Principles of Supervision

An old piece of equipment can usually be made to do the job if it has been properly maintained.

True

Decision making is the process of defining problems and choosing a course of action from among alternatives.

True

Effective delegation should increase the quantity and improve the quality of work being completed by the responsible employee.

True

Effective strategic planning usually begins with the development of a mission statement.

True

General supervision and participative management are grounded in Theory Y assumptions.

True

Good behavior occurs less frequently when it goes unrecognized.

True

Grapevines fulfill employee needs, including the needs for information and socialization.

True

Great leaders are known as great communicators with impeccably credibility.

True

Horizontal communication is concerned with communication between people at the same level of the organization.

True

Principles of empowerment are more conducive to the general supervisory style.

True

Silence is considered a form of body language.

True

Stereotyping is a barrier to effective communication.

True

The ADA attempts to change the way employers view disabled employees, not just the employers' actions.

True

The downward channel of communication involves supervisors giving instructions.

True

When there is a limited amount of information available and a decision must be made rather quickly, a supervisor is required to use intuition.

True

All of the following statements about supervisory planning are true EXCEPT:

supervisors should not consider past performance when planning for the future.

Hank was just handed over free passes to a rock concert by his friend. However Hank is required to be at work on the night of the concert. Hank has not been able to find a substitute who can take care of his work. He is now debating whether he should adhere to his work schedule or postpone the work to attend the concert. Hank's dilemma illustrates _____.

Cognitive dissonance

_____ pertain to the ability to give—and get—information.

Communication skills

_____ pertain to the ability to obtain, interpret, and apply the information needed to make sound decisions.

Conceptual Skills

_____ needs pertain to one's need to know and understand.

Cognitive

Research conducted by Warren Bennis has indicated that most people want all of the following from their leaders EXCEPT:

Dominance

Which method of communication is Raoul using if he sends an email to one of his subordinates with deadlines and guidelines on how to complete a specific task?

Downward Communication

Expectancy theory is based on worker perceptions, not relationships.

False

Frank just hired a new employee named Joe, who appears to have strong social needs. The best way for Frank to motivate Joe is to offer Joe a good benefits package.

False

Generally, it is better for a supervisor to display power and formal authority.

False

If a problem needs a quick solution, the supervisor should take a participative approach to making the decision.

False

If an organization is run effectively, it will never face a "crisis situation."

False

If it is legal, it is ethical; if it is illegal, it is unethical.

False

It is illegal for a company to sponsor English improvement or business English courses for minority employees.

False

Leadership is based on what the supervisor does, not what the followers think and do.

False

Many companies use the terms "associate" or "team member" in place of the term "supervisor."

False

Most companies can still require their employees to retire at age 65, but not sooner.

False

Once the best alternative has been selected, the decision making process has concluded.

False

Parents who encourage autonomy and dependence give the child valuable lessons.

False

Participative management sounds great in theory, but the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.

False

Protected group employees are classes of employees who have been afforded protection by supervisory management.

False

Rules are no different than policies.

False

Sexual harassment is only applied to situations in which a male employee is harassing a female employee.

False

Supervisors are born with decision-making skills; they cannot be developed.

False

Supervisors should attempt to eliminate the grapevine in order to reduce the number of distracting rumors in the workplace.

False

Supervisors who practice participative management do not issue directives.

False

Technical skills involve the ability to plan, organize, and coordinate activities.

False

The ability to trust a leader was much more important in the past, when people were not as independent as they are today.

False

The autocratic approach to supervision is the most effective long-run approach for ensuring better work performance.

False

The autocratic style of supervision is associated with a participatory management style.

False

The best way for a supervisor to handle difficult employees is simply to ignore them.

False

The grapevine is part of the formal communication channel established by the organization.

False

The primary managerial functions differ depending on the manager's level within the managerial hierarchy.

False

The primary responsibility of supervisory management is planning to use physical resources fully.

False

Total quality management (TQM) is a system for scheduling materials to arrive precisely when they are needed in the production process.

False

Upward formal communication channels normally involve discussions and meetings between department heads.

False

When the supervisor selects the alternative that minimally meets the decision criteria, the supervisor has made an optimizing decision.

False

Which needs are at the first level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs and are vital to survival?

Physiological needs

_____ is the managerial function that comes first.

Planning

_____ is the process of deciding what needs to be done by whom and when.

Planning

Downward communication does NOT involve supervisors:

Receiving Instructions

While Margot was preparing to cross the street, a motorist yielded in front of a crosswalk, allowing her to cross the street safely. Remembering this act of kindness the next day, Margot yielded to pedestrians at a crosswalk while she was driving. This example demonstrates which of the following?

Rule of reciprocity

_____ needs are at the highest level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

Self-fulfillment

_____ pertain to the ability of a supervisor to perform the jobs in his or her area of responsibility.

Technical skills

Which of the following situations would a court or enforcement agency MOST likely consider illegal discrimination against non-English-speaking individuals?

The Dash Corporation in New York requires its cement masons to speak English.

Before communicating, think through the point you wish to communicate so that it is clear in your mind.

True

Comparable worth is the concept that jobs should be paid at the same level if they require similar skills and/or abilities.

True

Decision making is influenced by many forces, making it difficult to formulate a simple "to do checklist" that applies to every situation in the same way.

True

Human resources are any organization's most important resources.

True

In the controlling function, supervisors evaluate performance to ensure actual performance is in line with intended performance and changes are made if outcomes are not being met.

True

Management by objectives (MBO) is a management approach in which managers, supervisors, and employees jointly set objectives against which performance is later evaluated.

True

Managerial authority is not granted to individuals, but rather to the titles that they hold.

True

Managers must get things accomplished with and through people by guiding them and motivating their efforts toward common objectives.

True

One of the barriers to integration in the workplace that minorities face is the lack of role models.

True

Reverse discrimination is often charged when a more senior or qualified person is denied a promotion because preference was given to a protected-group individual who may be less qualified or more junior.

True

Supervisors of integrated racial groups may be reluctant to discipline anyone to avoid charges of discrimination.

True

Supervisors should encourage recent retirees to attend company social functions in order to aid the transition to retirement.

True

Supervisors who do not have the courage to stand up for employees risk losing the trust of the employees.

True

The fishbone technique is a cause-and-effect approach to considering the potential interrelatedness of problem causes to aid in decision making.

True

The supervisory role is a difficult and demanding role because supervisors are the people "in the middle."

True

Upward communication is necessary so that supervisors can convey their ideas concerning activities related to their work to upper management.

True

When employees participate in making the decisions that affect them, they are more likely to accept those decisions.

True

While cooperation is helpful and the lack of it could impede progress, its presence alone will not necessarily get the job done.

True

While experimentation may be valid from a motivational standpoint, it can be a slow and relatively expensive method of reaching a decision.

True

With the Abdicator decision style, decisions are made based on the easiest method readily available, and often result in errors.

True

Macy goes to her supervisor, Tory, to talk about an idea that could potentially grow sales by a factor of ten. Tory listens patiently to Macy and decides to kick the idea up the management chain. Macy's strategy sees success and Tory promptly credits her. In the case of Macy's idea, Tory's actions exemplify _____

Trust-building

Delilah requested a meeting with her supervisor to negotiate a pay increase. This is an example of what type of communication?

Upward communication

A supervisor should do whatever it takes, including spend excessively, to see that all problems are resolved.

false

According to Aubrey Daniels' ABC guide for shaping behavior, it is imperative for supervisors to separate the behavior from the antecedents in order to identify the root cause of any behavioral issue.

false

Job rotation is when a supervisor assigns challenging tasks and gives the employee more decision-making responsibilities.

false

Like most managers, the primary challenge that Heather will face in the future is dealing with too many high-skilled workers.

false

The decision-making process changes depending on the scope and importance of the decision that needs to be made.

false

The _____ approach has the problem solver not only identify the various factors that have caused the problem but also consider the potential interrelatedness of the causes of the problem.

fishbone technique

The long-term goal of affirmative-action policies developed by employers is to _____.

have a fully diversified workforce in which all employees are hired and supervised solely on the basis of their capabilities

Which of the following statements regarding the assignment of duties is NOT correct?

A supervisor can delegate all the functions that he or she is required to do.

The four guidelines for effective brainstorming were authored by _____.

Alex Osborn

Delegation of authority really means that the supervisor should run his/her department by consensus or vote.

False

The managerial function of _____ involves ensuring that actual performance is in line with intended performance and taking corrective action as needed.

Controlling

Which of the following is NOT one of the steps of the functional approach to management?

Eliminate authority lines from the organization

Conditional workers are part-time, temporary, or contract employees whose work is scheduled around the needs of the employer.

False

Omega Inc. was thinking of relocating their steel manufacturing operations to Alessio. Relocating to Alessio means cheaper labor, raw materials, and better weather. However, the company changed its decision since it would have a negative impact on a large number of its employees. In this case, Omega's move to Alessio did not pass the _____.

Fairness test

"That's the best idea I have heard all day" is a killer phrase, meaning it is likely to kill the conversation.

False

A fire has just broken out in Keiko's department. This would probably be a very good time for Keiko to solicit advice from others before making a decision about what to do.

False

A just-in-time inventory control system is a system for scheduling employees.

False

All employees eagerly anticipate and want their supervisors to delegate some responsibilities to them.

False

Almost all of the problems that confront supervisors daily are unusual, isolated, and require individual problem-solving techniques.

False

_____ pertain to the ability to work with and through people; these skills include open-mindedness and the ability to motivate team members.

Human relations skills

Supervisors normally should refer workforce compliance questions to a _____.

Human resource staff person

Which of the following statements is true about communication?

It requires a two-way exchange of information

Which of the following is INCORRECT about management by objectives?

It requires less thorough planning.

_____ is also known as directing, motivating, or influencing because it plays a major role in employee morale, job satisfaction, productivity, and communication.

Leading

Which of the following is NOT included in Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

Organization needs

During her annual performance review, Jillian meets with her supervisor Chris to discuss and set her objectives for the next year. Chris informs Jillian that her performance in achieving these newly established objectives will be the basis for next year's merit pay increase. This is an example of what type of management system?

Management by objectives

A(n) _____ reflects the philosophy and purpose of an organization as defined by its top leadership.

Mission statement

Which of the following statements concerning decision-making is INCORRECT?

The decision-making process is considered complete when the problem is identified.

A supervisor's ability to communicate effectively will be a crucial element in determining the success or failure of that supervisor.

True

According to Professors Hackman and Oldham, training employees with a variety of skills as opposed to one specialty will increase motivation.

True

An organization that seeks to obtain a competitive advantage can do so by hiring qualified people, training those people, and appropriately using those people's skills.

True

Tom, a supervisor, is concerned because one of his workers is consistently missing deadlines.To address the problem, Tom gathers the employee's status updates for the last six months and highlights projects with missed deadlines. Which stage of the decision-making process does this act best fit?

analyzing the problem

The cooperative search for the best people, their organizations, and the world around them is referred to as:

appreciative inquiry

Reina often wonders how her education, income, and home influence her personality.What kind of factors is Reina considering?

environmental factors

According to Theory X, most workers dislike work, avoid responsibility, and must be coerced into working.

true

Successful supervisors reward employees based on which needs are currently driving the employee.

true

Which of the following must supervisors follow when developing their departmental objectives?

Aligning the objectives with the overall organizational goals

Venus Inc. has recently implemented a new work process for its finance department. To check whether the new system is delivering the required results or not, the managers at Venus are conducting surveys and random checks.Which of the following managerial functions is illustrated in the scenario?

Controlling

A mission statement is usually very specific including the company's financial forecast.

False

A supervisor who uses participative management must never demonstrate authority lest the trust that has been built between him/her and the employees be broken.

False

According to Robert Greenleaf, a servant-leader leads first and serves second.

False

Ali has been a supervisor for ten years; therefore, additional education or training would not benefit her.

False

An arbitrator is a person selected by the union and management to provide recommendations as to how a grievance could be resolved.

False

Ann needs to talk to her supervisor, Mikayla, who is working feverishly on the departmental budget (which must be turned in to Mikayla's boss in one hour). If Mikayla wants to be an effective supervisor, however, she should immediately put aside the budget and instead focus attentively on Ann and her concerns.

False

Arranging and distributing work among members of the work group to accomplish the organization's goals take place in the staffing function.

False

As long as a pregnant employee reports to work, she must fulfill all job responsibilities without special accommodations.

False

Asking the listener if the instructions are clear is the best feedback technique.

False

At Speedy-Quik Printing and Signage, the men in the printing plant often make lewd, sexual, and suggestive remarks to Heather, the receptionist, but this is not considered sexual harassment as no physical contact has occurred.

False

Because of the Equal Pay Act and other equal employment opportunity legislation, women and men receive almost the same pay in the United States.

False

Generally speaking, large companies allow supervisors a broader range of managerial opportunities, because fewer management positions exist in smaller companies.

False

The notion of Frederick Winslow Taylor's scientific management approach gave rise to the functional management approach.

False

There is a growing realization that an autocratic, coercive management style results in more productive, loyal employees.

False

When supervisors delegate work they are no longer responsible.

False

Marissa, a production manager, recently contacted the managers within the marketing and shipping departments to help her tackle an issue related to product design and packaging. This is an example of what type of communication?

Lateral communication

Brynne has always been an advocate of the autocratic approach to management. As such, she has had to make several assumptions about her employees. Which of the following is NOT one of those assumptions?

Most employees are motivated by a feeling of accomplishment.

When Samara took up a job in Delta Inc., she learned that the company has a mentoring program in place that is meant to engage new hires. She also learned that Delta conducts special training sessions about jobs, tasks, and the general organizational culture and rules to help the new hires assimilate well into the organization. Which of the following concepts is illustrated in the scenario?

Onboarding

The largest number of cases of employment discrimination during the past decade occurred due to allegations of _____.

Retaliation

Charlene, a top manager, is developing a long-range plan for her company's future. The plans are broad, encompass all the departments of the company, and are closely related to the mission and vision statements of the organization. Charlene's plans are most likely to be _____ plans.

Strategic

A(n) _____ is a long-term plan developed by top management.

Strategic plan

Rita has recently been promoted from bank teller to first-level manager. As a result of the promotion, she is now in charge of eight bank tellers. Rita can best be described as a _____.

Supervisor

Which of the following statements concerning supervisors is NOT true?

Supervisors are considered to be mid-level managers within an organization.

Which of the following statements concerning the supervision of protected-group employees is CORRECT?

Supervisory actions need to be objective, uniformly and consistently applied, and related to the job at all times.

Administrative skills include the ability to plan, organize, and coordinate the activities of a work group.

True

Delegation gives employees a greater voice in how a job is to be done; the employee is empowered to make decisions.

True

Delegation is the process of entrusting duties and related authority to subordinates.

True

It is still fairly common for women who take nontraditional jobs to be resented and criticized by their male co-workers.

True

Juanita's supervisor, Stephen, has asked her for input on how to make the workplace more enjoyable. Stephen is practicing participative management.

True

One of the most dramatic changes that has occurred in the past several decades has been the increase in the number and percentage of women in the workforce.

True

Organizations expect supervisors to role-model ethical behavior for employees.

True

PERT diagrams have been successfully used in many projects involving production and construction.

True

Planning can best be defined as preparation for the future.

True

Policies enable supervisors to arrive at similar decisions to those that their managers would make.

True

Policies help managers delegate authority because they guide the decisions a subordinate supervisor makes.

True

Repetition can be a useful method to improve the effectiveness of communication.

True

Supervisors must recognize the value of a diverse workforce and their own need to become more adaptable to change.

True

The growing diversity among employees has contributed to the increased use of teams in the workplace.

True

Written policies are more likely to be followed consistently than policies that are simply communicated orally.

True

Supervisors are truly the "people in the middle" because:

they report to higher management and are the employees' primary contact with management.