om dec 2007

SECTION A
Question 1
 
(a)   State the four (4) principles of scientific management.

(b)  Explain any two (2) determinants of personality.

(c)   What is cognitive dissonance and how is it related to attitudes?

(d)  Define perception. Briefly discuss the important implications of perception for
managers.

(e)  Based on the Job Characteristics Model  (JCM), state any four (4) core job
dimensions that can be used to describe a job.

(f)   Briefly discuss two (2) advantages of cross-functional teams.

(g)   State the four (4) functions of communications.

(h)  Briefly describe the Charismatic Leadership Theory and state any two (2) of the
qualities of a charismatic leader.

(i)  Clarify the relationships between power and dependency. Identify two (2) factors
that create dependency.

(j)  Describe two characteristics each of  the mechanistic and organic structural
models.

SECTION B
Question 2
(a)  Discuss and analyse how an employee is assured  that they are being equally treated
and rewarded based on the equity theory.

(b) Identify and evaluate the implications of  Victor H.Vroom’s expectancy theory to
managers.

Question 3
Scott Davis is the manager of a plant  that manufactures camping equipment. The
employees are highly trained and experienced in their jobs, and their performance has
been excellent. Mr. Davis recently promoted Will Taylor to be supervisor of a Production  
Department. Will has worked in the plant for the past 12 years and has the best
production record in the department.
After a month of Will’s supervision, his employees requested a meeting with Mr. Davis.
They stated that Will was making it impossible for them to achieve their production
goals. They complained Will is a dictator and a perfectionist. Will overly emphasised the
need to achieve the established goals and targets without paying attention to the concerns
and developmental needs of the employees. Rather than motivating them in the process of
achieving the targets, Will intervenes only if standards are not met.
(a)  Analyse the above situation in light of the Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational
Leadership Model.

(b)  Besides being a Situational Leader, does Will have the characteristics of a
transactional or transformational leader. Elaborate.

Question 4
Synthesise the individual and organisational factors that encourage organisational
politics.

Question 5
(a)  Explain how a strong organizational culture can negatively affect an
organisation’s effectiveness.

(b)  Discuss how the recruitment and selection process can play an important role in
sustaining the preferred organizational culture within an organisation.

Question 6
(a) Elaborate and argue why it is difficult for organisations to introduce and
implement change?

(b) Describe and asses with relevant examples Kurt Lewin’s model of the change
process.