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Mbad 501: Foundations And Practices Of Management Question Paper
Mbad 501: Foundations And Practices Of Management
Course:Business Administration
Institution: Kenya Methodist University question papers
Exam Year:2011
KENYA METHODIST UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
END OF SEMESTER EXAMINATION FOR MASTER IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DECEMBER, 2011
UNIT CODE : MBAD 501
UNIT TITLE : FOUNDATIONS AND PRACTICE OF MANAGEMENT
TIME: 3 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS:
Answer question One and any other Three questions
All questions carry equal marks
MAKING DIFFICULT DECISIONS IN HARD TIMES
Question One
Read the following case and answer the questions that follow
You are on the top management team of a medium sized company that manufactures cardboard boxes. Containers and other cardboard packing materials. Your company is facing increasing levels of competition for major corporate customer accounts, and profits have declined significantly. You have tried everything you can to cut costs and remain competitive, wit the exception of laying off employees.
Your company has had a no-layoff policy for the past 20years and you believe it
is an important part of the organization’s culture. However, you are experiencing mounting pressure to increase your firm’s performance, and your no-layoff policy has been questioned by shareholders. Even though you haven’t decided whether to lay off employees and thus break with a 20-year tradition for your company, rumors are rampant in your organization that something is a foot and employees are warned.
You are meeting today to address this problem.
Develop a list of options and potential courses of action to address the heightened competition and decline in profitability that your company has been experiencing
(10mks)
Choose your preferred course of action, and justify why you will take this route.
(5mks)
Describe hoe you will communicate your decision to employees
(5mks)
If your preferred option involves a layoffs, justify why, if it doesn’t involve a layoff, explain why
(5mks)
Question Two
Explain the contributions of management science to the efficient use of organization resources
(12mks)
Briefly explain in what ways are Weber’s and Fayol’s ideas about bureaucracy and administration similar?. In what ways do they differ
(13mks)
Question Three
Discuss the principal challenges managers face in today’s increasingly competitive global environment
(13mks)
Describe the difference between efficiency and effectiveness and identify real organizations in Kenya which you think are or not efficient and effective (12mks)
Question Four
Explain the difference between charismatic and transformational leadership and describe the effects of charismatic leadership on followers
(15mks)
Briefly explain the universality of traits of effective leaders
(10mks)
Question Five
Describe all steps that manager should take to make the best decision and explain how cognitive biases can lead managers to make poor decision (15mks)
Discuss why it is important for a manager to behave ethically
(10mks)
Question Six
Identify the main output controls and discuss their advantages and disadvantages as a means of coordinating and motivating employees
(13mks)
Describe some techniques managers can use to improve the planning process so that they can better predict the future and mobilize organizational resource to meet future contingencies
(12mks)
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