Business Guidelines
Q1. What is the sequence for review-based or direct questions?
A1. We must follow the sequence:
1. Comprehend the intent of the question.
2. Identify the underlying concepts of the problem.
3. Define or give a brief explanation of the underlying concept with the help of an
example.
(Note: The definition or explanation should not be copied directly from any
textbook or any other source).
4. Provide logical step-by-step explanations separated by single-line delimiters.
Q2. Is there any example to show how to follow the sequence for review-based or direct questions?
A2. We have an example:
Question: What steps can you take to appear self-confident while applying for your dream job?
Answer:
Self-confidence is the level of optimism a person feels within. Self-Confidence assumes high
significance from the interviewer’s perspective. An interview candidate must ensure a high
level of self-confidence, as it would improve his performance in an interview or an exam.
During risky situations, a candidate is likely to lose self-confidence. One such situation is,
when applying for a dream job, it is likely that a person loses confidence. This leads to
deterioration in performance and a negative outcome in the interview.
One should appear self-confident to perform to the best of one’s abilities.
Following are the pre-requisites for a candidate who wishes to score high on self-confidence:
- Casual conversation is a stress buster; lower stress levels would ensure self-confidence.
- Good dressing exudes great confidence; the dress code should be formal. It is also
important to carry oneself with grace.
- Good knowledge of the subject is important, as it ensures a high level of self-
confidence.
Good self-esteem through one’s achievements and qualifications would ensure high
self-confidence.
- A thorough rehearsal would also ensure high quality preparation and would boost
self-confidence.
- Relevant inputs and suggestions should be sought from learned experts, family, and
friends.
- Maintaining assertive body language and gestures is also an important aspect. It can
be accomplished with polished behavior. This would lead to good acceptance from
others. Good reception and active participation from the interviewer also boost self-
confidence of the candidate.
Q3. What are the points to remember for case-based questions?
A3. The points to remember are: -
a. Write the essence of the whole case in one or two brief sentences.
b. Support your statement with adequate information.
c. Write the answer in points rather than in paragraphs.
d. Conclude the answer with the appropriate outcome.
Q4. What are the points to remember while including equations?
A4. The points to remember are: -
• Use Math Type or Microsoft Equation 3.0 available in MS Office 2007/2010 to type an equation.
• Formulas/equations must be preceded by a brief explanation of the context.
• Variables must be italicized based on the textbook style.
Q5. What are the points to remember while including tables?
A5. The points to remember are:-
• Use Excel tables for creating tables and paste them into your Microsoft Word file in JPEG/PNG format. Send the respective excels along with the word file. The name of the Microsoft Excel should have the same name as the Microsoft Word file. The formatting of the table should be as per the authoring guidelines (the font type, font size, and alignment).
• To paste a table in a Word document, adjust the font parameters as specified in the General Solution Authoring Guidelines.
Q4. What are the special points to remember for authoring solutions for General Business course?
A4. The special points to remember are: -
• State your assumptions clearly and precisely.
• In assumption-based solutions, use any name ‘xyz’ to be the assumed company name.
• In case-based solutions, use initials to specify names; if two names begin with S, then use S1 & S2.
• Memos, reports, advertisements, or emails should be presented within a box.
• Difference-based solutions must be written in points defining various criteria.
• Sentences must be written in an instructional style.
Q5. What are the notable points to remember for experts?
A5. The notable points for experts are: -
1. For theory as well as numerical problems, the introductory part of the solution should contain the relevant concept or context discussed in the question. The main idea behind the introduction is to give
the student an understanding of the underlying concept.
Please note that,
• Experts should avoid writing generalized introductions.
• Additionally, the final answer should not be in the introduction part of the solution.
Consider the following question:
For the above question, the introduction should be related to the core topic of the question which is
employee handbook, rather than a generalized definition of human resource management.
2. For assumption/opinion-based questions, the expert should avoid writing the solution using first-person or second-person pronouns like I/we/us/me/you, etc. Instead of this, the expert is advised to write the solution from an individual’s perspective.
For example, consider the given question:
For the given question, experts should avoid writing the solution from their personal viewpoint and rather write it from an individual’s perspective.
3. While giving examples of a person, company, or location, experts should write the complete name like Bill Gates, Barack Obama, Amazon, America, California, etc. Whereas, if a question/case study
already contains the name of a person or location, the expert should use the initials to denote the same.
4. For specific models/theories experts should use the full name of authors instead of initials. Like
Porter’s five force model, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, Hofstede’s model, etc.
5. For business law questions, the expert can use the actual name of a person/company/place in case of
an actual case along with proper citations. For example,
For this question, the expert needs to use the initials of the name of persons
B to avoid copyright issues as this is a hypothetical example shared by the author.
6. For business law questions, the expert can also quote the actual law/definition using proper
citations. The expert can use the following two methods for avoiding plagiarism/copyright
issues while writing the definition of any act:
Method 1: Write the original definition of the Act within quotation marks with proper mention
of the names of the Act and Section.
For example, as per section 2000e-2. [Section 703] (a) (1) of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964, “It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer to fail or refuse to hire
or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect
to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such
individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin”.
Method 2: Rephrase the definition in a way to keep the sense intact, rather than mentioning
all information as it is in the definition.
As per title VII of the Civil Rights Act, an employer cannot discriminate against an individual
based on his or her gender, religion, or country of origin during his/her hiring, promotion, or
discharge. Violation of any of the mentioned practices would be considered unlawful.
Note that although experts can use both methods, it is always preferable to follow the
second method to avoid plagiarism/copyright issues in the solutions.
7. Direct answer-based question: Sometimes, experts might observe a few questions that are
direct in nature. Even if a question asks for a direct answer, the expert needs to provide complete
information regarding the topic of discussion for better understanding of students.
Example 1: List the various dimensions of Hofstede’s model.
For this question, the expert should list as well as explain all the dimensions of Hofstede’s
model along with a detailed explanation. Only listing the names of various dimensions is not
enough.
Example 2: Mention the trends that are affecting the future of quality management.
Here, the expert needs to mention the trends affecting the future of quality management along
with their detailed impact on the same. Only mentioning the trends is not enough and the expert needs
to explain how each trend affects the future of quality management for better understating of
students.
8. Expert should not start a sentence with “Yes/No/And/Also/But”.
9. Plagiarism/ copyright issue: Expert should not copy the headings for a topic directly from
the textbook as it can lead to plagiarism issues.
For example, consider the below question:
Summarize the most common errors made while starting quality initiatives.
Here, even if the expert writes the rest of the solution in his/her own words but copies the headings
(Highlighted in yellow) directly from the textbook, it will come under copyright/plagiarism
issue.
Furthermore, paraphrasing sentences by eliminating some words, using synonyms, or
joining some sentences together cannot remove copyright/ plagiarism issues. The expert is advised to write the entire solution in their own words for plagiarism-free writing.
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