Instructions

Answer the following questions on the basis of information given in the following situation.

Satyender heads a branch of a Micro-Finance company. The company provides small-size loans catering to rural households. As the head of the branch, he supervises three collection officers - Palani, Sayed, and Godwin. Palani was recently transferred by the company from another branch.

Question 1

Sayed feared Palani's transfer may pull down the performance of the branch, as he felt Palani was transferred due to his poor performance in the previous branch.

Which of the following information will most likely assuage Sayed's fear?

Solution

We cannot predict the future performance using the past records. Therefore, any option that stresses on the track record to allay the fear can be eliminated.

Options A, B, C, and D use the past performance as a tool to assert that the person will perform well. Therefore, we can eliminate these options. Only option E states that Sayed has an option to exclude the new joinee's performance. Even if Palani fails to perform, Sayed will not have to bear the brunt for the same. Therefore, option E will encourage Sayed to provide Palani with a chance and hence, option E is the right answer.

Question 2

Three months later, Palani submitted local travel bills to Satyender for reimbursement. Satyender realized that the bill amount was 30% higher than expected.

Which of the following options, if true, will enable Satyender take a decision that shall set a precedent, which is least likely to be misused in the future?

Solution

Option A provides a justification why Palani's expenses are on a higher side. Also, the other options involve a level of subjectivity. The truth in the claims cannot be verified in the other options and hence, a decision cannot be arrived. Option A talks about a quantifiable reason and hence, Satyendar can make a decision. Therefore, option A is the right answer.

Question 3

Satyender is allocating territories to his subordinates for the coming financial year. So far, Palani's performance has been poor and this allocation will decide his future in the organization.

Which of the following information will be the least useful to Satyender in taking a fair allocation decision?

Solution

To make a decision, there must be a factor that encourages/discourages the distribution of territories to his subordinates.

Options A shows that Sayed has been a good performer, and can be allotted a fair share of the territories. Option B shows that Sayed is in a tight spot, and hence can be allowed to focus more on his territory and not assign him significantly more territories.

Similarly, Options D and E provide info as to how the performance of Godwin has been. They would help Satyender to decide to assign more territories or fewer territories according to the performance of Godwin over the past years.

Note that C provides no such factor of consideration. It merely states that there is a new territory that faces stiff competition. What about the other territories, what should be their distribution? Even we are unsure about this territory. Let us say Palani's performance is poor. But should this territory be assigned to Godwin or Sayed, who is a better performer? Hence, C does not lead us anywhere.

Instructions

Madhuri Apte, a busy professional, rents out her studio apartment located in South Mumbai. Since she stays three hours away from the studio apartment, she uses a networked digital lock to monitor the property remotely. Each customer gets a temporary and unique access code for the digital lock that enables them to enter the studio apartment for the duration of stay. The apartment’s entrance door can also be opened with physical keys and Madhuri Apte has two such keys in her possession.

Madhuri Apte has employed a cleaner who has a permanent access code to enter the apartment for cleaning every day. She is available only between 15:00 hrs and 17:00 hrs.

Madhuri Apte’s apartment caters largely to international customers. A customer typically stays for 3 days, paying an average rent of $125 per day.

Question 4

While Madhuri Apte's studio apartment gets good feedback on other aspects, many seem unhappy as they found the operation of the digital lock complicated.

Which of the following options is the best for Madhuri Apte in this context?

Solution

Switching to physical lock will be a retrograde step. Digital lock provides Madhuri with an option to monitor her apartment remotely and a physical lock will not allow her to do the same. Therefore, we can eliminate option A.

We can eliminate option B too since it suffers from the same flaw as option A.

It has been given that the cleaner will be available only for a limited period every day. Therefore, the cleaner cannot be asked to explain the working of digital lock and hence, we can eliminate option C as well.

Madhuri cannot afford to be indifferent. Doing so will result in unsatisfied customers. Therefore, we can eliminate option D as well.

Option E states that Madhuri should educate her customers using a video on how to operate the digital lock. Releasing such a tutorial will ensure that the grievance of the customers get redressed. Also, Madhuri can continue using the digital lock as well. Therefore, option E is the right answer.

Question 5

Madhuri's apartment received good feedback from the guests, except with respect to the operation of the digital lock. She decided to leave a spare physical key in the house for her guests. Recently some of the guests had forgotten to leave the key behind during checkout. Making a spare key will cost $500 and will take about 10 days to arrive. She was confused if she should continue leaving the spare key and was looking for a way out.

Which of the following would be the best way out for her?

Solution

Option A is limiting the choices, not the best solution in this case.

Option B is incorrect as it increases operational effort for Madhuri.

Option C is ruled out as cleaner cannot stay whenever guests leave the apartment.

Option D is not an effective solution as customers may still not leave their keys behind despite the polite reminders given to the customers.

Option E addresses the concerns that customers don't leave the keys behind, as well gave an option to recover a portion of the cost, if such incidents still occur.

Option E is correct.

Sayed feared Palani's transfer may pull down the performance of the branch, as he felt Palani was transferred due to his poor performance in the previous branch. Which of the following information will most likely assuage Sayed's fear?

While Madhuri Apte's studio apartment gets good feedback on other aspects, many seem unhappy as they found the operation of the digital lock complicated. Which of the following options is the best for Madhuri Apte in this context?

Sayed feared Palani's transfer may pull down the performance of the branch, as he felt Palani was transferred due to his poor performance in the previous branch.

Which of the following information will most likely assuage Sayed's fear?

While Madhuri Apte's studio apartment gets good feedback on other aspects, many seem unhappy as they found the operation of the digital lock complicated.

Which of the following options is the best for Madhuri Apte in this context?