Case study questions involving various topics and chapters in Business Studies are becoming a reason to create panic in students but there is nothing like this.
Board expects the students to have thorough knowledge of the subject. All the short cut techniques are out now. The best way out is to Read the NCERT books thoroughly . In addition to this, Read at least one book by any popular private publisher to have a clear idea of various types of questions in different units.
Once you are clear about the technique of solving such case studies, It won't be a problem for you to solve case studies. The best part of having case studies lies in having hints in the question itself and that you don't have to write much. Board wants to test your indepth knowledge of the subject. Quality of content is more important than the quantity. Questions are definitely long but in this case the answers are mostly short.
How to Solve Case Study Questions in Business Studies?
Following steps must be followed for attempting the questions involving case study based on various topics:
Before reading the question be careful not to make any view of the answer. Some times judgement is made in the beginning but something else is asked at the end of the question.
- First of all, Read the last line of the question, as question is mostly given at the end.
- Then read the question from the beginning. Case should be read like an article or story.
- Then read the question line again to find out what examiner is expecting you to do like what, when, how, state, identify, explain etc.
- Again read the first part of the question i.e. case for finding the answer to what the examiner has asked. Now, you may underline the main words or idea in question with pencil.
- Check the question words properly.
- Plan to write the answer after checking the marks allotted and words expected for the answer.
For explaining this technique a few questions have been taken from previous years' Board Question Papers.
( Words underlined in the questions are giving you the hints to solve the case.)
Question 1.
Bhagwati Enterprises is a company engaged in the marketing of air-conditioners of a famous brand. The company has a functional structure with four main functions; Purchase, Sales, Finance and Staffing. As the demand for the product grew, the company decided to recruit more employees.
Identify the concept which will help the Human Resource Manager to find out the number and type of personnel available so that he could decide and recruit the required number of persons for each department. (1 mark)
Answer:
(Bring in your mind the activities performed by Human Resource Manager.)
Workforce analysis.
Question 2.
Isha Machines was a renowned name for quality sewing machines since1960. Mr. Suresh, the owner of Isha Machines, was worried as the production had declined during the last three months. He directed the Production Manager to find out the reason. The Production Manager ordered the different supervisors to prepare a performance report of the workers working under them.
Identify the step taken by the Production Manager that is related to one of the functions of management. (1 mark)
Answer:
(Here function of management is a hint. Bring in your mind one by one the functions of management. In no time you will be able to identify the required step.)
Measurement of actual performance.
Question 3.
Sika Ltd., a reputed industrial machines manufacturer, needs Rupees twenty crores as additional capital to expand the business. Mr. Amit Joshi, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company wants to raise funds through equity. The Finance Manager, Mr. Narinder Singh, suggested that the shares may be sold to investing public through intermediaries, as the same will be less expensive.
Name the method through which the company decided to raise additional capital. (1 mark)
Answer:
Offer for Sale.
Question 4.
Mansi took her niece, Ridhima, for shopping to ‘Mega Stores’ to buy her a bag for her birthday. She was delighted when on payment of the bag she got a pencil box along with the bag free of cost.
Identify the technique of sales promotion used by the company. (1 mark)
Answer:
Product Combination.
Question 5.
Ramnath Ltd. is dealing in import of organic food items in bulk. The company sells the items in smaller quantities in attractive packages. Performance of the company has been up to the expectations in the past. Keeping up with the latest packaging technology, the company decided to upgrade its machinery. For this, the Finance Manager of the company, Mr. Vikrant Dhull, estimated the amount of funds required and the timings. This will help the company in linking the investment and the financing decisions on a continuous basis. Therefore, Mr. Vikrant Dhull began with the preparation of a sales forecast for the next four years. He also collected the relevant data about the profit estimates in the coming years. By doing this, he wanted to be sure about the availability of funds from the internal sources. For the remaining funds he is trying to find out alternative sources.
Identify the financial concept discussed in the above paragraph. Also, state any two points of importance of the financial concept, so identified. (3 marks)
Answer:
Financial Planning .(1 mark)
and two points of importance are to be explained in brief.(2 marks)
Question 6.
Rishitosh Mukerjee has recently joined AMV Ltd, a company manufacturing refrigerators. He found that his department was under-staffed and other departments were not cooperating with his department for smooth functioning of the organisation. Therefore, he ensured that his department has the required number of employees and its cooperation with other departments is improved.
(a) Identify the level at which Rishitosh Mukerjee was working.
(b) Also, state three more functions required to be performed by Rishitosh Mukerjee at this level. (3 marks)
Answer:
Middle level ( 1mark)
Two other functions of middle level management than mentioned above.(2 marks)
Question 7.
Sanket, after completing his entrepreneurship course from U.S.A. returned to India and started a coffee shop ‘Fioma Coffee’ in a famous mall in Mumbai. The speciality of the coffee shop was the special aroma of coffee and a wide variety of flavours to choose from. Somehow, the business was neither profitable nor popular. Sanket was keen to find out the reason. He appointed Riya, an MBA from a reputed management institute as a manager to find out the causes of the business not doing well. Riya, took a feedback from the clients and found out that though they loved the special unique aroma of coffee but were not happy with the long waiting time being taken to process the order. She analysed and found out that there were many unnecessary obstructions which could be eliminated. She fixed a standard time for processing the order. She also realised that there were many flavours whose demand was not enough. So, she also decided to discontinue the sale of such flavours. As a result, within a short period Riya was able to attract the customers.
Identify and explain any two techniques of scientific management used by Riya to solve the problem. (4 marks)
Answer:
Three answers are possible in this case.
- Time study, to be explained.
- Motion study, to be explained.
- Simplification, to be explained.
(any two techniques can be written with heading and explanation for 2 marks each.)
Question 8.
Nandrachal Networks and Technologies Ltd. is a leader in technology innovation in U.S.A. creating products and solutions for a connected world. It has a large Research and Development team which invented the first smart watch W-I, which besides showing the time would also monitor few health parameters like heart beat, blood pressure, etc. While in search of markets abroad, the company found that in India, the reform process was underway with the aim of accelerating the pace of economic growth. The company decided to take advantage of the fact that licensing requirements had been abolished. The company was also aware that there had been increased level of interaction and interdependence among the various nations of the world and India could be made a base for its international trade. It set up its office in Gujarat with a view to capture the Indian market. In a short span of time, the company emerged as a market leader. Success of the company attracted many other players to enter the market. Competition resulted in reduction in prices, thereby benefitting the customers.
(a) In the above paragraph, two major concepts related to government policy have been discussed. Identify and explain those concepts.
(b) Also, explain briefly any three impacts of those concepts on Indian business and industry. (5 marks)
Answer
a)1. Liberalisation: meaning
- Globalisation : meaning (2 marks)
b) Three impacts of these with explanation. (3 marks)
Question 9.
‘RO Youth Club’ organised a visit of its members to an Old Age Home to inculcate the habit of social work among them. The visit revealed that the living conditions of the inmates of the Old Age Home were not hygienic. So, the RO Youth Club members decided to clean the premises. During their cleanliness drive, they realised that the Old Age Home also required pest control. But some of the inmates of the Old Age Home were reluctant for it because they believed that the pest control may create health problems for them. RO Youth Club, therefore, decided to provide ethical, safe and odourless pest control. They showed to the inmates of the Old Age Home a pamphlet of the proposed pest control product which promised easy, inexpensive and long-lasting pest control. The inmates happily agreed and the pest control was carried out. The effect of the pest control started wearing off after a fortnight. RO Youth Club contacted the pest control company which kept on postponing their visit. After waiting for a month, RO Youth Club filed a case in the consumer court. The consumer court was satisfied about the genuineness of the complaint and issued necessary directions to the pest control company.
(a) State any six directions that might have been issued by the court.
(b) Identify any two values that are being communicated by RO Youth Club to the society. (5 marks)
Answer:
a) Any six directions ( 1/2 mark each=3 marks)
b) Two values (1 mark each)
Question 10.
Medi Instruments Ltd. is a company dealing in the distribution of medical instruments. The company recently imported 15000 units of sugar testing machines to test the sugar levels without taking blood samples. For deciding the marketing strategy, the Chief Executive Officer of the company called a meeting of the marketing heads of different zones. In the meeting, Sanjay, the North Zone Marketing Head, suggested that since the machines were sophisticated they need to visit hospitals personally to explain its working to the hospital staff who would be using the machines. He also suggested that additional trained people may be recruited for the same. Hitesh, another Zonal Head, added that since lot of money had been spent on the import of the machines, the company was short of funds to pay the additional staff, as suggested by Sanjay. Revansh, a newly appointed Zonal Head of South Zone, suggested that since the size of the order was not large, a detailed study of the factors determining the choice of channels of distribution was required before making the right choice.
(a) Identify the factors influencing the choice of channels of distribution which were discussed in the meeting.
(b) Also, explain briefly the other considerations to be taken care of in each factor identified in part (a).(6 marks)
Answer:
a) Factors affecting choice of channels of distribution which were discussed in the meeting:
(i) Product related factors
(ii) Company characteristics
(iii) Market related factors (3 marks)
(on the basis of lines underlined in the case above)
b) other factors to be mentioned and explained in brief. (3 marks)