Questions and Answers of Management And Organisational Behaviour

You are a management consultant called in to advise an organisation which has undergone significant change, involving both voluntary and compulsory redundancies, in the last two years. Employee
In addition to motivation what other topic(s) studied in organisational behaviour do you think has a significant relationship with stress at work?
Debate critically the extent to which you believe that stress is an inevitable feature of modern work organisations.
Rio Cosmetics has chosen to concentrate its effort on what it regards as the most lucrative section of the market. As its marketing manager says, 'We've gone for short-term profit maximisation -
In self-selected groups of three of four, in either your own, or some other large organisation or large department of an organisation: a Investigate the nature, format and contents of the HR planning
What specific aspects of a job would you find especially difficult or distasteful?
Why is the recruitment and selection of staff the concern of all managers in an organisation? What are the prerequisites of an effective recruitment and selection policy?
Critically evaluate different methods of performance appraisal and discuss fully the potential problem areas.
What are the potential benefits for both the individual and the organisation from a formal system of performance appraisal? What questions need to be addressed in the design and implementation of an
What other conclusions do you draw from this exercise?
Every director a personnel director, every line manager a personnel manager.’ In the light of this statement discuss what you see as the role and functions of the HR (or personnel) manager in a
In business organisations, as elsewhere, success tends to breed success. However, a growing sense of corporate self-confidence can breed problems of its own. How does a company prevent pride in its
What do you think is the best way to manage poor performance? What options are available?
Discuss fully the range and scope of HRM activities within your own organisation. Explain the underlying philosophies of managerial behaviour which influence the implementation of HR practices and
London Taverns Ltd is currently the largest independent public house operator in the UK with some 50 pubs, hotels and branded restaurants located within the radius of the M25. The last two years have
Why do you think some people are happy undertaking jobs that other people would not enjoy?
Wessex Computers has been running for five years now, and it is still virtually a 'one-person business' though there are 20 employees. While the firm sells books, magazines and small 'micro' games,
Explain the importance of, and main stages involved in, organisational human resource planning. What do you understand by a personnel management action programme?
In self-selected groups of three or four, in either your own, or some other large organisation or a large department of an organisation:a. Investigate carefully the recruitment and selection process
Give your views on:(i) The fundamental considerations which should underlie the recruitment and selection of staff;(ii) The basic stages in a planned and systematic approach to recruitment and
Sumprint Ltd was established in the mid-1980s as a partnership. The enterprise was converted to a private limited company in the second year of operation.The shares were wholly owned by members of
When Charles Turner was told, on his fortieth birthday, that he was to be promoted to manager of the Electrical Insulation Materials Sales Department of Climax Fibre and Textile Company Limited, his
Answer each question ‘mostly agree’ or ‘mostly disagree’, even if it is difficult for you to decide which alternative best describes your opinion.Details of scoring and interpretation of the
a. For your own or some other organisation, identify:(i) the various areas of control of the activities of the organisation; and (ii) the forms and/or strategies of control systems adopted.b. Examine
What were the main issues and difficulties that emerged from preparing your report?
Detail, with your own supporting examples, the characteristic features of a good control system. What factors are likely to influence the amount of resistance to control systems?
To what extent do you feel there is a danger of organisations placing too much emphasis on financial and quantitative systems of control?
You are the recently appointed chief executive of the Omega organisation. Your organisation is located in a large town and comprises five operating units and a head office with personnel, client
What is the ultimate judge of the effectiveness of control systems?
Discuss the main factors which are likely to affect resistance to, and the successful implementation of, management control systems.
How would you explain the organisational and personal relationships between a manager and subordinate staff that is created by the process of delegation?
Debate critically the potential limitations and benefits of empowerment. What factors need to be considered if empowerment is to be implemented successfully?
Explain fully what you understand by the meaning and nature of organisation development (OD).
How important is organisational culture? How would you attempt to foster a change in the prevailing culture of an organisation?
The Wakewood organisation comprises seven units, each of which has been managed autonomously over the last five years. Each unit is managed by a General Manager and comprises one or more product/
To what extent do textbook classifications aid our practical understanding and analysis of organisational culture?
This small district authority was to undergo considerable change in its direction, culture and management style. Central government had reduced its financial balances and had sought to control the
Should there be/is there a most ‘suitable’ culture for specific organisations?
Rudmore Press was founded in the early 1970s by the current managing director, Tony Stone, and his friend and partner, Roger Preston. The original company was housed in a large shed in Tony's garden
Discuss major changes confronting management today and their implications for a specific organisation of your choice.
Debate critically the need for, and strategies of, planned organisational change including the role and responsibilities of top management.
Why do individuals and organisations tend to resist change? Explain instances of resistance to change in your own organisation and discuss critically the effectiveness of management actions to
Discuss fully the importance of effective management to organisation development.
Critically analyse your own (or some other chosen) organisation in terms of the McKinsey 7-S Framework (page 961). Describe fully each of the seven components:■ Strategy■ Structure■ Systems■
If you had to make a forced choice and in rank order, what three variables would you say ultimately determine the effectiveness of an organisation more than any others?
Eurasia Electronics is a large high technology company in the consumer electronics industry. It has ten plants in six countries and employs about 7000 people. Its headquarters are located in
Outline the main elements of an integrated model of managerial behaviour and development. Use this model to examine the nature of management development in your own organisation.
These questions are designed to help you reflect on how well your company is doing, and to generate ideas for improvement. If you would like to benchmark yourself against other companies, please
What have you learnt about effective organisational performance and your study of management and organisational behaviour?
Explain fully what areas of need you would include in designing a management development programme for an organisation of your choice.
Discuss critically the main features of:(i) Continuing Professional Development (CPD); and(ii) The learning organisation. Debate their relevance and applications to an organisation of your choice.
What are your views on the nature of management education, training and development in Britain? Comment critically on the apparent effectiveness of management education, training and development in
Relate critically the concepts and ideas of ‘Tomorrow’s Company’ and the ‘EFQM Excellence Model’ to practices in your own organisation.
Explain what you see as the main attributes for organisational success and give examples from your own or some other organisation. Discuss the importance of innovation as a key factor in
Critically assess the value and relevance today of management by objectives (MBO) as a means of improving organisational performance.
As has been illustrated in the chapter, the nature of management effectiveness is to some degree dependent upon context. There may be a number of skills, personal qualities and behaviours which are
‘There is an organisational cliché that managing people is like trying to herd cats. Attempting to manage people effectively through a behavioural approach is therefore a lost cause and the
From your experience, explain fully a situation that you believe demonstrates a successful way of dealing with members of staff. To what extent can you relate this situation to the application of
‘In your interactions with people at work, as in life more generally, there will always be some people you just cannot seem to please. Give them a bag of gold and they will complain that the bag is
Discuss what you see as the most important considerations in adopting a people-centred approach to management.
‘The task of the manager is to add value at work. How often do you hear disgruntled members of staff complaining about lack of clear leadership and strong management? Whatever the talk about
How would you, as a senior manager, attempt to manage staff effectively as knowledge workers rather than subordinates?
‘Many of the more recent pronouncements on managerial behaviour are no more than the repetition of well-established concepts in a more contemporary context. In fact, management thinking has
How would you attempt to distinguish between an effective and an ineffective manager? Give specific examples of the criteria you would apply to assess the effectiveness of a particular managerial job
‘University courses should be designed less at the behest of academics and more to take account of the learning necessary to satisfy the demands of the workplace for innovative action.’What are
‘Neuro-linguistic programming and transactional analysis may appear to have some value when discussed in the classroom but are too theoretic and abstract for the practical manager.’Is there any
1. First, undertake Assignment 1 and bear in mind your responses to the assignment. Exchange accounts with a partner before proceeding further.2. Now assume you are the newly appointed general
In 2005 the word ‘blog’, meaning an on-line journal or web log which is regularly updated by the author, entered the Oxford English Dictionary for the first time. Figures collected by internet
a. Write a brief description of what you think is happening to the people in the picture and what you think will happen to them in the future.b. After you have written your description, compare your
‘People value their individuality and enjoy the right of self-expression. Membership of a group means giving up some of that personal identity. The real skill of management is therefore to make
What is a group? Explain the importance and influence of group values and norms and give practical examples from within your own organisation.
A pain is spreading down my arm. Twenty of us, seated in ten rows, two to a bench, are paddling furiously aboard a 40 ft dragon boat. It is a disconcerting, not to mention exhausting, experience. As
Recall your experience of a work group or team with which you are familiar and comment critically on:1. The extent to which members were clear about the goals of the group, what they were expected to
You are required to work in a small group as assigned by your tutor and complete a written report agreed by all members of the group.A managerial colleague has approached you with the following
Assess the practical value to the manager of the analysis of individual behaviour. Explain how you would go about constructing a sociogram.
‘The nature of the hierarchical structure and inevitable role conflicts, power struggles, politics and personality clashes means that individuals will usually complete a task more quickly and
Distinguish between (a) Group task roles, (b) Group building and maintenance roles, and (c) Individual roles. Give your own examples of each of these types of group member roles.
‘Sensitivity training programmes are an unnecessary activity that have no practical value as a means of increasing the long-term standard of group performance, and for many people they are an
Suggest a framework for the analysis and categorisation of patterns of individual behaviour in group situations. What considerations need to be kept in mind when using such frameworks?
‘All this discussion about group membership and building successful teams is very interesting and sounds fine in the classroom. But it ignores the reality of the work environment for example with
Explain the meaning and purpose of sensitivity training. Give your views on the relevance and practical value of group dynamics.
Detail fully the main factors to be considered in a review of effective teamworking.
‘Moaning is not a management task,’ Rupert Stadler, chief executive of the German carmaker Audi, told this newspaper this month. ‘We can all join in the moaning, or we can make a virtue out of
a. Think of:(i) One of the ‘best’ leaders, and(ii) One of the ‘worst’ leaders that you have experienced, preferably in a work situation.b. Identify and list those specific qualities, or lack
Evaluate your skills – Self-knowledge is crucial for evaluating achievements and potential. Below is a list of attributes associated with leadership. Read through these statements and evaluate the
Steve Jobs is currently CEO of Apple and one of the world’s best-known business leaders. The many biographies of Jobs on the internet agree on the basic details. He was born in 1955 in California.
For each of the following ten pairs of statements, divide five points between the two according to your beliefs, perceptions of yourself, or according to which of the two statements characterises you
Management doesn’t work. It is ill-conceived and badly carried out. It is, literally, inhuman. We are all wasting our time. This is the basic thrust of Charles Jacobs’ new book, Management
‘It is difficult to think of any aspect of the functioning of the organisation or behaviour of people that does not concern, or relate back to, management in some way. For example, personality
In August 2005, two studies of organisational life made unhappy reading for many of Britain’s managers. An Investors in People (IIP) survey discovered that 80 per cent of staff believed that some
‘If management is getting work done through other people this surely cannot be learned from any textbook or academic discussion. Despite all the rhetoric, attempts to find consensus about the
‘The essential nature of managerial work is not easy to describe as aspects that are common in many applications escape us in others and all managers have their individual way of working.
Why do organisations need managers? Suggest how the flexibility in managerial jobs might be identified and compare and contrast any two different managerial jobs.
‘Someone with poor social and interpersonal skills or who lacks political astuteness can never become an effective manager. These skills are part of a person’s personality and you cannot make a
‘A number of eminent writers have drawn attention to the changing nature of management and the work of the manager. Yet reading the ideas of other “gurus” such as Peter Drucker and Mary Parker
Debate fully how you see the nature of managerial activities and the likely role of the manager in ten years’ time.
Explain fully and with supporting reasons what you see as the most important attributes or qualities required of a successful manager.
You are required to ask yourself the following 11 questions:1. Do people tend to open up to you and tell you things about themselves that they don’t tell many others?2. Are you generally accepting
‘People respond according to the manner in which they are treated. The majority of staff come to work eager to do a good job and to perform to the best of their abilities. Therefore if individual
Distinguish between different sets of attitudes and assumptions about people at work that managers might hold. Suggest how these different attitudes and assumptions might influence actual managerial

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