Explain the term 'product life cycle.'
The product life cycle (PLC) refers to the stages a product goes through from its introduction to the market until its eventual decline. The stages include:
What are the factors affecting determination of the price of a product or service? Explain.
A marketer of colour TV having 20% of the current market share of the country aims at enhancing the market share to 50 per cent in next three years. For achieving this objective he specified an action programme. Name the function of marketing being discussed above. (Ans. Marketing planning.)
What is marketing mix? What are its main elements? Explain.
For buyers of consumer durable products, what ‘customer care services’ would you plan as a manager of a firm marketing new brand of motorcycle. Discuss.
How does branding help in differential pricing?
Distinguish between convenience product and shopping product.
Discuss the role of intermediaries in the distribution of consumer non-durable products.
What are industrial products? How are they different from consumer products? Explain.
What information is generally placed on the package of a food product? Design a label for one of the food products of your choice.
Product is a bundle of utilities. Explain.
How does planning provide direction?
What is meant by staffing?
Identify the network of social relationships which arises spontaneously due to interaction at work.
What is informal communication?
State the meaning of controlling.
What is meant by capital structure?v
What is meant by management?
What is a Treasury Bill?
What makes principles of management flexible?
Under which consumer right does a business firm set up consumer grievance cell?
Planning reduces creativity. Critically comment.(Hint: both the points - Planning promotes innovative ideas and planning reduces creativity – will be given).
Critically analyze Fayol's 14 Principles of Management and their application in contemporary organizations.
Explain the importance of consumer protection from the point of view of a business.
Give any two standards that can be used by a company to evaluate the performance of its Finance & Accounting department.
What are various ways in which the objective of consumer protection can be achieved?
Why is it that organisations are not always able to accomplish all their objectives?
How would you characterize the business environment? Explain with examples, the difference between general and specific environment.
Ms. Jayshree recently completed her Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management. A few months from now a large steel manufacturing company appointed her as its human resource manager. As of now, the company employs 800 persons and has an expansion plan in hand which may require another 200 persons for various types of additional requirements. Ms. Jayshree has been given complete charge of the company’s Human Resource Department.
Questions
a. Point out, what functions is she supposed to perform?
b. What problems do you foresee in her job?
c. What steps is she going to take to perform her job efficiently?
d. How significant is her role in the organisation?
Write a short note on budgetary control as a technique of managerial control.
(Further information related to the above question 6) The management of company Bhasin Limited now realised its folly. In order to rectify the situation it appointed a management consultant -Mukti Consultants - to recommend a restructure plan to bring the company back on the rails. Mukti Consultants undertook a study of the production process at the plant of the company Bhasin Limited and recommended the following changes —
• The company should introduce scientific management with regard to production.
• Production Planning including routing, scheduling, dispatching and feedback should be implemented.
• In order to separate planning from operational management ’Functional foremanship’ should be introduced.
• ‘Work study’ should be undertaken to optimise the use of resources.
• ‘Standardisation’ of all activities should be implemented to increase efficiency and accountability.
• To motivate the workers ‘Differential Piece Rate System’ should be implemented.
(The above changes should be introduced apart from the steps recommended as an answer to Part c - case problem 6 above.) It was expected that the changes will bring about a radical transformation in the working of the company and it will regain its pristine glory.
a. Do you think that introduction of scientific management as recommended by M consultants will result in intended outcome?
b. What precautions should the company undertake to implement the changes?
c. Give your answer with regard to each technique separately as enunciated in points 1 through 6 in the case problem.