Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani
2nd Semester 2023-24
MGTS F211 - Principles of Management
Comprehensive Exam - 11-05-2024
Weightage: 35% Max Mark: 70 Max. Time: 3 Hours
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All questions are compulsory.
Q1. Ivana, a Team lead is working closely with the 4 tram members for nearly five years. She knows each and
every team member well, and the team also trust her. The team works for banking clients and routinely
develops software for banking operations foe different banks. The team members are experienced in banking
domain and possess good software development knowledge.
Based on the given situation, determine the most suited leadership style Ivana should follow. [4 M]
Q2a. Describe any three factors affecting human resource planning for any organization. [3 M]
Q2b. A media house from Spain, Marca Inc. is an employee-friendly workplace and offers customized learning and
development opportunities for its employees. In addition, it routinely offers health and safety initiatives for its
employees at all levels.
Identify the nature of HRM function of Marca Inc., with a suitable justification. [3 M]
Q3. Recently, Flipkart has embarked on pursuing massive restructuring in India, with an aim to layoff 1000
employees, around 5 per cent of its workforce, as per reports by Moneycontrol report. As a result, structure of
its office workforce is shrinking to five layers from the existing 12. The new structure aims to eliminate the
middle management and multiple reporting. Flipkart CEO explains "The overall objective is delegation of
authority by creating accountable teams, eliminating complexities with new processes and creating faster
decision-making to become more responsive".
Identify the impact of Flipkart’s restructuring on any three organization design elements (Highlight the impact
in terms of intensity like Higher or lower; larger or smaller). [6 M]
Q4. Dani has just joined a new organization as a Team Lead-Presales He has replaced a much-loved leader who
recently quit. Dani is in charge of leading a team that views him with distrust. The task all doing together
is well defined (structured) and being the leader, he has the authority to make decisions related to his team
members.
Based on Fiedler’s contingency model, identify the most suited leadership style. [4 M]
Q5. Neodynamics India, an IT firm acquires and analyzes data to understand the market and to determine the
current and future needs, attitudes and behavior of the market; and to assess changes in the business
environment that may affect the size and nature of the market in the future. In addition, the firm routinely
audits the system development process at various points to ensure that the process is properly controlled and
managed.
Identify the type of MIS and control system used by Neodynamics. [4 M]
1
Q6. List any three external stakeholders for Apple Inc. (an American multinational corporation and technology
company headquartered in Cupertino, California, in Silicon Valley that designs, develops, and sells consumer
electronics, computer software & online services. [3 M]
Q7. As per Hofstede’s Index 6D Model explain the terms: (a) Power Distance (b) Individualism. Comment on how
the culture of India and U.S.A. differ on the above two factors. [4 M]
Q8. In the bustling commodities industry of home goods, selling curtains, bed sheets, and other durables companies
face a challenge of establishing a unique market position. Consider two companies in this space: Homestead
Essentials, a player committed to offering affordable, no-frills home goods to the masses, and LuxeLiving
Linens, a company that prides itself on crafting premium, designer-quality products at a higher price point.
Each company has adopted a distinct strategic approach, and the competition intensifies as they navigate the
dynamics of consumer preferences and market trends.
Homestead Essentials has strategically positioned itself as the go-to brand for budget-conscious consumers.
The company has efficient supply chain management, economies of scale, and streamlined production
processes. The emphasis is on delivering reliable, budget-friendly home goods without compromising on basic
quality. LuxeLiving Linens, on the other hand, has carved its unique space in the market by offering premium
materials, unique designs, and collaborations with renowned designers. LuxeLiving's products are positioned
as lifestyle statements, appealing to consumers seeking luxury and exclusivity in their home essentials.
Compare and contrast the competitive strategy of Homestead Essentials and LuxeLiving Linens within the
context of the home goods market using Porter’s generic strategy framework. [4 M]
Q9. Imperial Tobacco Company of India Limited was established in 1910 and renamed as India Tobacco Company
Limited in 1970 and then to I.T.C. Limited in 1974 and finally rechristened as 'ITC Limited' in 2001. A few
select milestones of ITC Limited are highlighted as following:
1910: Cigarettes and Leaf Tobacco businesses
1925: Packaging and Printing for its own products
1975: Entry into the Hospitality Sector by acquiring a hotel in Chennai
1979: Paperboards & Specialty Papers
1985: ITC set up Surya Tobacco Co. in Nepal
1990: ITC acquired Tribeni Tissues Limited, a specialty paper manufacturing company and a major supplier
of tissue paper to the cigarette industry
1990: ITC set up the Agri Business Division for export of agri-commodities
2001: Introduced branded packaged foods, with the introduction of 'Kitchens of India' ready-to-eat Indian
gourmet dishes
2002: ITC entered the confectionery and staples segments
2002: Education & Stationery Products
2005: Personal Care Products
2017: ITC launched ITC MasterChef super safe spices
Identify any two different types of growth strategies being used by ITC Limited with specific evidences for
each from the above milestones given. [4 M]
2
Q10. Explain each of the following terms: [3 M]
(a) Capital structure
(b) Capital budgeting
Q11. Consider the balance sheet given below for a small firm, MEGA Ltd. as on March 31st, 2024 (Amount given
is in Rupees)
ASSETS LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Current Assets Current Liabilities
Cash and cash equivalents 50,000 Accounts Payable 15,000
Accounts receivable 30,000 Short term loans 5,000
Inventory 20,000 Accrued expenses 5,000
Total Current Assets 100,000 Total Current Liabilities 25,000
Land 100,000 Long terms loans 80,000
Equipment 50,000 Total Liabilities 105,000
Equity
Common stock 50,000
Retained earnings 95,000
Total Assets 250,000 Total Liabilities and Equity 250,000
Calculate the following and comment on the financial position of the company: [2*2+1 = 5 M]
(a) Quick Ratio
(b) Debt-to-equity Ratio
Q12. List and explain the types of conflicts that may occur while working in a team. [3 M]
Q13. Job Characteristics Model (JCM) provides a framework to managers to design the motivating jobs. The JCM
framework identifies five “Core Job dimensions”? List any 4 core job dimensions. [4 M]
Q14. You are CEO of an organization. Looking at drastic drop in sales of two of your product lines, you have
decided to close down the production of the same. At the same time, you have also decided to implement a
major change in organizational structure which may lead to loss of job for around 500 employees.
Which 2 methods of communication you will use in this situation to inform employees about this? On what
criteria you think that these two methods will be most suitable/effective in the above situation? [2 M]
3
Q15. Under uncertainty, the choice of alternatives is influenced by the limited amount of available information and
by psychological orientation of the decision maker.
Based on different psychological orientation, what different methods the Head-Marketing at Air India may
use for deciding among the four different marketing strategies based on the payoff matrix given below.
Explicitly mention the methods of decision making and computation in each case to arrive at the decision.
[2*3=6 M]
Payoff Matrix (Values given are in million dollars)
Air India Marketing Strategy Indigo Indigo Indigo
Competitive Competitive Competitive
Action 1 Action 2 Action 3
Strategy 1 15 14 12
Strategy 2 9 16 20
Strategy 3 24 22 15
Strategy 4 19 14 30
Q16. Using Value Chain framework, draw the value chain for Maruti Suzuki (Car manufacture in India). [4 M]
Q17. Rommy is planning to open a hair salon in Delhi for high end customers who are looking for premium services.
What are the important marketing-mix elements Rommy must plan for? List and briefly explain each of them
(One sentence for each element). [4 M]
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