Supervision Final Study Guide
This exercise identifies a variety of problems based on employee behaviors. A supervisor occasionally faces the challenge of a "problem" employee, one who is persistently unwilling or unable to follow the rules or meet performance standards. In general, problem employees fall into two categories: (1) employees causing problems, and (2) employees with problems. Supervisors need to be aware of behaviors that indicate these problems are occurring. Read each description and identify which type of employee behavior is involved. 1. Eric missed several days of work in response to his boss giving him more work to do. 2. Jacqueline feels her personal needs are more important than arriving to work on time. 3. Mitch constantly complains about his supervisor and criticizes and talks openly about his dislike of the organization in general and his supervisor in particular. 4. Charlene has figured out every possible way to work slower than anyone else and do less work than any other employee. 5. Danny has been absent frequently and occasionally has slurred speech after lunch and breaks. 6. Tessa is not only careless about the details of work assignments but demonstrates growing carelessness about her own personal appearance and hygiene. 7. Katherine is growing increasingly angry about her perceived lack of respect from her supervisor, who likes to reprimand her in front of others. 8. Curt is married to an extremely jealous and abusive spouse who makes threatening phone calls and sometimes shows up at the workplace when angry. 9. Pamela approves an exorbitant expense report from a colleague who took her and several other workers out to dinner on the company's dime. 10. Another employee tells the boss that she has seen Patrick stuffing lots of office supplies into his briefcase before leaving the office.
1. Absenteeism and Tardiness 2. Absenteeism and Tardiness 3. Insubordination and Uncooperativeness 4. Insubordination and Uncooperativeness 5. Alcohol and Drug Abuse 6. Alcohol and Drug Abuse 7. Workplace Violence 8. Workplace Violence 9. Theft 10. Theft
Identify a correct statement about the confrontation of troubled employees.
Supervisors should give employees a fair chance to respond to any complaints.
This exercise will apply both content and process motivation theories. Employees have needs. If a supervisor can help the employee fulfill those needs, the employee will be motivated to work hard to achieve company goals. If a supervisor can motivate an employee who has the necessary abilities, the employee will perform at a desired level. There are content theories of motivation that tell us what motivates individuals. Among these are Maslow's hierarchy of needs, McClelland's achievement-power-affiliation theory, and Herzberg's two-factor theory. Process theories include expectancy theory and reinforcement theory. Read the case study, and then answer the questions that follow. The SAS Institute is in the enviable position of being listed on Fortune magazine's ranking of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" for 20 years in a row. In 2017, the company ranked number 15. The SAS Institute is the world's largest privately owned software company, with more than 14,000 employees worldwide and approximately $3.2 billion in revenues. Every indicator suggests that SAS employees are highly motivated and perform well while also working 35-hour weeks. How do managers at SAS do it? In large part, by ensuring that employees are highly motivated and the variety of needs they bring to the workplace are satisfied by doing a good job at SAS. Satisfying the need for intrinsically motivating work has been a key priority at SAS. Managers strive to make sure that each employee is motivated by the work he or she performs, and employees are encouraged to change jobs to prevent becoming bored with their work (even if the job changes require that SAS provide additional training). Moreover, in contrast to the approach at some of the company's competitors, all new product development work at SAS is performed in-house, so employees have the opportunity to experience the excitement of developing a new product and seeing it succeed. The SAS Institute satisfies employees' needs for economic security by paying them fairly and providing them with secure jobs. Employees have their own offices, and the work environment is rich in pleasant vistas, whether they are artwork on the walls or views of the rolling hills of Cary, North Carolina, at company headquarters. Managers at SAS realize that the needs for work-life balance is a top priority for many of their employees and seek to satisfy these needs in a variety of ways, including 35-hour work weeks, on-site daycare and medical care, unlimited sick days, and high chairs in the company cafeteria so that employees can dine with their kids. Moreover, employees and their families are encouraged to use the 200 acres that surround the company headquarters for family walks and picnics. Since the company was founded, CEO James Goodnight has been committed to motivating employees to develop creative and high-quality products that meet customers' needs. Today, over 50,000 customer sites utilize SAS software products for a wide variety of purposes including risk management, monitoring and measuring performance, managing relations with suppliers and customers, and detecting fraud. SAS also provides educational software for schools and teachers through SAS in School. Clearly, motivating employees and helping to satisfy their needs is a win-win situation for SAS. There are several ways in which SAS helps its workers satisfy their need for intrinsic motivation. Which of the following is not an example of an intrinsic reward at SAS?
on-site medical care
Which of the following is an intrinsic reward?
the happiness one experiences while gardening
Organizational communication in which a message is sent to someone at a higher level is referred to as
upward communication.
The grapevine is important to supervisors because it is
used by employees as a source of information.
Workers at SAS experience autonomy, responsibility, and a sense of accomplishment. Which theory lists these as essential motivating forces?
Herzberg's motivator-hygiene theory
Which of the following is true of the rehabilitation of troubled employees?
It is less costly than hiring and training a new employee.
In Mark's absence, what source of power does Sherry have in enforcing Ollie's holiday scheduling policy?
Legitimate
Roll the cursor over the name, read the description, and then drag the name to the appropriate column in the chart.
Meghan- Notices she has a text from her supervisor and reads it. (Receives and Decodes) Lars- Prepares a reply to the offer of employment he just received. (Encodes Feedback) Jennifer- Reads through all her ideas then combines them into one document. (Encodes Message) Dailey- Goes to the wrong restaurant because autocorrect garbled the text from her friend. (Noise)
Assume Amir believes that Mark is a great person, so he is willing to work that much harder for Ollie during the holidays. What source of power may best explain this?
Referent
Performance management is defined as a set of processes and managerial behaviors that involve defining, monitoring, measuring, evaluating, and providing consequences for performance expectations. It is an important ongoing activity that usually results in higher profitability and productivity, and lower turnover. However, if not done correctly, it can have dire results on employee engagement and job satisfaction. A-Plus Government Solutions is a government contractor that handles Department of Defense contracts. Christopher has been assigned to work on the client site on behalf of A-Plus and is up for his one-year performance evaluation with his boss, Heidi. Heidi believes Christopher is doing an excellent job from her point of view, but she keeps receiving complaints from the General he works with on-site. Heidi and Christopher are now meeting to discuss his performance. How do you think Heidi handled the performance evaluation? How would you have handled it? Assume Christopher wants a 360-degree appraisal. Which of the following individuals should he NOT be asking for feedback?
Rhonda, his HR representative
Step 2: Roll the cursor over the names. Think about the statement made by each employee, then drag the name to the correct column in the chart to describe the type of discipline involved.
Warning(s)- Lacey, Barry Suspension- Sherry, Mark Demotion- Amie, Scott Dismissal- Charlie, Emily
In the process of conducting a performance appraisal interview, after listening to the employee's feedback, what should a supervisor ideally do next?
decide with the employee how to solve the problems identified
When a supervisor suspects a problem with a troubled employee, what should be his or her first step?
documenting the problem
A company-based program for providing counseling and related help to employees whose personal problems are affecting their performance is most accurately called a(n)
employee assistance program.
When confronting a troubled employee, which of the following should ideally be the last step taken by a supervisor?
explaining the consequences of not changing
This exercise places the elements of expectancy theory in order, then identifies activities linked to each of the elements. The behaviors will relate both to the feelings and perceptions of the workers and the related actions of managers seeking to improve worker motivation. Even with the best strategy in place and an appropriate organizational structure, an organization will be effective only if its members are motivated to perform at a high level. There are many theories of what motivates people to perform at high levels and how motivation works. One of the most popular process theories is the Expectancy Theory. This is a multiplicative theory. The level of motivation is determined by factors that are multiplied by each other, not added to each other. As a result, if any factor is zero, there is zero motivation to perform. If any factor is low, it lessens the motivation level. This theory also shows supervisors where they can act to improve motivation: they can increase the belief that working hard will indeed lead to a desired level of performance; they can improve employees' beliefs that promised rewards will, indeed, be given when a specified level of performance is reached; and they can ensure that the rewards they offer are valuable to employees. Step 2: Roll the cursor over the name for information on the individual's activities or beliefs. Next, drag the individual's name to the appropriate column in the chart.
Expectancy- Gunnar, August, Seraphina Instrumentality-Wynn, Rosie, Ryder Valence-Lucia, Finley, Isadora
Stress refers to the body's response to coping with environmental demands such as change, frustration, uncertainty, danger, or discomfort. A stressor is the situation or the event itself that caused your body to react. Stress can be caused by major life changes and everyday hassles, as well as many other sources. Stress has both physical and emotional components, and it is important to understand how stress impacts the workplace and employees. The goal of this exercise is to demonstrate your understanding of what stress is and its physiological implications. Sandi supervises a team of several employees. She knows she needs to be aware of how stress might impact her employees in their daily activities. Sandi should be on the lookout for
employees who experience migraines and backaches.
Sarah is very serious about her department's budget and bottom line. As a new manager, she wants to make sure she is looking after her employees, knowing that workplace stress can cause her department to fall short of its year-end revenue goals. When Sarah is considering the physiological implications of stress on her employees, which of the following is she not considering?
family leave
Julio has never worked as a manager, but he was just promoted at his company. He just had his first conversation with HR to strategize about how he can both reward his employees and also combat the negative effects of stress on his team. Julio is thinking about offering benefits in the form of _____ and _____ as a way of keeping his team productive and engaged.
flexible scheduling; leisure time
Jennifer believes that Mark, a new employee, is the most efficient employee in the company. Her basis of this opinion is that Mark was polite and had once helped her find her car keys which she had misplaced in the office. Now, whenever she sees Mark working in the office, she assumes that he is the hardest working employee in the company. Jennifer's belief is an example of the
halo effect.
In the context of conducting an appraisal interview, what is the first step toward resolving any problems described in the appraisal?
hearing the employee's reactions
Managers at SAS realize that needs for work-life balance are a top priority for many of their employees and seek to satisfy these needs in a variety of ways including 35-hour workweeks, on-site day care and medical care, and unlimited sick days. These items
help employees fulfill their self-actualization needs
The primary purpose of providing employee assistance programs and other counseling programs is to
improve a troubled employee's performance.
In the process of conducting a performance appraisal interview, after deciding with the employee how to solve the problems identified, what should a supervisor ideally do next?
sign the appraisal form and close on a positive note
By encouraging employees to use the parking area at headquarters for picnics and events, SAS is helping to fulfill their
social needs
AdvancedTech Industries is a manufacturing company that is structured in a way that its employees have dual managers improving their performance and efficiency. Salma, an employee at AdvancedTech, develops a conflict because she is a shared resource and needs to report to an experienced functional manager as well as a relatively new project manager. Identify the type of conflict in this situation.
structural conflict
Priya is an example of a
change agent
One of the few needs not addressed in the description of SAS' motivating policies is
the need for power
This exercise will illustrate ways communication can move through organizations. In organizations, communication flows in many different directions, through many different channels. An effective supervisor understands what types of communication are appropriate in various situations. She understands grapevines, gossip, and rumors and how to intervene to avoid organizational problems caused by these forms of communication in the workplace. Decide whether each term is related to formal or informal communication. 1. Upward Communication 2. Downward Communication 3. Lateral Communication 4. Gossip 5. Rumor 6. Grapevine
1. Formal 2. Formal 3. Formal 4. Informal 5. Informal 6. Informal
This exercise examines employment law in the United States. Congress has passed laws that restrict employment decisions. These laws are designed to give people fair and equal access to jobs based on their skills, not on their personal traits. Supervisors must be aware of the laws affecting hiring to help ensure that the organization's actions are legal. Read each case description and determine which employment law applied inthis situation. 1. Duke Power was sued for using tests that disproportionately African American applicants. 2. Johnson Controls was sued for firing only women from jobs that might present reproductive health risks even though there were risks present for men as well. 3. Knolls Atomic Power Las was sued because 30 out of 31 employees laid off for low ratings on flexibility and retrainability were over 40 years of age. 4. A 56-year-old employee sued Consolidated Coin Caterers when she was fired and replaced with a 40-year-old worker. The fact the replacement worker was 40 years old was deemed irrelevant by the Supreme Court. 5. MISO was sued when the company fired a female employee who had requested disability leave, which was covered under company policies. 6. The Murphy vs UPS case helped to define how an impairment may "substantially limit" a major life activity and whether it is considered a disability. 7. Chick-fil-A was sued for refusing to hire a female job applicant because she was pregnant. 8. Savi Technology was sued for rescinding an offer to a job candidate to become HR director when the company had found out she had recently given birth. 9. Founders Pavilion was fined $370,000 for requiring family medical history as part of its preemployment application. 10. Fabricut was sued for rescinding a job offer after receiving family medical history of the candidate; settled the lawsuit for $50,000.
1. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 2. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 3. Age Discrimination in Employment Act 4. Age Discrimination in Employment Act 5. Americans with Disabilities Act 6. Americans with Disabilities Act 7. Pregnancy Discrimination Act 8. Pregnancy Discrimination Act 9. Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act 10. Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act
Who among the following is most likely to be an efficient supervisor?
Diana, a supervisor at Yellow Umbrella LLC, who uses an appointment calendar to keep track of her schedule
Identify a fact about aid in and evaluation of recovery.
Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are voluntary and confidential in nature.
Anne had a conflict with Zarifa, a customer, because of differences in their religious values and beliefs. Identify the type of conflict in this situation.
interpersonal conflict
Heidi says Christopher should not be so worried about a lower score on his on-site performance because it only counts for 20% of his overall evaluation. Is she right?
No, because he can still lose his job if A-Plus loses the General as a client.
This exercise examines the four steps in the discipline process. Supervisors are responsible for maintaining discipline, making sure the workplace is safe, and that employees are performing to the best of their ability. When a supervisor becomes aware of a problem, the supervisor must meet with those involved, investigate the situation, and decide if discipline is required and, if so, what level of discipline. Step 1: Place the following types of discipline in order of severity from least severe to most severe.
Warning(s), Suspension, Demotion, Dismissal
Which of the following is a fact about detecting and confronting troubled employees?
When supervisors gather enough supporting evidence, they should confront the employees.
SAS provides a great deal of challenging work. Individuals with _______ should thrive in this environment.
a high need for achievement
Which of the following is an example of an extrinsic reward?
a manager giving an "employee of the month" award with a certificate and gift vouchers
Arax Group of Companies has initiated a group incentive plan to motivate its employees. Under this plan, the company sets aside money that remains after all operating expenses are subtracted from its revenue and divides the money among its employees. Which of the following plans has the company adopted?
a profit-sharing plan
Who among the following is most likely to work solely for intrinsic rewards?
a retired accountant with a pension
Productivity is best defined as the
amount of results an organization gets for a given amount of inputs.
Harry grants permission for Priya to start automated sales at one of Bergman's locations. What stage of Lewin's model of change is Harry exhibiting?
changing
Donald, a supervisor in a manufacturing company, has the following activities that he intends to finish by the end of the week. Which of the following activities should be categorized as an A-level activity?
conducting a performance review of senior employees
When asked by Jay's employer, Rob vouches for Jay's moral qualities and temperament. In this case, Rob acts as a(n)
personal reference.
Naina has the following activities to be done. Identify the activity that falls under the category of a C-level activity.
planning a surprise party for her cousin's birthday the following month
Quality control is best defined as an organization's efforts to
prevent or correct defects in its goods or services or to improve them in some way.
Which of the following ideally comes under the scope of an employer when dealing with troubled employees?
protecting the employee's privacy
Which step of the process of performance appraisal are Heidi and Christopher at in the beginning of the video?
reinforce performance or provide remedies
In the process of conducting a performance appraisal interview, after reviewing appraisal ratings and the basis for these ratings, what should a supervisor ideally do next?
request and listen to the employee's feedback
In the process of conducting a performance appraisal interview, after putting the employee at ease, what should a supervisor ideally do next?
review appraisal ratings and the basis for these ratings
Stuart had an open-door policy for his employees and their problems. However, he was also aware of how this policy could be abused to waste time. Therefore, when one of his employees came to him to discuss her recent European vacation, Stuart should have responded by
saying that they could have lunch together so that they could talk about it.
Gina has a meeting scheduled for an hour during which she needs to find a solution for a problem at hand. If the problem cannot be solved in the time allotted, which of the following should Gina follow to achieve her goal?
schedule a follow-up meeting
Onsite health care and pharmacy services at SAS satisfy which of Maslow's needs?
security
Rishab, a supervisor at a software company, is responsible for a large team. He effectively manages his team in high-pressure situations. His ability to manage his emotions, thoughts, and behavior in such situations helps maintain a positive attitude at work. Based on this scenario, Rishab has high
self-regulation.
In times of crisis, when employees are not satisfied with the amount of information they receive from the management, they may be getting incorrect information from
the grapevine.
Managers need to embrace change, when it is needed, and understand how to successfully implement it. This is especially important when there is resistance to change. There are some supertrends specifically shaping the future of business: (1) The marketplace is becoming more segmented; (2) competitors offering specialized solutions require we get our products to market faster; (3) some companies are unable to survive disruptive innovation; (4) offshore suppliers are changing the way we work; and (5) knowledge, not information, is becoming the new competitive advantage. Bergman's Supermarket is holding an executive session to discuss potentially converting its stores to being completely automated. The company is one of the leading supermarkets in the country with hundreds of thousands of employees and is led by a third-general Bergman. Investors are pressuring the company to start investing in innovative processes in order to stay competitive. One executive just wrapped up a presentation to the group and there are differences in opinion in the board room on how to move forward. How is the leadership team handling the situation? How would you? At the beginning of the video, Priya ends her presentation by asking her colleagues to imagine "a world where you never have to wait in line for your groceries again!" What stage of Lewin's model of change is Priya exhibiting?
unfreezing
This exercise will describe the various conflict management styles evident in the workplace environment. Conflict is an inevitable aspect of organizational life. Conflict can exist between individuals, among the members of a group, team, or department, between different groups, teams, and departments, and even between organizations. Effective supervisors develop high levels of skill at conflict management, understanding which techniques are effective and ineffective. They learn to use their power to influence the resolution of the various types of conflict. Read each description and identify which conflict management style is involved. 1. Kathy wants Ken to reduce the price of a shipment and deliver it in one week. Ken would like the full price and needs more production time. Ken agrees to lower his price and Kathy agrees to postpone the delivery date. 2. Ace asks Betts to work with him all weekend to finish the project. Betts wants the weekend off. They agree that both will work Saturday, Ace will work Sunday, and Betts will work late Monday if needed to finish. 3. Hannah and Jann refuse to admit there is any conflict between them even though they refuse to speak to each other. 4. Employees have been resigning in high numbers from Erik's department. When asked if he needs help by his manager, he claims there isn't any problem and is shocked his manager thinks there is. 5. Several of Delia's employees want to take off the upcoming holiday week, which is the busiest week of the year, and no one is willing to change their plans. With limited staff coverage, Delia decides that no one can take off during the holiday week. 6. Kevin and Kenji each wants his management to be the standard in the shop. They manage different shifts and keep trying to get the other one in trouble with the boss through increasingly severe rounds of sabotage. 7. Sci Inc. wants to acquire Bet Co. but must convince its top management. Sci Inc. points out the benefits to each company. Sci Inc. will gain Bet Co.'s innovation and Bet Co. will gain access to Sci Inc.'s large market. 8. Jack, finance manager, and Frances, new analyst, aren't sure she will fit in the department until Jack says he needs someone with statistical skills for a fast track position. This is just want Frances has and wants!
1. Compromising 2. Compromising 3. Avoiding 4. Avoiding 5. Forcing 6. Forcing 7. Resolving 8. Resolving
This exercise exemplifies what makes communication effective. Supervisors need to know if their boss is impressed, angry, or frustrated. They need to know if their employees understand their goals and task assignments. In other words, supervisors need to be able to communicate effectively. There are behaviors that can be practiced that will make supervisors better communicators and more effective. Read the descriptions and determine whether the individual is an effective or ineffective communicator. 1. Logan looks for areas of shared experiences to discuss when interviewing a potential employee. 2. Kitty follows up after complex telephone conversations with an email recapping what was agreed to over the phone. 3. Mikhail takes a moment to understand the emotion and meaning of what he's been told and then repeats it to clarify any misunderstandings. 4. Lorna is leading a training session at her company's Italian subsidiary. Speaks slowly and enunciates well. 5. Scott feels it is a waste of time to explain the basics of blueprint notation. Just assumes everyone understands it. 6. Jeannie walked into the employees' lunchroom. Gave long, detailed instructions for next week's work, then left immediately for vacation. 7. Xavier always plans responses while the other person is speaking. 8. If someone doesn't understand, Emma speaks louder and louder.
1. Effective 2. Effective 3. Effective 4. Effective 5. Ineffective 6. Ineffective 7. Ineffective 8. Ineffective
Most supervisors conduct performance appraisals of their employees at least once a year. Performance appraisals provide employees with information needed to improve the quality of their work. They are used to motivate employees, pointing out weak areas that may need improvement as well as highlighting areas in which employees are doing a great job. Performance appraisals provide documentation on under-performing or troubled employees and are also used to assess the appropriateness of raises and/or promotions. This exercise reviews the steps in the performance appraisal process and identifies behaviors involved at each step. Read the descriptions and match to the appropriate element of the performance process. 1. Karen informs billing clerks they must prepare accurate, itemized statements, dissolve discrepancies, compute discounts, rates, and shipping charges. 2. Ray meets with the team of research assistants to let them each know they must be able to manage database searches, obtain informed consent from subjects, and verify the accuracy and validity of data. 3. Paula told all medical records techs they should have zero errors in medical transcription, entry of medical coding, or assignment of patients to diagnosis-related groups. Any discrepancies must be fixed within 24 hours. 4. Walter posted the following for the rolling machine operators: "All machines must be set to within 1 mm of specifications. All workers must wear mandated safety gear whenever they are on the shop floor." 5. Chelsea keeps weekly notes of how many hours each sales representative spends on cold calls for new clients, time spent with existing clients, money spent on client entertainment, and travel expenses. 6. Todd checks daily that operators at the nuclear power reactor check off all items at start-up and shut-down, record each item of operating data and safety tests, and request maintenance within 5 minutes of finding a problem. 7. Wanda talks to Bob to see if his performance problems are the result of inability to do the assigned task or unwillingness to do it. Determining that lack of skill is the problem, Wanda offers Bob additional training. 8. Zeb acknowledges Anne for the high praise she has received over the past year from her teammates who have identified Anne as the person on the team with the most innovative ideas or suggestions.
1. Establish Expectations 2. Establish Expectations 3. Establish Standards 4. Establish Standards 5. Measure Performance 6. Measure Performance 7. Reinforce or Remediate 8. Reinforce or Remediate
This exercise highlights various performance appraisal techniques. Supervisors and managers use many different methods of performance appraisal. Sometimes they use multiple methods. It is important that both human resource professionals and all supervisors and managers understand the different methods for appraising behavior as well as the pros and cons of each. Read the descriptions and match them to the appropriate appraisal method. Most commonly used method Measures the relative performance of members of a group against performance of other group members. Supervisors are given a set of behavior statements and must choose a best and worst characteristic for each employee. Usually used in conjunction with other methods. Supervisors rate employees using scales that use behavioral examples to differentiate levels rather than scales such as "excellent, good, fair, poor." Supervisor answers yes or no to a series of questions regarding an employee's performance. Written records of positive and negative behavior are kept with dates, times, people or duties involved, and a description of the behavior. Performance is measured on work outcomes using objective measures. Performance is measured on the achievement of goals set at the previous review. Appraisals are based on reports from a variety of sources including, for example, supervisors, peers, subordinates, customers, and even the employee.
1. Graphic Rating Scale 2. Paired-Comparison 3. Forced Choice 4. Essay Appraisal 5. Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale 6. Checklist Approach 7. Critical-Incident Appraisal 8. Work-Standards Approach 9. Management by Objectives (MBO) 10. 360-Degree Feedback
This exercise will illustrate the various types and sources of power available to managers. No matter what one's leadership style, a key component of effective leadership is found in the power the leader has to affect other people's behavior and get them to act in certain ways. There are several types of power, including legitimate, reward, coercive, expert, and referent power. Effective leaders take steps to ensure that they have sufficient levels of each type and that they use the power they have in beneficial ways. Read each description and identify the type of power described. 1. As head of her department, Akemi can assign individuals to tasks, set their work schedules, and appraise their performance. 2. As CEO, Kimi can give orders to anyone and expect to be obeyed. 3. Aylen has the ability to award bonuses to her best workers. 4. Kimiko awards a company car to the highest grossing sales associate each year. 5. Sinead threatened to cut Jenner's pay if he did not start arriving on time. 6. Naomi was fired when it was observed that her punishments of her subordinates were much too harsh and frequently went against company policy in their severity. 7. Ruth was highly sought as a leader because of her 15 years' experience with cutting edge technology. 8. Dana returned to school to obtain an advanced degree in order to add to her leadership abilities. 9. Inez is admired for her ability to keep calm in a crisis. Her subordinates trust her deeply. 10. Yazmin has a passion for her work, which motivates others to work as hard as she does. She is also known and respected for the compassion and concern she shows her employees.
1. Legitimate 2. Legitimate 3. Reward 4. Reward 5. Coercive 6. Coercive 7. Expert 8. Expert 9. Referent 10. Referent
This exercise will highlight the elements that get in the way of productivity. There are many strategies supervisors can use to reduce or eliminate quality and productivity issues. These include controlling costs, setting and monitoring budgets, increasing output, standardizing workflow, purchasing new equipment, and minimizing waste. Unfortunately, not all of these methods provide the same level of effectiveness when it comes to increasing or maintaining a high level of productivity. Read each description and identify which productivity limitation is involved. 1. Frustrated that productivity is lacking in his department, Walter writes a proposal for improving working conditions and sends it to his supervisor. 2. Vivian doesn't think her new supervisor, Sharon, is committed to helping employees increase quality. Sharon discourages employee involvement in planning and decision-making. 3. Brice is researching to what extent blocking employee access to the Internet and social media would improve performance at the company. Would it be worth the potential resentment of his employees? 4. Charley's employee, Abby, can't seem to meet performance expectations. Charley considers additional training for Abby but worries she just doesn't want to change. 5. Irene was involved in an accident at work because she ignored OSHA safety requirements and tried to produce more products in a short period of time. 6. Jackson is concerned that the regional airline he works for has been skipping maintenance checks required by the NTSB in an effort to save money. 7. Externally enforced rules prohibit Mort from cross-training employees on each other's jobs, a process that would improve productivity. The rules are in place to protect worker jobs from being eliminated. 8. Pat is negotiating with workers' representatives to revise job descriptions in an effort to increase productivity.
1. Management Limitations 2. Management Limitations 3. Employee Attitude & Skills 4. Employee Attitude & Skills 5. Government Regulations 6. Government Regulations 7. Union Rules 8. Union Rules
Do you know where your time is going? This exercise describes activities that waste time. Just like everyone else, supervisors wonder where the time goes. They find that there are certain activities and behaviors that most often lead them to waste time. Research has identified the most common time wasters. Frequently supervisors have to engage in activities that can become time wasters; however, knowledge, experience, and planning can help reduce their overall effects on the workday. Supervisors can manage their time wisely by knowing how to deal with time wasters. Read the descriptions of the various individuals and match them to the time waster that best describes them. 1. Kelly is developing a plan to use time wisely, knowing full well that the next hour will be a total waste of time. Brings her laptop so she can get some work done while waiting for others who arrive late, make small talk, and waste time with off-topic discussions. 2. Knowing that interruptions can cause workers to lose up to 25 minutes before getting back to what they were working on, Chris has developed a habit of only dealing with messages from others at specific times of the day. 3. David has decided to cancel subscriptions to anything he hasn't looked at in three months and to throw away anything he isn't immediately interested in after scanning its table of contents. 4. Phillip has developed the habit of meeting people at the door or standing to talk to them; and, unless it is a problem, always tries to schedule a meeting at a better time. 5. Scotty finds he has difficulty getting started on a new project. He always seems to find something else to do. This is especially true for big, long-term, complex projects. 6. When Jordan manages to actually finish a project, she usually thinks, "I should have done even better." Jordan sets her standards even higher for the next project. She doesn't seem to be able to finish on time anymore. 7. Adam's employees are frustrated because he is always micromanaging them. He doesn't seem to trust them to do things right and is always double-checking their work or even taking it back and doing it himself. 8. Carrie is chairing three committees, planning the company holiday party, and handling her regular tasks supervising eight employees. She has three emails asking her to help colleagues. She is about to say yes—again.
1. Meetings 2. Telephone Calls, Texts, and Email 3. Paperwork and Reading Material 4. Unscheduled Visitors 5. Procrastination 6. Perfectionism 7. Failure to Delegate 8. Inability to Say No
This exercise will identify elements of quality production. High-quality work involves creating products and services that meet or exceed customers' expectations. Many supervisory activities are specifically involved with improving quality. These activities are particularly important because poor-quality goods and services limit an organization's resource access and raise costs. Producing low-quality goods and services can harm consumers, resulting in costly lawsuits and severe damage to an organization's reputation. Read the descriptions of the various individuals and match them to the appropriate related quality dimension. 1. In 2021, the Lamborghini Centenario could do this in 2.7 seconds 2. Snapchat's app now incorporates image filters based on user location that overlay text or graphic stickers to your pictures. 3. Consumer Reports rated the treadwear on Michelin's Primacy tire much better than that of the Toyo Versado. 4. NHTSA tested over 200 automobile child-safety seats on a number of requirements and found they all passed. 5. Outside Magazine praised the Gregory Border 25 backpack for its "beefy zippers and heavy 840 dernier material," both of which help this backpack stand up to strenuous use. 6. In order to change the battery in a Dodge Stratus, individuals have to jack up the car, remove the driver-side front wheel, remove the inner fender skirt, and unbolt the battery and cables. 7. Mugaritz, a restaurant in Errenteria, Spain, is famous for its edible bubbles. This is a beautiful dish that looks like a plate of bright reddish-pink bubbles and is made from sun-ripened berries and beetroot. 8. Known for precise timekeeping and high-end materials, Rolex watches cost thousands of dollars.
1. Performance 2. Features 3. Reliability 4. Conformance 5. Durability 6. Serviceability 7. Aesthetics 8. Perceived Quality
This exercise demonstrates the biases that can hamper the effectiveness of performance evaluations. Ideally, supervisors should be completely objective in their appraisals of employees. Each appraisal should directly reflect an employee's performance, not any biases of a supervisor. However, this is impossible to do perfectly. Supervisors, and everyone else, make compromises in decision-making strategies and have biases in evaluating what other people do. Supervisors need to be aware of these biases so that their effect on the appraisals can be limited or eliminated. Read the descriptions and match them to the appropriate appraisal bias. 1. Just before her performance review, Gina closes a deal with a major client. Ted gives her a very positive evaluation by allowing this deal to overshadow her overall mediocre performance during the past year. 2. Judy gives Claire a "less than satisfactory" rating for her work attitude because she overhears Claire gossiping with her colleagues on several occasions. 3. Cheryl isn't really sure how Polly interacts with her teammates so she just checks off whatever answer looks okay on the evaluation form. 4. Joey tends to give the best performance appraisals to the subordinates that have the same educational degree as he does. 5. Sheila is really uncomfortable giving negative feedback to her employees so she overlooks any problems and gives them all high marks on their appraisals. 6. When Jamal scores the first item on an employee's appraisal form at 4 on a scale from 1 to 10, he tends to score all other statements at the same low score. 7. Rana doesn't like to score anyone either very high or very low on the company's appraisal form. She scores everyone as a 2, 3, or 4 on all items. 8. Believing that all senior managers should be men, Ervin typically gives unfavorable reviews to female managers at the company. 9. Kathy is a new supervisor who wants to show others they need to listen to her. Her subordinates are frustrated and discouraged because they view her appraisals as unfair.
1. Recency Syndrome 2. Halo Effect 3. Random Choices 4. Similarity Bias 5. Leniency Bias 6. Proximity Bias 7. Central Tendency 8. Prejudices 9. Harshness bias
This exercise will review and identify different techniques and biases that may occur during job interviews. There are many things to consider when preparing to interview job candidates. Supervisors need to understand the pros and cons of various techniques in order to select the most effect one to use in an interview situation. In addition, supervisors should be aware of basic biases that may make an interview less than effective. Read the descriptions and match them to the interview technique or bias that is described. 1. Xavier plans to ask the same questions of all applicants though he may shift the order around. 2. Sheila likes to ask spur of the moment questions in interviews. Believes this spontaneous approach gives her a better idea about the candidate's strengths and weaknesses. 3. Kurt will ask several questions starting with: "Tell me about a time when..." and leaving it up to the candidates how general or specific to make their answers. 4. Logan plans to ask questions such as "Which shift do you prefer to work?" and "Have you ever been convicted of a felony?" 5. Kitty met the applicant at a charity event and decides the candidate would be a perfect fit for the company. After all, going to a charity event means the applicant must be generous and friendly. 6. Jean decides not to hire a specific candidate who has a visible tattoo because Jean hates tattoos. 7. Peter always raves about the company with job applicants. Knowing he is exaggerating the good and minimizing the bad, but Peter believes he is encouraging them to accept the position if offered.
1. Structured Interview 2. Unstructured Interview 3. Open-Ended Question 4. Closed-ended Question 5. Halo Effect 6. Personal Preference Bias 7. Unrealistic Job Preview
This exercise will examine the various methods companies use to improve the quality of their goods and services. Because of the negative consequences of poor quality, organizations try to prevent and correct problems through various approaches to quality control. Supervisors focus on both product quality control—improving the product itself—and process quality control—improving how goods and services are produced and/or delivered. Most companies today utilize at least one of the common quality control methods, some companies use two or more methods in combination. Read the descriptions of the various individuals and match them to the appropriate quality management term. 1. Kaylee has received several complaints recently that the company's products are not working as advertised and is concerned with finding out what is wrong. 2. Recently Leon overhauled the methods used to purchase raw materials used in the company's products. The new methods have resulted in increased quality levels. 3. Margie randomly samples the finished products at her company. The samples are assumed to be representative of all the products produced and are used to check for overall adherence to quality goals. 4. Norbert uses control charts that show the average quality expected as well as acceptable upper and lower limits. He monitors production as it occurs to watch for any unacceptable deviance in quality. 5. Quincy supervises a group that meets twice a month for two to three hours to hammer out solutions to quality problems. 6. Regina is a highly valued black belt who helps teams define problems, measure and analyze defects, develop and test plans to solve the problems, and set controls to avoid any recurrence. 7. Stan works for a company that utilizes Deming's philosophy of continuous improvement. Everyone in his organization is focused on continually improving quality in all areas of the company.
1. Total Quality Management (TQM) 2. Process Quality Control 3. Statistical Quality Control 4. Statistical Process Control 5. Employee Involvement Teams 6. Six Sigma 7. Product Quality Control
Do you know why you're feeling stressed? This exercise identifies the major sources of stress for supervisors and employees. Supervisors become frustrated when they cannot accomplish the work they want to, upset by all the complaints they hear, tense if they work in a dangerous environment, and worried if they feel they cannot live up to their managers' expectations. Stress can result from the challenges that stimulate us and from the happy changes in our lives as well. Stress can result in physiological changes: increased heart rate, faster breathing, high blood pressure, perspiration, ulcers, and many other problems. The first element in dealing with stress is to identify what is causing it. Then find a way to alleviate or eliminate the stressors. Read each description and identify which type of stressor is involved. 1. So far, in her internship, Louise has not been offered anything meaningful to do. She feels she isn't learning anything, just doing things that no one else wants to do—or even needs to do. 2. Sidney finished his last two tasks faster than other workers. As a result, Sidney's supervisor just keeps giving him more and more and more work. He feels overwhelmed by it all. 3. Tax season! Olivia is already stressed anticipating how many tax forms she is going to have to do in such a short period of time. She will be just running and running and running from one client to the next. 4. Gene is frequently confused about what is expected of him. His supervisor doesn't seem to know how to give clear instructions or lay out specific goals. 5. Shirley is the only woman being considered for a partnership, and the company almost never offers partnerships to women. She's almost sure she won't get the offer because she's a woman; and there is nothing she can do about it. 6. Robert never knows what to expect from his supervisor who doesn't seem to remember from day to day what policies she has put in place. She seems to alter assignments, shifts, and teams every day. 7. Julie works on a shop floor that is extremely noisy with bad air circulation. She wonders how much longer she can take it. 8. Jack works for a supervisor who constantly yells at and belittles his subordinates. Everyone cringes when this supervisor enters the work area not knowing who the next victim will be. 9. Glenda used to work in an airy, spacious office. The company had to cut costs and move everyone to a smaller building. Now they all work in one big room with their desks almost touching. There is no privacy any more.
1. Work Design 2. Work Design 3. Work Design 4. Management 5. Management 6. Management 7. Work Environment 8. Work Environment 9. Work Environment
This exercise places the elements of expectancy theory in order, then identifies activities linked to each of the elements. The behaviors will relate both to the feelings and perceptions of the workers and the related actions of managers seeking to improve worker motivation. Even with the best strategy in place and an appropriate organizational structure, an organization will be effective only if its members are motivated to perform at a high level. There are many theories of what motivates people to perform at high levels and how motivation works. One of the most popular process theories is the Expectancy Theory. This is a multiplicative theory. The level of motivation is determined by factors that are multiplied by each other, not added to each other. As a result, if any factor is zero, there is zero motivation to perform. If any factor is low, it lessens the motivation level. This theory also shows supervisors where they can act to improve motivation: they can increase the belief that working hard will indeed lead to a desired level of performance; they can improve employees' beliefs that promised rewards will, indeed, be given when a specified level of performance is reached; and they can ensure that the rewards they offer are valuable to employees. Step 1: Roll the cursor over each element of the Expectancy Theory and read the description. Next, place the elements in their proper position in relation to the motivational process
Expectancy- The belief that a high level of effort will lead to the desired level of performance. (Effort) Valence- The value a person places on the outcome of a specific behavior. (Outcomes) Instrumentality- The belief that a specific level of performance will lead to the desired outcome. (Performance)
To really understand leadership, we need to understand the concept of power and authority. Authority is the right to perform or command; it comes with the job. In contrast, power is the extent to which a person is able to influence others so they respond to orders. Managers need to be able to influence those around them in order to gain their commitment. Influence tactics may be hard or soft, and the tactic chosen may be contingent on the particular situation at hand. It's November and the holiday rush is on for a mid-size retail surf store. The store manager is having a meeting with some of his staff. They are quite disgruntled about two new policies that have been put in place. First, employees who are clocking out of their shift need to wait for a manager to check them before leaving the premises. Second, employees cannot take any leave during the holiday rush between Thanksgiving and January 2nd. Employees are not happy about these policies. How is the leadership team handling the situation? How would you? Mark responds to Brianna's concerns about the new employee end-of-shift policy with "...This is a policy straight from corporate. We have to follow it." What type of power is Mark utilizing?
Legitimate
This exercise illustrates the steps in the communication process. High-quality work requires effective communication between supervisors and their employees. It is at the heart of the supervisor's job. To work with their managers, their employees, and supervisors in other departments, supervisors communicate ideas, instructions, progress reports, and many other kinds of information. These types of communication can occupy three-quarters of a supervisor's workday. Therefore, supervisors need to know how to communicate effectively.
NOISE -> Sender -> Encodes -> Message -> Decodes -> Receiver -> Encodes -> Feedback -> Decodes _. Repeat
Jennifer, a new human resources manager for a pharmaceutical firm, is given the task of recruiting 25 people for the firm. Jennifer screens the candidates based on their education qualifications and the firm's job requirements. According to the selection process, which of the following should Jennifer do next?
She should interview the candidates.
Dean, a supervisor at NeonColors Inc., is engaged in a conflict with his colleague, Nathan, because they could not agree on the design of a product. As what type of conflict can this be best categorized?
interpersonal conflict
