This Paper has 24 answerable questions with 0 answered.
F—15(SMM)
Revised Syllabus |
| Time Allowed : 3 Hours | Full Marks : 100 |
This question paper has two parts—A & B, Part A contains a set of objective type questions.
which are all compulsory.
Part A carries 20 marks. You are required to choose and write down the correct answer:
That is, do not just tick the appropriate choice. In Part B you have to answer 5 questions.
Your answer must be brief, to the point and illustrated with suitable examples, if necessary.
The figures in the margin on the right side indicate break-up for marks. |
| PART A |
| Answer all the questions. |
| Marks |
| 1. | The essential ingredients of Business Process Re–engineering are; | (a) | Continuous improvements of products, processes and technologies. | | (b) | Advanced planning in the areas of technologies, processes and strategic partnerships etc. | | (c) | Fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business process to achieve dramatic results. | | (d) | Generation, comparison and evolution of many ideas to find out one worthy of development. | | (e) | Identification and selection of layouts most suited for products and processes. |
| 2x10=20 | (0) |
| 2. | BSNL’s plan behind introduction of "Internet Plan 99", ISDN, Virtual Private Network etc. would be an example of: | (a) | Utilization of newer technologies; | | (b) | Portfolio generation; | | (c) | Diversification of business; | | (d) | Product development; | | (e) | Encash new opportunities. |
| | (0) |
| 3. | Mckinsey’s 7–s framework consists of: | (a) | Structure, strategy, software, skills, styles, staff and supervision. | | (b) | Structure, strategy, systems, skills, styles, syndication and shared values. | | (c) | Structure, strategy, systems, skills, steering power, styles and shared values. | | (d) | Structure, strategy, staff, skill, systems, shared values, super ordinate goals. | | (e) | None of the above. |
| | (0) |
| 4. | Offensive strategy is a strategy: | (a) | For small companies that consider offensive attacks in the market. | | (b) | For those companies that search for new inventory opportunities to create competitive advantages. | | (c) | For the market leader who should attack the competitor by introducing new products that make existing ones obsolete. | | (d) | For those companies who are strong in the market but not leaders and might capture a market share from the leader. | | (e) | None of the above. |
| | (0) |
| 5. | The maturity stage of the PLC is most often associated with: | (a) | Rapid growth; | | (b) | Uncertainty in market; | | (c) | Improvements in manufacturing processes; | | (d) | High exit barriers; | | (e) | Re–alignment of competitive structure. |
| | (0) |
| 6. | Benchmarking is: | (a) | The analytical tool to identify high cost activities based on the 'Pareto Analysis'. | | (b) | The search for industries best practices that lead to superior performance; | | (c) | The simulation of cost reduction schemes that help to build commitment and improvement of actions; | | (d) | The process of marketing and redesigning the way a typical company works; | | (e) | The frame work that earmarks a linkage with suppliers and customers. |
| | (0) |
| 7. | When two firms together produce, warehouse, transport and market products, it is said to be a case of: | (a) | Consolidation; | (b) | Amalgamation; | | (c) | Joint Venture; | (d) | Stragegic Alliance; | | (e) | All of the above. |
| | (0) |
| 8. | The strategy of preplanned series of re–launches is: | (a) | Harvesting strategy; | (b) | Offensive strategy; | | (c) | Defensive strategy; | (d) | Pruning strategy; | | (e) | Repositioning strategy. |
| | (0) |
| 9. | Identifying and evaluating key social, economic, technological and competitive trends/events comprise of: | (a) | Developing a mission statement; | (b) | An implementing strategy; | | (c) | Performing an external audit; | (d) | Identifying market trends; | | (e) | Conducting an internal audit. |
| | (0) |
| 10. | SAIL’s famous advertising campaign of "there is a bit of steel in everyone’s life" was meant to: | (a) | Gain buyers awareness about its versatile product range; | | (b) | Create an image of superior performance; | | (c) | Inform new buyers about its special products; | | (d) | Enhance product quality perception; | | (e) | Achieve its mission. |
| | (0) |
PART B
|
| Answer any five questions. |
| 11. | "The internal environment of a business organisation comprises of a number of factors that influence the strategies and other decisions". | (a) | Explain what are these environmental factors. |
| (b) | How do these key environmental factors influence a company’s master strategy? |
| 8+8=16 | (0) |
| 12. | (a) | State the conditions favouring pursuit of ‘Low–cost Leadership Strategy’. | 8+8=16 | (0) |
| | (b) | State the key ideas to be considered for development and implementation of "Product Positioning Strategy". | | (0) |
| 13. | In India in early 80s many companies became too much vertically integrated or excessively diversified. In the 90s one witnessed a dramatic shift from this pattern. | (a) | Why did the firms choose to refocus their business by looking at their core businesses? |
| (b) | What are the various strategic options available to the companies pursuing a restructuring strategy? |
| 8+8=16 | (0) |
| 14. | "Companies that fail to develop new products are putting themselves at risk. At the same time, new product developments are risky". | (a) | List the reasons for failure of new products. |
| (b) | List and briefly explain the factors that hinder the progress of new product development. |
| 8+8=16 | (0) |
| 15. | (a) | Draw a typical Product Life Cycle curve indicating thereon the market share and market growth classification of products. | 8+8=16 | (0) |
| | (b) | "In the 'maturity stage' of Product Life Cycle the market becomes saturated, price competition intensified, and the rate of sales growth slows down". —Suggest strategic choices in such a stage of the PLC. | | (0) |
| 16. | To gain competitive advantage a company may pursue Cost Leadership, Differentiation and Focus strategy. Explain briefly any two of these three strategies with suitable examples. | 8+8=16 | (0) |
| 17. | Is service marketing different from product marketing? How do marketers try to overcome the limitations of delivering uniform service quality? Discuss the problems of maintaining quality for any service business. | 2+6+8=16 | (0) |
| 18. | Write short notes on any two of the following with appropriate examples: | 8+8=16 | |
| | (a) | Strategic management; | | (0) |
| | (b) | Product Differentiation | | (0) |
| | (c) | Problems of Rural Marketing in India | | (0) |
| | (d) | Channels of distribution | | (0) |
| | (e) | Premium pricing strategy. | | (0) |
