Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow: Innovative Textiles Pvt. Ltd., run by two brothers Krishna and Rajan, is a Raipur based Chattisghari Silk Garment export company. It was set up in 2001 by Krishna, who has a deep knowledge of designing and manufacturing silk garments. Rajan joined the company in 2010 after completing his M.B.A. Krishna was responsible for designing and production of the garments and Rajan for sales and liaisoning with the foreign importers. Personnel management, however was jointly looked after by them. Since the inception of the company, Krishna had worked very hard to ensure its growth. He rewarded his committed workers and had even friendly relations with many such workers: However, he was intolerant to any carelessness, demand for salary hike or bonus demand; and would take no time in firing such workers even if they happened to be very expert and committed ones. Rajan, on the contrary, would never befriend his employees but would give them their due. He would attentively listen to their suggestions, demands and even criticism. He believes in setting high goals for his employees and getting them accomplished by rewarding and motivating them. In view of the increasing demand from the importers, Rajan wanted to reemploy many expert weavers fired by Krishna as to increase production and ensure quality, but it was a very tough task to convince Krishna. Though Krishna somehow agreed to take them back, yet he could not digest the move. He would often express his feelings by speaking sarcastically, bumping his hand on table, raising his eyebrows or getting sulk, which gradually made the atmosphere quite tense for the partners as well workers finally resulting in poor production. Rajan starts pondering over whether to continue with Krishna or to part with him, and set up a new company. However, in view of Krishna's expertise in the field of garments as well as his contribution to the company, Rajan decides to take a chance and negotiate a deal with Krishna. Accordingly, both of them decide to have fifty percent share each and Krishna is made in charge of designing and quality control. For production and personnel management they appoint a team of managers led by Vivek, an experienced M.B.A. Rajan confines himself to sales and liaisoning. Krishna feels satisfied with the deal, so does Rajan. The workers, under the leadership of Vivek, start working as a motivated and result oriented team. Why not so, apart from a congenial atmosphere now they have been assured performance cum profit based incentive in addition to their salary.
We can achieve work targets by
Achieving Work Targets Effectively
To achieve work targets successfully within any organization, a combination of strategies is typically employed. The given passage illustrates how different approaches to managing employees can impact productivity and the attainment of goals. The key methods identified that contribute to achieving work targets are motivation, reward/punishment, and monitoring.
Motivation for Work Targets
- Motivation is the process of inspiring people to act in order to achieve a goal. It creates a desire in employees to perform their best.
- In the passage, Rajan strongly believes in motivating his employees. He "believes in setting high goals for his employees and getting them accomplished by rewarding and motivating them."
- After the new arrangement, the workers were assured "performance cum profit based incentive in addition to their salary," which acted as a strong motivator, leading them to work as a "motivated and result oriented team."
- A congenial atmosphere, as established under Vivek's leadership, also contributes significantly to employee motivation.
Reward and Punishment for Performance
- Reward systems are used to recognize and reinforce desired behaviors and achievements. Rewards can be financial (like bonuses, incentives) or non-financial (like recognition, appreciation).
- Rajan’s approach was to "give them their due" and use rewards, such as the "performance cum profit based incentive," to encourage high performance.
- Punishment, on the other hand, is used to discourage undesirable behaviors. While effective in certain situations, excessive or arbitrary punishment can demotivate employees and create a tense environment.
- Krishna's management style initially involved punishment: he "was intolerant to any carelessness, demand for salary hike or bonus demand; and would take no time in firing such workers." While this ensures discipline, the passage shows it led to a "tense atmosphere" and "poor production."
- Both reward and punishment, when used appropriately, can influence employee behavior towards achieving work targets.
Monitoring Work Progress
- Monitoring involves observing and checking the progress of work to ensure that tasks are being completed according to plans and standards. It helps in identifying deviations and taking corrective actions.
- While not explicitly detailed as a separate management function in the initial stages, effective production and quality control, as well as personnel management, inherently require monitoring.
- After the restructuring, Krishna became "in charge of designing and quality control," and Vivek was appointed to lead "a team of managers" for "production and personnel management." These roles involve continuous monitoring to ensure that work targets are met and quality standards are maintained.
Conclusion: Achieving Work Targets Holistically
The passage highlights that a balanced approach incorporating motivation, reward, and monitoring is most effective for achieving work targets and fostering a positive work environment. Each element plays a crucial role:
- Motivation inspires employees to strive for goals.
- Reward and Punishment provide consequences for performance, guiding behavior.
- Monitoring ensures accountability and keeps work on track.
Therefore, all three elements—motivation, reward/punishment, and monitoring—are essential for achieving work targets effectively.
Important Questions from Passage Based Questions
Read the following passage and answer the questions based on it.
As climate change affects seasonal patterns, water management and distribution become important. Rainwater harvesting has become particularly important in urban areas these days. This process involves collecting and storing rainwater for later use. It recovers groundwater levels, prevents water wastage during the monsoon, reduces soil erosion and helps in the availability of drinking water. Above all, it promotes the method of water conservation.
This paragraph supports which of the following statements the most?
A. Climate change has adversely affected humanity.
B. Forests help maintain groundwater levels.
C. Rainwater harvesting is the need of the hour.
D. There are not enough water reserves for urban areas.
In this question, a passage is given followed by a statement. Read the passage carefully and judge the statement based on the given passage.
China evolved a national working strategy to fight pollution. Under this, they placed a number of restrictions on the use of coal. Thermal power stations were shut down and people were not allowed to burn coal even for household consumption. Also, apart from creating norms for vehicular emissions, a number of precautionary measures that could keep air pollution in check were put in place. For the record, 1,37,000 people in China lost their lives because of PM 2.5 vehicular emissions just this year.
While it is true that Beijing’s air quality has improved, the government is far from achieving its targets. The Chinese government has acknowledged that pollution has not reduced to the extent that it was targeting in as many as 231 out of 338 Chinese cities. To overcome this, another three-year working strategy has been prepared.
Statement:
Thermal Power stations were shut down in China to fight pollution.
A - If the statement is definitely true.
B -If the statement is probably true.
C -If the statement cannot be determined.
D -If the statement is definitely false.
In this question, a passage is given followed by a statement. Read the passage carefully and judge the statement based on the given passage.
Farmers in Kerala have been facing great economic loss due to loss in life and reduction in milk yield due to Foot and mouth Disease every year. Besides this the State incurred large economic losses as a result of the inability to produce and ship processed animal products. It was estimated that the country is losing over Rs 4000 Crore annually due to FMD.Under these circumstances Government of Kerala took the stern decision to implement control of this dreaded disease in the State.
Since the State does not have the economic resources to implement such a large scale project on its own, it was decided to approach an external agency such as National Dairy Development Board to provide infrastructural and monetary support.Consequent to a series of discussions at Government level, NDDB agreed in principle to launch a joint venture programme to control Foot and Mouth Disease in the state.
Statement:
The state decide to approach an external agency to implement a large scale project of controlling FMD because the state wanted to give a chance to the external agencies.
Choose the appropriate one from the following options
A - If the statement is definitely true.
B -If the statement is probably true.
C -If the statement cannot be determined.
D -If the statement is definitely false.
In this question, a passage is given followed by a statement. Read the passage carefully and judge the statement based on the given passage.
For Binny Bansal, the end of his long run as co-founder of India’s most successful startup came Saturday when he began calling colleagues to say he was done. The 37-year-old was stunned that officials from Walmart Inc., his startup’s new owner, were probing details of an affair years earlier. An investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing. Nevertheless, a decade after he created e-commerce leader Flipkart, he was calling to say goodbye.
His ouster, announced Tuesday from Walmart’s hometown of Bentonville, Ark., left workers at Flipkart, half a world away in Bangalore, stunned and struggling to make sense of the cryptic explanation. They worried about Walmart’s motivations and wondered if other Flipkart leaders would exit.
Statement:
Flipkart is one of India's most successful startups.
Choose
A - If the statement is definitely true.
B -If the statement is probably true.
C -If the statement cannot be determined
D -If the statement is definitely false.
Which of the following inferences can be drawn from the above excerpt?
