Question: 1) “The managers most basic responsibility is to focus

people towards performance of work activities to achieve desired

outcomes.” What’s your interpretation of this statement? Do you
agree with this statement? Why or why not? Explain with
reference to the article provided.

Answer: I agree to this statement, manager’s basic responsibility

is to focus towards the performance of work activities to achieve
the desired outcomes. It is very necessary and the utmost
responsibility of the manager to see ant to keep a check if his
workers are focused and motivated towards achieving the desired
results. As we know that workers if satisfied are loyal and sincere
towards whatever they are doing for the organization but if the
workers have grudges with the managers or are not satisfied they
won’t come up with something extraordinary. Just like Indara
Nooyi the present CEO of the Pepsi Co. she also thinks that
retaining people with great knowledge and skills showing better
performance is not easy in today’s world. But when you give your
team the set of objectives and goals that your organization is
planning to achieve and show that them your faith in them,
motivate them, they’ll do wonders. Indara also tries to do the
same for her team members. She remembers their birthdays and
celebrates it with a cake. She invites her team members for
dinner with their spouses. She tries to involve every member in all
kind of organizational activities which boosts up the motivational
level of the members. Talking to the members of their team al all
levels, coordination with them personally also rises the morale of
the employees which is very important to achieve the
organizational goals.

Question: 2) What management roles is Nooyi playing as she is

working with her team around the globe? How’s she managing to
keep employees focused on the company’s commitments to it’s
customers.
Answer: Pepsi Co is a word renowned beverage brand. And
thanks to Indara the CEO of Pepsi Co. who made it a global
brand as running a global business in U.S is not quite possible.
Nooyi is playing the management roles quite well. The inter
personal roles which is about dealing with people inside and
outside the org and performing the symbolic and ceremonial
activities on the regular basis. She acts as a figurehead who
performs a number of duties which are legal and social in nature.
She also plays the role of a leader who motivates, trains her
employees. Is also responsible for staffing of workers. And as a
liaison who has a web of contacts outside the organization who
keeps her informed provides favor s to her.
She also performs the informational roles where is receives the
information, collects it and disseminates it to the people inside
the organization. She monitors the affairs of the organization,
collects the information from outside the organization or from the
subordinates to the members of the organization and as a
spokesperson transmits the information , plans and policies
outside the organization. As a CEO she also plays the effective
decisional roles which is about making the best choices. As a
disturbance handler she looks after the disturbances which are
unexpected ant not welcomed. She tries to allocate the
organizational resources in such a way that all the activities are
performed well. She is also responsible for major negotiations
outside the organization as a representative of the organization.
All the above roles gives us the idea that she is a good manager
who is well aware of the fact s that how to keep her employees
focused towards the company’s commitments to their customers.
One has to show faith and trust in their employees. Nooyi always
welcomes her team members in all kinds of discussions weather it
be finding a solution to any problem or any small regular
discussions. She also motivates them by them treats, inviting the,
over for dinner, meeting them individually etc. Besides that she
also tries to improve the quality of the products in such a way that
the customers stay connected with the brand, for eg: she brought
in a health innovation by introducing healthier products which
made health conscious people get more attracted towards those
products. She proved to be visionary and analytical and
innovative which makes her employees stay focused towards
their commitments and customers.
Question: 3) Is Nooyi in your opinion a manager? Discuss in
terms of managerial functions, managerial roles and skills.
Answer: Yes in my opinion Nooyi is a very good manager who
focuses more on improving the standards of the products, keeps
high hopes for the betterment of the Pepsi Co. If wee look at the
managing functions which includes planning that is defining the
organizational goals, establishing strategies and sub plans to
achieve those goals. Then the organizing function which involves
the determining of task, distributing it, telling the team members
how to accomplish the task etc. then comes the leading function
which is motivating the employees and resolving their conflicts if
they arise. And lastly, the controlling function that is monitoring
the activities to make sure that they have been performed as they
were suppose to be done and as they were planned. They
compare the results, decide what needs to be done to improve
the results etc.
Nooyi is performing all the managerial functions very well. Plans
what goals are to be achieved, organizes how to achieve those
goals, acts as a leader, motivates her subordinates and team
members and monitors the activities and ensures that the work is
being done as per the plan.
Now if we look at the management roles that Nooyi is playing.
Firstly the interpersonal roles that involves the people within and
outside the organization. Nooyi is acts as a figurehead who
performs their duties which are legal and social in nature. She is
also a leader who is responsible for training and staffing their
employees and also as a liaison who maintains a self developed
network and contacts, who provide favors and information. She
also plays the informational role. That is receiving, collecting and
disseminating the information. She plays this role as a monitor
who seeks and receives a wide variety of information to
understand the organization and the environment. And also as a
disseminator who transforms the information to the subordinates
and members and as a spokesperson who transmits the
information outside the organization. Nooyi also plays a decisional
role which is about making the right choices for the organization.
She works as an entrepreneur who searches inside and outside
the organization and the environment for the better opportunities
to bring changes. She also works as a disturbance handler and
resource allocator who faces the unexpected disturbances and
takes measures to correct it and is responsible for allocating
organizational resources at the correct place. And lastly as a very
good negotiator, she is the representative of the organization.
Now if we look at the management skills which Nooyi posses
includes the technical skills, human skills and conceptual skills.
She coordinates with all the employees herself which tells us that
her knowledge and proficiency in specialized fields are
developed. She also has the good human skills as she has the
ability to work well with people both individually and in group, she
communicates well whatever she wants to say, motivates her
employees and develops enthusiasm within them. And off course
as a CEO she is responsible to take all the decisions,
conceptualize the complex and abstract situations. After
discussing all the roles, functions and the skills we can prove that
Indara Nooyi is a very good manager.