ACCA paper 1 3 managing people 2006 question2

Managing PeoplePART 1 MONDAY 12 JUNE 2006 QUESTION PAPER Time allowed 3 hours This paper is divided into two sections Section A This ONE question is compulsory and MUST be answered Secti

Managing People

PART 1

MONDAY 12 JUNE 2006

QUESTION PAPER

Time allowed 3 hours

This paper is divided into two sections

Section A This ONE question is compulsory and MUST be

answered

Section B FOUR questions ONLY to be answered

Do not open this paper until instructed by the supervisor

This question paper must not be removed from the examination

hall

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants

Section A – This ONE question is compulsory and MUST be attempted

Started just five years ago by brothers Lee and Alan Jones, the organisation has grown from a small company employing five people to a multi-divisional organisation employing 120 people

The organisation’s production facility is divided into three separate departments Each department has a single manager with supervisors assisting on the production lines The managers and supervisors, all of whom are aware of their roles, work well together However, although the organisation has grown, the owners continue to involve themselves in day to day activities and this has led to friction between the owners, managers and supervisors

As a result a problem arose last week Alan Jones instructed a supervisor to repair a machine on the shop floor, which

he refused to do without confirmation and instruction from his departmental manager The supervisor’s manager, Dean Watkins, became involved and was annoyed at what he saw as interference in his department’s activities Dean told Alan Jones that he “should have come to me first” because although the responsibility for the overall organisation was a matter for the brothers, action taken in the factory was his through powers that had been delegated to him and through his authority, as manager In the argument that followed, Alan Jones was accused of failing to understand the way that the hierarchy in such a large organisation operates and that interference with operational decisions by senior management was not helpful

As a consequence of this, Alan Jones has asked you to explain to him and his brother the issues behind the dispute

to clarify the roles of managers and supervisors and to indicate how and why successful delegation might be achieved

Required:

(a) Explain to Alan Jones the main differences between the work of a manager and that of a supervisor.

(13 marks)

(b) Explain in the context of Flavours Fine Foods, what is meant by:

(i) responsibility; (4 marks)

(ii) authority; (3 marks)

(iii) delegation. (3 marks)

(c) To correct the problems at Flavours Fine Foods, explain to Alan Jones:

(i) the need for delegation; (3 marks)

(ii) how effective delegation might be achieved; (6 marks)

(iii) problems with delegation; (4 marks)

(iv) how these problems might be overcome. (4 marks)

(40 marks)

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Section B – FOUR questions ONLY to be attempted

organisation’s structure is designed to support this

Required:

(a) What is meant by the term ‘organisational structure,’ often shown as an organisation chart? (5 marks)

(b) Explain Mintzberg’s five organisational components. (10 marks)

(15 marks)

Required:

(a) Explain the purpose of the selection interview. (4 marks)

(b) Explain the advantages and the disadvantages of:

(i) the face to face interview between two people; (6 marks)

(ii) the panel interview with more than one interviewer (5 marks)

(15 marks)

the organisation

Required:

Explain what is meant by the terms:

(a) Computer based training. (3 marks)

(b) Coaching. (3 marks)

(c) Mentoring. (3 marks)

(d) Job rotation. (3 marks)

(e) Job instruction. (3 marks)

(15 marks)

5 Your manager has heard of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory and how it has some relevance to motivational techniques

Required:

(a) Explain Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory. (10 marks)

(b) How can Maslow’s theory be applied to the motivation of staff? (5 marks)

(15 marks)

aggressiveness and assertiveness in an employee

Required:

(a) Explain and give examples of aggressive behaviour (8 marks)

(b) Explain and give examples of assertive behaviour. (7 marks)

(15 marks)

End of Question Paper

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