Decision Making: How to make the correct Decision ?

As a Manager, you are given business targets to achieve. These targets could
be sales targets, profits/revenue targets, production targets, quality or service
targets. To achieve these targets, you need to interact with a number of people
- customers, vendors, superior(s) and subordinates.
 
You need to plan on how to deal with the expectations and demands of all
these stakeholders. These expectations often are incompatible and demanding.
Using your business skills and interpersonal skills you have to make right
decision.
 
If you are interested in the dynamics of decision making as a skill  read the case
study below.

  A Simple Case Study on Decision Making

Let us examine the problem faced by Mr. Nataraj, Regional Manager of

Alpha Pvt. Ltd. Alpha makes and distributes products from more than 10
international pharmaceutical and health care companies. Mr. Nataraj is
responsible for managing existing clients and also to get new clients. He
manages a number of  sales representatives. Important customers have a
dedicated sales representatives, while other sales representatives try to get
new clients.
One day an important customer (Good Health Hospital) called Mr. Nataraj 
and complained that Mr. Bhavan (the sales representative) was ineffective
and insisted he be removed, or else they would not give any business.
Here are Mr. Nataraj's thoughts:

 In an internal enquiry, Mr. Nataraj found that the real reason was
personal differences between Mr. Bhavan and the hospital
 superintendent.
 The track record of Mr. Bhavan was good and he was liked within the
company. Dismissing him or even transferring him to a new region will
affect the morale of the work force.
 Good Health Hospital is a major customer and gives good business.
Loosing the hospital is not an option. Therefore the demands of the
hospital have to be met.

  If you were Mr. Natraj - How will you solve this issue ?

Here are some sample options:

 
1. Good Health Hospital is a major customer and cannot be displeased. I will
remove or transfer Mr. Bhavan.
2. Mr. Bhavan is a loyal and hard working. I need to keep people like him
even if it means loosing customers.
3. I will stop answering calls, act ignorant of the whole episode. 'Time will
solve the problem'.
4. I will try to get Mr. Bhavan and the Hospital Superintendent together for
discussion and try to compromise over the differences.
5. I will move Mr. Bhavan to a new and more important project - develop
new business in the newly formed sub-region. Good Health Hospital will
have no problem with the new sales representative.
 
Click here to choose your option
(This is a simplified version of a "Live Case Study" from the consultancy and case study
wing at IAMEE.)

  An innovative approach to Case Study based learning !

We at IAMEE, create an environment that develops the problem solving

ability of our students. We debate over the solutions suggested by each of
the students for such critical situations in each subject area and arrive at the
best possible solution.
 Our students also get the benefit of advice from  Senior Professionals and
Managers.

IAMEE students also identify critical decision situations with respect to their
"Virtual Companies" in each of the 'specialization areas' (Marketing,
Finance,  HR, Entrepreneurship, etc.) and try to solve them. This  gives them
a practical orientation and trains them on various managerial skills.

  IAMEE - A premier Business  School located in Hyderabad

National emergency under article 352

National emergency is caused by war, external aggression or armed rebellion in the whole of
India or a part of its territory. Such an emergency was declared in India in 1962 (Indo-China
war), 1971 (Indo-Pakistan war), and 1975 (declared by Indira Gandhi to maintain law and order
in the country).

The President can declare such an emergency only on the basis of a written request by the
Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister. Such a proclamation must be approved by
the Parliament within one month. Such an emergency can be imposed for six months. It can be
extended by six months by repeated parliamentary approval.

In such an emergency, Fundamental Rights of Indian citizens can be suspended. The six
freedoms under Right to Freedom are automatically suspended. However, the Right to Life and
Personal Liberty cannot be suspended according to the original Constitution. It modifies the
federal system of government to a unitary one.

In January 1977 however, during the emergency declared controversially by Indira Gandhi, the
government decided to suspend even the Right to Life and Personal Liberty by dispensing with
Habeas corpus. Chief Justice Hans Raj Khanna defended the Right to Life and asked: "Life is
also mentioned in Article 21 and would Government argument extend to it also?". The Attorney
General observed: "Even if life was taken away illegally, courts are helpless"[1].

The Parliament can make laws on the 66 subjects of the State List (which contains subjects on
which the state governments can make laws). Also, all money bills are referred to the Parliament
for its approval. The term of the Lok Sabha can be extended by a period of one year but not more
than six months from the date when the emergency has ceased to exist.

[edit] State emergency under article 356

State emergency is declared on failure of constitutional machinery in a state. Nearly every state
in India has been under a state of emergency at some point of time or the other. The state of
emergency is commonly known as 'President's Rule'.

If the President is satisfied, on the basis of the report of the Governor of the concerned state or
from other sources that the governance in a state cannot be carried out according to the
provisions in the Constitution, he can declare emergency in the state. Such an emergency must
be approved by the Parliament within a period of two months.

It is imposed for six months and can last for a maximum period of three years with repeated
parliamentary approval every six months. If the emergency has to be extended for more than
three years, it can be done by a constitutional amendment, as has happened in Punjab and Jammu
and Kashmir.

During such an emergency, the President can take over the entire work of the executive, and the
Governor administers the state in the name of the President. the Legislative Assembly can be
dissolved or may remain in suspended animation. The Parliament makes laws on the 66 subjects
of the state list (see National emergency for explanation). All money bills have to be referred to
the Parliament for approval.In this situation ministers of state legislature are not allowed to
perform action in state.

Resources » Articles/Knowledge Sharing » General »

President rule in India

Posted Date: 28 Jan 2010     Resource Type: Articles/Knowledge Sharing     Category: General

Author: Sairaj Member Level: Gold    

Rating: Points: 20 (Rs 15)

This resource describes what president rule is and describes when president rule get into force. It
also describes the effects of president rule.

President rule....why, what when are the questions that really rise in the minds of many people and
generally people get scared of the mere thought of president rule.President rule is something that is
really not advisable in a democratic setup. It creates ripples, chaos and disturbance in the smooth flow
of the country.

What is President rule?

President's rule is a word that generally gets coined in India when a state legislature and state
executive are suspended. Suspension of all the powers from the council of ministers and the president
taking charge of the issues of the state is what President rule is.It is also called as Central rule.Federal
government another name of presidential government takes the hold of all the powers of the state
and the Governor of the respective state who is usually considered as having nominal authority rises to
power and becomes the real authority like a lion coming out of den.

The governor is held responsible and answerable to all the proceedings of the state to the president.
The Governor appoints advisory committees who are retired civil servants and retired government
officials for the proper working of the state.

As per article 356, this rule comes into effect and the president on the advise of the governor or on his
own attains the right to dissolve the state government and its council of ministers, thereby imposing
president rule.The parliament must approve the president rule to come into effect. After the
implementation of president rule, the governor heads the state and takes all the power. When
President's rule is imposed, the assembly is either dissolved or kept in suspended.
When does presidential rule come into effect?

President rule generally gets into effect when political unrest takes the lead role role in a democratic
setup. This rule also gets implemented when the government of the state fail to meet the required
majority in the office. If two thirds majority is not held then there is a chance of president rule. When
the entire constitutionality breaks down then there is president rule after the agreement in
parliament.

Recent president's rule:

There are many a cases when president rule was imposed.

25 June 1975 – 21 March 1977 a 21-month period is marked with strong letters in the history of India.
President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, the then president of India declared a state of emergency under
Article 352 of the Constitution of India and suspended elections. This move was considered as one of
the most controversial era in the history of independent India.
In Uttar Pradesh, after the February 2002 election, no party had a sufficient majority and President's
rule was imposed.
After the Mayawati government fell in August 2003, Mulayam Singh Yadav became chief minister after
claiming he had the majority. But this scenario ended up in president rule as Mulayam was not able to
submit the list of supporters, but he later submitted them in assembly.

2010 may seem such rule to get into force on the issue of Telangana. The state government of Andhra
Pradesh ruled by Congress is under extreme pressure from the opponents and also from their MLA's.
All the legislative members have resigned from their posts and are pressurizing the government to give
a separate state. The ruling government though did not accept their resignations is indirectly marching
towards president rule.

Hope that these sort of situations do not rise in India and let all people live in peace.

The following are the principal functions of the Election Commission of India:

1. Demarcation of Constituencies.
2. distribution of voters ID.
3. Preparation of Electoral Rolls.
4. Recognition of Political parties and allotment of symbols.
5. Scrutiny of nomination papers.
6. Conduct of polls.
7. Scrutiny of election expenses of candidates.