Indian Management Thoughts & Practices

April – 2002
60 Marks
Note:
(1) Both the sections are compulsory.
(2) Section I: All the questions are compulsory.
(3) Section II: Attempt any three out of five questions.
(4) Figures to the right indicate marks.

Section — I
(1) Answer Briefly: (10)

(a) Explain the concept of Karma.

(b) What is a learning organization?
(c) What are the different styles of leadership?
(d) What important issue was brought out in ‘Narmada Bachao Andolan’?
(e) How relevant are ethics to business?

(2) Analyze the following case study and answer the questions
given below:

Mr. P. B. Rao looked back at his career in the consumer goods company
(Manufacturing soaps, detergents and toiletries, which was a part of a large Indian
business) with pride and satisfaction. He had joined the company in the early
seventies as a management trainee and rose to the position of General Manager
(Marketing) after a service of over thirty years.

As a management trainee, he had received training in each department of the

company in manufacturing, finance, personnel etc. After a period of one year he
was appointed as a junior executive in the marketing Department. The Head of the
Department assigned a set of products to him and gave him challenging targets. Mr.
Rao worked hard and tried his best to justify the confidence the boss had placed in
him.

Because of his good performance Mr. Rao’s responsibilities were increased

and he was given charge of additional products. His job also involved touring
different parts of the country. After three years Mr. Rao decided that in order to
progress in his career he should take up a part time evening course in Business
Management. He was happy that the company agreed to pay the fees.

On completion of the course Mr. Rao was promoted as Brand Manager.

Thereafter he progressed steadily but not spectacularly in his career. Because of his
long hours of work, the responsibility of his children’s education fell mainly on his
wife.
One of his sons qualified as a computer professional and was selected to join
the same business group where Mr. Rao had served. The job involved signing
a

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 Indian Management Thoughts & Practices
April – 2002
60 Marks
bond for three years which the son signed and for which Mr. Rao was one of the
guarantors. The son was sent abroad for training in computers and on his
return was appointed as a Project Manager.

One day the son informed the father that he had received an extremely
lucrative offer from a computer giant in the U.S. which he desired to accept. Mr. Rao
was disturbed as his son had not served the bond period and in any case he
strongly disapproved of job hopping.

(1) What are the conflicts brought out by this case? (10)

(2) In your opinion should the son accept the offer in the U.S. Justify. (10)

Section — II
(3) Compare and contrast the value systems of India with that of U.S.A.
(10)

(4) Is leadership situational? Explain giving examples. (10)

(5) How important is it for organizations to ensure that ecological balance in nature is (10)
maintained when setting up a new factory/plant?
(10)
(6) The ancient scriptures state ‘As the king so the people’ Apply this principle to
modern day organizations.
(10)
(7) What are the essential differences between traditional and modern methods of
learning?

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*

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 Indian Management Thoughts & Practices
April – 2003
60 Marks
Note:
(1) Section I is compulsory.
(2) Attempt any three questions from question no. 3 to 8.
(3) Figures to the right indicate full marks for the question.
(4) Illustrate your answers by examples, diagrams, charts, figures wherever necessary.

Section — I
(1) Define the following concepts/terms in your own words: (Attempt any (10)
Five)

(a) Indian Management Thought.

(b) Indian Cultural Heritage.
(c) Indian Concept of Learning.
(d) Self Control.
(e) Concept of Mind Stilling.
(f) Doctrine of Nishkama Karma.
(g) Swadharma.
(h) Ecological balance.
(i) Concept of SRT Gunas.
(j) Concept of Meditation (Dhyana).

(2) Case Study

Read the following case carefully and stating your assumptions clearly.
Answer the questions below:

Mr. Sharadchandra Tiwari owns a bookshop for the last over fifty years. He
deals in a varied range of printed as well as non— print sources such as books,
magazines1 periodicals, CDs, cassettes etc. on a wide range of subjects. He has a
set of loyal bonafide customers, which include individuals, Institutions, corporates,
etc. Mr. Tiwari’s genuine “one-to-one” customer care is well known through the
various customer-friendly schemes he’s been adopting.

One of the more popular schemes is the “Dial-a-book” service (D-a-b), where
a toll-free number is available all day long for anyone who wants to source any
material from any where in the world. They have been known to successfully obtain
books, periodicals, etc. from the remotest place at the earliest. And most
importantly, they charge nothing extra at all-only the landed price of the book in
terms of current dollar exchange rate.

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 Indian Management Thoughts & Practices
April – 2003
60 Marks

In the guise of “value-added service” proposing to be implemented by his 26 (10)

year old dynamic MBA—educated son, Mr. Hemchandra Tiwari, they are
contemplating a 5% service charge for customers availing of the D-a-b service, from
1st May 2003. To that effect they shoot off letters to all their customers. The
reaction from the customers is mixed, varying from “shock” to “justified acceptance”
“of the fact” that nothing comes free”. Some avid customers approach Mr.
Sharadchandra Tiwari and tender an appeal to re-look into the, proposal and not go
ahead with it. They also provide hint with facts and figures mentioning how his well-
earned goodwill may erode. His philanthropic image will also be at stake. He may
lose good customers.

Questions:
(a) Do you feel Hemchandra Tiwari is doing the “right thing”? State your reasons (5)
from the perspective of Indian Management Thought.
(b) How do you think Mr. Sharadchandra Tiwari would respond to the, appeal made
(5)
by his customers?
(c) Do you see a conflict situation? Propose a solution. (5)
(d) Analyze the “Duty Vs Right” aspect of the D-a-b scheme from both sides: Mr. (5)
Tiwari’s as well as from the customer’s. (5)

Section — II
(3) Explain how Inner Peace contributes to the performance of an Indian manager in a
stressful corporate life. (10)

(4) Analyze the concept of Motivation in the Indian context and compare it with the (10)
Western concept.

(5) How can Organizational productivity be increased by value-driven Indian

management?
(10)

(6) “Values in Indian Ethos are evolved from deepest truths of Man, Life and Nature.” (10)
Do you agree with this statement? Comment.

(7) “Organization, Society and Nature are living entities having collective (10)
consciousness, heart and mind.” Comment on this statement.

(8) Write in brief: (any two):

(a) Leadership style of family managed Indian business. (10)
(b) Mind management by practice of Yoga.
(c) Sustainable development through IMTP.
(d) Self actualization v/s Self-Realization.

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 Indian Management Thoughts & Practices
April – 2003
60 Marks
Note:
(1) Section I — All the questions are compulsory.
(2) Section II — Attempt any three out of five questions.
(3) Figures to the right indicate marks.
(4) Answers must reflect in each Management Thoughts and Philosophy.

Section — I
(1) Explain briefly the following concepts: (10)

(a) Detached Involvement.

(b) Concept of KARMA.
(c) De-Egoization v/s De-personification.
(d) Values and Skills.
(e) Corporate Accountability.

(2) Case Study (20)

Mr. l.K. Prasad is the Chief Engineer of the State Electricity Board, and Mr.
Prasad has a reputation of being ‘soft’ on his employees, due to which, it was
rumored, many of his employees do not exactly stick to the rules and regulations of
the organization. When Mr. P. Kumar joined the Board as a young engineer just
after his engineering degree, he was appalled to see how many people casually
broke the rules of the Board and got away with it. Time and again, he had tried to
impress upon Mr. Prasad to take disciplinary action, at least against the workmen
and the staff, but to no avail. Mr. Prasad would just ignore his complaints, saying
that he did not yet have enough experience to understand the implications of these
things.
One day, Mr. Prasad and Mr. Kumar were traveling together long distance, on
some official duty. Suddenly Mr. Kumar happened to notice one of their truck drivers
stopping at a point on the highway and taking up people into the truck, who were
waiting near the roadside.

That’s Balwant, Sir, cried Mr. Kumar, ‘he’s picking up passengers from the
roadside in his truck, and taking money from them’.

Mr. Prasad too turned around and spotted Balwant doing exactly what Mr.
Kumar has noticed. Just at the same time, Balwant too turned around and spotted
his Board’s car with “Chief Engineer’ written in the car plates. But because of his
white curtains in the car he could not be sure whether the occupants in the car had
noticed him or not.

“Stop the car immediately, driver”, shouted Mr. Kumar, “I say, stop
immediately; we have to catch him red-handed.”

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 Indian Management Thoughts & Practices
April – 2003
60 Marks
“No, keep going’, said Mr. Prasad urgently to the driver, “pretend not have to
seen him’.
“But, Sir – why? We had a good chance to catch him red handed. We have
known it since a long time that Balwant uses his truck to make a little on the side”
exclaimed Mr. Kumar, as their car sped away.

“Calm down Kumar, clam down’, replied Mr. Prasad patting Kumar’s knee. “I
too know that whenever Balwant has to transport goods along distance, he uses the
return trip to pick passengers from the roadside. I also know that you see it as going
against rules.

I Know it is against the rules. But think analytically. How much salary does
Balwant get from the Boar? Even after 10-12 years of service, his services have not
yet been confirmed. He earns around Rs.2600/- per month. He has two children
apart from his aged parents who live with him. Can anyone today support a
six member family on less than Rs.3,000/- per month? It is not out of choice
that Balwant, or anyone else for that matter breaks rules. Would you or I not have
been tempted to do just what Balwant had done, had we been in his place?
And how much do you think he earns from these passengers? 100 rupees? As
you have seen, these passengers are all daily-wage laborers or poor people, too
poor to even pay the bus fare, and waits for some like Balwant to give them a ride
for a pittance. Moreover, what harm is Balwant really causing to the Board? The
truck would have anyway come empty in its return trip. It is not that Balwant
is causing some additionally expenses to the Board by his action. Just now you
wanted to stop the car. Had I stopped the care to catch him, or had even given an
indication that I had seen him, I would had to take action against him. I would have
been compelled to at least call him to my office tomorrow and warned him not to
repeat what he has done today, or to even give him a notice asking him for a
written explanation. Then he would have had to stop what he has been doing
or I would have had to take stronger action like terminating his services or
suspending him.. Now, he feels safe that no one has seen him. You know Kumar;
you have to be humane when dealing with people. People like Balwant have not
received much from our society, nor from the Board where he has been working
for so many years. Management must be founded not only on values like
honesty and truth and righteousness, but also on qualities like tolerance,
sympathy and compassion.
Questions:
(a) Do you believe Mr. Prasad, the Chief Engineer is correct in his belief?
(b) What kind of value system is Mr. Prasad trying to build in his Board?
(c) Do you think, it is really unethical to break rules?
(d) What would you have done had you been in Mr. Prasad’s place? In Mr. Kumar’s
Place?

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 Indian Management Thoughts & Practices
April – 2003
60 Marks

Section — II
(3) “For achieving behavioral change, the core values of individuals have to be (10)
addressed”. Discuss this statement in the context of Indian organizations.
(10)
(4) How does Indian management thoughts harmonies the environment and human
society?

(5) Draw a comparative study of value systems practiced in America, China and Japan. (10)

(6) How might someone argue that whistle blowing is morally permitted? Argue your
answer with reference to the act off whistle blowing by Satyendra Dubey in the case (10)
of golden quadrilateral project.

(7) Describe the concept of Transformational Leadership” Explain the concept with an
(10)
Indian perspective.

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 Indian Management Thoughts & Practices
April – 2005
60 Marks
Note:
(1) Section I — All the questions are compulsory.
(2) Section II — Attempt any three out of five questions.
(3) Figures to the right indicate marks.
(4) You answers will be accessed on the basis of Indian Management Thoughts and Managerial approach.

Section — I
(1) Explain briefly the following concepts: (10)

(a) Yoga
(b) Nishkama Karma
(c) Swadharma
(d) Divinity.
(e) Bliss or Moksha
(f) Ethics
(g) Spirituality.
(20)
(2) Case Study: Just a modest change in the Records
Mrs. A.P. Raman was senior human resources executive reporting to the Vice
President of Employee Relations, of a major company when this incident occurred.
One of her responsibilities was administering the psychological assessment
program for, and maintaining the assessment profiles on, all senior executives.

The Executive Committee of the Board of Directors asked for a summary

profile on each senior executive for succession planning purposes. Mrs. A. P.
Raman felt that to prevent misinterpretation these summaries should be prepared
by the consulting firm that had done the original assessments, and therefore she
instructed them to do so.

The consulting firm completed the summaries as instructed and forwarded

them to the Vice President of Employee Relations, for review. He then passed them
along to Mrs. A. P. Raman, who was to prepare the final compilation for the
Executive Committee. The next week, several revised summaries came from the
Vice President. He had made significant changes to the consultants’ summaries. On
one summary, for example, the Vice-President had changed “promotable” to “not
promotable”. Mrs. A. P. Raman was appalled at the changes, and concerned about
what to do. The modifications violated her sense of ethics, but she was afraid if she
questioned them, she would place her job and her future in jeopardy. The more she
thought about it, the more concerned she became. Was it possible someone above
the Vice President level had requested these changes?

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 Indian Management Thoughts & Practices
April – 2005
60 Marks

Questions: (Each question carries 5 marks each)

(a) What would you have done if you were Mrs. A. P. Raman? Why? (5)
(5)
(b) What consequences would you have expected on your action?
(c) Do such things happen in organizations? Justify your answer? (5)
(d) Explain the impact of this case on the organization and its employees. (5)

Section — II
(3) Explain any five critical aspects of the Indian Ethos need to be imbibed by an (10)
International Company seeking to set up business in India.

(4) One who cannot manage self cannot manage anything. Do you agree? Suggest (10)
different strategies for Self Management.
(10)
(5) Explain the correlation between the nature and a human society.

(6) “To be successful, a professional manager should have the PACE of WEST and the (10)
GRACE of EAST”. Explain the statement with a comparative study of value systems
of the East and the West.

(7) Explain the strengths and weaknesses of Gurukul and Modem Systems of learning. (10)
(8) Write Short Notes on ANY TWO from the following:
(a) Meditation.
(10)
(b) SRT Gunas.
(c) Trusteeship.
(d) Qualities of King as a CEO.

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 Indian Management Thoughts & Practices
April – 2006
60 Marks
Note:
(1) All questions in Section 1 are compulsory.
(2) Attempt any 3 questions from Section-IL
(3) Figures to the right indicate maximum marks.
(4) Answer must reflect Indian Management Thoughts and Philosophy.

Section — I
(1) Explain briefly the following concepts (any five): (10)

(a) Ethical dilemma.

(b) The four varnas.
(c) Bliss (Anand).
(d) Social Audit.
(e) Creativity.
(f) Service Attitude.
(g) Self
(h) Motivation. (20)

(2) Case Study: Just a modest change in the Records

Santa is a software engineer working with ABC Technologies Ltd. at Mumbai.
She was thrilled to receive a job offer for a senior position in California U.S.A. from
their competitor XYZ System Ltd. whom she greatly admired both as Industry
Leader and as an Ideal Employer. The position that was offered was just what she
wanted.
She discussed the matter with her husband Dr. Vivek, with whom she got
married about a year back. Dr. Vivek raised couple of questions in this connection:

(a) ABC Ltd. has invested heavily on her training both in India and USA.
(b) She being a driving force behind a huge project of ABC, her quitting could put
the whole project in jeopardy.
(c) She had assembled a team of professionals who will feel left out in case she
decides to leave ABC.

On family front it was not possible for Dr. Vivek to leave Mumbai as he was
having a well established medial practices here. Therefore, they will have to
practically live as forced bachelors.
Questions:
(a) What should Santa do ? Is it normally wrong to leave the present job? (5)
(b) Will she be disloyal to the team members whom she had bought together?
(5)
(c) Is there any clash between career development and family life for woman (5)
professionals?
(d) Create a tabular chart to facilitate decision making involving issues such as
(5)
loyalty, morality, professional growth, family life etc.

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 Indian Management Thoughts & Practices
April – 2006
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Section — II
(3) In your view which leadership theory is most effective in India? Explain. (10)

(4) How does stress affect performance? How it can be controlled through yoga and (10)
meditation?

(5) What are different types of conflicts? How do they arise and what are the methods (10)
of resolving them?

(6) What are the essential differences in management practices between traditional (10)
organizations and modem organizations?

(7) Short notes on any two:

(10)
(a) Productivity improvement through IMTP.
(b) Organization Culture.

All the Important Questions already get covered in the past board papers.
For more questions, refer to
http://www.managementparadise.com/forums/t1690-question-bank-sem-6-
2006-.html

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