NCERT Solutions for Class 12th: Ch 7 Directing (Long Answer Questions) Business Studies I
ExercisesLong Answer Type Questions:
1. Explain the principles of Directing.
Answer
(i) Maximum Individual Contribution: This principle emphasises that directing techniques must help every individual in the organisation to contribute to his maximum potential for achievement of
organisational objectives. It should bring out untappted energies of employees for the efficiency of
organisation.
(ii) Harmony of Objectives: Very often, we find that individual objectives of employees and the organisational objectives as understood are conflicting to each other. Good directing should provide harmony by convincing that employee rewards and work efficiency are complimentary to each other.
(iii) Unity of Command: This principle insists that a person in the organisation should receive
instructions from one superior only. If instructions are received from more than one, it creates confusion, conflict and disorder in the organisation. Adherence to this principle ensures effective
direction.
(iv) Appropriateness of Direction Technique: According to this principle, appropriate motivational and leadership technique should be used while directing the people based on subordinate needs, capabilities, attitudes and other situational variables. For example, for some people money can act as
powerful motivator while for others promotion may act as effective motivator.
(v) Managerial Communication: Directing should convey clear instructions to create total understanding to subordinates. Through proper feedback the manager should ensure that subordinate understands his instructions clearly.
(vi) Use of informal organisation: A manager should realise that informal groups or organisations
exist within every formal organisation. He should spot and make use of such organisations for
effective directing.
(vii) Leadership: While directing the subordinates, managers should exercise good leadership as it
can influence the subordinates positively without causing dissatisfaction among them.
(viii) Follow through: Mere giving of an order is not sufficient. Managers should follow it up by
reviewing continuously whether orders are being implemented accordingly or any problems are
being encountered. If necessary, suitable modifications should be made in the directions.
2. Explain the qualities of a good leader. Do the qualities alone ensure leadership success?
Answer
(i) Physical features: Physical features like height, weight, health, appearance determine the physical personality of an individual. It is believed that good physical features attract people.
(ii) Knowledge: A good leader should have required knowledge and competence. Only such person can instruct subordinates correctly and influence them.
(iii) Integrity: A leader should posses high level of integrity and honesty. He should be a role model to others regarding the ethics and values.
(iv) Initiative: A leader should not wait for opportunities come to his way, rather he should grab the opportunity and use it to the advantage of organisation.
(v) Communication skills: A leader should be a good communicator. He should have the capacity to
clearly explain his ideas and make the people to understand his ideas.
(vi) Motivation skills: A leader should be an effective motivator. He should understand the needs
of people and motivate them through satisfying their needs.
(vii) Self Confidence: A leader should have high level of self confidence. He should not loose his confidence even in most difficult times.
(vii) Decisiveness: Leader should be decisive in managing the work. Once he is convinced about
a fact, he should be firm and should not change opinions frequently.
(ix) Social skills: A leader should be sociable and friendly with his colleagues and followers. He
should understand people and maintain good human relations with them.
No, the qualities cannont alone ensure leadership success. The followers who have different skills, knowledge, commitment, willingness to co-operate team spirit etc make a person an effective leader. Therefore both followers and leaders are playing a vital role in leadership process.
3. Discuss Maslow’s need Hierarchy theory of motivation.
Answer
Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory is considered fundamental to understanding of motivation. His theory was based on human needs. He felt that within every human being, there exists a hierarchy of five needs.
(i) Basic Physiological Needs: These needs are most basic in the hierarchy and corresponds to primary needs. Hunger, thirst, shelter, sleep and sex are some examples of these needs.
(ii) Safety/Security Needs: These needs provide security and protection from physical and
emotional harm. Examples: job security, stability of income, Pension plans etc.,
(iii) Affiliation/Belonging Needs: These needs refer to affection, sense of belongingness, acceptance and friendship.
(iv) Esteem Needs: These include factors such as self-respect, autonomy status, recognition and attention.
(v) Self Actualisation Needs: It refers to the drive to become what one is capable of becoming. These needs include growth, self-fulfillment and achievement of goals.
emotional harm. Examples: job security, stability of income, Pension plans etc.,
(iii) Affiliation/Belonging Needs: These needs refer to affection, sense of belongingness, acceptance and friendship.
(iv) Esteem Needs: These include factors such as self-respect, autonomy status, recognition and attention.
(v) Self Actualisation Needs: It refers to the drive to become what one is capable of becoming. These needs include growth, self-fulfillment and achievement of goals.
4. What are the common barriers to effective communication suggest measures to overcome them?
Answer
The managers face several problems due to communication breakdowns or barriers. The barriers to communication in the organisations can be broadly grouped as: semantic barriers, psychological
barriers, organisational barriers, and personal barriers.
(i) Semantic Barriers: Semantic barriers are concerned with problems and obstructions in the process of encoding and decoding of message into words or impressions. Normally, such barriers result on account of use of wrong words, faulty translations, different interpretations etc. These are discussed below
(a) Badly Expressed Message: Sometimes the message is not communicated correctly by the manager because of inadequate vocabulary, usage of wrong words, omission of needed words etc.
(b) Symbols with Different Meaning: A word may have several meanings. Receiver has to perceive one such meaning for the word used by communicator.
(c) Faulty Translations: Sometimes while translating if incorrect translation is done due to poor command over both the languages then meaning of the message changes. This leads to cause different meanings to the communications.
(d) Unclarified Assumptions: Sometimes communication may have certain assumptions which are subject to different interpretations The one should always clear the meaning of what he is instructing the worker to do, so that the worker has no doubts in his mind.
(e) Technical Jargon: Sometimes specialists may use technical words in their communication by which the receiver is not aware. Therefore, they may not understand the complete conversation.
(f) Body Language and Gesture Decoding The body movement and body gestures plays an important role in conveying the message. If there is no match between what is said and what is expressed in body movements, communications may be wrongly perceived.
(ii) Psychological Barriers: Emotional or psychological factors acts as barrier to communications e.g., a person who is worried cannot understand what is being told. Some of the psychological barriers are
(a) Premature Evaluation: Sometimes people evaluate the meaning of message before the sender
completes his message. Such premature evaluation may be due to pre-conceived notions.
completes his message. Such premature evaluation may be due to pre-conceived notions.
(b) Lack of Attention: If the mind is pre-occupied then the result is non-listening of message by receiver act as a major psychological barrier.
(c) Lon by Transmission and Poor Retention: When message passes through various levels, successive transmission of message results in loss of information. It happens mostly with oral communication. Also, people cannot retain the information for a long time if they are inattentive or not interested.
(d) Distrust: If the communicator and communicatee do not believe on each other, they can not understand each others message in its original sense as they are not giving importance to the information exchanged.
(iii) Organisational Barriers: The factors related to organisation structure, authority relationships, rules and regulations may sometimes act as barriers to effective communication some of these barriers are
(a) Organisational Policy: If the organisational policy is not supportive to free flow of communication, it may hamper effectiveness of communications.
(b) Rules and Regulations Rigid rules and cumbersome procedures may be a hurdle to communication similarly, communication through prescribed channel may result in delays.
(c) Status Status of superior may create psychological distance between him and his subordinates. The people working at higher level may not allow his subordinates to express their feelings freely.
(d) Complex Organisational Structure In an organisation where there are number of managerial levels, communications gets delayed and distorted as number of filtering points are more.
(e) Organisational Facilities For smooth clear and timely communication proper facilities are required like frequent meetings suggestion box, internet connection, inter-com facility. Lack or ineffectiveness of these facilities may create communication problems.
(iv) Personal Barriers: The personal factors of both sender and receiver may exert influence on effective communication. Some of the personal barriers are:
(a) Fear of Challenge to Authority: If a superior feels that a particular communication may affect his authority negatively then he/she may not speak it out clearly and openly.
(b) Lack of Confidence of Superior on his Subordinate: If superiors do not have confidence on their subordinates, they may not seek their advice or opinions.
(c) Unwillingness to Communicate: Sometime subordinator may not be prepared to communicate with their superiors, if they think that it may adversely affect their interests.
(d) Lack of Proper Incentives: If there is no reward for communication then employees may not be motivated to communication, e.g., if there is no reward or appreciation for a good suggestion, the subordinate may not be willing to offer useful suggestions again.
Some measures which can be adopted by organisations to improve communications are
(i) Clarify the ideas before communication: The problem to be communicated to subordinates
should be clear in all its perspective to the executive himself.
(ii) Communicate according to the needs of receiver: The level of understanding of receiver should be crystal clear to the communicator.
(iii) Consult Others Before Communicating: Before communicating anything, others who are linked with it in some way or the other should be taken into confidence for developing a better plan.
(iv) Beaware of Languages, Tone and Content of Message: The language used for communication should be understandable to the listener. The tone of the appropriate and the matter should not be offending to anyone.
(v) Convey Things of Help and Value to Listener: It is always better to know the interests of the people with whom you are communicating. If the message relates directly or indirectly to such interests and needs it certainly evokes response from communicatee.
(vi) Ensure Proper Feedback: The receiver of communication may be encouraged to respond to communication. The communication process may be improved by the feedback received to make it more responsive.
(vii) Follow up Communication: There should be a regular follow up and review on the instructions given to subordinates. Such follow up measures help in removing hurdles if any in implementing the instructions.
(viii) Be a Good Listener: Manager should be a good listener. Patient and attentive listening solves half of the problems. Managers should also give indications of their interest in listening to their subordinates
5. Explain different financial and non-financial incentives used to motivate employees of a company.
Answer
Financial incentives refer to incentives which are in direct monetary form or measurable in monetary term and serve to motivate people for better performance.The financial incentives are:
(i) Pay and Allowances: For every employee, salary is the basic monetary incentive. It includes
basic pay, dearness allowance and other allowances. Salary system consists of regular increments in the pay every year and enhancement of allowances from time-to-time.
(ii) Productivity Linked Wage Incentives: Several wage incentives aim at linking payment of wages to increase in productivity at individual or group level.
(iii) Profit Sharing: Profit sharing is meant to provide a share to employees in the profits of the organisation. This serves to motivate the employees to improves their performance and contribute to increase in profits.
(v) Co-Partnership/Stock Option: Under these incentives schemes, employees are offered company shares at a set price which is lower than market price. The allotment of shares creates a peeling of ownership to the employees and makes them to contribute more for the growth of the organisation.
(vi) Retirement Benefits: Several retirement benefits such as provident fund, pension and gratuity provide financial security to employees after their retirement. This act as an incentive when they are in service in the organisation.
(vii) Perquisites: In many companies perquisites and fringe benefits are offered such as car allowance, housing, medical aid, and education etc over and above the salary. These measures help to provide motivation to the employees/managers.
Non-financial Incentives help in fulfilling our psychological, emotional and social needs are known as non-financial incentives. The non-financial incentives are
(i) Status: Status means ranking or high positions in the organisation. Whatever power position prestige an employee enjoys in the organisation are indicated by his status. Psychological, social and esteem needs of an individual are satisfied by status given to their job.
(ii) Organisational Climate: This indicates the characteristics which describe an organisation and distinguish one from the other. Individual autonomy, reward orientation, consideration to employees, etc are some of the positive features of an organisation. If managers try and include more of these in an organisation helps to develop better organisational climate.
(iii) Career Advancement Opportunity: Managers should provide opportunity to employees to improve their skills and be promoted to the higher level jobs appropriate skill development programmes and sound promotion policy will help employees to achieve promotions. Promotions have always worked as tonic and encourages employees to exhibit improved performance.
(iv) Job Enrichment: It is concerned with designing jobs that include a greater variety of work contentment, requires higher level of knowledge and skill, gives workers more autonomy and responsibility and provide opportunity for personal growth and a meaningful work experience.
(v) Employee Recognition: Programmes Recognition means acknowledgement with a show of appreciation. When such appreciation is given to the work performed by employees, they feel motivated to perform/work at higher level. These are:
(a) Congratulate the employee
(b) Displaying names of star performers
(c) Installing awards
(d) Distributing mementos
(vi) Job Security
(vi) Job Security: Employees want their job to be secure. They want certain stability about future income and work so that they do not feel worried on these aspects and work with greater zeal. There is only one problem with this incentive i.e. when people feel that they are not likely to lose their jobs, they may become relaxed.
(vii) Employee Participation: It means involving employees in decision making of the issues related to them. In many companies, these programmes are in practice in the form of joint management committees, work committees canteen committees etc.
(viii) Employee Empowerment: Empowerment means giving more autonomy and powers to subordinates. Empowerment makes people feel that their jobs are important. This feeling contributes positively to the use of skills and talents in the job performance.
NCERT Solutions of Ch 7 Directing (MCQs and Short Answer Questions)
Go to Index of NCERT Solutions of Business Studies Class 12th
NCERT Solutions of Ch 7 Directing (MCQs and Short Answer Questions)
Go to Index of NCERT Solutions of Business Studies Class 12th