Questions on profile one part 4
Yvonne Harvey, Contributor

Members of the Norman Manley High's Schools Challenge Quiz team at TVJ's office on Tuesday January 17. - Ricardo Makyn Photo

WELCOME TO this last lesson on the questions for profile 1. I will begin with a question from CXC past paper May/June 2004 (General). The question is under section ll and it is question 4.

Tasty Fruit Ltd. is a manufacturer of several types of exotic tropical fruit juices. Without consultation, Mr. Albert, the general manager, took a decision that with immediate effect all breaks would be reduced from 15 minutes to five minutes. He claimed that the change became necessary to enable the factory to process a larger amount of fruit juices daily.

(a) What type of leadership style did Mr. Albert appear to be practising? (2 marks)

(b) (i) Name TWO other leadership styles. (2 marks)

(ii) Describe ONE of the leadership styles you named in (b)(i) above. (2 marks)

(c) Identify TWO situations that can result from the action taken by Mr. Albert. (4 marks)

(d) (i) State FIVE qualities of a good manager. (5 marks).

(ii) Give an example to show how lack of one of the qualities you mentioned at (d)(i) above can affect the operation of the factory. (2 marks)

(e) State THREE responsibilities of management to its employees. (3 marks)

Total 20 marks

DISCUSSION AND GUIDELINE ANSWER

(a) Autocratic/Authoritarian leadership style.

(b) (i) Any TWO of the following can be named: laissez-faire/free reign leadership style, democratic leadership style, charismatic leadership style.
(ii) Laissez-faire ­ individuals are given the broad outlines, but left on their own to carry out the major aspects of the decisions.
Democratic ­ those who will be affected by the decision are consulted before the decision is taken, though the leader still reserves the right to make the final decision.
Charismatic ­ the leader leads by virtue of his/her personality or charisma. Any ONE of the leadership styles can be described.

(c) The following situations may result: poor management-worker relationship; industrial action may be taken by workers; resignations by workers; workers may become discontented; poor self-esteem of workers and reduced productivity of workers. Any TWO situations may be used.

(d) (i) The qualities of a good manager include: honesty, flexibility, ability to carry out management functions and responsibilities, show genuine concern for employees and customers, ability to motivate workers, be adaptable to various situations, able to work on own initiative, ability to use Management Information Systems, be aggressive, but not too aggressive, be reliable etc.
(ii) If for example the manager is unable to motivate his employees, they will become lax and productivity will fall. The business will end up loosing profits.
The negative effects of the lack of any of the qualities you listed in (d)(i) can be explained.

(e) Responsibilities of managers to employees include: to treat them fairly, to give them safe, clean environment to work in, to allow them the freedom to join trade unions, to support their desires to be educated and trained, to pay fair wages and salaries, to honour leave entitlement, to give adequate compensation for injury on the job etc. Any THREE responsibilities can be stated.

Now let's look at another question. CXC past paper January 2005, (General) section ll question 5. Recently, the employees of the telephone company have engaged in various industrial activities in support of their trade union. The trade union was involved in 'collective bargaining' with the management of the company for a new three-year industrial agreement for its members. The management retaliated by taking certain actions against the employees who charged that their rights were being violated.

(a) Give FIVE examples of industrial activities which the employees could have engaged in without striking. (5 marks)

(b) Identify TWO actions the management could have taken in retaliation against the industrial activities by the workers. (2 marks)

(c) Explain the term 'collective bargaining'. (2 marks)

(d) List FIVE responsibilities of the management to its employees. (5 marks)

(e) Apart from 'collective bargaining', outline THREE other functions of a trade union. (6 marks)

Total 20 marks

DISCUSSION AND GUIDELINE ANSWER

(a) Examples of industrial action apart from striking include: sick out, go-slow, sit-in, overtime ban, work-to-rule and boycotting the company's products etc.

(b) The action that management could have taken includes: lockouts, black-listing, suspensions, termination of work contracts, deductions of salary etc.

(c) Collective bargaining refers to the trade union function in which the trade union representing the workers and the employer or employers' association discuss issues relating to employees with a view to settlement which is suitable to both sides.

(d) See answer (e) in previous question.

(e) Other functions of the trade union include: securing better wages and fringe benefits for workers, securing better work environment, job security, ensuring that workers get the leave they are entitled to, ensuring that workers are not exploited in any way, education of members as to the role of trade unions, scholarships to members and family etc. The THREE points chosen should be expanded on by brief explanations and /or examples.

Next week we will begin questions on profile two: production and marketing. This is a very wide profile. You may wish to begin by revising the topics relating to production. See you next week.

* Yvonne Harvey teaches at Glenmuir High School.