TUESDAY: 22 August 2023. Afternoon Paper. Time Allowed: 3 hours.
Answer ALL questions. Marks allocated to each question are shown at the end of the question. Do NOT write anything on this paper.
QUESTION ONE
1. Outline FOUR characteristics of descriptive research. (4 marks)
2. Explain FIVE sources of research problems. (5 marks)
3. The managerial grid model was developed in the early 1960s by management theorists Robert Blake and Jane Mouton.
Explain FIVE leadership styles according to these scholars. (5 marks)
4. A research plan provides an inventory of what must be done and which materials have to be collected.
Evaluate SIX benefits of having a well-designed research plan. (6 marks)
(Total: 20 marks)
QUESTION TWO
1. Type 1 errors, also known as false positives can occur in statistical hypothesis testing when the null hypothesis (H0) is incorrectly rejected.
Explain FOUR sources of these errors. (4 marks)
2. Legal considerations are crucial in the field of consultancy to ensure compliance with applicable laws, protect clients’ interests, maintain professional ethics and manage potential risks.
Evaluate FOUR legal matters that may need to be addressed. (4 marks)
3. While coaching can be a valuable and effective approach for personal and professional development, it has limitations.
Describe FOUR of these limitations. (4 marks)
4. Sampling is the process of selecting a subset of individuals or items from a larger population.
Analyse TWO differences between “systematic random sample” and “simple random sample”. (4 marks)
5. A questionnaire is designed to gather data or information from respondents.
Outline FOUR qualities of a good questionnaire. (4 marks)
(Total: 20 marks)
QUESTION THREE
1. Research reports communicate the results of a research study to a specific audience and are the product of slow painstaking and accurate inductive work.
Identify THREE steps involved in writing research reports. (3 marks)
2. Being an effective facilitator requires a combination of skills and qualities that enable you to guide group processes, foster collaboration and create a productive and inclusive environment.
Summarise FIVE of these skills. (5 marks)
3. In the first meeting of a consulting engagement, the primary focus is on establishing the foundation for the project and aligning it with expectations.
Identify FIVE deliverables of this meeting. (5 marks)
4. In a consultancy assignment, a consultant provides expert advice, analysis and recommendations.
Explain SEVEN factors that influence the scope of such an assignment. (7 marks)
(Total: 20 marks)
QUESTION FOUR
1. Appraise FIVE advantages of utilising internal consultants. (5 marks)
2. Measures of variability quantify the extent to which data points in a dataset deviate from the central tendency. Explain FIVE such measures. (5 marks)
3. Action proposal outlines a specific course of action or solution to address a problem or achieve a particular objective.
Summarise FIVE sections of an action proposal. (5 marks)
4. The specific purposes of consultancy may vary depending on the industry, client needs, and the consultant’s expertise, but all consultancies have common objectives.
Identify FIVE of these objectives. (5 marks)
(Total: 20 marks)
QUESTION FIVE
1. Process-consultation model is used by consultants to facilitate effective interventions and bring about positive change within organisations.
Describe FOUR assumptions of this model. (4 marks)
2. In organisations, crises can arise from various sources. It is important for organisations to identify and understand potential sources so that they can effectively manage and mitigate them.
Explain FIVE such sources. (5 marks)
3. Data presentation tools are used to effectively communicate the insights of data.
Outline FIVE tools that can be used to achieve this purpose. (5 marks)
4. Outline THREE differences between “negotiation” and “persuasion”. (6 marks)
(Total: 20 marks)
