Questions and Answers of Supervision Concepts Skill

Roberto Gonzalez wants to make his solutions more creative. When he has a problem to solve, he sits down at his desk and tries to generate as many alternative solutions as he can. Unfortunately, he
What are the symptoms of groupthink? What can a supervisor do to overcome groupthink in a team meeting?
What are some advantages of making decisions as a group? What are some of the disadvantages?
Rita McCormick is the supervisor of the state office that processes sales tax payments. She has noticed that workers are falling behind and wants to get authorization either to hire two more
Philip is a supervisor who likes to work independently. Whenever he faces a new situation, he prefers to analyze it and make his decision without consulting other sources. How might this method of
This chapter presents several guidelines for decision making: Consider the consequences, respond quickly in a crisis, inform the manager, be decisive but not inflexible, and avoid decision‑making
In each of the following situations, what is interfering with the supervisor’s ability to make the best decision? Suggest how the supervisors can improve their decision-making.The supervisor is
Franklin Jones, a supervisor in the buying department for a department store, says, ‘I think these men’s jackets are going to be hot this fall. Let’s place a big order.” What kind of
As a supervisor, you have done everything you can to prepare for a meeting, including writing up and distributing an agenda. At the meeting, you have problems with two of the participants. Ken
Bonnie First supervises respiratory therapists at a large community hospital. One day her manager said, “Your department used too much overtime again last week. I want you to propose a solution to
Which response or responses did most class members choose as least important to motivates Workers?
What is wrong with each of the following attempts at motivation?a. A sales supervisor for an insurance company believes that employees appreciate an opportunity to broaden their experience, so she
A supervisor at an online jewelry retailer reads a report stating that 15 percent of all orders are subsequently returned, but this figure is considered better than the industry average. How can she
Antonio Delgado supervises the police officers of the Fourth Precinct. Name some ways in which he can make their work more interesting?
Which type or types of pay plan (piecework, production bonus, commission, payment for suggestions, group incentive) would work best in each of the following situations? Why?a. A company wants to
Reflecting back to the chapter’s opening case study, consider how important it is to have the right information at the right time to do your job effectively. Supervising a team requires
As mail room supervisor, you need to report to your manager that a sack of mail has been misplaced (you are not sure how it happened). Would you want to send this message through written or oral
The following examples describe some ways to send messages. Indicate whether each is verbal or nonverbal. For each verbal message, indicate whether it is oral or written.a. A long silence accompanied
In a staff meeting held to introduce new software that will provide office employees with information about the company’s financial status, sales figures, and marketing plans, you notice that one
Sheila James owns a catering business employing four workers. She just got a contract to cater a wedding reception for a Chinese couple who speak very little English. What steps can James take to
1. On what basis did the judges rate the quality of houses? How many of the criteria in Table 2.1 did they use?2. How did your group decide on a way to make its house? How well did your group work
How can supervisors foster creativity in their department or work group?
1. How does performance-based pay motivate Nucor employees? Would this pay system be effective if Nucor did not also empower employees to make decisions? Why or why not?2. Supervisors do not set up
1. Reflecting back to the chapter’s opening case, consider the challenges faced by a business you have worked for or visited frequently.2. Identify a weakness in the company’s processes or
In which of the following situations do you think money will be an effective motivator? Explain.a. The economy is slow, and even though the salespeople think they are doing their best, sales are
Pete Polito supervises a cross-functional team whose task is to evaluate whether the in-line skates his company manufactures are safe and up-to-date in design and style. Using Theory Y, what steps
Andre Jones supervises computer programmers. He expects each programmer to turn in a progress report by quitting time each Friday.a. Name at least one way Jones can use reinforcement to motivate
John Lightfoot believes he has a 75 percent chance of earning a bonus of $100. John believes there is a 50 percent chance that his company will pay him the bonus even if he rightfully deserves it.
What are the hygiene factors and motivating factors described by Herzberg? Consider your current job or one you held most recently. Which factors are-(were) present at that job? How would you say
What are the three categories of needs that McClelland identified in his theory? Which category of needs do you think is strongest for you?
What are some family-friendly policies that companies now have in place so that employees can balance home and work? What other family-friendly policies might help employees to meet the demands in
Name and rank the five basic needs, from lowest to highest, that Maslow described in his hierarchy of needs. If a supervisor applies this hierarchy to his or her employees, what are some specific
1. What strategies for communicating effectively does Jeannie use? What other strategies would help her communicate more effectively?2. Discuss whether you think Jeannie is communicating adequately
Should a supervisor participate in informal communication? If so, when? If not, why not?
Which of the following organizational communications are formal? Informal?a. A memo providing information about the company picnic. b. A meeting at which employees discuss the department’s
Lee Hamel is a busy supervisor. He rarely hears from his employees except when there is a production snag or scheduling problem. Hamel that as long as things run smoothly, his employees are happy.
Face-to-face communication conveys the most information because the people communicating can learn from each other’s body language and tone of voice as well as from the words themselves. However,
Nina Goldberg has been asked by her manager to give a presentation to employees about changes the company is going to make in health care benefits. Using the seven steps described in this chapter (in
Every Monday morning, Ron Yamamoto, a supervisor, must attend a divisional meeting to discuss progress and make plans. Yamamoto finds that most people at the meetings are long-winded and that the
Can a person be hearing but not listening well? Can a person be listening but not hearing well? Explain.
Phyllis Priestley, a supervisor, wants to tell her boss what she plans to accomplish at a leadership seminar she will be attending next week. She decides to do so in the form of a memo. Briefly
1. What forms does quality take in a fast-food restaurant? That is what aspects of the food, service, atmosphere, and so on do you consider to be acceptable in terms of quality, and what would exceed
Working as a group, summarize three ways in which a Shearer’s supervisor could support the company’s efforts to reach “perfection” in quality and productivity.
Why do employees sometimes resist productivity improvements? How can supervisors prepare for and respond to employee attitudes?
How does high turnover hurt productivity? What can a supervisor do to minimize turnover?
A maintenance supervisor learned that installing a type of high-efficiency light bulb in the building can save the organization $1,000 a year. Replacing the light bulbs with the new ones would cost
Rachel Roth supervises a shift of workers who manufacture ski clothing. Because of its seasonal nature, the workflow tends to be uneven, and Rachel feels that this hurts productivity. What steps
How would you expect employees to respond to each of these efforts to cut costs?a. A plan to increase output by scheduling fewer rest breaks.b. A plan to increase output by hiring someone to bring
Where can supervisors get information to help them determine costs?
At the claims-processing office for All-Folks Insurance, 25 employees process 2,500 claims a day. The claims-processing office for Purple Cross Insurance uses a state-of-the-art computer system, and
Anna Holt, a supervisor in a boot manufacturing plant, just received a memo from her manager informing her that productivity on her shift must increase by 10 percent during the next fiscal quarter.
Frank Ouellette works at a government agency in which neither managers nor employees seem to worry about how long it takes to complete an assignment. Should Frank’s co-workers be concerned about
Imagine that you are the supervisor responsible for a pharmacy. You have received a few complaints about mistakes in customer’s prescriptions. To improve the quality of service delivered by the
Michelle LeVerrier supervises a group of tellers at a bank. The bank manager has asked her to lead an employee involvement team designed to improve the processes of serving individual customers at
Define the zero-defects approach to quality control? Do you think zero defects is attainable? Why or why not?
What is the difference between product quality control and process control? Give an example of each. (If possible, use examples from a job you have held.)
Brand X Corporation seeks to be the lowest-cost maker of lawn chairs and toboggans. To keep costs down, management tells the production department, “Keep that assembly line moving. We have an
1. Lynn and Janet are in different departments, and neither person reports to the other or is technically higher-up on the organization’s scale. Even though this is true, the meeting the women have
1. A supervisor can play many roles while he or she oversees employees. In order to ensure that work goes according to plan, a supervisor must assert control over situations that arise. Consider the
1. It’s often said that the ability to see the big picture, or the way in which a solution might affect the rest of the company, is another ingredient of creative problem-solving. Do you think
1. Volkswagen’s annual report explains that, “The Volkswagen Group consists of two divisions: the Automotive Division and the Financial Services Division. The Automotive Division comprises the
1. Reflecting back to the chapter’s opening case, what sort of changes will both supervisors and front-line employees face in the coming months? What challenges will they face? How will work be
What steps do you think a supervisor who is reluctant to delegate could take to overcome this discomfort?
Harry Jamison, CPA, is planning to set up a business to prepare tax returns. Harry is the only person in the business, at least for now. Can he delegate any work? Should he? Explain.
A production supervisor at a company that makes eco-friendly cleaning supplies learns about the factors that should influence the span of control. The supervisor believes that his own span of control
Describe each of the following principles of organizing:a. Parity principleb. Unity of commandc. Chain of command
What are the steps in the process of organizing? How would they apply to the manager of an Olive Garden restaurant who needs to schedule employees? Explain in general how this supervisor could follow
Does someone with authority always have power? Does a person who accepts responsibility necessarily have authority? Explain.
In recent years, many organizations have become more decentralized. Typically this change involves eliminating middle management jobs and sharing more control with those at lower levels of the
Which of the following supervisors have primarily line authority? Which have staff authority?a. The production supervisor at a publishing company, who is responsible for getting books typeset and
What special attributes must supervisors have to be successful in some of the new types of organizational structures?
What might be the best structure for each of the following organizations?a. A three-person company that sells complete, prepackaged gourmet dinners to specialty grocery stores.b. A small organization
Emily Sanford has just been promoted to supervisor of the salespeople in the gift department at a department store. Which of the following organizing activities is she likely to carry out?a.
1. Without MBO, would it have been harder for Ingalls to detect and correct the problem the supervisor was having with cash application errors. Why or why not?2. The examples of objectives for credit
Why do controls need to be timely and economical?
Mildred Pirelli supervises salespeople in a department store. One day she walked around her department to observe the salespeople in action. She saw a salesperson approve a charge card purchase
If failure to meet a performance standard indicates some type of underlying problem, how might the supervisor attempt to solve the problem?
Bonnie Goode supervises the online support staff in the customer service department of a software company. The employees are expected to handle 50 phone requests for help per day (250 in a five-day
How is the control process related to the management function of planning?
What are the steps in the process of controlling?
Your best friend just got promoted to a position as a supervisor and feels uncomfortable about “checking up on people.” How can you explain to your friend why controlling plays an important role
What are some advantages of involving employees in the process of developing objectives? How can supervisors do this?
What is wrong with each of the following objectives? Rewrite each objective so that it has the characteristics of an effective objectives.a. Improve the procedure for responding to customer
Assume you are the supervisor of the machine shop whose budget appears in text Table 6.2.a. Modify the budgeted amounts to create a budget for a new project of the same size and type. b. What
Jill Donahue is the supervisor of the telephone operators who handle emergency calls from citizens and dispatch police, firefighters, and ambulances. One of her objectives for the coming year is to
Define policies, procedures, and goals. How does each relate to an organization’s objectives?
Why is it important for supervisors and other managers to plan?
1. The text speaks of the importance of rewards in motivating and determining the success of a team. What kinds of rewards could Joe have offered to each of the members of the team considering what
1. In what ways would prejudice and stereotypes make it more difficult for the supervisors in this cookie business to improve relations with employees? How do the language differences contribute to
Discuss how Generation Y/Millenial workers’ desire for engagement and meaningful work affects a supervisor’s job. (You might also consider whether the statements about young workers are valid,
What is the EEOC, and what are its responsibilities and powers?
Several members of your team are out ill, and you are falling behind your production schedule for the week. A new employee comes to you and asks for a half day off for a religious holiday you have
Mariah’s boss calls her “honey,” although he refers to her co-workers as Jason, Rick, and Harrison. How can Mariah ask her boss to correct this situation?
List as many English expressions as you can think of that might be confusing to a nonnative speaker of the language. Next to each, write a brief expression that conveys the same meaning with greater
Aaron, clerical supervisor for a health maintenance organization, wants to hire the best person for the receptionist job. Ramona, his manager, is doubtful that the candidate Aaron has selected will
Distinguish between prejudice and discrimination. How do stereotypes contribute to each?
Some research suggests that the increasing racial and cultural diversity in the United States is limited to the larger cities. How would you account for this trend? Does it suggest that only
Rasheen supervises the mail room for a large financial services firm. He has been told he will be attending a diversity training program next week. Rasheen believes that since he has recently hired
What is diversity? How has its meaning changed?
1. What potential harm could come from a workplace culture of “technical compliance” in which employees do only what’s minimally required of them? Is such behavior ethical among public servants

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