ANNAMALAI

UNIVERSITY

DIRECTORATE OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

M.B.A. (HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT)
FIRST YEAR
Academic Year 2014 - 2015
ASSIGNMENT TOPICS
This booklet contains assignment topics. Students are asked to write the
assignments for EIGHT papers as per instructions.
Last date for submission :
27-02-2015
Last date for submission with late fee ` 300/- :

13-03-2015

NOTE:
1. Assignments sent after 13-03-2015 will not be evaluated.
2. Assignments should be in the own hand writing of the student concerned and
not type-written or printed or photocopied.
3. Assignments should be written on foolscap paper on one side only.
4. All assignments (with Enrolment number marked on the Top right hand corner
on all pages) should be put in an envelop with superscription MBA
Assignments and sent to The Director, Directorate of Distance Education, Annamalai
University, Annamalainagar 608 002 by Registered post.
5. No notice will be taken on assignments which are not properly filled in with
Enrolment Number and the Title of the papers.
6. Students should send full set of assignments for all papers. Partial
assignments will not be considered.

ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
Write assignments on any TWO topics in each paper out of the FOUR. For each
topic the answer should not exceed 15pages. Each assignment carries 25 marks
(2 topics).

Dr. RM. CHANDRASEKARAN

DIRECTOR

1.
2.

3.
4.

1.

2.

3.
4.

1.1 PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT

Management is the force which leads, guides and directs an organization in the
accomplishment of pre-determined objectives. Do you agree or disagree? Justify.
Management is regarded as an art by someone, science by others but in reality
science should have many more. The truth seems to be somewhere in between.
In the light of this statement, explain to exact nature of management.
The job of the supervisor is many more difficult than that of higher level managers.
Examine the major responsibilities of a supervisor in an agro based Industry.
A good leader is not necessarily a good manager. Take one example from service
industry as per your choice and compare the role of leaders and managers
1.2 MARKETING MANAGEMENT
Describe The evolution of retail in India' in your words, highlighting the latest
trends in Indian retail. Critically examine the future of Indian retailing if global
players are allowed to enter India.
Many marketers have tried and failed with "Green marketing" programs. Identify
and describe the main problems with such campaigns. Recommend suitable
remedies to overcome the problems.
Identify tope three advertising agencies in India, and describe the main reasons
for their success. List out recent successful campaigns of these agencies.
In todays india the growth of online marketing is going with upward trend.
Discuss the pros. & cons. Which segment of consumers and what kind of
products dominates online marketing

1.3 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

1. Select an organistion of your choice and discuss the cash Management system
in that organization. Give your Views or suggestions on the prevailing system of
cash management in that organization and any suitable changes to be brought
about, to improve the present system.
2. Discuss the critical decisions that you need to take in working capital
management. Emphasize the important ways in which these decisions differ
from those concerned with the management of the fixed capital of a business.
3. High dividend payout ratio goes in hand with high price earnings ratio and low
dividend payout ratio goes hand in hand with low price earnings ratio.
Comment your views on this statement elobrately.
4. Identify the macro factors which are prevailing in the global economy, leading to
mergers and acquisitions.

1.4 PRODUCTION AND MATERIALS MANAGEMENT

1. Give a specimen of GANTT CHART which is normally used in the production
planning and control department and describe briefly how it could be used for
checking the actual progress of a job against the schedule.

2. Discuss the functions of purchasing department in an Industry. Explain some

methods of purchasing commonly adopted in an Industrial Purchasing. Why
should the purchasing documents be legally sound?
3. In estimating the standard time of a job what different elements are considered?
Elucidate.
4. JIT helps the manufacturing system to improve productivity. Discuss whether
this concept is applicable in Pharma Industry.

1.5 HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

1. HR Managers should have a seat at the Strategic-Management table, but only
when they earn it. Discuss.
2. Suppose a key employee has just resigned and you are the department
manager. After you have sent your request for replacement, how could you help
the recruiter to find the best replacement?
3. Suppose you are going to design a training programme for newly hired first-line
sales managers results from the needs assessment indicate that they will need
training on company policies and procedures, handling customer complaints,
and motivating sales personnel. What learning principles will you build into the
programme? What training methods would you choose? Explain your choices.
4. A growing number of employees are reluctant to accept overseas assignments.
Why do they refuse? What benefits and services would you offer to them to
accept such transfer.

1.6 BUSINESS MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS

1. A random sample of 1000 workers from south India shows that their mean wage
is Rs. 47 per week with a standard deviation of Rs. 28. A random sample of
1500 workers from North India gives a mean wage of Rs. 49 per week with a
standard deviation of Rs. 40. Is there any significant difference between their
mean levels of wages?
2. A tea company appoints four salesmen A, B, C, D and observes their sales in
three seasons summer, winter and monsoon. The figures ( in lakhs ) are given
in the following table:
seasons

Salesmen

A
B
C
summer
36
36
21
winter
28
29
31
monsoon
26
28
29
Salesmens Total
90
93
81
Test whether there is any significant difference in
seasons, so far as sales are concerned.

Seasons
Total
D
35
128
32
120
29
112
96
360
the salesman and in the

3. Fit a straight line trend by the method of least squares to the following data
concerning the sales of a certain firm.
Year
Sales
Rs(000)

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

48

55

63

65

72

84

90

87

82

Make an estimate of sales for the year 2015.

4. A sample of 400 students of undergraduate and 400 students of postgraduate
classes is taken to know their opinion about autonomous colleges. 290 of the
undergraduate and 310 of postgraduate students favoured the autonomous
status. Present these facts in the form of a table and test at 5% level, that the
opinion regarding autonomous status of colleges is independent of level of
classes of students.

1.7 MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION

1. Assume that you are working as a Regional Sales Manager in a pharmaceutical
company. In your current position, you need to communicate to Doctors, Pharmacy
Owners and your sub-ordinates. List out the barriers in communicating with these
people and also suggest ways to overcome these barriers.
2. You are the General Manager of a Telecom company. Draw a communication flow
chart in your organization and also discuss the problems in implementing it.

3. As a Chief Executive Officer of a Agro based company, prepare a draft for your
speech in the forthcoming Annual General Body meeting highlighting your
companys achievements, growth and future plan etc.
4. As a Regional Sales Head of a FMCG company, submit a report for the previous
years performance and projection for the next year. Use charts in your report.

1.8 ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

1. As an IT manager of a medium sized organization, design an information
system for that organization and explain how this system transforms
organization and management to address the enduser needs.
2. Honesty and Loyalty are so critical in todays competitive environment of ecommerce Validate the above statement assuming you are a manager in
charge of e-commerce in a large scale organization.
3. You are appointed as a system analyst in a medium sized sugar mill,
conceive and design an HR information system for that company.
4. It is widely perceived that government plays a key role in developing ecommerce. As an e-commerce strategist of an organization substantiate the
above statement and contribute your ideas and suggestions for furthering ecommerce development.

M.B.A. [HRM] 1ST YEAR Assignment / Copies - 2000

ANNAMALAI UNIVERSITY PRESS 2014 -2015