QUESTION 1

According to the systems approach, all organizations are open systems as they are being impacted by different components of the external business environment. In such a context, the managers have to clearly understand the environment, analyse its impact on the organization and take corrective measures to deal with such impacts

(a) Explain the omnipotent and symbolic view of assessing the role of managers with respect to the business environment

(b) What are the different components that the manager must monitor in the external environment?

(c) Explain, by using appropriate examples, how managers may deal with influences of the specific environment on the organization

QUESTION 2

(a) Henry Mintzberg has put a lot of emphasis on decision making as a very aspect of the managers' job. In this context, explain the decisional roles as proposed by Mintzberg

(b) A manager has to buy a computer system for his organization to improve the customer service. Explain the various steps in decision making in this particular example

QUESTION 3

(a) Explain the control process

(b) Discuss the importance of control for managers to improve business performance

QUESTION 4

Using Herzberg's theory of motivation, explain how a manager can motivate employees in an organization

QUESTION 5

(a) What are the characteristics of a good plan

(b) Discuss the circumstances under which planning might fail in an organisation