There are several solutions of this problem. On a local level, managers can play a big role in improving morale.

First of all, they should motivate staff. Managers create conditions in which employees will perform to their potential maximum.

Secondly, they should ask people what tools or resources would make their work more satisfying, what expectations they have.

Moreover, executives of the company should analyze such areas as reward and recognition. Listening, consulting, and supporting your employees can guarantee that staff morale will be high enough in the organization.

 

7. What problems can assembly workers have? How can they be solved?

8. What is your opinion of the Open Door policy? Should all companies have this kind of programme?

9. If you were suggested a posting to one of your company's subsidiaries in a developing country what factors would you take into account to make the right decision?

First of all I should collect information about all the conditions, such as habitation, working schedule, salary, fringe benefits etc. Also I will find the information about this country. It is necessary to understand the culture and develop the line of behavior; also it will help to know if there is a difficulty with language.

Secondly the new position in the company is important, maybe it will be higher and there will be more opportunities to make a best career.

Thirdly, I will take into account the factor of time, for example, is this posting is made forever or there is a limitation. If I have a family, I will be interested in possibility to take them to my new place of living.

Then summarizing advantages and disadvantages I will make the decision about posting to one of my company's subsidiaries in a developing country.

10. You are a member of the Association that is going to give a development grant to one of the companies. What factors will you take into account to make your choice?

This decision is very important task to all Association, and it is necessary to take into account following factors:

• The company’s name, lifetime and reputation. If the company is well-known and successful, there is more confidence that giving a grant is not waste of money;
• The idea represented by the company has to be real, actual, practicable and useful to development of not only this company. Company should convince the members of the necessity of its idea.
• It is important to clear if there is a personal interest in grant.
• Also the realization of idea should not damage the environment and have to be suitable to the living conditions of the city.

Company managers should emphasize all advantages and benefits of their suggestion and give the guarantee that money will be directed on necessary and important things in the life of people. In making such decisions we should be fully confident that giving a grant will help to make a good contribution in development of the country.

 

11. You are a sales manager. One of your sales representatives does not achieve the target month by month. You are going to have a discussion with him. How would you deal with it to make the discussion effective?

12.Your company has been developing an ultra-modern product, but you need money to finance the project. You intend to borrow money from a bank and have to persuade the bank to give you a loan. What information would you include in your company's presentation?

 

 

13. If you were a sales manager and you had to improve the performance of your sales team what proposals would you make?

In order to improve the performance of your sales team you would make the following proposals:

Shake-up the sales force.

Sales staff would be moved to new areas. Because of this, they should get back their energy and enthusiasm for the job.

Cash bonuses.

All sales staff would receive the same basic salary. In addition, they would earn cash bonuses when they exceeded the sales target.

Prizes.

The top sales representative would receive a prize, for example, all-expenses-paid weekend holiday.

New customer accounts.

Cash bonuses would be paid for all new customer accounts.

 

14. If managers had to solve the problem of absenteeism what actions could be taken? Which of them do you consider to be the best?

If there is a problem of absenteeism in the organization, it effects significantly on productivity and quality of products. There are several ways of solving this problem. The common idea is to increase the control, do not be lined with staff.

The first approach is to introduce the system of attendance records. So, people may ask each other about days off. And if there are too many days off – people joked about it.

The second way is giving bonuses for people, who have a 100% attendance and punctuality. For example, a lottery with prizes. But if you leave – you can’t take part in the lottery.

From my point of view, the first way is more effective. Because the second may lead to opposite results and doesn’t increase the control. Attendance record system is not hard to prepare, but works, because influence the morale.

 

15. If you had a good product and wanted to start your own business what actions would you take in the beginning to avoid the mistakes?

The main problem of starting new business is that firms are set up by talented and creative scientists, but they are not able to plan their development.

Firstly, we should think about how to market the product. We should have a management expertise and develop a clear strategy, which are necessary for the company’s growth. And also, we shouldn’t underprice our product to have finance for the company’s future development.

Secondly, we must underestimate the future costs of developing our product, make up a financial plan and attract the right personnel.

Thirdly, it is important to develop a specialist image. It can aim at a particular segment of the market. Usually, it may take some time before customers accept the firm’s technology.

And when the business has reached a certain size, it will be good idea to bring in professional management. We can then delegate responsibility for activities like marketing and finance.

In starting new business there is a rule – enthusiasm, ideas, venture capital and technology are not enough to ensure success. Basic management skills – especially financial and marketing ones – are also vital.

 

16. A great number of small firms open every year, but few of them are successful. What might be the problems of a small firm at the beginning of its activity?

One reason for this is that they don’t have much management expertise.

Therefore, they are unable to develop the strategies which are necessary for their company’s growth. They don’t think enough about how to market their products.

Another mistake they make is to underprice their products so that they have no finance for future development. Lack of financial planning is a major weakness of such companies. It is difficult for small firms to attract the right personnel because it cannot offer the same job security as a large organization.

 

17. Imagine that you were a manager and had to assess your staff. But one of the employees, a brilliant and creative person, refused to be evaluated. How would you solve the problem?

In my opinion, the company must give brilliant, creative people a lot of freedom. The company must be flexible and understanding with such people, because creative people are different from other staff, they want to be more independent. If these people are very important for our company, we are not need to evaluate them.

 

18. Most managers consider that leading team is not just a question of giving orders. Do you agree with this point of view? How should a leader behave in order to make the team perform to their maximum potential?

In my opinion, leading a team is not just a question of giving order. The most important task of a leader is to get the best out of every member of your team. Moreover, good leader must have charisma, an attractive quality, that makes other people admire them and want to follow them.

 

19. Should businesses invest in providing safer environment even if they have to make losses? What global actions have been taken lately to protect environment?

These days, it is thought that business should help solve the problems of society. For instance, pressure is put on business to provide a safer environment. Therefore, chemical companies are not only expected to meet government standards regarding pollution. They must take steps to reduce pollution to as low a level as possible – even if this means reduced profits.

A lot of business people accept that business should protect the environment by investing in providing safer environment in order to solve environmental problems – even if their businesses didn’t create them, and even, if the social actions don’t bring profits. Nevertheless, there are some famous people who are against this approach. One of these is Ian Macgregor, the chief executive of a big organization. He says that a business’s first priority is to create wealth (to make as much money for its shareholders as possible) and in his opinion nowadays many companies have a concept of social responsibility which distracts them from this task.