MS2 test papers

June, 2005
MS2 : Pre-Revised: MANAGING MEN
Revised : MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES
Time: 3 hours
Maximum Marks: 100
(Weightage 70%)
Note :There are two Sections A and B. Section A has two sets. Set I is meant for students who have registered prior to January, 2005 i.e. upto June, 2004. Set II is meant for students who have registered from January, 2005 and onwards. Attempt any four questions from Section A. All questions carry 15 marks each. Section B is compulsory for all and carries 40 marks.
SECTION A
(Set I)
1. Define personnel management. Briefly discuss the major functions and operations of personnel management. (20)
2. Explain the purpose and types of interview in the organizational context, and discuss their limitations. (20)
3. Describe any twro methods of performance appraisal. Compare their advantages and disadvantages. (20)
4. Briefly outline the features of a grievance handling procedure and the steps involved in it. Cite a suitable case study to support your answer. (20)
5. Write short notes on any three of the following :
(a) Induction
(b) Evaluation of training programme
(c) Maslow's need hierarchy theory
(d) Principles of salary formulation
(e) Suspension and dismissal
SECTION A
(Set II)
1. Trace the evolution of Human Resource Management, Discuss the strategic and political perspectives of HRM. (20)
2. Why is human resource planning important ? Discuss the process of human resource planning. (20)
3. Discuss the competency approach to job analysis. Briefly describe any two methods of competency mapping. (20)
4. Discuss training need evaluation and describe various training evaluation techniques. (20)
5. Write short notes on any three of the following : (20)
(a) Performance coaching
(b) Human Resource Information System
(c) Fringe benefits
(d) Industrial democracy
(e) Outsourcing
SECTION B
6. Please read the following two cases and answer the questions given at the end of each. (40)
(A) Case Study
Mr. Ramchandran is the Chief Executive of ABC Limited Recently, it was decided by the Board of Directors that it would be profitable for the corporation to set up a separate Marketing Department. Mr. Ramchandran has been directed to pick up a person who he feels is capable of heading the department. and then putting this person in charge of getting the department on its feet. After considering a number of good men Mr. Ramchandran has narrowed the field down to two possible choices : Rajesh Mehta and Pramod Kumar.
Rajesh Mehta has a good track record with the company. He was hired eight years ago, and through the years he has shown a good deal of drive and initiative in all of his endeavours. He is an aggressive young man, and has received the nickname of 'go-getter' in his department. Although Mehta seems to be more concerned at times with ends rather than means, 'he is very efficient and is considered a good leader by those who work under hm. As one worker stated. "Although he can get rough with you at times, you always know where you stand with him, and when you have done a good job, he lets you know it." Mehta is also credited with accepting full responsibility, in all cases, and making quick decisions when action is called for.
Pramod Kumar has been with the company for eleven years. He is well liked by all in his department, and his work is ,first rate. Kumar's leadership style differs from Mehta's in that Kumar is not as aggressive and quick to act as Mehta. Before Kumar makes a decision, he generally consults others who he feels can contribute further information on a given subject. This often includes those who work under him. Those who work under Kumar consider him a good leader, and state that the atmosphere of participation produced by Kumar really encourages their utmost individual output while on the job. This can be seen by the production increase which soon occurred when Kumar became the head of his work-force.
Questions :
(a) If you were Mr Ramchandran whom would you select as the head of the Marketing Deptt. ? why ?
(b) Will you give any weightage to the length of service in the organisation ? Why ?
(B) Case Study
Raghav Chemicals Ltd. has planned for computerisation of nearly 50 per cent of the production operations and control. It has taken care of all resources in the computerisation plan including human resources. The present inventory of human resources and future requirements of the production department were specified as given hereunder.

Category of Human Resources Present Inventory Requirements after
Computerisation Surplus
Chemical engineers
(Operation) 15 8 7
Chemical engineers
(Maintenance and control) 10 6 4
Mechanical engineers
(Maintenance) 2 2 0
Supervisors 10 2 8
Operators 30 10 20
Quality controllers 5 1 4
72 29 43
The human resource planners suggested the redeployment of chemical engineers in their newly started sister concern, i.e., Laxman Paper Mills Ltd., and retrench surplus of employees of all other categories. They also recommended to the management that there was no need for further recruitment or for ary other action plan.
The computerisation was over by the end of 1998. When the management wanted to start the production on the newly computerised process, it was shocked to note that not many employees in the production department were suitable to the new jobs and the information supplied by the human resource planners in this regard did not match with the reality.
Questions :
(a) ldentify the problem in this case.
(b) To what extent are the human resource planners responsible for the present state of affairs ?
(c) What should the management do now to deal with the problem taking into account both the short-term and long term perspective ?

MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME
Term-End Examination
June, 2005
MS2 : Pre-Revised: MANAGING MEN
Revised : MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES
Time: 3 hours
Maximum Marks: 100
(Weightage 70%)
Note :There are two Sections A and B. Section A has two sets. Set I is meant for students who have registered prior to January, 2005 i.e. upto June, 2004. Set II is meant for students who have registered from January, 2005 and onwards. Attempt any four questions from Section A. All questions carry 15 marks each. Section B is compulsory for all and carries 40 marks.
SECTION A
(Set I)
(Pre-Revised : Managing Men)
1. Define manpower planning. Explain the methods for projecting manpower supply and demand at organisational level with examples. (15)
2. Describe and evaluate few methods of recruitment, citing organisational examples. (15)
3. Distinguish between Motivation and Morale. Explain Maslow's and Herzberg's theories of motivation and discuss their relevance in the present context. (15)
4. Explain how salary structure is designed in an organisation with the help of examples. (15)
5. Review the growth and development of employers' organisations in India. Discuss their role, functions and Present status. (15)
6. Write short notes on any three of the following : (15)
(i) Suspension
(ii) Purpose of industrial democracy
(iii) Job description
(iv) Grievance handling
(v) Interview
SECTION A
(Set II)
(Revised : Management of Human Resources)
1. Explain the changing role of HRM in the emerging business scenario in India. Compare it with the western models. (15)
2. Explain the concept of organisational socialisation. Discuss socialisation factors in organisational set-ups. (15)
3. Describe the process of performance appraisal. Discuss the significance of assessment centres for improving organizational performance. (15)
4. Discuss role systems. Explain the concept of role efficacy. (15)
5. "A pay packet alone is not adequate to attract and retain competent employees." Elaborate the statement and discuss the related concepts. (15)
6. Write short notes on any three of the following :
(i) Mentoring
(ii) Benchmarking
(iii) Empowerment
(iv) Lok Adalats
(v) Outsourcing
SECTION B
7. Read the following case and answer the questions given at the end.
Vishal Industries Ltd., is a medium sized engineering factory employing 250 employees. The Factory Manager advised the Personnel Manager of the company to select a right man to fill up the vacancy of a "Time-Keeper". The Personnel Manager inserted an advertisement for this post in prominent local newspapers and received a large number of applications although specific job description and job requirements were embodied in the advertisement. After preliminary screening of applications, the Personnel Manager selected only 6 applications out of 197 and sent them "Application Blank" for collecting their detailed information. On receipt of Applications and on further scrutiny, it was observed that two candidates were age-barred, although they had a good experience at their credit and one candidate had a suspicious personal life. The Personnel Manager therefore selected only 3 candidates and sent them call-letters for a personal interview on a stipulated date.
Only two candidates out of three appeared for the interview before the Interview Panel consisting of three interviewers. The panel had therefore to take a decision on selection, either of Mr. Tukaram Patil or Mr. Girish Mahajan. The personal kaits and merits of these two candidates are as follows :
Mr. Tukaram Patil, a young man of 30 years, has worked for a year in the Time Olfice of a reputed company. He is an exceptionally sociable, amicable individual who enjoys mixing with employees. His verbal skills are average. but he has a good degree of hardness. He can sit late in office and prepare payrolls of employees and complete the checking of paysheets a day before the actual date of payment. He does not demand extra remuneration or over-time for sitting late hours in office. He is a good sportsman also and has worked as a secretary of a sports club. A glaring weakness as revealed during the interview is that Mr. Patil's memory is not strong and he may forget a task assigned to him. But he is straight forward and frankly accepts his limitations.
Mr. Girish Mahajan, is also a youth, aged 25, and has a good personality. above average communication skills, but at times is "rough" ln deaiing with people. His clerical and computational skills are excellent. He does not on his own mix with people or take part in extra curricular activities. He joined a textile mill as a clerk in the Time Office and was promoted to the post of Assistant Time Keeper within a period of 5 years. He is against the principle of sitting late in office. His sense of time keeping, punctuality is good and regular. He feels that attendance of employees must be posted in the regular register on the same day and paysheets must be kept ready on 1st of every month and sent to A/c Department, for checking before 3rd inst. Similarly, he prepares PF/ESI statements and returns in time and submits the same to respective Government authorities in time. However, Mr. Girish Mahajan is short tempered and at times he also had heated arguments with managerial executives. He limits his existence to his working table and if anybody unconnected with the time-office work comes near his table, he loses his temper.
Questions :
(a) ln terms or overall capabilities and job requirements, whom will you recommend out of the two candidates, in your capacity as a Personnel Manager ?
(b) What are the criteria of your decision ?
(c) In case the other two members of the lnterview Panel differ from your decision, how will you convince them ?
(d) As a Manager HR, what will you do to improve the interpersonal relations in the organization ?