Supervision Mid-Term

Operational planning is performed by the

middle management and the supervisors.

If the CEO of a company hires his or her cousin, who lacks the required qualification, to head a division of the company, then it would be most appropriate to say that he or she is guilty of

nepotism.

Supervisors may find it harder to be fair when they supervise their own relatives. In the context of the ethical behavior of supervisors, this situation can result from practicing

nepotism.

The management at Pine Inc. reduces the size of the company's workforce in order to become more flexible. For specific project requirements, it arranges alliances. In this case, Pine Inc. is an example of a(n) ________ organization.

network

Successful teamwork requires ________ communication among team members.

open

Which of the following is an appropriate example of an honest behavior?

A supervisor makes sure that the employees get the credit when they make a brilliant suggestion.

A supervisor's responsibilities include

A supervisor's responsibilities include

Who among the following exemplifies a manager with an external locus of control?

Alan, who blames his team members for his poor performance ratings

In the context of corporate social responsibility, which of the following statements is a proposition of the Davis model that relates to how businesses should interact with society?

Businesses must help solve societal issues that may be outside their normal realm of action.

Which of the following is a guideline for proper decision making in the workplace?

Consider the consequences of one's actions.

Who among the following best exemplifies a laissez-faire leader?

Edgar, a manager who lets his employees work as they wish and seldom interferes

Who among the following best exemplifies an authoritarian leader?

George, a team leader who makes decisions himself and gives instructions to his team members

Which of the following statements is true of the control process?

If the control system is working properly, the supervisor should be uncovering problems before customers and management discover them.

Which of the following is a defining characteristic of strategic planning?

It covers a large time span, which is usually over a year.

In decision making, why is feedback important for a supervisor?

It indicates whether the chosen solution is working.

Which of the following best describes the process of team building?

It is the process of developing the ability of members to work together to achieve common objectives.

Which of the following is the primary effect of teaching supervisors about the importance of ethics?

It promotes social responsibility in an organization.

A vision will not become a reality unless employees know and want to do their part. __________, as a function of management, is primarily associated with this aspect

Leading

Which of the following is a defining characteristic of operational planning?

Operational planning is usually short-term, with a time frame of one year or less.

Differentiate between operational plans and strategic plans.

Operational plans are more specific and focus on a shorter time frame, while strategic plans focus on long-term goals for the organization.

Which of the following statements is true of planning?

Planning should begin at the top of the organization, with a plan for the organization as a whole.

Which of the following statements is true of reinforcement?

Reinforcement that involves praising employees for good work motivates and inspires them to repeat the behavior.

Which of the following statements is true of managing at the supervisory level?

Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that each department contributes to accomplishing the company's goals.

Which of the following is true of action plans?

They are created by answering the questions what, who, when, where, and how.

Identify the stage of team development in which a team decides to disband after having achieved its goals.

adjourning

Choose the team characteristic associated with team productivity that deals with the importance of team members focusing on outcomes and effects.

assessment of progress and results

Peter is the human resource manager of Voir Power Company, which manufactures rotors for alternators. He has the authority to ensure that all departments in the company adhere to the United States labor laws and ensure fair employment practices. Identify the authority that Peter has in this scenario.

authority

As a leader, a supervisor is expected to

be loyal to the organization and subordinates.

Which of the following managerial skills do supervisors and other managers rely on when they need to assign tasks and explain job responsibilities, task objectives, and performance expectations?

clarifying roles

Supervisors emphasize people orientation because they

deal directly with employees and have knowledge about an organization's customers.

If everyone in a team agrees all the time, it may signify that the team members are unable or unwilling to contribute. Which of the following team characteristics associated with team productivity mostly deals with the significance of this issue?

debate and discussion

The leader of a team will sometimes have to make a decision alone or reject suggestions. However, all team members should have a voice in making many decisions, rather than simply a vote without the full opportunity to be heard. This is a dimension of quality of team productivity referred to as

decisions made by consensus.

Sheena, a supervisor, decides to organize a company softball team to play against other companies in the city. She starts by laying down the purpose of the team. In this list, she includes improvement of the team's morale, physical exercise, and most importantly, having fun. Which of the following steps in the organizing process is Sheena concentrating on at present?

defining objectives

Mathew, a supervisor with Home Security Systems, supervises the installation of security systems for residential buildings. He assigns the duty of installing surveillance cameras for Downhill Residential Society to his juniors in the company. This transferring of responsibility is called

delegating.

When a manager needs to know about a decision, it is usually smart for a supervisor to

discuss the problem before reaching and announcing the decision.

Supervisors rely more on technical skills than do higher-level managers because

employees who have a problem doing their jobs go to the supervisor and expect help.

Which of the following behaviors will allow a newly promoted supervisor to transition smoothly to a position of power?

encouraging and teaching employees to manage tasks the supervisor handled before being promoted

Which is the first stage of the team development process?

forming

Vite Finance Inc. is an insurance company with its headquarters in Texas. It caters to 17 sales territories in the United States. To improve customer satisfaction, it established a department for each sales territory. Which of the following structures is best exemplified in this scenario?

geographic structure

A national grocery chain is divided into well-demarcated groups such as the Northeastern division, the Northwestern division, the Southeastern division, and the Southwestern division. These divisions have been set up based on the location of large groups of customers the company serves. In the context of departmentalization, this company is most likely using a(n)

geographic structure.

An organization's ________ determine what its employees should be striving toward.

goals

"Team members should view accomplishing objectives as the team's primary purpose because it gives them direction and purpose." Which of the following characteristics associated with team productivity best corresponds to this statement?

goals that are understood and accepted

In the context of the Davis model of corporate social responsibility, it is important for businesses to act in socially responsible ways because businesses

have a significant impact on societal issues such as environmental pollution and minority employment.

The Davis model of corporate social responsibility proposes that businesses must listen to the public to understand what can be done to improve society as a whole because businesses

have power and must act in socially responsible ways.

Organizing draws heavily on a supervisor's conceptual skills, but leading requires good __________ skills.

human relations

A supervisor's commitment to employees and customers is significant because supervisors

inspire employees to do their best.

At ATA Speakers Inc., operations are departmentalized under the following sections—home speakers, automobile speakers, and commercial speakers. Tasks and resources are allocated to these departments for producing and delivering their respective type of speakers. In the context of departmentalization, this company is most likely using a(n)

product structure.

Which of the following is an example of the developing skills of successful managers?

providing coaching and advice

Being decisive means

reaching a decision within a reasonable amount of time.

In the control process, ________ define the acceptable quantity and quality of work.

standards

Small organizations are sometimes unable to afford an expert consultant to carry out their team-building processes. In such cases, the ________ carries out this responsibility at regular team meetings.

supervisor

According to research by the Ethics Resource Center, which of the following factors is most important for organizations trying to establish strong ethical cultures?

supervisors who demonstrate ethical behavior

John is an AutoCAD designer with MotoCorp Ltd. He reports to the research and development manager as well as the operations manager of his company. He often receives conflicting directions from both these departments, which severely impact his productivity as he must redo machine designs every time. Which of the following principles is violated in this scenario?

the principle of unity of command

When a supervisor needs to build support for a solution, such as cutting costs or improving productivity, it is best for him or her to

use group decision making.

The information gained from the control process is beneficial only if supervisors

use it as the basis for reinforcing or changing behavior.

When the consequences of a decision are great, which of the following should the supervisor follow?

use the rational model of decision making

In which of the following situations should a supervisor make a decision alone?

when a decision must be made quickly, as in an emergency

For objectives to be effective, they should be

written, measurable, clear, specific, and challenging but achievable.