CBSE Class 12

Business Studies
Previous Year Question Paper 2015
Series: SSO Set- 1
Code no. 66/1

● Please check that this question paper contains 16 printed pages.

● Code number given on the right hand side of the question paper should be
written on the title page of the answer book by the candidate.
● Please check that this question paper contains 25 questions.
● Please write down the serial number of the question before
attempting it.
● 15minutes has been allotted to read this question paper.The question
paper will be distributed from 10:15am to 10:30am,the students will read
the question paper only and will not write any answer on the script during
this period.

BUSINESS STUDIES

Time Allowed: 3 hours Maximum Mark: 100

General Instructions :
1. Answers to questions carrying 1 mark may be from one word to one
sentence.
2. Answers to questions carrying 3 marks may be from 50-75 words.
3. Answers to questions carrying 4-5 marks may be about 150 words.
4. Answers to questions carrying 6 marks may be about 200 words.

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 5. Attempt all parts of a question together.

1. What is meant by ‘Business Environment’? 1 Mark

Ans: Employees, customer needs and expectations, supply and demand,
management, clients, suppliers, owners, government activities, technological
innovation, social trends, market trends, economic changes, and so on are all part of
the business environment. These factors have an impact on how a company functions
and how it operates, either directly or indirectly. The sum of these factors influences
the environment and situation of the company or business
organisation.

2. Explain, how management helps in the development of society. 1 Mark

Ans: Management contributes to society's progress by manufacturing high-quality
commodities at reasonable rates, creating jobs, and adopting new technology to
improve society's living standards.

3. Give the meaning of ‘Objectives’ as a type of plan. 1 Mark

Ans: The organization's objectives, or aims, are the ends to which all of the
organization's activities are directed. As a result, goals or objectives are the outcomes
that the company strives for.

4. ‘Himalaya Ltd.’, is engaged in manufacturing of washing machines. The

target of the organisation is to manufacture 500 washing machines a day. There
is an occupational specialisation in the organisation which promotes efficiency
of employees. There is no duplication of efforts in such a type of organisation
structure.
Identify the type of organisation structure described above 1 Mark
Ans: The type of organisation structure described in the preceding scenario is
Functional structure.

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5. How does ‘cost of equity’ affect the choice of capital structure of a company?
Explain. 1 Mark
Ans: The cost of equity represents the company's financial risk. Shareholders
demand a larger return when the financial risk is higher. However, if the cost of stock
is excessive, the corporation may find it difficult to choose more equity

6. ‘Bharat Express’ specialises in Courier Services. Its ‘wide range of express

package and parcel services’ help business firms to make sure that the goods
are made available to the customers at the right place and at the right time.
State with reason, whether the working capital requirements of ‘Bharat
Express’ will be high or low. 1 Mark
Ans: Bharat Express's working capital requirements will be low because companies
that provide services have shorter operational cycles, i.e. they don't process anything.
As a result, they have a minimum capital requirement.

7. ‘Maruti Vega Ltd.’ entered into the market with coloured television and
have now introduced products like audio systems, air-conditioners washing
machines, etc. The company is not only offering the products but also handling
complaints and offering after-sales services.
Identify the element of marketing-mix discussed here. 1 Mark
Ans: The element of marketing mix used here is Product Mix.

8. Himanshu purchased a new car from ‘Galaxy Motors’ for Rs25 lakhs. He
was offered free insurance for the first year and three free servicing to be
availed after the car had covered 5,000 km, 10,000 km and 15,000 km
respectively. When Himanshu took the car for the first free servicing, he was
told that the car was not new and first service had already been availed on this
car. He felt cheated and filed a complaint in the State Commission. Being not
satisfied with the decision of the State Commission, after two months he decided
to file an appeal against it.

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Can Himanshu appeal against the decision of the State Commission ? Give
reason in support of your answer. 1 Mark
Ans: Himanshu will not be able to appeal the state commission's judgement. This is
due to the fact that an appeal against a state commission decision can only be filed
within 30 days of the decision being made. Himanshu decided to submit an appeal
after two months under the existing situation (60 days). As a result, he no longer has
the right to pursue an appeal.

9. What is meant by ‘Formal Organisation’ ? State its any two

advantages. 3 Marks
Ans: A formal organisation is one that has a set of intra-organization procedures and
structures that must be followed. Its to advantages are:
i. As mutual relations are clearly defined, it is easier to assign responsibility.
ii. Unity of command is maintained through a well-defined chain of command.

10. How do the ‘Company-related factors’ affect the choice of channels of

distribution? Explain. 3 Marks
Ans: Financial strength and the degree of control the corporation intends to have
over intermediaries are two essential qualities of a company that affect the channel
of distribution it uses. A shorter channel of distribution offers great control over
intermediaries, but require greater funds. Thus, a corporation that wants to have
more control over middlemen may choose shorter distribution networks.

11. ‘A.S. Ltd.’ is a large company engaged in assembly of air-conditioners.

Recently the company had conducted the ‘Time’ and ‘Motion’ study and
concluded that on an average a worker can assemble ten air-conditioners in a
day. The target volume of the company in a day is assembling of 1,000 units of
air-conditioners. The company is providing attractive allowances to reduce
labour turnover and absenteeism. All the workers are happy. Even then
the assembly of air-conditioners per day is 800 units only. To find out the
reason the company compared actual performance of each worker and
observed through C.C.T.V. that some of the workers were busy in gossiping.

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 a. Identify the function of management discussed above.
b. State those steps in the process of the function identified which are
discussed in the above paragraph. 3 Marks
Ans:
a. Controlling is the function which is discussed above.
b. The steps in the process of the function identified which are discussed
in the above paragraph are :
i. Setting performance standards
ii. Measurement of actual performance
iii. Comparison of actual performance with standard
iv. Analysing Deviation

12. ‘The Stock Exchange performs many vital functions in today’s commercial
world.’ Explain any three such functions. 3 Marks
Ans: In today's commercial world, the stock market serves many important
functions. Some of its functions are as follows:
i. Providing Existing Securities with Liquidity and Marketability: A stock
exchange's primary function is to create a continuous market in which
securities are bought and sold. It allows investors to both disinvest and
reinvest. This provides liquidity as well as easy marketability to already
existing market securities.
ii. Securities Pricing: Share prices on a stock exchange are determined by the
forces of supply and demand. A stock exchange is a technique for
determining constant value that determines the prices of securities. This type
of valuation provides critical real-time information to both buyers and
sellers in the market.
iii. Transaction Security: A stock exchange's membership is well regulated,
and its dealings are well defined in accordance with the current legal
framework This guarantees that the investing public receives a secure and
fair market transaction.

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13. Jaideep recently joined as the Managing Director of ‘Tivori Ltd.’, an
apparel designing company. He observed that the company had a number of
experienced fashion designers on its payroll. They regularly offered useful
suggestions which were neither appreciated nor rewarded by the company.
Instead the company outsourced its services to some renowned fashion
designers and paid them a good compensation for their services. Because of
this the employees felt disheartened and stopped giving useful suggestions.
a. Identify the communication barrier discussed above.
b. State the category of this communication barrier
c. Explain any other communication barrier of the same category.
3 Marks
Ans:
a. In the given situation, the communication barrier being discussed is "lack of
proper incentive." The employees were never appreciated or rewarded by the
company in the given situation.
b. Such a lack of appropriate incentives falls under the category of "personal
barrier."
c. Another communication barrier in the same category is a superior's lack of
trust in his subordinates. If the manager lacks confidence in the skill and
competence of his subordinates, he will not seek their advice or opinion.

14. What is meant by ‘Management’? State any three objectives of

management. 4 Marks
Ans: Management is a process in which various activities and functions are carried
out in order to achieve an organization's various goals and objectives in an effective
and efficient manner. Management's objectives are as follows:
i. Organizational Goals:
a. Survival: It has been around for a long time in a competitive market.
b. Profit: It serves as a critical motivator for the continuation of
successful operations.

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 c. Growth: The expansion and growth of activities are indicators of an
organization's success.
ii. Social Objectives: A social goal is a statement that describes a specific
desired outcome of a project connected to the interaction of individuals,
groups, and institutions within a society. Often, our societal goal is to improve
human well-being.
iii. Personal Goals: These are the goals of employees such as a good salary,
promotion, social recognition, and healthy working conditions.

15. Explain any four points of importance of ‘consumer protection’ from the
point of view of business. 4 Marks
Ans: The importance of ‘consumer protection’ from the business point of view are:
i. Social Responsibilities: A businessman has social obligations to a variety of
groups, one of which is the customer. It is the responsibility of business
owners to provide high-quality goods at reasonable prices. Consumer
protection motivates business owners to take on social responsibilities.
ii. Long-term Business Interest: Every business wants to go on for a long
period. This is only possible if businesses provide complete customer
satisfaction. Paying attention to consumer satisfaction is nothing more than
consumer protection.
iii. Moral Justification: Traditionally, ethics was only associated with
professions, but today, ethics plays an important role in business as well. The
ethics or moral values practised by businessmen adds to their glory.
iv. Government Intervention: If businessmen want to avoid government
intervention, they should avoid engaging in unfair trade practises.
Businessmen should participate voluntarily in activities that protect the
consumer's interests.

16. Neeraj Gupta started a company ‘YoYo Ltd.’ with ten employees, to
assemble economical computers for the Indian rural market. The company did
very well in its initial years. As the product was good and marketed well, the
demand went up. To increase production the company decided to recruit

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additional employees. Neeraj Gupta, who was earlier taking all decisions for
the company, had to selectively disperse the authority. He believed that people
are competent, capable and resourceful and can assume responsibility for
effective implementation of their decisions. This paid off and the company was
not only able to increase its production but also expanded its product range
with different features.
a. Identify the concept used by Neeraj Gupta through which he was able to
steer his company to greater heights.
b. Also explain any three points of importance of this concept. 4 Marks
Ans:
a. Decentralisation is the concept used by Neeraj Gupta through which he was
able to steer his company to greater heights.
b. The three importance of this concept are:
i. Develops Managerial Talent for the Future: Decentralisation allows
employees to demonstrate their abilities by handling various tasks
independently. Such opportunities to make decisions to expand their
knowledge and experience are available at all levels.
ii. Quick Decision Making: Because subordinates are close to the
operations and are in constant contact with all activities of their
departments, decentralisation encourages independent and quick
decision making. Because approval from various levels is not required,
decisions can be made much more quickly on their own.
iii. Decentralization encourages subordinates to take initiative:
Decentralization enables managers at lower levels to make all decisions
that are beneficial to the organisation on their own and to devise
solutions to the various problems they face. This contributes to
increased employee confidence and self-reliance.

17.The workers of ‘Gargya Ltd.’ are unable to work on new computerised

machines imported by the company to fulfil the increased demand. Therefore,
the workers are seeking extra guidance from the supervisor and the
supervisor is overburdened with the frequent calls of workers.

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Suggest how the supervisor, by increasing the skills and knowledge of workers,
can make them handle their work independently.
Also state any three benefits that the workers will derive by the decision of the
supervisor. 4 Marks
Ans: The supervisor can give technical instruction to employees on how to utilise
machinery. Workers will be able to work autonomously as their expertise grows and
improves. Workers will get more satisfaction by working in the company as their
skills increase. The following are the benefits that the workers will receive as a result
of the supervisor's decision:
i. Better Career Prospects: Training improves employees' abilities and
knowledge, allowing them to advance in their careers.
ii. Improving Efficiency: Training aids a person in earning more by assisting
him in learning more. Training improves an individual's comprehension and
knowledge, which improves his efficiency and performance and, as a result,
offers him the opportunity to earn more.
iii. Self-Confidence: The training and development process guides individuals to
perform more effectively, which in turn builds up necessary morale inside
them. It boosts their self-esteem and self-reliance, which leads to greater job
satisfaction.

18. Beni, after completing her MBA, took up a job with a multinational
company named ‘Fortio’. The company was paying good salary and perks to
its employees. The wages were within the paying capacity of the company that
provided the employees a reasonable standard of living. The company also had
a good work-culture and the behaviour of superiors was very good towards
their subordinates. Beni was very happy in this organisation, but due to long
working hours she did not have time to cook her meal. She had to depend upon
outside food, which was deteriorating her health.
She observed that this problem was faced by many of her colleagues, not only
in her company but also in many other companies. This was because of increase
in the number of working women and non-availability of hygienic home-cooked
food. She identified this as a great opportunity and decided to give up her job
to supply packaged home-cooked food to office goers at a reasonable price. At

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the end of the day she was also distributing the left-over food in the nearby
night-shelters.
a. State the dimension of business environment being discussed above.
b. State the principle of management being followed by ‘Fortio’.
c. Identify any two values being communicated by the company to the
society in the above case. 4 Marks
Ans:
a. The dimension of the business environment mention above is 'Social
Environment.'
b. The management principle followed by 'Fortio' is 'Remuneration of
Personnel,' as they provide good salaries and benefits to their employees.
c. The following are the two values that the company communicates to society:
i. Fair remuneration for employees, as the company provided a
competitive salary and benefits to its employees.
ii. A good working environment because superiors were very nice to their
subordinates.

19. ‘Mission Coach Ltd.’ is a large and creditworthy company manufacturing

coaches for Indian Railways. It now wants to export these coaches to other
countries and decides to invest in new hi-tech machines. Since the investment is
large, it requires long-term finance. It decides to raise funds by issuing equity
shares. The issue of equity shares involves huge floatation cost. To meet the
expenses of floatation cost, the company decides to tap the money market.
a. Name and explain the money-market instrument the company can use
for the above purpose.
b. What is the duration for which the company can get funds through this
instrument ?
c. State any other purpose for which this instrument can be used.
4 Marks
Ans:
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 a. Mission Coach Ltd. can use 'commercial paper' in a money market .
Commercial paper is a short-term unsecured money market instrument. It is a
negotiable and transferable promissory note with a maturation period ranging
from 15 days to 1 year. Commercial papers are typically issued by large,
creditworthy corporations in order to raise short-term funds.
b. Commercial papers are short-term debt instruments with maturities ranging
from 15 days to one year.
c. Another reason for issuing commercial paper is to fund an organization's
seasonal and working capital needs.

20. Give the meaning of ‘organising’. State the steps in the process of
organising. 5 Marks
Ans: Organizing is the process of recognising and categorising all work to be done,
assigning duties to job positions, and establishing relationships in order to achieve
goals.
The following are the steps involved in the organising process:
i. Identification and Work Division: The first step in the organising process is
to identify and divide the work that must be done in accordance with
previously determined plans. Work is divided into manageable tasks to avoid
duplication and to distribute workload among employees.
ii. Division of labour: After work has been divided into small and manageable
activities, those that are similar in nature are grouped together. This is referred
to as departmentalization. Departments can be formed based on products,
functions, and territory. This results in operational specialisation.
iii. Assignment of duties: After the departments are established, each one is
assigned to a person known as the departmental head. Then, each job is
assigned to an individual based on his or her knowledge and skill. There
should be a proper match between the nature of jobs and an individual's
ability.
iv. Establishing Reporting Relationships: Each employee in the organisation
has some authority as well as responsibility. Every individual must understand
who he must take orders from and to whom he must answer. This establishes

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 a superior-subordinate hierarchy and aids in the coordination of various
activities within the organisation.

21. Anjali had been working with ‘Tata Enterprises’ for the last ten years. She
was famous for her dedication towards the work. When the Manager senior to
her retired, all her colleagues thought that now Anjali would be promoted. But
to everyone’s surprise the vacant post was filled by an outsider ‘Miss Monika’.
Anjali felt demoralised and her performance started declining. She would
absent herself often and could not meet her targets.
Miss Monika was a good leader who would not only instruct her subordinates,
but also guide and inspire them. She noticed Anjali’s behaviour and felt that
her performance could be improved. She started involving Anjali in decision-
making issues related to the organisation and made her a part of a high-level
joint management committee. Anjali was now punctual to office and her
performance started improving.
a. Identify the function of management being performed by Monika.
b. Name the element of the above function of management which helped
Monika to improve Anjali’s behaviour.
c. State any three features of the element identified in (b) above.
5 Marks
Ans:
a. In the above case,Monika performed the direction function of management .
b. By the motivation function of management Monika improvesAnjali’s
behaviour.
c. The features of the element are mentioned below:
i. Motivation is an internal feeling that influences an individual's
psychology, inducing him to perform better.
ii. Employee motivation influences their behaviour and induces them to
work efficiently toward the achievement of the organization's goals.
iii. Motive can be positive or negative. Positive motivation can take the
form of incentives, rewards, or promotions. Negative motivations, on

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 the other hand, can take the form of warnings or demotions. The type
of motivation to be used is determined by the employee's needs and
attitudes.

22. Mohit Gupta is working with ‘Yellow Security Services Ltd.’ He is also
recruiting security guards for the company. The company provide security
services in Delhi and Noida at short notice to various companies. The guards
are recruited on temporary basis. The guards provided by this company are
known for their honesty and punctuality. Mohit Gupta is well known in his
village for providing employment to unskilled people.
a. Name the source of recruitment used by ‘Yellow Security Services Ltd.’
b. State any one disadvantage of this source of recruitment.
c. Identify the need of ‘Security Guards’ which is being fulfilled by the
company as per Maslow’s need hierarchy.
d. Identify any two values communicated to the society in the above stated
case. 5 Marks
Ans:
a. External source of recruitment used by the 'Yellow Security Services Ltd.'
b. To hire people from outside the company,the company must spend a lot of
money on advertising and application processing.Thus, it is the costly process
of recruitment.
c. According to Maslow's need hierarchy, the 'Security Guards' are meeting the
'Basic Physiological Needs.' This type of need entails meeting the basic
requirements for life's sustenance. Food, clothing, and shelter are just a few
examples.
d. The two values communicated to society are as follows:
i. To encourage people to be honest and punctual.
ii. To create job opportunities for unskilled workers.

23. Explain the following principles of management :

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 (a) Science, not rule-of-thumb.

(b) Discipline. 6 Marks

Ans: The following principles of management are :
(a) Science, not a rule of thumb: Prior to Taylor's development of the
Principles of Management, the concept of Rule of Thumb was widely
used. As a general rule, each manager handled a situation or problem as
it arose, using the trial and error method. It was a simple process, but it
was a very hazy and inaccurate method of determining solutions to
problems. Taylor promoted the use of scientific methods. He believed
that there is only one best way to complete any task. He wanted managers
to make decisions based on logic and science rather than gut instinct. He
proposed that the various traditional methods used by managers be
studied, and that the best method/solution among them be adopted and
followed by all managers in the organization.
(b) Discipline: According to this Fayol principle, an organisation must
follow and ensure compliance with a specific set of rules, regulations,
and policies. In this case, the management must have a predefined set of
rules that are in accordance with the employees. The principle of
discipline is frequently described as a two-edged sword because it not
only necessitates the establishment of rules and regulations but also
ensures that these rules and policies are in accordance with the
workers. Discipline promotes working efficiency and avoids confusion
and delays in work, which is an important tool in management for
meeting organisational targets on time.

24. ‘Abhishek Ltd.’ is manufacturing cotton clothes. It has been consistently

earning good profits for many years. This year too, it has been able to generate
enough profits. There is availability of enough cash in the company and good
prospects for growth in future. It is a well managed organisation and believes
in quality, equal employment opportunities and good remuneration practices.
It has many shareholders who prefer to receive a regular income from their
investments.
It has taken a loan of Rs 50 lakhs from I.C.I.C.I. Bank and is bound by certain
restrictions on the payment of dividend according to the terms of

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the loan agreement.
The above discussion about the company leads to various factors which decide
how much of the profits should be retained and how much has to be distributed
by the company. Quoting the lines from the above discussion, identify and
explain any four such factors. 6 Marks
Ans: The following factors influenced the dividend decision in the preceding case:
i. Earnings stability: “It has been consistently earning good profits for many
years. ”Earnings stability influences dividend decisions because a company
with stable earnings is able to declare higher dividends.
ii. Cash flow position: “There is availability of enough cash in the company and
good prospects for growth in future. ”A strong cash flow position is required
for a higher dividend declaration.
iii. Future growth prospects: “good prospects for growth in future. ”If a
company has good growth prospects, it will pay a lower dividend.
iv. Preference of shareholders: “It has many shareholders who prefer to receive
a regular income from their investments.”Before declaring dividends,
management considers shareholder preferences.

25. Radhika was a student of Business Studies of Class XII. Her father was a
farmer who grew different varieties of rice and was well-versed about various
aspects of rice cultivation. He was also selected by the government for a pilot-
project on rice cultivation. As a project-work in Business Studies she decided
to study the feasibility of marketing good quality rice at a reasonable price. Her
father suggested her to use the internet to gather customers’ views and
opinions. She found that there was a huge demand for packaged organic rice.
She knew that there were no predetermined specifications in case of rice
because of which it would be difficult to achieve uniformity in the output. To
differentiate the product from its competitors, she gave it the name of
‘Malabari Organic Rice’ and classified it into three different varieties namely
— Popular, Classic and Supreme, based on the quality. She felt that these
names would help her in product differentiation. Explain the three functions of
marketing, with reference to the above paragraph. 6 Marks

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Ans: The following are the marketing functions mentioned in the preceding
paragraph:
(i) Gathering and Analysing market information: Marketing research is the
systematic investigation of facts pertaining to various aspects of marketing.
Marketing research assists managers in making sound decisions. Market data
should be gathered and properly analysed..’
(ii) Grading and standardisation: Standardization refers to determining the
basic to measure the standard of the product in terms of shape, size, colour
quality, quantity, and so on. Grading is the process of categorising a product
into different groups based on parameters such as quality, quantity, size, and
so on.
(iii) Branding: This is the process of imprinting a product with an identifying
name, mark, or a combination of the two.

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