CH-1 The Supervisory Challenge – Supervision: Concepts and Practices of Management : Book Guide

Chapter 1 The Supervisory Challenge Learning Objectives 1. Understand that we are in difficult times. The challenges of this century have been unbelievable. It seems that if something could happen it did. Threats of terrorism, incivility, massive unemployment, financial markets on a roller coaster, plants and businesses closing, housing and commercial properties in foreclosure, natural disasters, and other factors that the typical person has little or no control over have caused grave concerns. In addition, major environmental factors impact everything the organization does. These factors are not static. The whole world is changing rapidly, and while some people do not want to deal with change, most do not know how to deal with it. 2. Explain the demands and rewards of being a supervisor. Supervisors are the first tier of management. They manage entry-level and other departmental employees. In the face of a rapidly changing environment, successful supervisors will find ways to balance the requirements for high work performance with the diverse needs of the workforce. Supervisory management focuses primarily on the management of people. For many people, being a supervisor provides a variety of satisfying experiences, notably, the challenge of getting diverse people to work together, the increased responsibility that comes with climbing the management hierarchy, the unpredictable nature of the job, and the sense of accomplishment from doing a job well. Conversely, some people avoid supervisory responsibility. Being a supervisor is a demanding position that often places the supervisor in the middle of organizational pressures and conflict. A supervisor must endeavor to reconcile the needs of the organization and the needs of employees, which often is an elusive target. 3. Describe the contributions of four schools of management thought. There is no one universal school of management thought. The scientific management approach attempts to find the most efficient or “one best way.” In this approach, the manager’s primary function is to plan the work. Time and motion study and other industrial engineering principles are used to analyze the work to be done. The functional approach assumes that there are essential functions that all managers should perform. The human relations movement/behavioral science approach emphasizes that managers must understand what causes employees to behave the way they do. This approach began with the Hawthorne studies at Western Electric Company. The quantitative/systems approaches apply mathematical models to help solve organizational problems. An understanding of the various schools of management thought gives supervisors a foundation on which to build their own supervisory philosophies. 4. Identify the economic, demographic, political, and social trends that will affect supervisors. Many factors and trends in the workforce will impact how most organizations operate. The workforce is expected to become more racially and ethnically diverse. Some of the baby boomers are expected to be leaving the labor market, but with the current economy being so anemic, most will need to continue to work. Women and minorities will continue to enter the workforce in increasing numbers, and they will be used more fully than they have been in the past, including in supervisory and management positions. Substantial numbers of contingent workers will be found in the workplace. The more diverse workforce will create numerous problems (e.g., multicultural and multilingual problems, family obligations versus job obligations). The workforce generally will consist of more college graduates, but millions of people will not be prepared educationally to qualify for many employment opportunities. The growth of the Latino population and other immigrants will have a profound effect on the organizations in which they work and the culture and traditions in the communities where they reside. We fully expect that immigration issues will be debated endlessly and, perhaps eventually, a solution will be found for the millions of illegal immigrants. Most manufacturers have or are in the process of downsizing, outsourcing, or offshoring their production activities. Although many jobs are becoming more complex because of the technology involved, the fastest growth will take place in the service sector. Occupational and industry trends, changing technology and business conditions, and the competition from the global marketplace will be significant influences on supervisory management. Government laws and regulations will continue to have a major impact on the policies and activities of most organizations. China, China, China! What does the future hold as China becomes an even more formidable force in the world’s economy? China’s gross domestic product ranks it second in the world only behind the United States. Many U.S. and European manufacturers have found China an attractive place because of its abundance of willing workers and its few environmental restrictions. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) implies that organizations must be both profitable and responsible to their various stakeholder groups. Supervisors need to look at each decision by asking two questions: •Who will be impacted by the decision, and •Is it fair to all concerned? Because of increased incivility, workplace violence, and the threat of terrorism, firms will establish programs and procedures to help supervisors recognize the symptoms of troubled employees. Supervisors will have to be sensitive to existing and expected employee trends. For example, more employees will expect their jobs to have greater personal meaning to them as individuals. Many will want to be engaged or at least more involved through participation in their organizations. Employees will continue to expect a greater voice in workplace decision making, and they will expect to be empowered. Therefore, supervisors will likely have to be somewhat flexible in their approaches to managing. 5. Explain why supervisors must continually grow and develop as professionals. The habits of highly effective people can be developed. Supervisors who want to be more effective will put themselves in situations in which they can practice new techniques. Finally, supervisors who aspire to become more effective leaders need a professional outlook and must recognize the need for a personal program of continuous self-development. Get off the bench and into the game! PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-3, Learning Objectives 6. Recognize ways for getting into a supervisory position. Searching for a job is never easy. But it’s easier to find a job when you have one (see Figure 1.5). The better you know yourself—your skills, your knowledge, your abilities, your priorities, and what you can do to help the organization to achieve its goals—the better your chances of landing that dream job! Lecture Outline I. What Does It Mean to Be a Supervisor in Uncertain Times? The first years of the twenty-first century have certainly been the times that try men’s souls. For many employees, these past 10 years have been a time of employers imposing work-rule concessions, wage freezes, or pay cuts, and asking them to pay for a larger percentage of their healthcare costs—if they even had healthcare insurance. The search for jobs has become very competitive. Many downsized employees have reverted to temporary work. In March 2014, about 2.8 million workers were currently in temporary or contract positions. There is little doubt that major changes will continue to take place in the society during the coming years, and continuing change will challenge every person in every organization. Note: Have the students review Figure 1.1 The Year 1995—What a difference 20 years makes. Ask them to identify the three most important things that have changed from that list in the last 20 years. Acknowledgment of the “way things were” can help some people understand “why things are the way they are today.” Supervisors are first-level managers in charge of entry-level and other departmental employees. Most managers and supervisors realize that authoritarian direction and close control usually do not bring about the desired results. In many organizations, much of the supervisory work is performed by individuals who may not officially or legally be considered part of management. They usually have limited authority and are typically working supervisors. Other designations for these individuals include foreman/forewoman, group/team leader, lead person, coach, or facilitator. Most people obtain their first management experience in supervisory management positions. Supervisory work has become more complex, sophisticated, and demanding, and it requires professional and interpersonal skills. Although the systematic study of management has largely been a twentieth century phenomenon Drucker’s contributions is helpful when looking into the future. What Have You Learned? Questions 1 and 2 Personal Skill Builder 1-1: What Call Did You Make? Personal Skill Builder 1-2: Making a Difference Personal Skill Builder 1-3: Assessing your Toolbox—What Do I Need to Get into Supervision? Team Skill Builder 1-2: The Best Companies to Work For! PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-4, What Does It Mean to Be a Supervisor in Uncertain Times? PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-5, Supervisory Management PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-6, Figure 1.1 PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-7 Figure 1.4 II. Schools of Management Thought Many early schools of thought still influence the way people approach the supervisory task. Although there is no universally accepted theory of management, a common thread runs through the various theories that have been proposed over the years. A. The Scientific Management Approach The Scientific Management Approach is a school of management thought that focuses on determining the most efficient ways to increase output and productivity. Frederick Winslow Taylor, the father of scientific management, believed that managers should plan what, when, where, and how employees should produce the product. He believed that engineering principles could be applied to make people perform somewhat like machines—efficiently, mindlessly, and repetitively. Other leaders of the early twentieth-century scientific management movement focused on determining ways to improve productivity through the systematic study and application of engineering principles. Frank and Lillian Gilbreth pioneered the use of time and motion studies of job operations, through which efficient ways to perform a job could be determined and time standards could be developed. PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-8, Schools of Management Thought / Scientific Approach B. The Functional Approach The Functional Approach is a school of management thought that asserts that all managers perform various functions in doing their jobs, such as planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling. In the early 1900s, Henri Fayol, a French industrialist, identified fourteen principles of management that he believed could be applied universally. Fayol introduced the functional approach to the study of management. He identified five functions as critical to managerial effectiveness—planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating, and controlling. PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-9, Schools of Management Thought (cont’d) / Functional Approach C. Human Relations/Behavioral Approach The contributions of Taylor and others gave rise to the following notions that: •If managers used the principles of scientific management, worker efficiency would increase and productivity increases would follow. •If managers strove to improve working conditions, productivity would increase. Elton Mayo and Fritz Roethlisberger, leaders of a Harvard research team, conducted a series of illumination experiments from 1924 to 1936 at Western Electric. The researchers concluded that the workers performed differently than they normally did because the researchers were observing them. This reaction is known as the Hawthorne effect that can be defined as the fact that personalized interest shown in people may cause them to behave differently. The experiments at the Hawthorne plant gave rise to what was known as the human relations movement and later as the behavioral science approach that can be defined as the approach to management that focuses on the behavior of people in the work environment. PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-10, Schools of Management Thought (cont’d) / Human Relations D. The Quantitative/Systems Approaches Quantitative/Systems Approaches is the field of management study that uses mathematical modeling as a foundation. Quantitative/systems approaches are frequently found in large organizations where sales, costs, and production data are analyzed using computer technology. Mathematical modeling typically is used to build “what-if” situations Supervision in Action Video Clip What Have You Learned? Question 3 PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-11, Schools of Management Thought (cont’d) / Quantitative III. Factors and Trends Affecting the Role of the Supervisor In the foreseeable future, supervisors will have to understand and address many complex environmental factors and trends. Although every supervisor is responsible for managing numerous resources, unquestionably the most important, overriding aspect of supervision is the management of people. Onboarding is a continuous process of assimilation and growth within the organization for new hires. The traditional challenges of attracting and retaining the most qualified employees may be superseded by the more acute challenge of leading and motivating an increasingly changing workforce. The most significant characteristic of this changing workforce will be its diversity. Diversity is the cultural, ethnic, gender, age, educational level, racial, and lifestyle differences of employees. A. Population and Workforce Growth Immigration has accounted for, and will continue to account for, a considerable share of the nation’s population and workforce growth. Some employment analysts advocate granting an increased number of immigration visas to meet the growing demand for information technology (IT) workers, professionals, and other highly skilled workers. As of May 2014, it is reported that there are 11.5 million illegal immigrants in the United States. Supervisors must understand the rights of both their employees and their employers, regardless of workforce differences. Supervisors must recognize the value of a diverse workforce and their own need to become more adaptable to change. B. Changing Age Patterns Both the population and labor force are getting older. The percentage of older Americans (55 and older) in the workforce is increasing. The number of women over age 60 in the workforce is rising dramatically. By 2016, the number of workers between 16 and 24 will decline and that of “prime-age” workers between 25 and 54 is expected to increase slightly. However, the number of workers over age 60 will increase by 50 percent from 2000, and by 2022, over 25 percent of the workforce is projected to be age 55 and over. Ann Clurman and J. Walker Smith, for example, define the population in three major categories: •“Generation Xers,” those born between 1964 and 1981 •“Boomers,” those born between 1946 and 1963 •“Matures,” those born before 1945 Generation Xers have fundamentally different ideas on work, loyalty, and commitment than matures. Neil Howe and William Strauss, authors of the book Millennials Rising, state that those born since 1982 prefer group activities and want clear rules set for them—a combination that is distinctly different from their mostly boomer parents. This group of new entrants to the workforce, called by some “Gen Y” or “millennials,” are more spiritual and less individualistic than their parents. Some have described this group as having a short attention span—“flippers” on the remote control. NOTE: Morley Winogard and Michael Hais, authors of Millennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube & the Future of American Politics, write: “Other generations were reared to be more individualistic. This civic generation has a willingness to put aside their own personal advancement to improve society. As quoted in Andrea Strauss, “Millennials a force for change,” USA Today (April 14, 2009), pp. 1E-2E. The success of supervisors will depend to a considerable extent on their abilities to tap into the interests and motivations of all members of the workforce. PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-12, Factors and Trends Affecting the Role of the Supervisor PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-13, Figure 1. 3 PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-14, Workplace Trends for 2014 and beyond C. Women in the Workforce and Related Issues The number and percentage of women in the U.S. workforce have increased rapidly. Currently, some 60% percent of adult women are employed, and women constitute almost half the U.S. labor force. However, the reality is that women hold very few of the top management positions. The movement of women into the workforce has affected employers with respect to women’s roles as both employees and mothers. Employees will continue to experiment with different types of workdays and workweeks, such as flextime, in which employees choose their work schedules within certain limits; job sharing, in which two or more employees share a job; telecommuting, in which the employee works at home and is linked to the office by computer and modem; and 4-day, 10-hour-a-day workweeks. PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-15, Factors and Trends Affecting the Role of the Supervisor (cont’d) / Women in the Workforce and Related Issues PowerPoint Presentation Slide1-16, Factors and Trends Affecting the Role of the Supervisor (cont’d) / When & How Work Will be Done D. Minorities in the Workforce Supervisors know that many of their employees are natives of different countries and that English is most likely not their primary language. The challenge for supervisors will be to learn cultural, racial, and language differences and to develop strategies for promoting cooperation among racially and ethnically diverse groups. E. Barriers for Women and Minorities While some forward strides have been made, women and minorities remain concentrated in lower-level jobs. There appears to be an invisible barrier—a “glass ceiling”—that limits advancement. To compound the problem, many organizations have placed women and minority employees in certain specialized occupations, such as human resources and accounting. Glass walls that segment employees can deny them the opportunity to develop the variety of skills needed to advance. Glass walls are invisible barriers that compartmentalize women and minorities into certain occupational classes. Minority and women employees will continue to need an effective combination of educational and job-related experiences to provide them with opportunities to develop their talents. Organizations will be expected to design programs to attract and develop minority and women employees and to provide these employees with the full range of opportunities open to everyone else. PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-17, Factors and Trends Affecting the Role of the Supervisor (cont’d) / Racial Minorities in the Workforce F. Educational Preparation The ability to read and use documents is essential in today’s global economy. Yet one-third of the U.S. population has below-basic or basic document literacy, causing communication problems. The competition for jobs and the increase in low-level service-industry jobs will probably create underemployment. Underemployment occurs when employees bring a certain amount of skills, knowledge, and abilities (SKAs) to the workplace and find that their jobs lack meaning and/or the opportunities to fully use their SKAs. Competitive advantage is the ability to outperform competitors by increasing efficiency, quality, creativity, and responsiveness to customers and effectively using employee talents. An organization seeking to obtain a competitive advantage can do so by hiring qualified and adaptable people, training those people thoroughly, and then making appropriate use of those people’s skills. To this end, companies will be required to spend more time and effort training employees, particularly those who are unprepared and unskilled and those who need to develop their latent talents if they are to be successful and motivated to work. PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-18, Factors and Trends Affecting the Role of the Supervisor (cont’d) / Educational Preparation G. Occupational and Industry Trends The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that the labor force will grow more slowly because of economic conditions and that employment growth will be concentrated in the service sector. They estimate that service-providing industries will generate almost all of the employment gain from 2011 through 2016. Manufacturing jobs are expected to decline substantially. During the past decade, many of the nation’s largest industrial corporations have eliminated thousands of jobs. More and more companies are outsourcing certain functions or requiring major departments to trim their budgets. While the media and popular press tend to focus on large-scale businesses, small and midsize firms are expected to create most of the job growth in the coming decade. Many small businesses and not-for-profit organizations can provide unique opportunities for new college graduates. PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-19, Factors and Trends Affecting the Role of the Supervisor (cont’d)/Occupational and Industry Trends H. Changing Technology and Business Conditions The meteoric rise of Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites has altered the traditional mode of face-to-face communication and the way things are done. A major problem that is likely to worsen is that of too much information (TMI). World events, changes in technology, and other competitive influences force businesses to adjust their way of doing business. Because it is difficult to forecast specifically when and how technological change will impact a supervisor’s position, every supervisor will have to be broadly educated. Supervisors will have to prepare themselves and their employees, both technologically and psychologically, for changes. Supervisors who keep up to date with changes unquestionably will be more valuable to their organizations. Note: It should be noted that most Americans would say that these are the most uncertain economic times they have ever known. The recession, credit crunch, and record employment figures would bear credence to their contentions. At this point in the lecture, the instructor could ask students to look at the front page of that day’s Wall Street Journal and list three things mentioned on the front page that will most likely impact their future. Jobs are scarce. Money is tight. Unemployment is rising. A speedy global economic recovery is not likely in the immediate future. Because of the Internet and social networking sites such as Facebook, Foursquare, and Twitter students would have access to information—not all of which may be factual—about what is going on in the world. PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-20, Factors and Trends Affecting the Role of the Supervisor (cont’d) / Changing Technology and Business Conditions I. Global Challenges The production facilities of U.S. firms are being drawn to China, India, South Korea, Eastern Europe, South America, Africa, Mexico, and other locations by low wages and other factors that help create a competitive advantage. International opportunities for technically competent U.S. supervisors will increase. However, transplanted U.S. supervisors will need to learn about cultural differences and adapt to nontraditional management styles, particularly telecommuting techniques. PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-21, Factors and Trends Affecting the Role of the Supervisor (cont’d) / Global Challenges J. Work Scheduling and Employment Conditions The contingent workforce consists of part-time, temporary, or contract employees who work schedules dependent primarily on employer needs. It is likely that temporary and contract employment will continue because of the economic advantages to employers who use such services. Recruiting, training, and other associated costs are minimal, even though the per-hour cost of contract labor may be higher than that for regular employees. Work scheduling problems caused by employees demanding greater flexibility to attend to family needs are likely to accelerate in the foreseeable future. Still another thorny issue is the growing disparity in executive compensation as compared to the income of most employees. The disparity of income between executives and employees in companies can erode morale and, consequently, performance. PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-22, Factors and Trends Affecting the Role of the Supervisor (cont’d) / Employment Conditions and Work Scheduling K. Corporate Culture and Ethical Conduct Social Responsibility, Corporate Culture, and Ethical Conduct Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a notion that organizations consider the interests of all stakeholders. Author Archie Carroll developed a four-part definition of CSR that provides a medium for analyzing a company’s responsibilities—legal, economic, ethical, and philanthropic. Corporate culture is the set of shared purposes, values, and beliefs that employees hold about their organization. Top-level management creates the overall vision and philosophy for the firm. Supervisors play significant roles in informing, educating, and setting examples for ethical behavior. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is a professional organization for HR professionals. Its core principle of professional responsibility should apply for all those in supervisory positions. PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-23, Factors and Trends Affecting the Role of the Supervisor (cont’d)/Employment Conditions and Work Scheduling (cont’d) L. Governmental and Societal Issues Energy availability and costs may be determined by international and domestic political and economic changes. These types of issues and societal pressures often become part of business planning and operations. State and local governments also have laws and regulations that impact businesses. Such legislation can prove quite costly for organizations, often requiring changes in their methods of operation in order to comply. State and local governments also have laws and regulations that impact businesses. Such legislation can prove quite costly for organizations, often requiring changes in their methods of operation in order to comply. Environmentalists seek to influence business decisions that may adversely impact the environment. “Going Green” could become a more prominent issue as more organizations are volunteering to operate in a more environmentally responsible manner. What Have You Learned? Question 5 PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-24, Factors and Trends Affecting the Role of the Supervisor (cont’d) / Governmental and Societal Issues PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-25, Figure 1.7 M. Workplace Incivility and People Who Make Life Difficult Crude or impolite behavior directly affects the recipient and lowers group morale. It is responsible for absenteeism, significant losses in productivity, and lost customers or clients. PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-26, Factors and Trends Affecting the Role of the Supervisor (cont’d) / Workplace Incivility and People Who Make Life Difficult The Three E’s—Engagement, Empowerment, and Employee Participation in Decision Making Many employees will want more from their jobs and will demand a voice in decisions concerning their employment. Once supervisors recognize that their employees have something to contribute, they will welcome employee participation in decisions rather than fear it. An engaged employee is an employee who has a strong emotional bond to his/her organization and committed to its objectives. Empowerment means giving employees the authority and responsibility to accomplish their individual and the organization’s objectives. Opportunities to make suggestions and participate in decisions affecting their jobs can and should be supported. Many supervisors have become accustomed to the practice of participative management which is allowing employees to influence or share in organizational decision making. If supervisors learn to react to this practice in a positive way, it should improve their own and their company’s performance. What Have You Learned? Question 4 PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-27, Factors and Trends Affecting the Role of the Supervisor (cont’d) / The Three E’s—Engagement, Empowerment and Employee Participation in Decision Making IV. Supervision: A Professional Perspective The primary responsibility of most supervisors is to manage their firms’ most important resources—human resources. Thus, supervisors will have to become true professionals with a growing professional perspective, and they will have to develop themselves as innovators and idea people. It is imperative to take the professional perspective, which recognizes the need for constant self-improvement and self-renewal. PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-28, Supervision: A Professional Perspective PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-31, Key Terms V. Getting into Supervision Many individuals are promoted to their first supervisory positions from nonsupervisory jobs in the same organization. It may be in the same department or in another area. They may have formally applied for the position or had a manager recommend them. A. Where to Look for Information There are many publications available from the U.S. Department of Labor regarding career opportunities and salary information. Many students find that networking is a useful strategy. Numerous studies have reported that employee referrals were the single largest source of new hires. A visit to the Internet will turn up many sources of information about an organization, such as annual reports, press releases, and news articles. This information will give the students a good picture of the company’s financial position, management style, and future. B. Make Yourself More Valuable In general, the best way to get a supervisory position or to prosper in one’s current position is to find ways to make oneself more valuable. Volunteer experiences in community groups can increase one’s networking opportunities. Individuals should seek opportunities to apply their expertise and use such opportunities to enhance their communication and leadership skills. These experiences can be valuable. Continuing one’s educational preparation is an ongoing challenge. Personal Skill Builder 1-4: Technology Tools—What’s in Your Toolbox? PowerPoint Presentation Slide 1-30, Figure 1.8 Sources for Online Job Searches Answers to What have you Learned? 1. Please interview one practicing manager/supervisor in an organization or industry that you are not really familiar with. Ask him or her to identify the one thing he or she likes best about being a supervisor, then ask the manager to describe the most difficult aspect of his or her job. Compare your findings with those of another student. What are the similarities? Differences? This is a good opportunity for students to work as a team and to learn new information built on students’ industry experience. There will be similarities and differences in their responses; however, they should articulate more similarities than differences. If someone is anticipating a job or career change, this also gives the student an opportunity to learn first-hand about the organization. 2. Based on your findings from question 1: What are some of the advantages to being a supervisor? What are some disadvantages? In addition to more status and a higher salary, supervisors have the opportunity to learn first hand about the impact of the decisions they make. They can gain personal satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment by doing things others thought impossible. It can be a valuable experience that will allow one to find his/her own strengths. Instructors should also discuss the pressures that supervisors experience in contemporary supervisory management. Some supervisors might find that the transition to supervision is difficult as peer relationships change. Others may find the long hours without overtime pay and the increased crises and pressures stressful. Despite these, most supervisors find their positions to be rewarding, primarily because of the opportunities to be a significant part of decision making and activities that are vital to the success of a firm. Also, most middle and top managers get their initial managerial experiences in supervisory positions. The lessons learned in supervision are important and applicable if a supervisor hopes to move up the managerial hierarchy. 3. From the standpoint of the supervisor, what is the significance of the following? •Taylor’s scientific management •Fayol’s functions of management •The Hawthorne studies •Behavioral science •The quantitative/systems approaches Frederick Taylor has long been referred to as the “father of scientific management.” His contributions focused upon the importance of managerial planning and the utilization of engineering principles to determine the most efficient ways to perform work. Taylor believed, however, that workers should be rewarded according to their productivity, and he was not the totally insensitive person that some writers have described him to be. The significance of Taylor’s contribution is that it recognizes that each job is comprised of tasks. These tasks require behavioral steps or activities in order to be accomplished. Each task has a best way in which it can be done. The job of the supervisor is to analyze each task and find the best way to get it done. This is accomplished by matching the job requirements of the task to capabilities of the worker and teaching them the best way to do it. It is important that the supervisor stresses to the employee what is expected of them and that they are rewarded for their accomplishments. At the same time, he did not believe that workers should have much input in the planning and organizing of their tasks. Henri Fayol identified principles of management that he believed were universal, and he developed the functional (or process) approach for the study of management. The functional approach for study and analysis of management, which has been adopted in this text, provides a systematic way to comprehend the complexities and dynamic nature of any management position. The Hawthorne studies provided the first major research evidence concerning the importance of work groups and the motivation of employees in influencing output and efficiency. Although somewhat controversial, the Hawthorne studies stand as an important effort that focused attention upon the importance of work groups as they influence employees’ behavior. The lessons from Hawthorne are still relevant. If they are to accomplish the objectives of their work units, supervisors must be sensitive to employee attitudes and work group considerations. The Hawthorne studies led the way for numerous behavioral science studies focusing on behavior of people in organizations. In particular, contributions from psychology, sociology, and organizational behavior have brought many valuable insights about the behavior of individuals and groups at work and how supervisors can approach employees in efforts to obtain more positive motivation from them. Quantitative/systems approaches are primarily mathematical and computer-science-oriented. When a decision maker faces a situation where major parameters of the problem can be quantified or placed in a computer model, these approaches can be useful in arriving at a so-called “optimal” decision. Most supervisory decisions do not lend themselves to quantification. 4. Of those factors or trends projected to reshape the workplace and the economy, how might the changes over the next year or two affect you, your lifestyle, and the work of your organization? Which will create the greatest challenge for supervisors? Why? Some of the major factors and trends affecting the role of the supervisor has been described in Chapter 1. Figure 1.7 lists the federal employment legislation affecting supervisors. Students should be urged to explain the significance of these legislations. The concept of diversity has been emphasized as one that will be a major element in all supervisory and management concerns. Several factors have emerged since the dawn of the new millennium. Increased competition, terrorist threats, incivility in society and the workplace, depressed corporate profits, declining trust in business leaders, bankruptcies, and other technological, economic, sociological, political, and environmental issues will impact the workplace. The greatest challenge will be for supervisors to balance the needs of the organization with those of the employees. Creating a positive work environment that gets people of various backgrounds to function as a single unit will be crucial. 5. Some people have postulated that the “hand of government should be invisible” in the marketplace. What are some arguments for having the federal, state, and/or local governments regulate business? The invisible hand phrase was introduced by Adam Smith where he indicated that an economy could work well in a free market scenario where there are no regulations by government. There are various arguments for having the federal, state, and/or local governments regulate business. In some scenarios, especially those where a consumer is buying a product for his/her own use a free market may be suitable. Competing suppliers may also prosper by serving the demand in the best way. But in a field such as medicine, some amount of regulation may be required to ensure safety of the patients. Here the consumers cannot be experts. Another positive is that some local governments provide incentives to encourage businesses to become greener, and so on, which may not be possible in a free market situation. 6. At the end of the day, how do you measure whether you have been successful? A discussion of this question by a group of college students will probably draw more controversy than the typical end-of-chapter discussion. It has been found that students’ responses are often on the far ends of a continuum. Their own values, experiences, and other factors will strongly influence their responses. Instructors have found that the typical 20-year-old student becomes frustrated with this question because he or she wants the “correct” answer. There is none. This question requires students to look in the mirror and decide what is “really important” to them. The answer is highly personalized. Some students believe that money is the only thing that matters. The accumulation of material possessions is their prime measure of success. One of the authors of the text likes to ask his students the following question: “Do you know someone who buys things they don’t need with money they don’t have to impress people they don’t even like?” Some of them know someone who fits that description. Some students believe that success is measured by their deeds or what they have accomplished—in other words, what they have done and how they did it. A few students contend that success is feeling good about oneself. Webster defines success as (1) a degree or measure of succeeding, (2) favorable or desired outcome, (3) the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence. Thus, success is relative to one’s experiences, environment, and perceptions. Answers to Personal Skill Building Personal Skill Builder 1-1: What Call Did You Make? In this Personal Skill Builder, students should refer to the opening You Make The Call section, make a list of the major concerns that face Charlotte Kelly and prioritize them. Students should then give suggestions for the three major concerns that they have mentioned. They should also think about why it is important for new supervisors such as Charlotte Kelly to make a list of concerns that they may face in their new assignment. Personal Skill Builder 1-2: Making a difference. In this Personal Skill Builder students should choose one person from the following four people who have made a difference in the twenty first century—Steve Jobs, Nelson Mandela, Warren Buffett, and Pope Francis. They should search online from a reputable site to learn more about his life and how he is making a difference in the world. The students should then discuss what differences he has made in the world, the skills he used to achieve this, what he is doing to get people off the bench and in the game, and also how he has taught them to meet challenges in the future. Personal Skill Builder 1-3: Assessing Your Toolbox—What Do I Need to Get into Supervision? Before the students begin this skills application, they should be encouraged to carefully read the section titled as ‘Getting into Supervision’ in Chapter 1. Each employee brings a “toolbox” to work each day. The toolbox consists of skills, knowledge, abilities, and experiences. Two supervisory jobs have been listed in the PSB. Ask the students to carefully read each one and then pick the one that most interests them. Then ask them to make a list of the requirements, their strengths, what needs to be added to their “toolbox.” Ask them to outline a plan for adding those essential ingredients, their idea to convert their plan into action, and ask them to refer to their plan once in a week to assess their progress, and make changes as required. Present the following advertisements to the students: Opening #1: Supervisor Wanted A manufacturer of plastic containers for the food industry has a third-shift production supervisor position to fill. This position will direct the daily activities of hourly production personnel to accomplish production, safety, and quality goals. The successful candidate will possess strong people skills and good communication skills and will demonstrate leadership and problem-solving techniques. An associate degree with a minimum of two years’ experience in a manufacturing environment is required for this position. Experience in the plastics industry would be a plus. We offer a competitive wage and benefits package. Interested candidates should send their résumés and salary histories to [email protected] Opening # 2: Restaurant—Management Trainee Position A rapidly growing restaurant chain with operations in ten southeastern states is looking for motivated people to join our management training program. Previous customer service experience is required. Our extensive training program is one of the best in the nation. We are seeking dynamic, motivated, detail-oriented persons who have the potential to lead their own teams in our facilities. Must be well-organized, have the ability to multitask, and be able to work without supervision. We offer a competitive salary, vacation incentives, weekly bonuses, and promotion opportunity after 90 days. Send cover letter, résumé, and three references to [email protected] Ask the students to select one of these advertisements to write a cover letter expressing their interest in the position. It could either be a graded assignment or students could critique one another’s cover letters, giving constructive suggestions. The students should develop a list of questions they would ask if they were selected for a job interview. Ask them to also visit the college placement office to see what services it provides students. Most students will see this activity primarily as an opportunity to gather career information. For them, the ability to gather and use information is the key to future success. Others will live by the adage—“It’s not WHAT you know, but WHO you know.” Instructors could also ask their students to identify the job ad that most appeals to them and the job ad that least appeals to them. What becomes clear is that the job ad that appeals to one person does not appeal to others. The students should be asked to develop resumes. Perhaps, the college placement office or career services will help them develop their resumes. Maybe the school has a short course in resume writing—encourage them to develop their resumes as soon as possible. Personal Skill Builder 1-4: Technology Tools—What’s in Your Toolbox? In this PSB students are encouraged to engage in a quick self-assessment of their technology to ensure they have the basic tools necessary to access and complete the activities. The students have to fill a questionnaire containing 18 questions. The questions test the students’ knowledge about their basic understanding of the Internet, the technology help center at their institution, and so on. In case students are unsure of how to answer any of the questions, they could arrange a time to meet with a member of the institution’s information technology (IT) help desk to receive guidance in securing the software necessary to access the Internet, open PDF documents and compose, save, and submit documents using a word processor. Answers to Team Skill Building Team Skill Builder 1-1: You Make the Call In this activity, the opening You Make the Call can be used as a team role play exercise. The class could be divided into groups of three for this. If there is an odd number then one or two students could fill the role of an observer recorder. One student can play the role of Charlotte Kelly, another Pat Graham, and another should be Larry Stuckey, the hospital administrator. The students could refer to Personal Skill Builder 1-1. Each student in the group should list the major concern that they had on their list. Working as a group, the students should develop strategies that Charlotte should use to deal with her concerns. The students are also required to answer some questions related to their group experience about leadership style. They should also write a paragraph about what they learned from this activity. Team Skill Builder 1-2: The Best Companies to Work For! In 2014, Fortune identified “The World's Most Admired Companies” (The students could refer to Caroline Fairchild, “The World’s Most Admired Companies” (March 17, 2014), pp. 123–130.) The top ten were Apple, Amazon.com, Google, Berkshire Hathaway, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, Walt Disney, FedEx, Southwest Airlines, and General Electric. The instructors could divide the students into groups of 3–8 for this Team Skill Builder. Each student in the group should select one of the aforementioned companies, and go to the Web to get sources of information about their chosen company. The students should then answer questions related to—the company’s management philosophy, what the leader of the company does to guide employees to be the best, what they would learn if they shadowed the CEO of the company for a day, what challenges the company is facing presently, and whether they would like to work for the company. After students have answered these questions for their chosen company, they should share their findings with the other members of the group. Working together as a group, they should write a two-page paper explaining the advantages of seeking a job in these organizations. Their final paragraph should identify three things that they learned that will help them get a job in one of these companies. Team Skill Builder 1-3: Food For Thought In 2014, President Obama and congressional Democrats are pushing to increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour. Several states have already passed legislation for wage increases. For example, Maryland has increased the rate to $8 for January 2015 and 50 cent increases until it peaks at $10.10 by July 2018. Indiana University recently increased its minimum wage for its employees, many of whom are student workers. The students should review, Eliza Gray/Washington, “Wage Warrior,” Time (March 10, 2014), pp. 38–41; Rick Hampson, “Raise the Minimum Wage?” USA Today (February 11, 2014), p. 4A; and other articles about the pending wage increase. Working together in groups of 3 to 6 students should respond to questions about—the impact higher wages will have on employee satisfaction, the impact that the minimum wage increase will have on the price of products, and the impact that the increase in minimum wages will have on unemployment. The students should also write a 60-word paper identifying why the group agrees or disagrees with the proposed wage increase. Answers to Supervision in Action Questions Video Clip: Ethics and Social Responsibility—Theo Chocolate 1. Does Theo use any of the four management approaches? Elaborate. Students’ answers will vary. Some of them may say that Theo uses the scientific management approach. It has been mentioned in the video that organic manufacturing of chocolate is very tough, unlike coffee, and they have championed this. Students may also say that Theo uses the human relations/behavioural approach. Theo believes in the embodiment of their values in their factories. They also try to improve the conditions of the cocoa farmers using the Fair Trade certification. 2. What are the major challenges that Theo has had to deal with being in the chocolate industry? Have these issues been dealt with adequately? Students’ answers will vary. They may mention the difficulty in manufacturing organic chocolate, keeping up their values in their factories, and so on. They may also mention the difficulties that cocoa farmers go through as their average earning a day is $1, they also have very little options to sell other cash crops in cocoa plantation areas, slavery in cocoa farmers in West Africa, and so on. The Fair Trade certification helped to make the negotiating system transparent, which helps to improve quality, and also fetches a better price for the farmers. 3. Do you think Theo is ‘doing good while doing well’? Explain. Students may explain the company’s core business ethic, which is their belief that all life on the planet is interconnected. They could also discuss about the IMO, Fair for Life, Fair Trade Certification that the company holds, which takes care of the economic and social integrity of their supply chain. There is also mention about ‘enlightened capitalism’ and about it being a ‘triple bottom line’ company wherein people, profit, and the planet are valued in equal measures. 4. Has Theo’s CSR stance helped them do better than they would otherwise? Is this acceptable or unacceptable? Students’ answers will vary. Some of them may say that their CSR stance has helped them gain a loyal following for their products in the developing world, after getting to know their story. The Fair Trade Certification has also created a unique place in the market for them. Some of them may think that they are using CSR just to make profits and this is unacceptable. Others may say that it is acceptable since it is mutually beneficial. 5. What do you think of CEO, Joe Whinney’s career? Does it inspire you to take something that interests you and try to bring about a change in the world? Explain. Students’ answers will vary. Some of them may be inspired by Joe Whinney who first started as a conservation volunteer. He later founded Theo and he strived to make it a vertical integrated business to bring about lasting change in all the sectors involved. This involves controlling the brand, message, manufacturing, and the supply chain. He also believes in bringing about a change in world through what he does. Chapter 1 IM Appendix Experiential Exercise for Self-Assessment 1-1: Who Are You? Who Do You Really Want to Be? Instructions: Give six students a copy of this list. Ask them to circle the two adjectives in each column that best describes them and check the two items in each column that describe them the least. Refer back to the Skills Application exercise in the text for further instruction.
1 2 3 4 5
Courageous Thoughtful Smart Honest Resourceful
Intriguing Daring Fearless Impulsive Ordinary
Curious Bold Consistent Humorous Boring
Comforting Intense Dependable Informed Supportive
Visionary Fun Strong Intelligent Contemporary
Credible Authentic Informative Romantic Forgiving
Confident Mature Interesting Innovative Trailblazer
Influential Genuine Relevant Unpredictable Trustworthy
Surprising Provocative Exciting Committed Independent
Informed Predictable Timely Brave Unique
Dynamic Undaunted Focused Solid Results-oriented
Solution Manual for Supervision: Concepts and Practices of Management Edwin C. Leonard , Kelly A. Trusty 9781285866376, 9781111969790