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DUBLIN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

BOLTON STREET, DUBLIN 1

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING
IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
&
BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING
IN MANUFACTURING & DESIGN ENGINEERING

THIRD YEAR: JANUARY 2015

SEMESTER 1

PROFESSIONAL

DEVELOPMENT

Ger Reilly BTech(ed), MTech

Robert Simpson BA, BAI, MSc
David Kennedy PhD
Anne Marie McCarrick MSc, MIEI
Arthur Henry DipEng., B.Sc.(Eng.), M.I.E., M.B.A., M.Phi!., C.Eng., M.IET
T esday

6th

January

2015 2.00pm - 5.00pm

Answer 4 of the following 6 questions, at least 2 from Section A and at least I from Secti n B.
Please use separate answer books for each section.
All questions carry equal marks.

Given: Normal Table

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Section A

Question 1

Ca)

Managers and leaders are very different people. Discuss, making

reference to articles and theory covered in class.

(7 Marks)

Cb)

Outline the contents and purpose of a project charter.

(3 Marks)

Cc)

Describe the following, using examples:

(i)Action Plan
(ii)Work Breakdown Structure

(4 Marks)

(d)

In which phase of a project lifecycle might the tool Earned Value be

used?

(3 Marks)

Ce)

Given an activity in a medical device development project whose

planned cost was 12,000 but actual cost to date is 10,000 so far.
The value completed is only 70%.
Calculate the following:

(8 Marks)

Cost variance (CV)

Schedule variance (SV)
Cost Performance Index (CPI)
Schedule Performance Index (SPI)
Will the client be pleased or angry?

Question 2

Ca)

Outline the factors that can contribute to resistance to change in an

organisation, and the steps a manager can take to overcome that
resistance. Use an example of change in an organisation to illustrate
your answer.

(10 Marks)

(b)

Define Corporate Social Responsibility

dimensions of CSR.

(7 Marks)

(c)

With regard to CSR, outline four specific requirements ofISO

and outline the advantages and disadvantages of this type of
approach.

(CSR) and outline the 5

14000,

(8 Marks)

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Question 3
(a)

Describe the basic forms of organisation design, outlining the

advantages and disadvantages of each. Use company examples to
illustrate your answer.

(8 Marks)

(b)

Distinguish between centralisation and decentralisation, comment on

the advantages and disadvantages of each arrangement and give an
example of when an organisation might wish to use one or other
approach.

(5 Marks)

(c)

Outline the behavioural approach to Job Design, explain how this

affects job enlargement and job enrichment and the impact this migh
have on motivation of employees in the workplace.

(12 Marks)

(a)

Explain why a Project manager places particular emphasis on the

critical path(s) of any project.

(5 Marks)

Cb)

Using table Q4b below, draw the network diagram, calculate float for
each task using earliest and latest event times and determine the
following:
i)Total project duration
ii) Critical path

(10 Marks)

Question 4

Activity/Task
A

B
C
D
E
F
G
H

Preceding
Activities

A
A,B
C
C
D,E
F,G

Time Estimate (weeks)

m
a
1
2
1
2
1
1
3
1

2
3
2
4
4
2
4
2

b
3
4
3
6
7

9
11
3

Table Q4b

Cc)
(d)

Calculate the
will complete
Calculate the
will complete

probability that the project shown in Table Q4b above

in 16 weeks.
probability that the project shown in Table Q4b above
in 14 weeks.

(5 Marks)
(5 Marks)

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Section B

Question 5

Ca)

Many parties are interested in the financial statements of a firm, and are
often known as stakeholders. List these stakeholders, outlining their
particular interests.

(l0 marks)

Cb)

Summarise the features of the current ratio and quick ratio analytical
tools that may be used provide broad information about one aspect of
the financial condition of a company.

(l0 marks)

Cc)

Reviewing the financial statements of a firm in isolation provides

limited information. Identify two common bases of comparison of
financial statements that help overcome this problem.

(5 marks)

Question 6

Ca)

Outline the basic principles of spontaneous (non - negotiated) sources of

finance and write notes on three such sources.

(10 marks)

Cb)

Write notes on any three short term negotiated sources of finance,

outlining their advantages and risks, and why they might be used in
certain situations.

(10 marks)

(c)

What is a lease?

(5 marks)

Identify and describe the four main ways to arrange a lease, and write
notes on the characteristics of a typical lease agreement.

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