NAME : LAKSHAY SHARMA

PROGRAM: MBA OL JAN 2022 SESSION

SUBJECT: MMPC 001(Management Functions and Organisational
Processes)
ENROLLMENT NUMBER: 2201063128
MOBILE: 6395502995,7710092073,9769325766
EMAIL:LAKSHAYSHARMA617@GMAIL.COM,SHARMA_LAKSHAY
@ONGC.CO.IN
REGIONAL CENTER:BHOPAL
 1. Describe the characteristics of management and its
importance briefly discuss the challenges faced by manager in
the present-day context.
Management is the process of getting things done through and organised group effort
Manage-men-T :In short manage men tactfully in essence it revolves around managing
people and resources in an organisation both internal and external leading to the
achievement of objectives of organisation along with individual goals.
Characteristics of management –
a) Management is a group activity it involves integrating individual efforts through
organised group activity.
b) Management is universal in its application. It applies in versatile applications from
business, government, military ,medical and educational institutions etc.
c) Management is a continuous activity.
d) Management is an integrated effort.
e) Management is a well-defined process.
f) Management is objective-driven and result oriented.
g) Management as a set of roles and skills.
h) Management has a set of functions.
i) Management has a discipline.
There are many challenges that management faces especially in recent times such as:
• Rapidly changing global business environment. (due to new technology e.g. payment
wallets have caused huge impact on banks, although they have created new
opportunities for some but they pose a challenge to other business)
• Changing government policies. (Taxes, trade barriers, GST introduction, ESG norms
economic, environmental, and social to create sustainable business practises that
impact people, planet, and profits all positively)
• Competition from market and new products. (eg jio led to huge customer shift from
other telecom operators to jio by providing free calls)
• Changing preference of jobs/career by employees has led to high attrition rate
especially in information technology hence employee/talent retention has emerged
as a challenge to management.
• Supply side disruptions due to geopolitics. (Recent invasion of Russia in Ukraine has
disrupted worldwide supply of raw materials)
• Covid pandemic has affected manpower and material movements. Remote working
environment/infrastructure due to covid-19 and shifting back again to normal office
jobs while for some others a hybrid model is in making)
• Workforce diversity globalisation has eased movement of man from one region to
another this has created new challenge for managers in terms of managing people
from different culture and social beliefs.
• Cost and quality One reason why the companies worry about cost is because cost leadership
always ensures a company’s competitiveness.
• Change Management Three facts about change- that it is everywhere, it is constantly
present and the pace of change is experienced by everyone in the current context.
Consciously or unconsciously people dislike change and resist change. In reality however,
change is inevitable and the speed with which the pace of change is taking place is
increasing day by day. Contemporary organizations have to welcome change and evolves
strategies to survive in the competitive scenario. Factors like technology, cost, and
competition have provoked change management in business. Managers have to don the role
of a change agent to manage the resistance to change and make change more as the nature
of a habit in the process of change management. For example, the changes in Learning and
development area are so fast that the individuals have no choice than to learn them through
internet, e-learning and other online modes willingly in the organizational.
2. What is the concept of organising ?Briefly discuss and
describe different approaches to organising and analysing
work.
Organising is a management function and it includes factors which helps to co-ordinate
human efforts arranges resources for their efficient utilisation to achieve the objectives of
organisation it involves how the plan are to be implemented since there are many units
within an organisations such as operations finance HR services which varies from different
functions all-together organising apps to arrange the work flow in an organisation and it
includes:-
A) Organisation charts which indicates arrangement of work units delegation of work and
their interrelations.
B) Division of work there are different departments of groups in an organisation involves
and in-charge who is responsible for the work done by the group.
C) Maintaining relationships and coordinating the work between different people both
within the group and outside the group.

Approaches to organising and analysing work:

1. Ancient approach: Division of labour was recognised by plato. Greeks used to have
work songs that made their work less protein and improved productivity.
2. Approach during industrial revolution: This Era saw a shift from manual labour to
mechanical interventions e.g. henry ford introduced assembly line for mass
production of cars Adam Smith father of industrial revolution recognised the
importance of division of labour with specialised and specific task which they have
to perform. From steam powered to electrical powered production and then
introduction of partial automation through programmable controllers had
automated entire production process. Now in industrial revolution 4.0 we have
computer technology with network connection , AI, ML and IOT that is going to drive
21st century.
3. Scientific management approach Fredrick W Taylor (father of scientific management
)experimented with different designs of shovel and concluded that a better design
led to increase the production of steel.
Objectives of scientific management division of work should be there between
people based on scientific selection not only limited to selection of production
methods.
Assumptions
a) management: management facilitate training of workers supervise them and
substitute them.
b) Workers: They relate monitory gains with output and work accordingly.
Constraints: Production methods today are not simple, even small job in a factory
require computer and software skills.
D) Fordism: Realised surplus value by doing by paying for 4x or 5x the going rate and still
made huge profit through the use of assembly line for production along with scientific
management to increase the productivity of a plants.
E) Human relations approach the harshness imposed by supervisors for productivity
resulted in this approach. It is based on valuing humans and their commitment towards
work to increase productivity and concerned with their social and psychological needs.
F) Socio technical system approach this approach focus on small self-regulating work
groups where there is less environment of superiors today's trend towards lean and flat
 organisations were teams and an empowered work force are logical extensions of this
philosophy.
G) Modern approach they are evolved from the earlier approaches. Along with these there
is an improvement through job redesign job enlargement and job enrichment.
3. Discuss and describe different leadership styles and their
relevance in present scenario of organisations.
Leader a person who influences a group of people towards achievement of a goal.
Leadership is an art of motivating a group of people to achieve a common goal.
a) Hawthorne studies: studies the effect of changes in illumination resting period lunch
breaks and its effect on productivity in electricity company it concluded that less light
short brakes fear rest periods resulted in increased productivity and concluded that a
leader has not only to plan organise command and control but has to have some human
element as well
b) Theory X and Theory Y: Theory X focuses on supervision while theory Y stresses on
rewards and recognition. Theory X believes that in general employees lack ambition and
creativity while theory y believes that problem solving thrives when employees are
trusted.
c) Lowa leadership studies: studied performance of 10 year old boys under three types of
leadership. Authoritarian leader, democratic leader, laissez fare leader.
d) Ohio state studies: LBDQ ( leader behaviour description questionnaire ) conducted on
varied groups from Air force commanders, executive, teachers, leaders of civilian groups
etc and came up with two elements consideration and initiating structure.
Management and labour work in harmony to maximize profits leadership style relevance
in present scenario of divergent nature of organisations and change of working profile
requires leadership to be multi-dimensional. Job oriented and human oriented
leadership skills are essential for being a successful leader.

In today's world the technology is changing every-day. The leadership has to have a
strategic role to accomplish the vision of an organisation. In addition to this a leader has
to be motivating for its employees so that they can acquire new skills and adjust to the
changes that happens in business in a smooth manner.
 4. Describe and discuss various channels of communication
and their role in organisations. discuss how to overcome
barriers to effective communication with relevant
examples.
Effective communication is at heart of any successful business. An organisation structure
provides channels for the flow of information on which decisions are carried out in the
organisation.
1. Formal communication
Superior Superior

Instructions and directions Progress report, P&L statements, request for

grants

Subordinate subordinate
Downward communication. Upward communication

Wheel Y

centralised

Networks in
formal
communication

decentralise
d

circle chair

Centralised to be used for simple task (routine), while Decentralized to be used for
complicated task.
Trade of between speed of communication and flexibility.
Large number of active participants in the decision making means highest levels of moral
of team members.

2. Informal communication
It's like a grape wine its spreads throughout organisation with its branch chains going
out in our directions in utter disregard of the levels of authority and linking members of
the organisation in any direction.
This mode of communication spreads filtered information very rapidly due to each
member acting as a “filter” in the chain. This can cause miscommunication and may
 pose serious implications to the organisation.

Cluster chain network

Barriers to effective communication:
With a lot of options available to communicate today effective communication remains as
elusive as unicorn. Still communication gap between groups and institutions has been
widening steadily to the point where its turns out to become a complete misunderstanding.
1. Semantic barriers due to different meanings of words / objects in different context or
due to inconsistency between body language and verbal language.
2. Psychological barrier the meaning ascribed to a message depends on psychological or
emotional status of both standard and receiver for example “viewing with coloured
glasses” or “seeing with jaundiced eyes”.
3. Organisational barriers due to filtering due to superior subordinate relationships
example communication between persons of higher levels and lower levels is likely to be
reticent rather than free. Moreover status symbols like separate parking space separate
cabin separate seating etc tends to widen communication gap. Japanese management
example no special treatment cabins cafeteria menu etc to reduce communication gap
and bring the problems and their solutions more efficiently through providing a means
for better communication channels.
 5. Discuss the concept of change in organisations and the
reasons for resistance to change briefly discuss the
strategies to overcome resistance to change.
Concept of change:
organisation wide change: They tend to change fundamental orientation of any process
across the organisation for example change in mission, implementing new technology,
restructuring the operations, merger and acquisitions, right sizing and down-sizing,(TQM)
total quality management, Re-engineering etc.
Resistance to change: Change is inevitable and pace of changes increasing day by day
consciously or unconsciously.
Reasons:
strategy

structure system
1. organisational issues: any change should be able to link
failure to establish the need to introduce change may result in resistance to change.
2. In efficient communication
3. Lack of leadership skills
4. Poor management and training.
Reasons of resistance to change as per Ferguson:
• The fear of unknown / uncertainty
• loss of control
• loss of face
• loss of competency
• need for security
• poor timing
• loss of comfort zone
• lack of support
• lack of confidence
• lingering resentment

Other
• political factors like favouritism
• management factors like poor management style
• individual factors like personality factor
• group factors like group mentality
• organisational factors like increased workload are also some reasons for
resisting change in organisations
Forms of resistance: Resistance to change can vary from mere undermining of change to
active resistance like strikes.
o Individual vs collective
o passive versus active
o direct vs indirect
o behavioural vs verbal
o minor vs major
Strategies to overcome resistance:
a. Normative re-educative study: by changing the norms, believes and values the
individual will absorb the changes relatively easily.
b. Rational empirical strategy: based on persuasion by bringing out the benefits of
change and selling it to the individuals so they would accept change in their own
interest.
c. Power coercive strategy: Based on application of power under whose influence
people comply and accept the change.
d. Action centre strategy: based on problem solving they view change as an
opportunity rather than a threat and use innovation and integrated approach to
solve the problems which are supposed to arise out of change and look for
opportunities in them.