Management: Functions, Decision-Making, HRM & Strategy — Practice

Question 1

Who introduced Management by Objectives, and in which year?

Accepted Answer

Peter Drucker introduced Management by Objectives in his 1954 book The Practice of Management.

Question 2

State the five levels of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

Accepted Answer

Physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem and self-actualisation.

Question 3

What are the 4Ps of the marketing mix?

Accepted Answer

Product, price, place (distribution) and promotion.

Question 4

Explain bounded rationality and its implication for decision-making in government.

Accepted Answer

Herbert Simon argued that decision-makers cannot know all options or consequences and face limits of time and information, so they choose a satisfactory option rather than the best. In government, this means decisions should use standard procedures, data and consultation to widen information, and should be reviewed and corrected, since perfect rationality is not attainable.

Question 5

Distinguish hygiene factors from motivators in Herzberg's theory.

Accepted Answer

Hygiene factors such as salary, working conditions, supervision and policy prevent dissatisfaction but do not motivate by their presence. Motivators such as achievement, recognition, responsibility and the work itself create satisfaction and drive performance. Managers should first remove hygiene grievances and then build motivators.

Question 6

Describe the stages of human resource management.

Accepted Answer

HRM begins with recruitment and selection against a job description, followed by induction and training to close skill gaps. Performance appraisal assesses results, using methods from ranking to 360-degree feedback. Compensation, benefits and promotion reward performance, and career planning builds succession. The cycle links people policy to organisational goals.

Question 7

Explain zero-based budgeting and how it differs from line-item budgeting.

Accepted Answer

Line-item budgeting lists expenditure by head and usually adds an increment to the previous year. Zero-based budgeting starts from zero each year, and every activity must be justified by its benefits before funds are allotted. It improves efficiency and removes obsolete spending but is time-consuming and demanding on data.

Question 8

Explain SWOT analysis and show how it can guide strategy for a district's tourism development. (~250 words)

Accepted Answer

SWOT sorts internal factors (strengths and weaknesses) from external factors (opportunities and threats). For a district with heritage sites, strengths might be monuments and craft traditions, weaknesses poor road links and weak interpretation, opportunities rising domestic tourism and central schemes, and threats competing destinations and conservation pressure. Strategy then follows: use strengths to seize opportunities (market heritage circuits with craft experiences), fix weaknesses that block opportunities (roads and signage), and cover weaknesses against threats (visitor caps, conservation plans). The analysis is useful only if it is specific, evidence-based and translated into priorities, actions and responsibilities, followed by monitoring of visitor numbers, income and site condition.

Question 9

"Money alone cannot motivate public servants." Discuss with reference to motivation theories. (~250 words)

Accepted Answer

Herzberg's theory treats pay as a hygiene factor: it removes dissatisfaction but does not create commitment, which comes from achievement, recognition and responsibility. Maslow explains why the picture changes with need levels: pay matters most to staff whose basic and safety needs are unmet, while those with secure incomes seek esteem and self-actualisation through meaningful work. McGregor's Theory Y adds that most people accept responsibility when given real authority, and Vroom's expectancy model shows effort depends on believing that performance leads to a valued reward. In government, where pay scales are fixed, administrators must use non-monetary levers: clear goals under MBO, timely feedback, fair postings, public recognition, training and delegated responsibility. Fair pay remains necessary, but it is a floor, not the engine of motivation.

Practice — Management: Functions, Decision-Making, HRM & Strategy

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