Class XII – Directing – PYQs

Ans. Directing is important because of the following reasons

(i) Integrates Employees: Directing integrates employee’s efforts in the organisation in such a way that every individual’s effort contributes to the welfare of the organisation. Thus, it ensures that employees work efficiently for the attainment of goals.

(ii) Improves Efficiency: Directing guides employees to fully realise their potentials and capabilities. Through this function, managers utilise the potential of employees and persuade them to work with the best of their ability and contribute their maximum efforts towards the achievement of organisational objectives.

(iii) Facilitates Change: Business environment is changing very frequently, but the people generally have a tendency to resist change. In this context, directing helps manager to persuade his subordinates to carry out changes from time to time to cope with changes in the environment, as the changes are necessary to adapt and it is the need of modern business.

Ans. The non-financial incentives that the new marketing manager may use to motivate Sultan are

(i) Job Enrichment: Employees get bored by performing routine job. They enjoy doing jobs which offer them variety and opportunity to show their skill. By offering challenging jobs, autonomy to perform job, interesting jobs, employees get satisfied and they are motivated.

(ii) Employee’s Recognition: Whenever the good efforts or the positive attitude is shown by the subordinates then it must be recognised by the superior in public or in presence of other employees. Whenever if, there is any negative attitude or mistake is done by subordinate then it should be discussed in private.

(iii) Employee Participation: It means involving employee in decision-making especially when decisions are related to workers. Employees follow the decision more sincerely when these are taken in consultation with them.

Ans. (i) By offering its employees, issue of shares at a price less than the market price, Blue Chips Ltd. offered ‘co-partnership’ which is a financial incentive. The company did so in order to motivate its employees to work with great zeal.

Financial Incentives: It refers to those incentives which are measurable and paid in monetary form. (ii) Bonus: is an incentive offered over and above wages/salaries to the employees.

Ans. Apart from physical features, knowledge and competence; a leader requires many other qualities which are as follows

(i) Good Communication Skills: A leader should have good communication skills so that he can explain his ideas, guide and motivate his followers. He needs to be a good listener too.

(ii) Initiative: The leader does not wait for others, but takes the first step and create opportunities.

(iii) Motivation Skills: He should be able to influence the actions of people through proper motivation.

(iv) Social Skills: A leader must be sociable and have friendly relations with the followers and understand their problems.

Ans. Aarav has adopted autocratic style of leadership. An autocratic leader gives orders and insists that they are obeyed. He determines the policies for the group without consulting them. He does not give information about future plans but simply tells the group what immediate steps they must take. Under this style, all decision making power is centralised in the leader. He does not give the subordinates any freedom to influence his decisions. It is like “bossing people around.” This style should normally be used on rare occasion.

Ans. Democratic leadership style is being adopted by Pramod, as he gives orders only after consulting his subordinates with the acceptance of the group.

A democratic leader takes decisions after consultation and encourages the participation of subordinates. This leadership style is more common and popular, as it ensures achievement of goals when they are set with the acceptance of the subordinates themselves. A democratic leader provides freedom of thinking and listens to suggestions, grievances and opinions of the subordinates. This improves the attitude of the employees towards their jobs and the organisation, thereby increasing their morale. This style is of mutual benefit which allows subordinates to become part of team and help leaders (seniors) to make better decisions.

Ans. Directing refers to the process of instructing, guiding, leading and motivating people in an organisation to achieve predetermined goals. Characteristics of directing are

(i) Directing Initiates Action: Directing is an executive function of management. While the other functions prepare a setting for action, directing initiates action in the organisation. Therefore, a manager has to perform this function according to planning, organising, staffing and controlling.

(ii) Directing takes Place at all Levels: Every manager from top to bottom performs the function of directing or in other words, we can say, directing takes place wherever superior-subordinate relationship exists.

(iii) Directing is a Continuous Process: It is an ongoing process. It does not mean issuing an order or instruction but a manager must continuously guide, inspire and supervise his subordinates, so that organisational goals are achieved on time. This function continues throughout the lifetime of an organisation. If direction in the organisation stops, it ceases to work and grow.

Ans. The function of management being performed by the CEO is ‘direction’ and the element of ‘direction’ used by him is ‘motivation’.

Features of motivation are as follows

(i) Psychological Phenomenon Motivation is an internal feeling which means it cannot be forced on employees. The internal feeling such as need, desire, aspiration, etc. influence human behaviour to behave in a particular manner.

(ii) Goal Directed Behaviour It induces people to behave in such a manner so that they can achieve their goals. A motivated person works towards the achievement of desired goals.

(iii) Motivation can be either Positive or Negative Positive motivation means inspiring people to work better and appreciating a work that is well done, e.g., pay increase, promotion, recognition. etc. Negative motivation means forcing people to work by threatening or punishing them. e.g., issue of memo, demotion, stopping increments, etc.

(iv) Complex Process It is a complex and difficult process. Individuals differ in their needs and wants and moreover human needs change from time to time.

Ans. The two incentives used by Sadaf to motivate the employees of her company are

(i) Career Advancement Opportunity: Every individual aspires for growth and development in his life. Managers should provide opportunity to employees to improve their skills and be promoted to the higher level jobs. Interesting, enriched and challenging job itself is a very good motivator.

(ii) Job Enrichment: It is concerned with designing jobs that include greater variety of work content requiring higher level of knowledge and skill. It gives workers more autonomy, responsibility and provide the opportunity for personal growth.

Ans. Abraham Maslow gave a theory based on human needs. He felt that within every human being, there exists a hierarchy of five needs. His theory is based on certain assumptions which are as follows

(i) He believed that human behaviour is based on their needs. Satisfaction of such needs influences their behaviour. When one need is satisfied, they will move to strive for other needs.

(ii) A satisfied need can no longer motivate a person to work, only next higher level need can motivate him.

(iii) A person moves to the next higher level of the hierarchy only when the lower need is satisfied.

Ans. (i) Directing

(ii) Motivation: By providing non-financial incentives in form of making her a part of joint management committee, helped in improving her performance by changing her negative attitude to positive attitude.

(iii) Three features of motivation are

(a) Motivation is a Psychological Phenomenon It is a personal and internal feeling like an urge, drives, desires and aspirations of human being, which influence human behaviour.

(b) Goal Directed Behaviour: Motivation inspires an employee to achieve goals. Thus, it encourages goal directed behaviour.

(c) Motivation may be Positive or Negative: Positive motivation means inspiring people to work better by providing incentives and negative motivation means forcing people to work by threatening or punishment.

Ans. (i) Formal communication takes place through official channels in an organisation. Lines that indicate formal communication are “When the general manager ………….. the surroundings.” Informal communication takes place without following the formal lines of communication. Lines that indicate informal communication are “One of his colleagues …………… for Prateek.”

(ii) Two features of formal communication are

(a) It takes place by following the formal lines of communication.

(b) It helps in fixing responsibility as source of information can be located.

Two features of informal communication are

(a) Informal communication spreads rapidly but gets distorted.

(b) The source of informal communication cannot be detected easily.