired qualities of the self. 2) “Transformation of thought pattern is an easier process if we develop self determination and will power. Due to lack of the same, it becomes a herculean task to transform one’s thought pattern from negative to positive. Explain the power and effect of thoughts, and steps involved to change cycle of thinking. 3) “A Power is an overwhelming force, determination or might that cannot remain hidden in a person. The soul has eight core powers available for mankind to deal with any and every conceivable problem that may come in life’s journey.” Explain the powers of the self and their pro activities and inter activities. 4) What are the challenges one faces while managing interferences? Explain in detail the various interferences too. 1.5 VAUES FOR MANAGERIAL PERFORMANCE ( 6+6+6+7) 1) “Positive affirmations can be used to reprogram your thought patterns and change the way you think and feel about things.” Do you understand this concept? What are the benefits of affirmations? Explain with suitable examples. 2) “Ethics are based on the awareness that a human being is an essentially spiritual and intrinsically valuable.” Do you agree this statement? Substantiate it. Write about few Ethical values, their significance, reflection points and quotable quotes. 3) “Professional values apply in the workplace. They include punctuality, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, good communication, honesty in dealings, trust worthiness, appropriate behaviour towards superiors, equal and subordinates etc.” Give your views on few professional values. 4) “Cultural values give importance to preserving cultural practices, ceremonies, traditions and ways of life which might be threatened by the materialist culture of modern times.” Do you agree this? If so substantiate with examples. State few Cultural values and their significance. 1.6 HEALTHY LIFESTYLE FOR MANAGERS ( 6+6+6+7) 1) “Physical exercise is any bodily activities that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness.” Substantiate this statement. Explain in detail about moderate exercise and benefits of the same. 2) “Purity evokes greatness in every action. A fraternal attitude of purity is the foundation of peace and happiness.” Substantiate this statement. How self respect is the foundation of purity? Explain about the spiritual love. 3) What is meditation? Explain various types of meditation. What are the steps involved in Rajyoga meditation? Enumerate the benefits of meditation. 4) “A life without some kind of service is a narrow, perhaps selfish life in which satisfaction and contentment will be difficult and sustained happiness impossible.” Do you agree this statement? If not why? Explain in detail about the serving of elements of nature and service through mind. 1.7 SYNTHESIS OF SPIRITUALITY ( 6+6+6+7) 1) “Real happiness is not an external stimulation. It is not the respect of acquiring something or of receiving something. Spiritual happiness is contentment.” Explain this with pathways to happiness. Explain in detail seven habits of highly unhappy people. 2) “Incorporeal God dwells in the incorporeal dimension of light and radiates qualities to the earth. Anyone who turns their mind towards God and concentrates upon that Supreme Light can experience and draw in God’s qualities.” Explain in details the form and attributes of God. What are all the relationships one would have with the Supreme? 3) “The world drama is eternal and repeats itself identically every 5000 years. Each cycle has four equal Ages consisting of 1250 years each.” Narrate those cycle of time along with the confluence Age. Explain “History repeats itself” 4) “Spirituality encourages us to leave all limited beliefs behind and be both humble and open to the possibility of the presence of God in our life. Hence there is an essential need for a method, meditation to make the bridge from belief to direct experience.” Explain in detail the visualizations of God in various relations. 1.8 CRISIS MANAGEMENT ( 6+6+6+7) 1) “Crisis management doesn’t start only when a crisis arises and ends when ‘the last fire has been put out’. It requires actions before a crisis happens, while the crisis is unfolding and after crisis has ended.” Do you agree or not? Explain different types of crisis. 2) “Risk management is attempting to identify and then manage threats that could severely impact or bring down the organization.” What are the steps to becoming an effective risk taker? 3) “Crisis never comes alone. They always come with a wind of exaggerations, over estimates, here-says, concocted stories, rumours and disinformation by design.” Give an insight of confusion between relative/absolute/reference/attributable risks. What is variable perception/tolerance of different kinds of risk? 4) “Disaster management can be defined as the organization and management of resources and responsibilities for dealing with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies, in particular preparedness, response and recovery in order to lessen the impact of disasters.” Describe about different types of disasters. Differentiate between Natural and Manmade disasters. What are the steps to be taken to face disasters? -----------xxx------------