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91.
Om Chowdhury was one of the supervisors in the Fire and safety (F&S) department of Maqsood Textile Mills. He was distant cousin to Mr. Bhiwani, General Manager (Personal & Administration). Personal & administration department was given the responsibility of all personnel related decisions. It was often rumored that Om had obtained the job due to his cousin's influence. However, Om was meticulous in the performance of his duties and didn't give anyone reason for complaint. It was known that Om was not much given to talking and kept to himself and to his duties.
All F&S supervisors reported to Mr. Rabindra, the shop-floor manager. The mill operated on a three-shift basis and Rabindra allocated the supervisors to different shifts. They were required to be present at all times during the shift operation and carry out scheduled checks on of machinery and fire fighting equipments. For some reasons, Om was allocated the night shifts more often than other supervisors. Om accepted these allocations without any objection, while it was known that other supervisors would often plead and bargain with Rabindra to be allocated the day shifts. During the night shift, keeping awake and remaining mentally alert were some of the major challenges face by the supervisors.
Of late, Rabindra observed signs of indifference from Om. On two occasions he found Om absent from his cabin. Rabindra heard from others that Om was often found in different part of shop floor employees. Rabindra called him to his office and reminded Om office responsibilities. Om did not counter Rabindra. He promised that he would not be lax in his duties again Rabindra also broached the subject with Mr. Bhiwani. Mr. Bhiwani called Om to his office and talked on a very personal basis. He reminded Om that their family relations made it uncomfortable to all concerned. Om nodded and agreed to do better. Soon his performance became that of a model supervisor. It was often found he went beyond his official duties to sort out problems of employees.
After three month later, Rabindra happened to visit the plan during night. As he looked into F&S office, he found Om playing solitaries on the office computer. Mr. Rabindra immediately fired Om.
The next morning Mr. Bhiwani called Mr. Rabindra and asked how he can fire an employee. He suggested that Mr. Rabindra reconsider Om's dismissal. “This decision has already been made. There will be no turning back” replied Rabindra.
[1] The options below give combinations of possible root cause of the problem and the justifications thereof. Given the details in the case, which one can be inferred to be the best option?
A. Hiring of Om. Reason: That ensured Om was perpetually casual towards his duties.
B. Om favouring to work during night shift. Reason: Absence of Rabindra ensured that Om could relax.
C. Rabindra's bias against Om. Reason: Rabindra had been assigning too many night shifts to Om while for other supervisors he was lenient.
D. Rabindra jumping to conclusions. Reason: He should have investigated whether Om had carried out his duties.
E. Rabindra's firing of Om. Reason: It led to clash between Rabindra and Mr. Bhiwani.[2] The details of the entire episode have become common knowledge among all the employees of the company. Out of options below, which one presents the best way for the top management to resolve the issue so as to benefit the organization as a whole?
A. Revoke Rabindra's order. It can be communicated to others that firing was too severe a punishment for such a small incident of indiscipline.
B. Ask Om for clarification. It can be communicated that since Om had clarified regarding his duties, the order has been taken back.
C. Declare Rabindra's order as void. Reiterate officially the disciplinary processes that need to be followed by managers along with their scope of authority.
D. Ask feedback from other employees on the shop-floor regarding Om's performance. This can be used to revoke Rabindra's order.
E. Take the feedback of other F&S supervisors as to the work involved during night shift. This would better explain Om's behaviour.[3] Out of options below, which one best summarizes the learning from solitaire incident?
A. Managers often do not take any responsibility towards training juniors.
B. People tend to become relaxed during night shift and required surprise checks to keep them on their toes.
C. Certain roles would have different ways of carrying out their duties.
D. Having relatives in the same organization can be a source of potential problems.
E. Managers tend to allocate silent people to different positions.[4] Of the options below, which could have been a better response from Mr. Ravindra when he saw Om playing?
A. He should have clarified about his authority to fire employees.
B. He should have informed Mr. Bhiwani about the incident and asked him to take necessary action.
C. He should have asked the employees of the shift regarding Om‟s performance of his duties.
D. He should have checked if Om had done his duties or not.
E. He should have checked the production levels in the shift to see if he was as required.asked in XAT
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92.
Demography of organisations, also called population ecology is an interesting field. It proposes that organisational mortality processes depend upon the age and size of the organisation, as well as on characteristics of populations and environments. Moreover, there is evidence of an imprinting process - meaning that environmental conditions at certain early phases in an organisation's development have long-term consequences. In particular, organisations subject to intense competition have elevated mortality hazards at all ages. A central theme is structural inertia, the tendency for organisations to respond slowly relative to the speed of environmental change. A central argument holds that the inertia derives from the very characteristics that make organisations favoured actors in modern society in terms of reliability and (formal) accountability. It follows that changes in an organisation's core features are disruptive and increase mortality hazards, at least in the short-run. Research on this subject tends to support this view. The concept of niche provides a framework of relative environmental variations and competition to population dynamics and segmentation. Much empirical work examines the niches of organisational populations in terms of dimensions of social, political, and economic environments. Most research in this field builds on theories of resource partition and of density dependence. Resourcepartitioning theory concerns the relationship between increasing market concentration and increasing proliferation of specialists in mature industries. The key implication of this theory concerns the effects of concentration on the viability of specialist organisations (those that seek to exploit a narrow range of resources). The theory of density-dependent organisational evolution synthesizes ecological and institutional processes. It holds that growth in the number of organisations in a population (density) drives processes of social legitimatization and competition that, in turn, shape the vital rates.
[1] Most top-notch business consultants recommended changing the entire configuration of an organisation's strategy, structure and systems. If the ideas contained in the passage are agreed to, then such a recommendation:
A. tends to rejuvenate the organisation.
B. tends to make the organisation more aligned to the external environment.
C. tends to increase the competitiveness of the organisation by redefining its core competence.
D. tends to increase the vulnerability of the organisation.
E. tends to make the organisation industry leader by reformulating its niche.[2] Consider the following: “Tata Steel, one of the biggest steel makers in the world, was born in Jamshedpur.” If above passage is true, then it can be concluded that location of Tata Steel has been one of the reasons for its success.
1. The conclusion is false.
2. This is a farfetched conclusion.
3. This is valid conclusion.
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. 3 only
D. 1 and 2
E. 2 and 3[3] “Tata Steel, one of the biggest steel makers in the world, was born in Jamshedpur. The very
success of Tata Steel could lead to its failure in the future and hence the challenge for Tata
Steel is to recognise its strengths that make it successful in initial conditions and stick to
them.”
1. This is a valid conclusion.
2. The conclusion is contrary to the ideas described in the passage.
3. The conclusion is an internally contradictory.
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. 3 only
D. 1 and 2
E. 2 and 3[4] Recently it was reported that Indian textile sector was not doing well. If the ideas contained in the passage are agreed to, then which of the following could be possible reason(s)?
1. All Indian firms are as old as international firms.
2. Indian textile firms are dispersed all over the country, with most of them also having
international presence.
3. Textile firms in India were subjected to trade union activity in the period from 1960s to 1980s.
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 1 and 2
E. 1, 2 and 3asked in XAT
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93.
The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, also known as the linguistic relativity hypothesis, refers to the proposal that the particular language one speaks influences the way one thinks about reality. The linguistic relativity hypothesis focuses on structural differences among natural languages such as Hopi, Chinese, and English, and asks whether the classifications of reality implicit in such structures affect our thinking about reality. Analytically, linguistic relativity as an issue stands between two others: a semiotic-level concerns with how speaking any natural language whatsoever might influence the general potential for human thinking (i.e., the general role of natural language in the evolution or development of human intellectual functioning), and a functional- or discourse-level concern with how using any given language code in a particular way might influence thinking (i.e., the impact of special discursive practices such as schooling and literacy on formal thought). Although analytically distinct, the three issues are intimately related in both theory and practice. For example, claims about linguistic relativity depend on understanding the general psychological mechanisms linking language to thinking, and on understanding the diverse uses of speech in discourse to accomplish acts of descriptive reference. Hence, the relation of particular linguistic structures to patterns of thinking forms only one part of the broader ray of questions about the significance of language for thought. Proposals of linguistic relativity necessarily develop two linked claims among the key terms of the hypothesis (i.e., language, thought, and reality). First, languages differ significantly in their interpretations of experienced reality- both what they select for representation and how they arrange it. Second, language interpretations have influences on thought about reality more generally- whether at the individual or cultural level. Claims for linguistic relativity thus require both articulating the contrasting interpretations of reality latent in the structures of different languages, and accessing their broader influences on, or relationships to, the cognitive interpretation of reality.
[1] Which of the following conclusions can be derived based on Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?
A. Americans and Indians would have similar intelligence.
B. South Indians and North Indians would have similar intelligence.
C. Those with same intelligence would speak the same language.
D. Those with similar intelligence may speak the same language.
E. Structure of language does not affect cognition.[2] If Sapir-Whorf hypothesis were to be true, which of the following conclusions would logically follow?
1. To develop vernacular languages, government should promote public debates and discourses.
2. Promote vernacular languages as medium of instruction in schools.
3. Cognitive and cultural realities are related.
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. 3 only
D. 1 and 2
E. 1, 2 and 3[3] Which of the following proverbs may be false, if above passage were to be right?
1. If speech is silver, silence is gold.
2. When you have spoken a word, it reigns over you. When it is unspoken you reign over it.
3. Speech of yourself ought to be seldom and well chosen.
A. 1 and 2
B. 2 and 3
C. 3 only
D. 1 only
E. 1, 2 and 3asked in XAT
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94.
The greens' success has clear policy implications, especially on issues of nuclear power, ecological tax reform, and citizenship rights. But success also has implications for parties themselves. Greens have always faced a unique "strategic conundrum‟ arising from their unique beliefs and movement roots. Put simply, how can they reconcile their radical alternative politics with participation in mainstream or "grey‟ parliamentary and government structures? Throughout the 1990s most parties shed their radical cloth in an attempt to capture votes, even at the expense of party unity and purity. Most were rewarded with electoral success well beyond what had been imaginable in the 1980s. The price to pay has been tortured internal debates about strategy, and new questions about green party identity and purpose. Today the key questions facing green parties revolve around not whether to embrace power, but what to do with it. More specifically, green parties face three new challenges in the new millennium: first, how to carve out a policy niche as established parties and governments become wiser to green demands, and as green concerns themselves appear more mainstream. Second, how to make green ideas beyond the confines of rich industrialised states into Eastern Europe and the developing world where green parties remain marginal and environmental problems acute. Third, how to ensure that the broader role of green parties- as consciousness raisers, agitators, conscience of parliament and politics- is not sacrificed on the altar of electoral success. Green parties have come a long way since their emergence and development in the 1970s and 1980s. They have become established players able to shape party competition, government formation, and government policy. But this very „establishment‟ carries risk for a party whose core values and identities depend mightily on their ability to challenge the conventional order, to agitate and to annoy. For most green parties, the greatest fear is not electoral decline so much as the prospect of becoming a party with parliamentary platform, ministerial voice, but nothing to say.
[1] Which out of the following is closest in meaning to the first three challenges mentioned in the paragraph?
A. Niche of green parties is being eroded by mainstream parties.
B. Green parties are finding it difficult to find new strategy.
C. Green parties have become stronger over a period of time.
D. Some green parties are becoming grey.
E. Non green parties are becoming less relevant than green parties.[2] Which of the following is the most important point that author highlights?
A. Challenges before green parties to change their strategy from green activism to green
governance.
B. How should green parties win confidence and support of governments?
C. Transformation of green parties in recent decades.
D. Green movement is not strong in developing countries.
E. Non green parties are becoming less relevant than green parties.[3] How best can mainstream political parties, in India, keep green parties at bay?
A. By imposing a green tax.
B. By allowing carbon trading.
C. By including green agenda in their governance.
D. By hiring Al Gore, the Nobel prize winner, as an ambassador.
E. By not letting green parties fight elections.asked in XAT
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95.
In Hume‟s eyes productive labour was the greatest asset of a country, and foreign trade was valuable because it enabled a nation to use more and more varied labour than would otherwise be possible. But commerce was of mutual advantage to the nations involved, not a benefit to one and injury to other. “The increase of riches and commerce in any one nation,” added Hume, “instead of hurting, commonly, promotes the riches and commerce of all its neighbours.” “The emulation in rival nations serves ... to keep industry alive in all of them.”
[1] The importance of foreign trade, in eyes of Hume, was due to that:
A. it allowed the employment of surplus labour in a nation.
B. it allowed the diversion of labour to export oriented industries.
C. it allowed the deeper specialisation of the same labour force.
D. it allowed varied application of labour force in a nation.
E. it allowed application of varied labour force in a nation.[2] As per Hume, free trade between nations was made advantageous by the outcome of:
A. mutual increases in riches and commerce.
B. emulation of industrial activity by different nations.
C. affable promotion of industrial activity among nations.
D. productive employment of labour in different nations.
E. higher wages received by labour in exporting nations.asked in XAT
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96.
India is renowned for its diversity. Dissimilitude abounds in every sphere - from the physical elements of its land and people to the intangible workings of its beliefs and practices. Indeed, given this variety, India itself appears to be not a single entity but an amalgamation, a “constructs” arising from the conjoining of innumerable, discrete parts. Modem scholarship has, quite properly, tended to explore these elements in isolation. (In part, this trend represents the conscious reversal of the stance taken by an earlier generation of scholars whose work reified India into a monolithic entity - a critical element in the much maligned “Orientalist” enterprise.) Nonetheless, the representation of India as a singular “Whole” is not an entirely capricious enterprise; for India is an identifiable entity, united by - if not born out of - certain deep and pervasive structures. Thus, for example, the Hindu tradition has long maintained a body of mythology that weaves the disparate temples, gods, even geographic landscapes that exist throughout the subcontinent into a unified, albeit syncretic, whole.
In the realm of thought, there is no more pervasive, unifying structure than karma. It is the “doctrine” or “law” that ties actions to results and creates a determinant link between an individual’s status in this life and his or her fate in future lives. Following what is considered to be its appearances in the Upanishads, the doctrine reaches into nearly every corner of Hindu thought. Indeed, its dominance is such in the Hindu world view that karma encompasses, at the same time, life-affirming and life-negating functions; for just as it defines the world in terms of the “positive” function of delineating a doctrine of rewards and punishments, so too it defines the world through its “negative” representation of action as an all but inescapable trap, an unremitting cycle of death and rebirth.
Despite - or perhaps because of - karma’s ubiquity, the doctrine is not easily defined. Wendy Doniger O’Flaherty reports of a scholarly conference devoted to the study of karma that although the participants admitted to a general sense of the doctrine’s parameters, considerable time was in a “lively but ultimately vain attempt to define…karma and rebirth”. The base meaning of the term “karma” (or, more precisely, in its Sanskrit stem form, karman a neuter substantive) is “action”. As a doctrine, karma encompasses a number of quasi-independent concepts: rebirth (punarjanam), consequence (phala, literally “fruit,” a term that suggests the “ripening” of actions into consequences), and the valuation or “ethic-ization” of acts, qualifying them as either “good” (punya or sukarman) or “bad” (papam or duskarman).
In a general way, however, for at least the past two thousand years, the following (from the well known text, the Bhagavata Parana) has held true as representing the principal elements of the karma doctrine: “The same person enjoys the fruit of the same sinful or a meritorious act in the next world in the same manner and to the same extent according to the manner and extent, to which that (sinful or meritorious) act has been done by him in this world.” Nevertheless, depending on the doctrine’s context, which itself ranges from its appearance in a vast number of literary sources to its usage on the popular level, not all these elements may be present (though in a general way they may be implicit).
[1] The orientalist perspective, according to the author:
(A) Viewed India as a country of diversity.
(B) Viewed India as if it was a single and unitary entity devoid of diversity.
(C) Viewed India both as single and diverse entity.
(D) Viewed India as land of karma.
(E) Viewed India in the entirety.[2] “Reify” in the passage means:
(A) To make real out of abstract
(B) Reversal of stance
(C) Unitary whole
(D) Diversity
(E) Unity in diversity[3] “Ethic-ization” in the passage means
(A) Process of making something ethical
(B) Converting unethical persons into ethical
(C) Judging and evaluation
(D) Teaching ethics
(E) None of the above[4] Consider the following statements:
1. Meaning of karma is contextual.
2. Meaning of karma is not unanimous.
3. Meaning of karma includes many other quasi-independent concepts.
4. Karma also means actions and their rewards.
Which of the statements are true?
(A) 1,2,3
(B) 2,3,4
(C) 1,3,4
(D) None of the above
(E) All the four are true[5] The base meaning of karma is:
(A) reward and punishment.
(B) only those actions which yield a “phala”.
(C) any action.
(D) ripening of actions into consequences.
(E) None of the above.[6] As per the author, which of the following statements is wrong?
(A) India is a diverse country.
(B) Doctrine of karma runs across divergent Hindu thoughts.
(C) Doctrine of karma has a rich scholarly discourse
(D) Scholars could not resolve the meaning of karma
(E) Modern scholars have studied Hinduism as a syncretic whole.[7] Which of the following, if true, would be required for the concept of karma - as defined in Bhagavata Purana - to be made equally valid across different space-time combinations?
(A) Karma is judged based on the observers’ perception, and hence the observer is a necessary condition for its validity.
(B) Karma is an orientalist concept limited to oriental countries.
(C) Each epoch will have its own understanding of karma and therefore there can not be uniform validity of the concept of karma.
(D) The information of the past actions and the righteousness of each action would be embodied in the individual.
(E) Each space-time combination would have different norms of righteousness and their respective expert panels which will judge each action as per those norms.asked in XAT
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