BUSINESS STUDIES

CLASS – 12th
Chapter 07 – Directing
Class work copy work

1) What do you mean by directing? Explain the characteristics/ features of

the directing as a function of management.
Ans. Directing is the process in which a superior provides instructions, guidance and
counselling to its subordinate so as to motivate and lead them for the successful
achievement of objectives.
Characteristics of Directing
 Initiates action: It initiates action through instructions supervision and motivation
to achieve goals.
 All pervasive: It takes place in every organization, and at every level of
management.
 Continuous process: It is a continuous process and takes place throughout the
life of an organization.
 Flows downward: It flows downward from superior to subordinate.

2) How does directing effects the management? How it is related to the

management function and why it is considered as important?
Ans. Importance of Directing are as follows-
 Initiates action: Directing helps to initiate action towards attainment of desired
objective.
 Integrates efforts: It integrates individual efforts as group effort to achieve
organizational objectives.
 Provide leadership and motivation; Directing motivates and provides effective
leadership to employees to realise their full potential.
 Brings changes: Directing introduces changes in the organization through proper
communication, motivation and leadership.
 Maintain stability: Balance and stability in the organization could be maintained
effectively.

3) Describe the principles of Directing?

Ans. Following are the Principles of Directing-
1. Maximum individual contribution
2. Harmony of objectives
3. Unity of command
4. Appropriateness of direction technique
5. Managerial communication
6. Use of informal organization
7. Leadership
8. Follow through

4) How many elements of Directing are there? Define them.

Ans. There are four elements of Directing. They are as follow-
a) Supervision - It involves overseeing and guiding the efforts of human and other
resources with an objective to accomplish the desired objectives.
b) Motivation - A stimulator used by managers to make people act in a desired way
to achieve organizational goals.
c) Leadership – It is the process of influencing the behaviour of people in such a
way that they voluntarily work towards the achievement of organizational
objectives.
 d) Communication - It is the process of exchange of information between two or
more people with an aim to create common understanding.

5) What do you mean by motivation? State its importance and features.

FEATURES IMPORTANCE
1. Motivation is an internal feeling: It is 1. Improves Performance: It satisfies
the urge or desire to satisfy needs or employee’s needs resulting in
wants which influences human higher level of performance
behaviour. contributing towards organizational
2. Motivation produces goal-directed goals.
behavior: All actions are directed to 2. Develops a positive attitude:
achieve specific goals. Motivation techniques eliminate
3. Motivation may be positive or negativity and create a desire to
negative: Positive motivators are like realize maximum potential.
high salaries that influence 3. Reduces employee turnover: A
constructively while negative satisfied employee prefers to
motivators are like punishments that remain loyal to the organization
inculcates fear in the employees. leading to a lesser number of
4. Motivation is a complex process: It people quitting the organization.
involves dealing with people of 4. Reduces absenteeism: Motivation
different types and expectations. helps to make the workplace which
provides the workers with a
pleasant experience.
5. Brings change smoothly: A
motivated staff accepts changes
with much lesser resistance.

6) Explain the Abraham Maslow’s Need Hierarchy Theory of Motivation.

Briefly.
Ans.
 Basic Physiological Needs: refer to the needs that are most basic in the
hierarchy like hunger, thirst, shelter etc. which can be fulfilled by basic salary.
 Safety/Security Needs: refer to the needs to get security and protection from
physical and emotional harm which can be fulfilled through job security, stability of
income, pension plans etc.
 Affiliation/Belonging Needs: refer to the needs that relate to affection, sense of
belongingness, acceptance and friendship which can be fulfilled through team
work, kindness etc.
 Esteem Needs: include factors such as self-respect, autonomy status, recognition
and attention which can be fulfilled by giving praise and recognition, offering
promotions etc.
 Self-Actualisation Needs: refer to the drive to become what one is capable of
becoming which can be fulfilled by providing challenging work and giving them
flexibility and autonomy in their jobs.


Assumptions of Maslow’s Need Hierarchy:

All the actions (behavioural) of human beings are due to some of their needs.
These needs can be arranged in the form of hierarchy.
When one level of need is satisfied, a person tries to satisfy the next level need.
When a particular level need is satisfied it no longer influences the person’s
behaviour.

7) What do you understand by term – incentives?

Ans. Incentive means all measures which are used to motivate people to improve
performance.
Types of Incentives are as follows-
1. Financial incentives refer to incentives which are in direct monetary form.
2. Non-financial incentives mainly focus on psychological, social and emotional
needs.

Sno Financial incentives types Non-financial incentives types

1 Pay and allowances Status
2 Productivity linked wage incentives Organisational Climate
3 Bonus Career Advancement Opportunity
4 Profit Sharing Job Enrichment
5 Co-partnership/ Stock option Employee Recognition programmes
6 Retirement Benefits Job security
7 Perquisites Employee participation
8 Employee Empowerment
 8) What do you understand by leadership? State its features and
importance.

Ans. Leadership meaning -

Leadership is the process of influencing the behaviour of people in such a way that
they voluntarily work towards the achievement of organizational objectives.
Features of Leadership Importance of Leadership
 It is the ability of an individual to  It influences people's behaviour to
influence others. have a positive attitude.
 It tries to transform the behaviour  It provides opportunities to
of the subordinates. subordinates to fulfil their needs and
 It indicates interpersonal wants and build confidence.
relationship between leader and  It helps employees in understanding
followers. the need for changes and
 It is exercised to achieve introduction of changes smoothly.
organizational goals.  It clarifies and eliminates conflicts
 It is a continuous process. effectively through healthy
discussions.
 It trains and develops employees to
handle managerial work.

9) What are the qualities of a good leader? How will you summarize the
qualities?

Ans. Qualities of a Good Leader are as follows -

i. Physical features: Should be fit and presentable with positive energy.
ii. Knowledge: Should have required knowledge and competence.
iii. Integrity: Must possess a high level of integrity and honesty.
iv. Initiative: Should grab opportunity and use it to the advantage of organization.
v. Communication skills: Must possess skill to communicate and convince people
effectively.
vi. Motivation skills: Should motivate the individuals to improve their performance.
vii. Self-confidence: Should have a high level of confidence to handle difficult
situations.
viii. Decisiveness: Should be decisive and remain firm on decisions.
ix. Social skills: Should be social and friendly with his colleagues and subordinates.

10) State the leadership styles. Define all the leadership styles used in
directing.

Ans. Styles of Leadership

Leadership styles refer to a leader’s behaviour. Behavioural pattern which the leader
reflects in his role as a leader is often described as the style of leadership.
Different types of leadership style are:
1. Autocratic leadership
2. Participative leadership/Democratic
3. Free rein leadership/Laissez Faire

l. Autocratic or Authoritarian Leader

Characteristics are

 Centralized authority
 Single-man decision
 Wrong belief regarding employees
 Only downward communication

2. Democratic or Participative Leader

Characteristics are

 Cooperative relations
 Belief in employees
 Open communication

3. Laissez Faire or Free Rein Leader

Characteristics are

 Full faith in subordinate

 Independent decision-making system
 Decentralization of Authority
 Self-directed, supervisory and controlled.
Difference between -

11) What do you mean by communication? How communication as an

element of directing is important in any organization?

Ans. Communication meaning -

 Communication is understood as a process of exchange of ideas, views, facts,
feelings etc. It is transfer of information from the sender to the receiver.
Communication plays key role in the success of a manager.
 Communication is important for the directing function because all other elements
of directing become possible only when there is adequate communication.

Importance of Communication are as follows -

1. Basis of coordination:
2. Smooth working of an enterprise
3. Basis of decision making
4. Increases managerial efficiency
5. Cooperation and industrial peace
 6. Effective leadership
7. Boosts morale and provides motivation

12) What are the elements of communication?

Ans.

Elements of Communication Process are as follows – (in series)

1. Sender: The person who conveys his thoughts or ideas.
2. Message: Content intended to be communicated.
3. Encoding: Process of converting message into communication.
4. Media: Path through which an encoded message is transmitted to the receiver.
5. Decoding: It is the process of converting the encoded message in a readable
format.
6. Receiver: The person who receives a communication message from the sender.
7. Feedback: It refers to the information or suggestions provided by the receiver to
the sender in context to the communication or message he received.
8. Noise: The hindrances and obstruction to communication.

13) What do you mean by formal communication. Define its different

networks.

Ans. Formal communication meaning -

 It flows through official channels designed in the organization chart to communicate
official information between employees.
 Formal communication is classified as:
a. Vertical communication: It is the formal two-way communication between superior
and subordinate and the communication flows upward or downward.
b. Horizontal communication: It is the formal two-way communication between
employees working at the same level of authority.

Formal Communication Networks

 Single chain: Communication flows from superior to his immediate subordinate.
 Wheel: Superior acts as a hub of information and all subordinates communicate
through the superior only.
 Circular: Employees communicate with his or her adjoining people.
 Free flow: All employees are free to communicate with each other without any
restrictions.
 Inverted V: An employee communicates with his or her immediate superior but
may also communicate with his/her superior’s superior.
 14) What do you mean by Informal communication. Define its different
networks.

Ans. Informal communication meaning -

 Communication between employees who are not officially related to each other
is called informal communication, this type of communication may flow in any
direction thus it is also called 'grapevine'.
 The informal communication spreads information rapidly and sometimes
generates rumours.

Grapevine Network
Grapevine communication, also known as informal communication, is a
communication that develops as a result of social interaction among employees and
spreads without following the formal communication path.

Grapevine/informal communication networks are as follows.

 Single Strand Network: An employee communicates with other employees in
sequence.
 Gossip Network: One person spreads information to a large number of people. Such
as gossip about the new employee who recently joined the organization etc.
 Probability Network: An individual shares information with other people at random.
That is, the individual is unconcerned about who he shares the information with.
 Cluster Network: Information in this network is first shared between two people
who trust each other. One of them then passes the information on to another, who
then passes it on to another, and so the information spreads

15) Difference between Formal and Informal Communication.

Basis Formal Communication Informal communication

Between individuals and groups

1. Meaning Follows the official chain of command.
are not officially recognized.

2. Channel Through a definite path. No definite path.

Slow: because all information has to

Very fast-Cuts across all the
3. Speed pass through an established scalar
official channels.
chain.

Flexible and varies from

4. Nature More rigid and cannot be modified.
individual to individual.

It is mostly expressed in the written

5. Expression It mostly tends to be oral.
form.

16) What are the barriers to communication which makes directing

ineffective.
Ans. Barriers to Communication – there are four barriers to communication.

A. Semantic Barriers: B. Psychological Barriers:

Problems and obstructions in the Sender or receiver's state of mind may

encoding and decoding of messages into influence the meaning of the message.
words or impressions. Reasons of psychological barriers are:
Reasons of semantic barriers are:  Premature evaluation
 Badly expressed message  Lack of attention
 Symbols with different meanings  Loss by transmission and poor
 Faulty translations retention
 Unclarified assumptions  Distrust
 Technical jargon
 Body language and gesture
decoding

C. Organizational Barriers: D. Personal Barriers:

Organizational authority relationships, These barriers arise due to the personal

rules and regulations, may result in factors on the part of both, the sender
communication barriers. Reasons of and the receiver which may affect
organizational barriers are: effective communication. Reasons of
 Organizational policy personal barriers are:
 Rules and regulations  Fear of challenge to authority
 Status  Lack of confidence of superior on
 Complexity in organizational his subordinates
structure  Unwillingness to communicate
 Organizational facilities  Lack of proper incentives

17) How can we improve communication in an organization? What are the

measures to improve communication effectiveness.
Ans. Measures to Improve Communication Effectiveness are as follows –

1) Clarify the ideas before communication

2) Communicate according to the needs of the receiver
3) Consult others before communicating
4) Be aware of languages, tone and content of message
5) Convey things of help and value to listeners
6) Communicate for present as well as future
7) Follow ups
8) Be a good listener