Explain the importance of consumer protection from the point of view of a business.
A business must also lay emphasis of protecting the consumers and adequately satisfying them. This is important because of the following reasons:
1. Long-term Interest of Business: Customer is the foundation of business. Satisfied consumers not only bring repeated sales but also give positive feedback about the product, which help to increase the customer-base of business.
In order to satisfy and retain consumers for long-term, consumer protection is necessary. This facilities long-term profit maximisation of the firm.
2. Business Uses Society’s Resources: Business firms use resources that belong to the society such as manpower, mineral resources, capital, etc. Therefore, it is the responsibility of businesses to convert these resources into useful goods and services for the welfare of society.
3. Social Responsibility: Business organisation makes money by selling their products to consumers. It is the social responsibility of businessman to provide satisfaction to their customers and take care of their interests.
4. Moral Justification: Business exists to serve human beings. It is the moral duty of a businessman to serve their customers well and keep them away from exploitative and unfair trade practices.
Therefore, business must avoid unfair trade practices such as adulteration, misleading advertising, black-marketing, etc.
5. Government Intervention: If a business organisation is engaged in any form of exploitative trade practices, government would interfere and can tarnish the image of the company. Therefore, it is in the interest of business itself, to take care of consumer protection.
Mrs. Mathur sent a jacket to a laundry shop in January 2018. The jacket was purchased at a price of ₹4,500. She had previously sent the jacket for dry cleaning with Shine Dry Cleaners and the jacket was cleaned well. However, she noticed that her jacket had white discoloration marks when she collected the jacket this time. On informing the dry cleaner, Mrs. Mathur received a letter confirming that discolouration indeed appeared after the jacket was dry cleaned. She contacted the dry cleaner multiple times and requested for compensation for discoloured jacket but to no avail.
Upon Consumer court’s intervention, Shine Dry Cleaners agreed to compensate ₹2,500 to Mrs. Mathur for the discoloured jacket.
a. Which right was exercised by Mrs. Mathur at the first instance.
b. Name and explain the right which helped Mrs. Mathur to avail the compensation.
c. State which consumer responsibility has been fulfilled by Mrs. Mathur in the above case.
d. State any other two responsibilities to be assumed by the consumers.
Under which consumer right does a business firm set up consumer grievance cell?
Explain the redressal mechanism available to consumers under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) has made a proposal for hotels and other food outlets to declare the kind of oil/fat used in cooking each of the food items on their menus. Name and explain the Consumer Right being reinforced by this proposal.
Name the component of product mix that helps the consumer to exercise the right to information.
Who can file a complaint in a consumer court?
Which quality certification mark is used for agricultural products?
Enumerate the various Acts passed by the Government of India which help in protection of consumers’ interests.
State any two relief available to consumers under CPA.
What are various ways in which the objective of consumer protection can be achieved?
How does planning provide direction?
What is meant by staffing?
Identify the network of social relationships which arises spontaneously due to interaction at work.
What is informal communication?
State the meaning of controlling.
What is meant by capital structure?v
What is meant by management?
What is a Treasury Bill?
State any two advantages of branding to marketers of goods and services?
What makes principles of management flexible?
Give any two standards that can be used by a company to evaluate the performance of its Finance & Accounting department.
Why is it that organisations are not always able to accomplish all their objectives?
How would you characterize the business environment? Explain with examples, the difference between general and specific environment.
Ms. Jayshree recently completed her Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management. A few months from now a large steel manufacturing company appointed her as its human resource manager. As of now, the company employs 800 persons and has an expansion plan in hand which may require another 200 persons for various types of additional requirements. Ms. Jayshree has been given complete charge of the company’s Human Resource Department.
Questions
a. Point out, what functions is she supposed to perform?
b. What problems do you foresee in her job?
c. What steps is she going to take to perform her job efficiently?
d. How significant is her role in the organisation?
Write a short note on budgetary control as a technique of managerial control.
(Further information related to the above question 6) The management of company Bhasin Limited now realised its folly. In order to rectify the situation it appointed a management consultant -Mukti Consultants - to recommend a restructure plan to bring the company back on the rails. Mukti Consultants undertook a study of the production process at the plant of the company Bhasin Limited and recommended the following changes —
• The company should introduce scientific management with regard to production.
• Production Planning including routing, scheduling, dispatching and feedback should be implemented.
• In order to separate planning from operational management ’Functional foremanship’ should be introduced.
• ‘Work study’ should be undertaken to optimise the use of resources.
• ‘Standardisation’ of all activities should be implemented to increase efficiency and accountability.
• To motivate the workers ‘Differential Piece Rate System’ should be implemented.
(The above changes should be introduced apart from the steps recommended as an answer to Part c - case problem 6 above.) It was expected that the changes will bring about a radical transformation in the working of the company and it will regain its pristine glory.
a. Do you think that introduction of scientific management as recommended by M consultants will result in intended outcome?
b. What precautions should the company undertake to implement the changes?
c. Give your answer with regard to each technique separately as enunciated in points 1 through 6 in the case problem.
How does branding help in creating product differentiation? Does it help in marketing of goods and services? Explain.
State two important steps in the organizing process.
Discuss the various elements of the marketing mix.
What is the relevance of Fayol’s Principles in Modern Organizations?