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Hbc 2108: Principles Of Management Question Paper
Hbc 2108: Principles Of Management
Course:Bachelor Of Communication And Journalism
Institution: Multimedia University Of Kenya question papers
Exam Year:2012
FACULTY OF MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION
2012/2013 ACADEMIC YEAR
FIRST YEAR, FIRST SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF MASS COMMUNICATION
FINAL EXAMINATIONS
DATE: APRIL 20TH, 2012 TIME: 8.30-10.30AM
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
- Answer question ONE and any other TWO questions
QUESTION ONE
CASE STUDY OF FIFFIE INTERNATIONAL
Fiffie International began in 1963 when Harry Fiffie acquired dozens of small companies and merged them By 1989, the company consisted of 36 divisions offering dozens of various products. The company once generated $1.31 billion annual revenues, and about $63 million profits for its shareholders. However, the company ended up bankrupt by 1994.
The company should have had a clear plan which guided the division to direct improvement and work practises. However, at Scott Aviation, manufacturer of emergency oxygen masks, there were once 20 projects being run simultaneously. The project''s goal often clashed with another''s. It was also hard to allocate human resources to handle those projects as it took a great deal of time to meet with consultant, to install and test the system. As a result, Dick DeLisle, the director of operations at Scott Aviation, needed to work more than 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Besides, there was no clear goal for what the employees should do or what they need to achieve. There was no clear definition of the term ''world class'' and the employees did not know how to get to that stage.
In Fiffie International, only Harry and his son made decisions. Employees were assigned tasks but they were not given control over their tasks. For instance, Dick was responsible for the output at his division, which means he needed to be given authority to make sure the production process ran smoothly. However his operations were greatly disrupted by the doctor''s plan which was implemented merely by the consultants, Dick had no control over the decisions. It is understandable when employees would be very frustrated and perhaps not work as effectively when this happened. Moreover, a lot of the directors in the Fiffie International tended to please Harry by going along with his plans to upgrade all its divisions to world class. They did that as they received considerable salary and commissions from the company. It almost impossible to make the most beneficial decisions to the entire company in these circumstances, and the company suffered as a result.
Besides, it is suggested that management in Fiffie International must make correct decisions for the company to succeed; those decisions must not be biased. In the case, Harry was less likely to make sensible decisions when he tended to support plans that looked good to him. Furthermore, when the company has formal policies for recruitment, promotion, resources allocation and strategy setting, employees not only have sense of security, they will also be able to participate more in decision-making process. Top management failed to communicate with the employees which might have prevented the company from successfully launching the proposed changes. For example, Dick did not even know that his plant was about to be modernized. He became aware of the company''s plans only when the huge machine was at the door. As employees did not feel the plans belonged to them, they were not likely to actively contribute to them. Another problem associated with the lack of communication with employees is that top management might not understand what kind of machine the divisions need. In fact, the division installed inappropriate machines and led to decreased output and idle investment. The top management also refused to listen to the employees. As Fiffie International did not have a formal dismissal policy, people could be fired for giving advice different from that of Harry or Harry would sack executives during their presentation saying something not acceptable to him. Dismissal could be costly and may also have affected morale of remaining employees.
The ability of consultants was questionable. Deloitte and Touche had "responsibility for managing the engagement and focused on manufacturing and operational issues". Lawson, one of the consultants from Deloitte and Touche, however, had little experience in manufacturing engagement, and he did not really know the definition of "world-class manufacturer". It is hard to believe that plans suggested by the consultants would benefit the company. This is because the consultants only did what Fiffie told them to, they never questioned whether or not his ideas were feasible, economically justified for the company, or if the savings from the plans would outweigh the consulting fees.
a) Using relevant examples from the case, briefly discuss four major management problems facing Fiffie International.
(12 marks)
b) As the new consultant explain to Harry and his son
i) Five reasons as to why planning is necessary. (5 marks)
ii) Four roles played by communication to the overall management function. (4 marks)
iii) Four characteristics of decision making. (4 marks)
c) What type of leadership is exhibited by Managers of Fiffie International? (2 marks)
d) What type of leadership is needed at Fiffie International? Give reasons. (3 marks)
QUESTION TWO
The art of successful delegation does not come easily to managers, and many often performed some tasks themselves instead of delegating.
a) Identify and explain the major barriers to delegation. (3 marks)
b) Outline the major steps to effective delegation. (7 marks)
c) Briefly explain five advantages of delegation of authority in management. (10 marks)
QUESTION THREE
a) Managers set up control systems that consist of four key steps. Explain. (8 marks)
b) Briefly explain six major purposes of control in organization. (12 marks)
QUESTION FOUR
a) Distinguish between leadership and management. (6 marks)
b) Supervision is necessary at all levels of management. Explain five factors governing the effectiveness of supervision. (10 marks)
c) Morale is one of the most significant factors for workers in any organization and can result to certain implications. Explain. (4 marks)
QUESTION FIVE
a) Define organization as a management function. (12 marks)
b) Sound organization can contribute to the success of an enterprise. Explain. (10 marks)
c) Discuss the steps of organizing. (8 marks)
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