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Bbm 360: Organisation Theory And Behaviour Question Paper
Bbm 360: Organisation Theory And Behaviour
Course:Bachelor Of Business Management
Institution: Moi University question papers
Exam Year:2016
MOI UNIVERSITY
OFFICE OF DEPUTY VICE CHANCELLOR, ACADEMIC AFFAIRS,
RESEARCH AND EXTENSION
UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS
2016/2017 ACADEMIC YEAR
END OF SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS
FOR THE DEGREE OF
BACHELOR OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
EXAM CODE: - BBM 360
COURSE TITLE: - ORGANISATIONAL THEORY AND BEHAVIOUR
DATE: - 9TH DECEMBER, 2016 TIME:-2.00 P.M – 5.00 P.M
INSTRUCTION TO CANDIDATES
? SEE INSIDE.
THIS PAPER CONSISTS OF (4) PRINTED PAGES PLEASE TURN OVER
INSTRUCTIONS: Answer QUESTION ONE and any other THREE
QUESTION 1(COMPULSORY)
Read the following case study and answer the questions that follow
High expectations for the Disney- Pixar merger
On January 24, 2006, Pixar animations studios and the Walt Disney Company entered into a merger agreement to make Pixar a wholly owned subsidiary of Disney. The deal was consummated on May 5, 2006for purchase price of $7.4 billion. Previously, the two had a business arrangement wherein Disney marketed and distributed Pixar’s animated feature films, including Toy story 2, finding Nemo, cars, a bugs life, and the incredibles, among others. As a part of merger agreements, Steve jobs, Pixar’s chairman and CEO, became Disney’s largest stockholder and assumed a seat on Disney’s largest stockholder and assumed a seat on Disney’s board of directors. John Lasseter, Pixar’s top executive, now oversees development of movies at both Pixar’s and Disney’s animation studios, and Edwin Catmull, Pixar president and technology chief, runs the business side for both studious.
The merger is expected to have far- reaching results. Writing in business week, Peter Burrows and his colleagues observe that if Steve Job’s “can bring Disney the same kind of industry- shaking, boundary-busting energy that lifted Apple and Pixar-sky high, he could help the staid company became the leading laboratory for media convergence.” Job himself thinks the future will be very exciting for the Disney- Pixar merger.
What did Job’s, Lassester and Catmull accomplish as Pixar that brings so much excitement and high expectations to the merger? The three men are visionaries. In the mid – 1980s, Jobs saw the potential when “catmull and lasseter believed they can use a computer animations to create a full length Disney thought computers could never deliver the nuance and emotion of hand-drawn animations.” In continually achieving this vision, Pixar executives ensure that every movie gets the best efforts of the company’s “brainy staff of animators, story tellers, and technologies.”
The creative staff is responsible for creating writing, and animating all Pixar films. “Pixar strives to hire animators who have superior acting ability – who’s able to bring characters and inanimate objects to life, as though they have their own thought processes.” Lesseter, who guides the creative inspirations, maintains that good animated filmmaking is more about story telling than it is about innovative technology. Technology helps to tell a story; it supports and enhances creativity. However, Lesseter maintains that animated film failures are never about bad technology but are always about bad storytelling.
Pixar brings to merger some very innovative proprietary technology that both reflects technical creativity and enables and supports animation creativity. With the technology side being led by Catmull, Pixar have developed several animation software packages including Marionette TM, ringmaster TM, Renderman® and Luxo. Each is a proprietary software system that supports different aspects of computerized animations. Renderman, for instance, is used to synthesize high-quality, photo-realistic images.
Luxo allows fewer people to do more work, thus enhancing productivity. It also promotes creativity by automatically making adjustments to the animation environment when changes are made, for example, in the appearance of animated characters.
Pixar’s technological and creative genius have resulted in widespread acclaim and numerous film industry awards. The academy of motion pictures arts and sciences reorganized the technical and creative advancements exemplified by Renderman by awarding Oscar to Catmull, Loren Carpenter, (senior scientist), and Rob Cook ( vice chairman of software engineering). In total, Catmull has won three scientific and technical engineering awards. The produce’s guild of America honored Pixar for achievement in new media and technology with its first Vanguard award 2012. Lassester have won two Oscars for his direction of animated films. In 2004, the art Directors Guild also honored Lassester with its outstanding contribution to the cinematic imagery award. Over the years, “Pixar animation studios and its employees have received more than 100 awards and nominations for animated films, commercials and technical contribution.”
While Pixar’s key employees receive significant financial incentives, this does not seem to be the force that drives them; rather, it is the creative freedom they are granted. Andrew Stanton, one of cowriters and codirectors of finding Nemo, is impressed with the creativity and quality of people at Pixar “pale comparison.” Pixar had created a working environment and working conditions that help to attract, motivate, and retain quality employees. “The enviably progressive working environment nurtures and sustains creativity, and the dividend has been a box-office winning streak that stands in notable contrast to the hit-and-miss model of almost every other movie studio.”
Questions
a) Analyze the case showing your acquaintance with the following motivation theories: Mc Clelland Three-needs theory, Herzberg’s two-factor theory and Expectancy theory.(15 mks)
b) What needs does Pixar appeal to through its commitment to creative innovation and excellence? (5 mks)
c) With reference to the case study discuss the importance of leadership in organization success. (5 mks)
QUESTION TWO
a) Trace the historical development and the schools of thought leading up to the current field of organization behavior (10 mks)
b) How can the field of organization behavior contribute to both the effective functioning of organizations and to the wellbeing of individuals?
QUESTION THREE
a) Define the organizational structure and explain how it fits into the process of managing the organization (5mks)
b) The business environment in Kenya has really changed in the last 10 years. This has partly been occasioned by external environment dynamics that have had a major impact on organization performance. List and explain the external environment factors that have contributed to changes in organizational behavior (10 mks)
QUESTION FOUR
a) Describe what happens to each stage of a groups development according to Tuckman’s five-stage model. What are the leadership requirements in each stage (10 mks)
b) Explain the factors that is responsible for the failure of some terms to operate as effectively as possible and identify things a manager can do to build successful terms ( 5 mks)
QUESTION FIVE
a) briefly discuss the steps of the process perception. Explain the three areas where perception plays an important role in organizational behavior (9 mks)
b) briefly discuss the three approaches to learning in organizations (6 mks)
QUESTION SIX
a) as a manager what are the behavioral predictions might you take if you knew an employee had:
i. a type B personality
ii. an external locus of control
iii. a low Machiavellianism score
iv. low self esteem
v. high extraversion score (5 mks)
b) identify and discuss five styles of conflict management (10 mks)
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