Appendix A: Case Studies

List of Case Studies- RC AND NS

 Case Study 1: Handling Roommate Conflicts
 Case Study 2: Salary Negotiation at College Corp
 Case Study 3: OECollaboration
 Case Study 4: The Ohio Connection
 Case Study 5: Uber Pays the Price
 Case Study 6: Diverse Teams Hold Court

Case Study 1: Handling Roommate Conflicts

Chapter Reference: Section 2.2 Approaches to Conflict

Whether you have a roommate by choice, by necessity, or through the random

selection process of your school’s housing office, it’s important to be able to get
along with the person who shares your living space. While having a roommate
offers many benefits such as making a new friend, having someone to experience a
new situation like college life with, and having someone to split the cost on your
own with, there are also challenges. Some common roommate conflicts involve
neatness, noise, having guests, sharing possessions, value conflicts, money
conflicts, and personality conflicts (Ball State University, 2001). Read the
following scenarios and answer the following questions for each one:

1. Which conflict management style, from the five discussed, would you use
in this situation?
2. What are the potential strengths of using this style?
3. What are the potential weaknesses of using this style?

Scenario 1: Neatness. Your college dorm has bunk beds, and your roommate takes
a lot of time making their bed (the bottom bunk) each morning. They have told you
that they don’t want anyone sitting on or sleeping in the bed when they are not in
the room. While your roommate is away for the weekend, your friend comes to
visit and sits on the bottom bunk bed. You tell your friend what your roommate
said, and you try to fix the bed back before your roommate returns to the dorm.
When they return, your roommate notices that the bed has been disturbed and
confronts you about it.

Scenario 2: Noise and having guests. Your roommate has a job waiting tables and
gets home around midnight on Thursday nights. They often brings a couple friends
from work home with them. They watch television, listen to music, or play video
games and talk and laugh. You have an 8 a.m. class on Friday mornings and are
usually asleep when they returns. Last Friday, you talked to your roommate and
asked them to keep it down in the future. Tonight, their noise has woken you up
and you can’t get back to sleep.

Scenario 3: Sharing possessions. When you go out to eat, you often bring back
leftovers to have for lunch the next day during your short break between classes.
You didn’t have time to eat breakfast, and you’re really excited about having your
leftover pizza for lunch until you get home and see your roommate sitting on the
couch eating the last slice.

Scenario 4: Money conflicts. Your roommate got mono and missed two weeks of
work last month. Since they have a steady job and you have some savings, you
cover their portion of the rent and agree that they will pay your portion next month.
The next month comes around and your roommate informs you that they only have
enough to pay their half of the rent.

Scenario 5: Value and personality conflicts. You like to go out to clubs and parties
and have friends over, but your roommate is much more of an introvert. You’ve
tried to get them to come out with you or join the party at your place, but they’d
rather study. One day your roommate tells you that they want to break the lease so
they can move out early to live with one of their friends. You both signed the lease,
so you have to agree or they can’t do it. If you break the lease, you automatically
lose your portion of the security deposit

Works Adapted
“Conflict and Interpersonal Communication” in Communication in the Real
World by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where
otherwise noted.

References
Ball State University. (2001). Roommate conflicts. accessed June 16, 2001, from
http://cms.bsu.edu/CampusLife/CounselingCenter/VirtualSelfHelpLibrary/
RoommateIssues.asx.

Case Study 2: Salary Negotiation at College Corp

Chapter Reference: Section 2.4 Negotiation

Janine just graduated college, she’s ready to head out on her own and get that first
job, and she’s through her first interviews. She receives an offer of a $28,000
salary, including benefits from COLLEGE CORP, from an entry-level marketing
position that seems like a perfect fit. She is thrown off by the salary they are
offering and knows that it is lower than what she was hoping for. Instead of
panicking, she takes the advice of her mentor and does a little research to know
what the market range for the salary is for her area. She feels better after doing this,
knowing that she was correct and the offer is low compared to the market rate.
After understanding more about the offer and the rates, she goes back to the HR
representative and asks for her preferred rate of $32,500, knowing the minimum
that she would accept is $30,000. Instead of going in for her lowest amount, she
started higher to be open to negotiations with the company. She also sent a note
regarding her expertise that warranted why she asked for that salary. To her happy
surprise, the company counter offered at $31,000—and she accepted.

Questions:

1. What key points of Janice’s negotiation led to her success?

2. What could have Janice done better to get a better outcome for her salary?

Works Adapted
“Conflict and Negotiations” in Organizational Behaviour by OpenStax is licensed
under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

References
“Good & Bad Salary Negotiations,” Salary.com, April 19,
2018, https://www.salary.com/articles/good-bad-examples-of-salary-negotiations.

Herner, M. (n.d). 5 things HR wishes you knew about salary negotiation.

Payscale.com, accessed October 21, 2018, https://www.payscale.com/salary-
negotiation-guide/salary-negotiation-tips-from-hr.

Case Study 3: OECollaboration

Chapter Reference: Section 3.2 Creating, Maintaining, and Changing Culture

At OECollaboration, a technology company that develops virtual collaboration

software for new companies, Mike Jones is a new manager. One of the biggest
challenges he has faced is that the team that he is managing is well established and
because he is an outsider, the team members haven’t yet developed trust in him.

Two weeks into his new employment, Mike held a meeting and discussed all of the
changes to the remote work agreements as well as implementing new meeting
requirements for each employee to have a biweekly meeting scheduled with him to
discuss their projects. The team was outraged, they were not excited, and the
following days he wasn’t greeted in a friendly way; in addition, his team seemed
less engaged when asked to participate in team functions.

Tracy James is also a new manager at OECollaboration who started at the same
time as Mike, in a similar situation where she is a new manager of an existing
team. Tracy was able to hold a meeting the first day on the job to listen to her team
and get to know them. During this meeting she also told the team about herself and
her past experiences. Additionally, she held one-on-one meetings to listen to each
of her team members to discuss what they were working on and their career goals.
After observation and discussion with upper management, she aligned her own
team goals closely with the skills and experiences of her new team. She met with
the whole team to make changes to a few policies, explaining why they were being
changed, and set the strategy for the team moving forward.

Because she got her team involved and learned about them before implementing
her new strategy, this was well received. Her team still had questions and concerns,
but they felt like they could trust her and that they were included in the changes
that were being made.

Questions

1. What challenges can a new manager encounter when starting to manage an

existing team?
2. What strategies can a new manager implement to ensure that their new
team is engaged with them and open to change and growth?

Adapted Works
“Organizational Power and Politics” in Organizational Behaviour by OpenStax is
licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

References
Giang, V. (2013, July 31). The 7 types of power that shape the
workplace. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/the-7-types-of-
power-that-shape-the-workplace-2013-7

Morin, A. (2018, June 25). How to prevent a workplace bully from taking your
power. Inc. https://www.inc.com/amy-morin/how-to-prevent-a-workplace-bully-
from-taking-your-power.html

Weinstein, B. (n.d.). 10 tips for dealing with a bully boss,” CIO, accessed October
13, 2018, https://www.cio.com.au/article/198499/10_tips_dealing_bully_boss/.
Case Study 4: The Ohio Connection
Chapter Reference: Section 4.1 Power

Janey worked as an executive assistant to a product manager at her company: Ohio

Connection. Overall, she loved her job; she was happy to work with a company
that provided great benefits, and she and found enjoyment in her day-to-day work.
She had the same product manager boss for years, but last year, her manager left
Ohio Connection and retired. Recently her new manager has been treating her
unfairly and showcasing bullying behavior.

Yesterday, Janey came into work, and her boss decided to use their power as her
manager and her “superior” to demand that she stay late to cover for him, correct
reports that he had made mistakes on, and would not pay her overtime. She was
going to be late to pick up her son from soccer practice if she stayed late; she told
him this, and he was not happy.

Over subsequent days, her boss consistently would make comments about her
performance, even though she had always had good remarks on reviews, and
created a very negative work environment. The next time she was asked to stay
late, she complied for fear of losing her job or having other negative impacts on her
job. Janey’s situation was not ideal, but she didn’t feel she had a choice.

Questions

1. What type of power did Janey’s boss employ to get her to do the things
that he wanted her to do?
2. What negative consequences are apparent in this situation and other
situations where power is not balanced in the workplace?
3. What steps should Janey take do to counteract the power struggle that is
occurring with her new manager?

Adapted Works
“Organizational Power and Politics” in Organizational Behaviour by OpenStax is
licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

References
Giang, V. (2013, July 31). The 7 types of power that shape the
workplace. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/the-7-types-of-
power-that-shape-the-workplace-2013-7
Morin, A. (2018, June 25). How to prevent a workplace bully from taking your
power. Inc. https://www.inc.com/amy-morin/how-to-prevent-a-workplace-bully-
from-taking-your-power.html

Weinstein, B. (n.d.). 10 tips for dealing with a bully boss,” CIO, accessed October
13, 2018, https://www.cio.com.au/article/198499/10_tips_dealing_bully_boss/.

Case Study 5: Uber Pays the Price

Chapter Reference: Section 5.1 Interpersonal Relationships at Work

Uber revolutionized the taxi industry and the way people commute. With the
simple mission “to bring transportation—for everyone, everywhere,” today Uber
has reached a valuation of around $70 billion and claimed a market share high of
almost 90% in 2015. However, in June 2017 Uber experienced a series of bad
press regarding an alleged culture of sexual harassment, which is what most
experts believe caused their market share to fall to 75%.

In February of 2017 a former software engineer, Susan Fowler, wrote a lengthy

post on her website regarding her experience of being harassed by a manager who
was not disciplined by human resources for his behavior. In her post, Fowler wrote
that Uber’s HR department and members of upper management told her that
because it was the man’s first offense, they would only give him a warning. During
her meeting with HR about the incident, Fowler was also advised that she should
transfer to another department within the organization. According to Fowler, she
was ultimately left no choice but to transfer to another department, despite having
specific expertise in the department in which she had originally been working.

As her time at the company went on, she began meeting other women who worked
for the company who relayed their own stories of harassment. To her surprise,
many of the women reported being harassed by the same person who had harassed
her. As she noted in her blog, “It became obvious that both HR and management
had been lying about this being his ‘first offense.’” Fowler also reported a number
of other instances that she identified as sexist and inappropriate within the
organization and claims that she was disciplined severely for continuing to speak
out. Fowler eventually left Uber after about two years of working for the company,
noting that during her time at Uber the percentage of women working there had
dropped to 6% of the workforce, down from 25% when she first started.

Following the fallout from Fowler’s lengthy description of the workplace on her
website, Uber’s chief executive Travis Kalanick publicly condemned the behavior
described by Fowler, calling it “abhorrent and against everything Uber stands for
and believes in.” But later in March, Uber board member Arianna Huffington
claimed that she believed “sexual harassment was not a systemic problem at the
company.” Amid pressure from bad media attention and the company’s falling
market share, Uber made some changes after an independent investigation resulted
in 215 complaints. As a result, 20 employees were fired for reasons ranging from
sexual harassment to bullying to retaliation to discrimination, and Kalanick
announced that he would hire a chief operating officer to help manage the
company. In an effort to provide the leadership team with more diversity, two
senior female executives were hired to fill the positions of chief brand officer and
senior vice president for leadership and strategy.

Critical Thinking Questions

1. Based on Cox’s business case for diversity, what are some positive
outcomes that may result in changes to Uber’s leadership team?
2. If the case had occurred in Canada, what forms of legislation would have
protected Fowler?
3. What strategies should have been put in place to help prevent sexual
harassment incidents like this from happening in the first place?

Adapted Works
“Diversity in Organizations” in Organizational Behaviour by OpenStax is licensed
under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

References
Della Cava, M. (2017, June 13). Uber has lost market share to Lyft during
crisis. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2017/06/13/uber-
market-share-customer-image-hit-string-scandals/102795024/

Fowler, T. (2017, February 19). Reflecting on one very, very strange year at Uber.
https://www.susanjfowler.com/blog/2017/2/19/reflecting-on-one-very-strange-
year-at-uber.

Lien, T. (2017, June 6). Uber fires 20 workers after harassment investigation. Los
Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-tn-uber-sexual-harassment-
20170606-story.html

Uber (2017, February). Company info.

https://www.uber.com/newsroom/company-info/

Case Study 6: Diverse Teams Hold Court

Chapter Reference: Section 5.3 Collaboration, Decision-Making and Problem
Solving in Groups

Diverse teams have been proven to be better at problem-solving and decision-

making for a number of reasons. First, they bring many different perspectives to
the table. Second, they rely more on facts and use those facts to substantiate their
positions. What is even more interesting is that, according to the Scientific
American article “How Diversity Makes Us Smarter,” simply “being around
people who are different from us makes more creative, diligent, and harder-
working.”

One case in point is the example of jury decision-making, where fact-finding and
logical decision-making are of utmost importance. A 2006 study of jury decision-
making, led by social psychologist Samuel Sommers of Tufts University, showed
that racially diverse groups exchanged a wider range of information during
deliberation of a case than all-White groups did. The researcher also conducted
mock jury trials with a group of real jurors to show the impact of diversity on jury
decision-making.

Interestingly enough, it was the mere presence of diversity on the jury that made
jurors consider the facts more, and they had fewer errors recalling the relevant
information. The groups even became more willing to discuss the role of race case,
when they hadn’t before with an all-White jury. This wasn’t the case because the
diverse jury members brought new information to the group—it happened because,
according to the author, the mere presence of diversity made people more open-
minded and diligent. Given what we discussed on the benefits of diversity, it
makes sense. People are more likely to be prepared, to be diligent, and to think
logically about something if they know that they will be pushed or tested on it.
And who else would push you or test you on something, if not someone who is
different from you in perspective, experience, or thinking. “Diversity jolts us into
cognitive action in ways that homogeneity simply does not.”

So, the next time you are called for jury duty, or to serve on a board committee, or
to make an important decision as part of a team, remember that one way to
generate a great discussion and come up with a strong solution is to pull together a
diverse team.

Critical Thinking Questions

1. If you don’t have a diverse group of people on your team, how can you
ensure that you will have robust discussions and decision-making? What
techniques can you use to generate conversations from different
perspectives?
2. Evaluate your own team at work. Is it a diverse team? How would you rate
the quality of decisions generated from that group?
MM- CASES

Question 1.
Sunita took her niece, Aishwarya for shopping to ‘Benetton’ to buy her a dress
on the occasion of her birthday. She was delighted when on payment for the
dress she got a discount voucher to get 20% off for a meal of Rs. 500 or above
at a famous eating joint.
Identify the technique of sales promotion used by the company in the above
situation.
(, Delhi 2017)
Answer:
Useable benefits is the technique of sales promotion used by the company in
the above situation.

Question 2.
Ginika, Tanish and Rohit were friends from college days and now they are
doing different kinds of business. They regularly meet and discuss their
business ideas and exchange notes on customer satisfaction, marketing
efforts, product designing, selling techniques, social concerns etc.
In one of such meetings, Ginika drew the attention of Tanish and Rohit
towards the exploitation of consumers. She told that most of the sellers were
exploiting the consumers in various ways’ and were not paying attention
towards the social, ethical and ecological aspects of marketing, whereas she
was not doing so.
Tanish told that they were under pressure to satisfy the consumers, but stated
that the consumers would not buy or not buy enough unless they were
adequately convinced and motivated for the same.
Rohit stressed that a company cannot achieve its objectives without
understanding the needs of the customers. It was the duty of the businessmen
to keep consumer satisfaction in mind because business is run by the
resources made available to them by the society. He further stated that he
himself was taking into consideration the needs of the customers.
Identify the various types of thinking that guided Ginika, Tanish and Rohit in
the marketing efforts of their business. Also, state one more feature of the
various types of thinking identified that is not given in the above para. ( Delhi
2017)
Answer:
The various types of thinking that guided Ginika, Tanish and Rohit in the
marketing efforts of their business are described below:

 (Ginika) Societal marketing concept: The main focus of this

philosophy is on both the needs of the potential buyers as well as
concern for the society at large. The ends include profit maximisation
through customer satisfaction and social welfare.
 (Tanish) Selling concept: The main focus of this philosophy is on
existing products. The ends include profit maximisation through sales
volume.
 (Rohit) Marketing concept: The main focus of this philosophy is on
customers needs. The ends include profit maximisation through
customer’s satisfaction.

Question 3.
Mediquip Ltd. is a company dealing in distribution of medical equipments. 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, Sandeep, 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.
Himanshu, 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 to the
additional staff as suggested by Sandeep.
Rahul, a newly appointed Zonal Head of South Zone suggested that since the
size of the order is not large, a detailed study of the factors determining the
choice of channels of distribution is required before making the right choice.

1. Identify the factors influencing the choice of channels of distribution

which were discussed in the meeting.
2. Also, explain briefly the other consideration to be taken care of in each
factor identified in part (1). )

Answer:
1. The factors influencing the choice of channels of distribution which were
discussed in the meeting are listed below:
o Product related factors: It has been mentioned that the
machines were sophisticated.
o Market related factors: It has been mentioned that the size of
the order is not large. (in)
o Company related factors: It has been mentioned that the
company was short of funds
to pay the additional staff which had to be recruited to personally
visit and train the hospital staff.
2. The other considerations to be taken care of in each of these factors is
explained below:
o The market related factors:
 Geographical concentration of potential buyers: If the
potential buyers for the firm’s product are geographically
concentrated at a few specific places, it is advisable for the
marketer to adopt direct channels of distribution. If the
market for the product is widely scattered, indirect channels
of distribution will be more effective.
 Size of market: If the size of the target market is small, it is
advisable that the marketer adopts methods of direct
channels of distribution like online selling, mail order
house, personal selling etc. wherein there are no
intermediaries between the manufacturer and the
consumers. However, if the marketer intends to target
larger markets he should adopt indirect channels of
distribution (one level, two level or three level) by using
intermediaries like wholesalers , retailers etc.

Geographical concentration of potential

S.No Type of channel Size of market
buyers
1. Direct Small Concentrated
2. Indirect Large Widely scattered

o Product related factors:

 Nature of product: Considering the technical nature of the
industrial products they require short channels i.e., direct
channel or involving few middlemen. Moreover, they are
made to order and expensive products purchased by
selective buyers. Whereas the consumer products, being
standardised, less expensive, less bulky, non-technical can
 be better distributed by long network of channels, involving
many middlemen. Moreover they are purchased frequently.
 Type of product: If the product under consideration is
perishable like fruits, vegetables, and dairy products short
channels should be adopted in order to preserve their
quality. Whereas non-perishable products like toiletry
products (e.g., shampoo , toothbrush, deodorants etc.),
groceries (cooking oil, pulses etc.), fabrics can be best
marketed through longer channels so as to reach wide
spread consumers.

Unit value of the

S.No Type of channel Nature of product Type of product
product
1. Direct Perishable Industrial More
2. Indirect Non- perishable Consumer Less

Unit value of the product: If the unit value of a product is

low as in case of most convenience products, long channels
are considered more appropriate whereas products of high
value should be sold through shorter channels.
o Company related factors:
 The degree of control it wants to hold on other channel
members: Short channels may be used if the management
of the firm desires to have greater control on the channel
members, but if the management does not plan to exercise
strict control over the middlemen indirect channels or large
number of intermediaries may be opted for.

The degree of control it wants to hold on other

S.No Type of channel
channel members
1. Direct Concentrated
2. Indirect Widely scattered

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. Idenfity the technique of sales
promotion used by the company. (CBSE, OD 2017)
Answer:
Product combination
Question 5.
“Time Line” watch manufacturing company is a renowned company marketing
watches. It performs various activities like, market analysis, product designing
or merchandising,
packaging, warehousing, branding, pricing, promotion and selling. The
company maintains good customer relations through various follow up
activities. This helps the company in procuring repeat sales orders.

1. Name the concept related to the activities mentioned in the above

paragraph.
2. Explain any two features of the concept identified in part (1) Answer:

1. Marketing is the concept related to the activities mentioned in the

above paragraph.
2. The two features of marketing are described below:
o Needs and wants: Marketing is a social process that seeks to
satisfy the needs and wants of individuals and organisations.
Needs are basic to human beings like food, clothing and shelter
and do not relate to a particular product. Whereas wants are
culturally defined human needs which are shaped by multiple
factors like personality, religion, culture etc. Needs are limited
whereas wants are unlimited. Therefore, the success of marketing
lies in the competence of the marketer to identify needs of target
customers and develop products to satisfy such needs effectively.
o Creating a market offering: The complete offer for a product or
service possessing certain specific features like size, quality, colour
etc. is known as a market offering. Thus, the success of the
marketers lies in their proficiency to create a market offering in
accordance with the needs and wants of the target market. For
example a pack of 100 ml of mango juice is available for ? 20.

Question 6.
“Coconut Joy Ltd.” are the manufacturer of vegetarian frozen dessert food
products made with coconut milk, agave syrup and other certified ingredients.
The founders of the company Lovely and Lalita originally developed this treat
to meet their own needs but found that their friends and families around were
also keen to use the products. It was not only the vegetarians, but also those
who could not get enough environment friendly sustainable food, that
appreciated the product. It did not take long for Lovely and Lalita to recognise
the potential of their little venture. In the beginning they started from their
home with the product being sold through local family parties that enable
guests to personally meet the owner. This helped to establish strong
connections with the prospective buyers and the company could put the
product on shelves of natural food store. The company used* all marketing
activities to grow and expand. The company began sponsoring booths at
festivals, drawing attention to its newly created vegetarian products. It also
disseminated relevant information to media about its products and the people
who helped in building the company’s reputation. Lovely and Lalita were
invited for an interview with one of the leading TV channels in which they
talked about their environment friendly vegetarian products. To show its
gratitude to customers, local business and government officials who
supported the company from the beginning, “Coconut Joy Ltd.” hosted a gala
event and involved all of them to raise funds for a few local NGO’s. The
company also asked its fans and customers to send songs and poetry
conveying their impression about “Coconut ‘Joy’s Ltd.” products.

1. Identify and explain the communication tool used by “Coconut Joy

Ltd”. .
2. Briefly explain the role of the tool identified in (1) above.
3. Answer:

1. Public relations is the communication tool used by “Coconut Joy Ltd”.

Public relations refers to the practice of managing communication
between an organisation and its publics in order to create and maintain
a positive image about itself and its products.
2. The role of public relations department is described below:
o Press Relation: It manages relations with the press to present
true and correct information about the company. Thus, public
relations helps to create a positive image about the company in
the eyes of various interest holders like consumers, government,
suppliers etc.
o Product Publicity: It undertakes product publicity for new
products through sponsorships. Thus, it helps in launching new
products as they may be accepted easily because of good
reputation of business.
o Corporate Communication: It promotes image of the company
through different ways of corporate communication like
publication of newsletters, brochures, articles or arranging for talk
shows or speeches of high officials of the company.
 o Lobbying: It is proactive in promoting or defending regulations
that affect business by maintaining healthy relationships with
associations of commerce and industry, government officials and
different ministers in charge of corporate affairs etc.

Question 7.
Good Living Ltd. manufactures mosquito repellent tablets tables. These tablets
are packed in strips of 12 tablets each. Each of these strips is packed in a
cardboard box, 48 such boxes are then placed in a big corrugated box and
delivered to various retailers for sale. State the purpose of packaging the
tablets in a corrugated box.
Answer:
The purpose of packaging the tablets in a corrugated box is to facilitate their
transportation, warehousing and easy identification.

Question 8.
Shreemaya Hotel in Indore was facing a problem of low demand for its rooms
due to off¬season. The Managing Director (MD) of the hotel, Mrs. Sakina was
very worried. She called upon the marketing Manager, Mr. Kapoor for his
advice. He suggested that the hotel should announce an offer of ‘3 Days and 2
nights hotel stay package’ with free breakfast and one-day religious visit to
Omkareshwar and Mahakaleshwar Temples. The MD liked the suggestion very
much. Identify the promotional tool which can be used by the hotel through
which large number of prospective pilgrimage tourists all over the country and
abroad can be reached, informed and persuaded to use the incentive.

Answer:
Advertising is the promotion tool that can be used by the hotel.

Question 9.
“Every time I travelled, people asked me to bring them chips, khakra and
pickles from all over the country,” says Anoushka. Finally, she and her
colleague, Sumeet, decided to make a business out of it. They launched a
Facebook page, asked people what they wanted, and they came up with a list
of about 100 places and tied-up with two dozen vendors to begin with. They
were servicing people from Jaipur who wanted spices from Kerala, people
from Panipat who wanted halwa from Jammu and people from Delhi who
ordered fresh tea leaves from Darjeeling. Through their business, they wished
to bridge the gap between sellers and buyers. The business is now worth
millions.
Explain any two important activities that Anouskha and Sumeet will have to be
involved in for making the goods available to customers at the right place, in
the right quantity and at the right time.

Answer:
Anoushka and Sumeet need to perform the activities involved in physical
distribution of goods.
Two such activities are explained below:

 Transportation: It creates place utility by facilitating the movement of

goods from the place of production to the place of distribution. In the
absence of efficient, reliable and cost effective transportation, facility
marketing of goods is difficult.
 Warehousing: It creates time utility by providing for the storage of
goods from the time they are produced till the time they are sold. Every
marketer needs to take this decision wisely in order to create a balance
between the level of customer service and cost of warehousing.

Question 10.
A company was marketing juicers which were very popular due to their quality
and after sales services provided to the customers. The company was a leading
company in the market and earning huge profits. Because of huge profits, the
company ignored the after sales services. As a result, its relations with
customers got spoiled and the image of the company in the public was
damaged. The top management became concerned when the profits for the
current quarter fell steeply. On analysis, it was revealed that ignoring the after
sales services was its reason. Therefore, the company took all possible
measures to protect and promote its favourable image. As a result, the
goodwill of the company improved in the society.

1. Name and state the communication tool used by the marketer in the
above case to improve its image.
2. Also explain the role of the tool as identified in part (1). (OR
A company was marketing water purifiers which were very popular due
to their quality and after sales services provided to the customers. The
company was a leading company in the market and earning huge
profits. Because of huge profits, the company ignored the after sales
services. As a result, its relations with customers got spoiled and the
image of the company was damaged in the public. The top
management became concerned when the profits for the current
 quarter fell steeply. On analysis, it was revealed that ignoring the after
sales services was its reason. Therefore, the company took all possible
measures to protect and promote its favourable image in the eyes of
the public. As a result, the goodwill of the company improved in the
society.

1. Name and state the communication tool used by the marketer in the
above case to improve its image.
2. Also explain role of the tool as identified in part (1).

Answer:

1. Public Relations is being used as a promotional tool by the marketer. It

refers to the practice of managing communication between an
organisation and its publics in order to create and maintain a positive
image about itself and its products.
2. The role of public relations as a promotional tool is described below:
o Public relations helps to create a positive image about the
company in the eyes of various interest holders like consumers,
government, suppliers etc .
o It helps in launching new products as they may be accepted easily
because of good reputation of business.
o It helps the business to reinstate itself in the wake of
controversies or prejudices etc.

Question 11.
Maruti Vega Ltd. entered into the market with coloured televisions and have
now introduced products like audio systems, air-conditioners, washing
machines, etc. The company is not only offering the products but also
handling complaints and offering after-sales services. Identify the element of
marketing mix discussed here.

Answer:
Product is the element of marketing mix discussed here.

Question 12.
Radhika was a student of Business Studies of Class XII. Her father was a farmer
who grew different varieties of rice and was well-versed in the various aspects
of rice cultivation. He was also selected by the government for a pilot-project
on rice cultivation. As a project work in Business Studies, she decided to study
the feasibility of marketing good quality rice at a reasonable price. Her father
suggested her to use the Internt to gather customers’ views and opinions. She
found that there was a huge demand for packaged organic rice. She knew that
there were no predetermined specifications in case of rice because of which it
was difficult to achieve uniformity in the output. To differentiate the product
from its competitors, she gave it the name of ‘Malabari Organic Rice’ and
classified it into three different varieties, namely — Popular, Classic and
Supreme, based on the quality. She felt that these names would help her in
product differentiation.
Explain the three functions of marketing with reference to the above
paragraph (CBSE, OD 2015)
Answer:
The three functions of marketing with reference to the above paragraph are
described below:

 Gathering and analyzing market information: The prime focus of

marketing is to ‘find wants and fill them’. Therefore, it is absolutely
essential for a company to study the needs and preferences of its target
market in order to satisfy their needs and wants optimally.
 Standardisation and grading: Standardisation refers to the process of
manufacturing goods as per predetermined specifications. Grading
refers to the process of classifying goods on the basis of certain criteria
like quality, size etc. Usually, agricultural products are subject to
grading.
 Branding: Branding is the process of assigning a name (brand name),
sign or symbol (brand mark) or a combination of all to a product. It is
considered to be a very important decision by the marketers because it
facilitates product differentiation. This helps the company to obtain a
desirable market share.

Question 13.
Beauty Products Ltd. is a natural and ethical beauty brand famous for offering
organic beauty products for men and women. The company uses plant-based
materials for its products and is the No.1 beauty brand in the country. It not
only satisfies its customers but also believes in the overall protection of the
planet.
Identify the marketing management philosophy being followed by ‘Beauty
Product Ltd’.
Answer:
Societal Marketing Concept
Question 14.
‘Haryaram’ is a famous chain selling a large variety of products in the Indian
market. Their products include chips, biscuits, sweets and squashes. It charges
a comparatively higher price than its competitors as it sells quality products.
Besides, it offers regular discounts to its customers and easy credit terms to its
retailers. It has five of its own retail shops. It also sells its products through
various grocery stores so that the products are made available to customers at
the right place, in the right quantity and at the right time. It regularly uses
different communication tools to increase its sales.
The above paragraph describes the combination of variables used by
Haryaram to prepare its market offering. Identify and explain the variables.
Answer:
The combination of variables used by Haryaramto prepare its market offerings
are described below:

 Product: “Their products include chips, biscuits , sweets and squashes.”

A product is anything of value i.e. a product or service offered to a
market to satisfy its needs or wants. A product includes physical
product, after ..sale service, handling grievances etc. Every marketer
needs to constantly review and revise its products in order to enhance
customer’s satisfaction and have a competitive edge.
 Price: “It charges a comparatively higher price than its competitors.”
Price is the monetary value paid in consideration for purchase of a
product or service by a buyer to its seller. It is a very crucial decision for
the marketers as consumers are very sensitive to the pricing. The factors
affecting price determination are cost of product, the utility and
demand, extent of competition in the market, government and legal
regulations, pricing objectives and marketing methods used.
 Place: “It has five of its own retail shops.”Or “It also sells its products
through various
grocery shops.”
It is considered an important element of marketing mix because it
includes all those activities that help in making the goods and services
available to the prospective buyers in the right quantity, at the right
time and in right condition. The two main decisions involved in physical
distribution are physical movement of goods from producers to
consumers and choice of channels of distribution.
 Promotion: “It regularly uses different communication tools to increase
its sales.”
Promotion refers to the set of activities undertaken by a marketer to
 inform the prospective buyers about the product and persuading them
to make a purchase. The various components of promotion mix are
advertising, sales promotion, personal selling and public relation.”

Question 15.
Radha found a worm crawling out of newly opened tetra pack of juice
manufactured by a reputed company, Zest Ltd. She went back to the
shopkeeper from whom the pack was purchased who directed her to call up
the customer care centre. When all her efforts fell free, she went to a
consumer activist, group to seek advice. The group decided to help Radha and
take measures to impose restrictions on the sales of the firm’s products of the
particular batch and urge customers to refrain from buying the products of the
company. Zest Ltd. lost its image in the market. The CEO gave the
responsibility of bringing back the lost image of the company to the Manager.

1. Identify the concept of marketing management which will help the

Manager to get the firm out of the above crisis.
2. Also explain the role of above identified concept by stating any two
points.

Answer:

1. Public relations will help the manager to get the firm out of the above
crisis.
2. The role of public relations as a promotional tool is described below:
o Public relations helps to create a positive image about the
company in the eyes of various interest holders like consumers,
government, suppliers etc.
o It helps in launching new products as they may be accepted easily
because of good reputation of business.
o It helps the business to reinstate itself in wake of controversies or
prejudices etc.

Question 16.
Zoom Udyog, a car manufacturing company, has started its business with
Zoom-800 and slowly launched Zoom-1000, Wagon-Z, Swy-fy etc. and offered
various services like after sales services, availability of spare parts, etc. Identify
the element of marketing mix referred here.
(
Answer:
Product is the element of marketing mix referred here.

Question 17.
Crackers Ltd., a fire-cracker manufacturing company launched some new
products on eve of Diwali which attracted many buyers. To meet the increased
demand, the company employed children from nearby villages. Although the
product was in great demand, appropriate safety warnings for use were not
mentioned on the packets that led to many accidents.

1. Identify and explain the important product-related decision that was not
taken into consideration by the company.
2. Also, identify any two values which were violated by the
companyAnswer:

1. The company has ignored ‘Labelling’. It is an important product-related

decision. Labelling refers to the process of designing a label for a
product containing product description and other relevant information
which is likely to affect a prospective buyers decision in making a
purchase. It may vary from a simple tag to a complex graphic.
2. The two values being violated by the company are:
o Abiding by law as child labour has been employed
o Concern for human life as appropriate warnings were not placed
on the label.

Question 18.
ABC Crackers Ltd., a fire-cracker manufacturing company, launched some new
products on the eve of Diwali in the market which attracted many buyers. To
meet the increasing demand, the company employed people from nearby
villages where there was a lot of unemployment. Because of the good
behaviour of the management with the employees, more and more people
wanted to join the company. As the products were in great demand in the
market, a competitor imitated the products. The products of the competitor
were not accepted by the consumers as it was a status symbol to buy the
products of ABC Crackers Ltd. because of their quality.

1. Identify and explain the product-related decision because of which

consumers preferred the products of ABC Crackers Ltd.
2. Also, identify any two values which ABC Crackers Ltd. wanted to
communicate to the society. (Answer:
 1. Branding is the product-related decision because of which consumers
preferred the products of ABC Crackers Ltd.
Branding is the process of assigning a name (brand name), sign or
symbol (brand mark) or a combination of all to a product. Branding
facilitates product differentiation, assists in advertising and display
programmes, facilitates differential pricing , promotes consumers loyalty
etc.
2. The two values that ABC Crackers Ltd. wants to communicate to the
society are:
o Generating employment opportunities
o Providing good working environment.

Question 19.
As a project work in Business Studies, the Commerce students of Himachal
Public School, Himachal Pradesh thought of preparing apple jam from the
apples grown in their school premises and sell it in the school annual fete.
They approached the Principal who not only appreciated the students but also
gave her consent for the same. The school decided to donate 50% of the
revenue generated from the sale to a nearby orphanage. After the school fete,
the school also decided to extend this project by providing employment to
visually challenged and disadvantaged sections of society on regular basis.

1. Explain any two product-related decisions which the students had to

take.
2. Suggest any two functions that the ‘label’ of the jam-bottle must
perform.
3. Identify two values communicated to society by this project of Himachal
Public School, Himachal Pradesh. Answer:

1. The two product-related decisions which the students had to take are
branding and packaging.
2. The two important functions that the label of the jam -bottle must
perform are:
o Describe the product and specify its contents: The label on the
jam bottle must provide information about the core function of
the product i.e. how and why is the product is likely to be
beneficial to the prospective buyer. It should educate them about
the usage and precautions related to the product. It also gives
detailed information about the ingredients of the product.
 o Helps in identification of the product or brand: The label
should contain the logo, brand name, tagline, name and address
of the manufacturer etc. of the product for easy identification of
the product.
3. The two values communicated to the society by the project of Himachal
Public School are:
o Generating employment opportunities
o Humanity

Question 20.
Ajay was appointed as the marketing head of Alfa Enterprise, a manufacturer
of toothpastes and toothbrushes. His target sale was 2000 units a month.
Apart from thinking about various channels of distribution to achieve the
target, he himself started visiting schools in backward areas. He found that
even after taking various steps and counselling, some school children had not
started brushing their teeth. He investigated and found that they could not
start brushing their teeth. He investigated and found that they could not
afford to buy toothbrush and toothpaste. So with due permission, he started
donating 200 toothbrushes and toothpastes every month to the school.

1. Identify the channel of distribution Ajay would adopt for the distribution
of toothpaste and toothbrushes and justify it by giving one reason.
2. State any two values which Ajay ants to communicate to society. (CBSE,
Delhi 2013)

Answer:

1. Ajay would adopt indirect channels of distribution for marketing of

toothpaste and tooth brushes because it is a consumer product. It can
be easily marketed through longer channels, for example (Manufacturer
– Wholesaler – Retailer – Consumer).
2. The two values that Ajay wants to communicate to the society are:
o Good health
o Social welfare.

Question 21.
Amar is engaged in the manufacturing of refrigerators. He surveyed the
market and found that customers need a refrigerator with a separate provision
of water cooler in it. He decided and launched the same refrigerator in the
market. Identify and explain the marketing philosophy involved.
(Answer:
Amar is following the philosophy of marketing concept. The prime focus of
marketing concept is to ‘find wants and fill them’. Therefore, the marketer first
assesses the needs and preferences of its target market and manufactures
products accordingly in order to satisfy their needs and wants optimally. It
aims at profit maximization through customer satisfaction.

Question 22.
‘An important task in the marketing of goods relates to designing a label as it
provides useful and detailed information about a product.’ In the light of the
above statement, draw a label for a ‘liquid soap’ and highlight the important
information to be provided on it. (Answer:
A label for a ‘liquid soap’.

Question 23.
Mansi, a shoe manufacturer for school students, decided to maximise profits
by producing and distributing shoes on a large-scale and thus reducing the
average cost of production.

1. Identify the marketing management philosophy adopted by Mansi.

2. Explain this philosophy on the basis of the following:
o Main Focus
o Means and Ends Answer:

1. Mansi has adopted the production philosophy.

2. The main focus of this philosophy is on the quantity of products
produced.
Means: The production philosophy can be brought into effect by
making products affordable and widely available.
Ends: The production philosophy aims at maximizing profits through
high volume of production.