MBA20112

MBA Degree Examinations - April, 2018

(Regulation 2012-13)
(Examination at the end of II Semester)
Paper-I: Marketing management
Time : Three hours Maximum Marks: 70
Section-A
Answer any FIVE of the following (5x3=15)
1. Write short notes on :
a) Concept of Integrated Marketing
b) Tele-Marketing
c) Marketing Mix
d) Product life cycle
e) Distribution Strategy
f) Rights of consumer
g) Marketing audit
h) Strategic control
Section-B
Answer all questions (5x8=40)

2. a) Define Marketing. Examine the importance and scope of marketing.

(OR)
b) Evaluate the need and significance of Marketing Research in India.

3. a) Explain briefly about Product differentiation strategies.

(OR)
b) Outline the different objectives of Pricing.

4. a) What factors are influencing the selection of channels of distribution.

(OR)
b) Evaluate the need and importance of training channel members.

5. a) What do you understand by Integrated Communications Strategy? Explain with an example.

(OR)
b) Examine the concept and importance of Marketing communication.

6. a) What are the factors affecting Marketing Organisation.

(OR)
b) Discuss the need and importance of Customer Relationship Marketing.

Section-C (1x15=15)
7. Case Study (Compulsory)
Mathews – Martin, Inc., manufactured a broad line of paper products used for packaging. Its products
were sold to packagers by a field sales force of sixty-two sales people operating out of eleven district
sales offices. Each district office had a sales supervisor responsible for both group and individual
supervision.
Group supervision for all sales personnel in each district office consisted of monthly half-day sales
meetings. These meetings covered topics such as sales-force reports of their activities, special
problems, review of the district’s sales performance, new business outlook, competitive and price
conditions, and advertising and sales promotin comparisons (prepared by the head quarters staff).
Some meetings featured a film on new product, or a new application. Each closed with a statement by
the district sales manager on sales progress and problems in the district.

Contd ..
 :: 2 ::

Semiannually, a one-day group meeting was held at each district office. Various regional managers
participated by talking about new product introductions, new applications, maintenance problems,
deliveries, production schedules, and credit problems. Sales people were instructed in vital areas of
sales techniques, communicating with customers about company policies, handling customer
complaints, and assisting customers with their operating problems, Sales personnel were encouraged to
express their views, to make suggestions, and to ask questions. Generally, these one-day meetings
generated considerable enthusiasm among the sales staff.

Individual supervision of the sales force at each district office was the responsibility of the district sales
supervisor. Normally, he or she talked on the phone with each sales person at least twice weekly. Sales
people made weekly sales reports, credit reports on delinquent customers, and special reports as
requested by the sales supervisor.

Every, ninety days, the supervisor met with each sales person at the district office. The supervisor
reviewed the sales person’s performance and sales and service activities, Customers were analyzed. A
review was made of the salesperson’s success in securing new customers. Sales of specific products
were analyzed. Special customer problems were investigated. In short, the meeting was a
comprehensive appraisal of the sales activities of the previous three months. The district sales
supervisor occassionally visited the sales persons in their homes to discuss individual selling problems.
In addition, each sales person was invited frequently to the supervisor’s home for a strictly social
get-together.

About 60 percent of the district sales supervisor’s time was spent in the field observing sales personnel,
giving them on-the-job training, and assisting them with sales problems. The supervisor rode with each
member of the sales staff in their territories, listened as the sales person made presentations and
between calls, reviewed the previous call and previewed the next call.

What is your opinion of the methods Matthews – Martin, Inc., used to supervise its sale force?

(MBA20112)
 MBA20212
MBA Degree Examinations - April, 2018
(Regulation 2012-13)
(Examination at the end of II Semester)
Paper-II: Human Resource Management
Time : Three hours Maximum Marks: 70
Section-A
Answer any FIVE of the following (5x3=15)
1. Write short notes on :
a) Nature of HRM
b) HRM in changing environment
c) Recruitment organization
d) Induction
e) Off the job training
f) Concept of bonus
g) Virtual Organization
h) Exit interviews
Section-B
Answer all questions (5x8=40)

2. a) Define HRM. Write about different models of HRM.

(OR)
b) Examine the role and functions of HR Manager.

3. a) What are the problems and limitation of HR planning?

(OR)
b) Discuss in detail about various sources of Recruitment.

4. a) Explain the process involved in evaluation of training and development programmes.

(OR)
b) Discuss in detail about any one of the methods of performance appraisal system of your choice.

5. a) What are the various approaches available for Reward Management?

(OR)
b) Describe about different methods of Job Evaluation in brief.

6. a) Do you support the concept of outsourcing HR functions? Give reasons.

(OR)
b) What are the challenges of International HRM?

Section-C (1x15=15)
7. Case Study (Compulsory)
POLITICS AND PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL

Kalyani Electronics Corporation Ltd., recently diversified its activities and started producing
computers. It employed personnel at the lower level and middle level. It has received several
applications for the post of Commercial Manager – Computer Division. It could not decide upon the
suitably of the candidate to the position, but did find that Mr. Prakash is more qualified for the position
than other candidates. The Coporation has created a new post below the cadre of General Manager i.e.,
Joint General Manager and asked Mr. Prakash to join the Corporation as Joint General Manager. Mr.
Prakash agreed to it viewing that he will be considered for General Manager’s position based on his
performance. Mr. Anand, the Deputy General Manager of the Corporation and one of the candidates

Contd .. 2
 :: 2 ::

for General Manager’s position was annoyed with the management’s practice. But, he wanted to show
his performance record to the management at the next appraisal meeting. The management of the
Corporation asked Mr. Sastry, General Manager of Televisions Division to the General Manager
in-charge of Computer Division for some time, until a new General Manager is appointed. Mr. Sastry
wanted to switch over to Computer Division in view of the prospects, prestige and recognition of the
position among the top management of the Corporation. He viewed this assignment as a change to
prove his performance.

The corporation has the system of appraisal of the superior’s performance by the subordinates. The
performance of the deputy General Manager, Joint General Manger and General Manager has to be
appraised by the same group of the subordinate. Mr. Anand and Mr. Prakash is a stranger to the system
as well as its Modus Operandi. Mr. Sastry and Mr. Anand were competing with each other in
convincing their subordinates about their performance and used all sorts of techniques for pleasing
them like promising them a wage hike, transfers to the job of their interest, promotion etc. however,
these two officers functioned in a collaboration with a view to pull down Mr. Prakash. They openly told
their subordinates that a stranger should not occupy the ‘Chair’. They created several groups among
employees like pro-Anand’s group, pro-Sastry’s group, Anti Prakash and Sastry Group, Anti-Anand
and Prakash goup.

Mr. Prakash has been watching the proceedings calmly and keeping the management in touch with all
these developments. However, Mr. Prakash has been quite work-conscious and top management found
his performance under such a political atmosphere to be satisfactory. Prakash’s pleasing manners and
way of maintaining human relations with different levels of employees did, however, prevent
anti-Prakash wave in the company. But in view of the politicisation, there is no strong pro-Prakash’s
group either.

Management administered the performance appraisal technique and the subordinates appraised the
performance of all these three managers. In the end, surprisingly, to the workers assigned the following
over all scores. Prakash : 560 points; Sastry : 420 points; and Anand : 260 points.

Questions:
1) How do you evaluate the worker’s appraisal in this case?
2) Do you suggest any techniques to avert politics creeping into the process of performance appraisal
by subordinates? Or do you suggest the measure of dispensing with such appraisal system.

(MBA20212)