CH-9 The Principles of Organizing – Supervision: Concepts and Practices of Management : Book Guide

Chapter 9 The Principles of Organizing Learning Objectives 1. Describe the organizing function of management. The organizing function of management is to group and assign activities to work areas so as to achieve established objectives, in other words, to create a structural framework for getting the work done. To organize is to establish authority relationships among managers, supervisors, and departments. The most effective organizing practices create structures that help workers feel engaged, committed to the organization and its goals, and find satisfaction in their work. 2. Discuss the impact of the informal organization and informal group leaders and how supervisors should deal with them. The informal organization interacts with, yet is apart from, the formal organizational structure. The informal organization can positively or negatively influence individual and group work performance. In order to engage the informal organization in productive ways, supervisors should seek to identify and understand the groups and their leaders and find ways to enlist their participation in promoting and accomplishing departmental objectives. 3. Explain the unity-of-command and the span-of-management principles and their applications. Normally, an organization should adhere to the unity-of-command principle. This principle requires that everyone be directly accountable to only one supervisor and that formal communication flows through the chain of command. The span-of-management principle should be observed when assigning employees to supervisors. Also known as the span of supervision or the span of control, this principle recognizes that there is an upper limit to the number of employees a supervisor can manage effectively. The span of management is determined by such factors as the competence of the supervisor, the training and experience of employees, employees’ work locations, and the amount and nature of work to be performed. Other things being equal, the narrower the span of management is, the greater the number of levels of management that are needed; the broader the span of management is, the fewer levels that are needed. 4. Justify why a supervisor should strive for the “ideal” organizational structure and work toward this objective. Hewlett-Packard (HP) and IBM are two of the world’s larger and best known organizations. Their vision and time-honored culture set the foundation for how they are structured and managed. When organizing a department, the supervisor should envision the ideal arrangement based on the assumption that all required and qualified employees are available. Because there are seldom employees with all the desired qualifications, available employees must be fit to the structure. Over time, the supervisor should make changes to move the department toward its ideal structure. Supervisors who strive for superior performance should adopt the concepts instrumental in creating a “learning organization.” Because structure should follow strategy, as strategy changes, structures should be reviewed and modified appropriately. 5. Compare and contrast departmentalization and alternative approaches for grouping activities and assigning work. Departmentalization is the process of grouping activities and people into distinct organizational units. Departmentalization is most often done according to function, but it can be determined by geographic line, product or service, customer, process and equipment, or time. Rather than being able to design new departments, supervisors most often must assign activities and employees to existing departments to achieve efficiency and stability. A project- or matrix-type organizational structure places managers in charge of project teams whose members are drawn from different departments or even from outside the organization, that is, temporary employees. Line supervisors manage the employees in regular departments. This structure facilitates more efficient use of employees on multiple projects with a minimum disruption of regular assignments. However, a matrix structure may create problems of priority scheduling and employee accountability. To perform effectively, a supervisor must have authority. In their own departments, supervisors have line authority to direct their employees. Employees in staff-authority positions furnish counsel, guidance, advice, and service in a specialized field. Staff supervisors with specialized knowledge and skills support line managers and others throughout the organization. They often take responsibility for ensuring that certain policies and procedures are uniformly and consistently carried out. Line-and-staff-type organizational structures are the norm in large-scale enterprises. 6. Assess the implications of downsizing for restructuring and suggest alternatives. Downsizing usually involves eliminating job positions and levels of management. Supervisors who survive downsizings must adapt organizational principles to the changes, as well as provide support to layoff survivors in their department. This usually includes widening the span of management, giving employees more latitude in decision making. To empower employees, supervisors should structure their departments to allow for more employee participation. Various changes, such as restructuring, SDWTs, lean manufacturing, and horizontal and virtual organizational structures, can help companies reduce costs and be flexible in meeting customer demands. 7. List the major factors contributing to organizing effective meetings, especially the supervisor’s role. Historically, meetings were always face to face, because supervisors and employees want to know what is going on right now. Supervisors usually call meetings to get or give information or to discuss and solve problems. Face-to-face meetings are the best for bringing together the people who are responsible for solving a problem or discussing an issue. Social and electronic media have enabled people to share and exchange information instantaneously. Supervisors should consider the purpose of a meeting and the productivity costs of meeting face-to-face versus using virtual alternatives when choosing the best meeting modality. Numerous tips and suggestions are available to help supervisors achieve group participation and make meetings more productive and relevant. The success of any meeting depends largely on effective leadership. 8. Appraise the importance of self-organization, that is, effective use of your time and talents. “Work smarter, not harder” should become an integral part of your management vocabulary. Every supervisor needs to make effective use of time. Identifying the most important tasks is the most important step. The effective supervisor must plan, organize, prioritize, and diligently strive to complete the things that are most important. Short-range plans must dovetail with your long-term plans. Technology must be used in ways that increase efficiency and productivity, and avoided when it can distract you from the task at hand. PowerPoint Presentation Slides 9-3, Learning Objectives Lecture Outline I. Organizing as an Essential Managerial Function A manager’s organizing function consists of designing a structure for grouping activities and assigning them to specific work units (e.g., departments, teams). Organizing includes establishing formal authority and responsibility relationships among activities and departments. The term organization is used to refer to any group structured by management to carry out designated functions and accomplish certain objectives. Management should design the structure and establish authority relationships based on sound principles and organizational concepts, such as unity of command, span of supervision, division of work, and departmentalization. Although organizing the overall activities of the enterprise is initially the responsibility of the chief executive, it eventually becomes the responsibility of supervisors. Therefore, supervisors must understand what it means to organize. A. Organizations are People Managers and supervisors may become so preoccupied with developing and monitoring the formal structure that they neglect the far more important aspects of relationships with and among their employees, which affect the workers and the workplace. In its most recent Global Workforce Study of over 32,000 workers worldwide, Towers Watson found that just over a third (35%) of workers have a high level of engagement with their workplace. Engagement, according to the survey report, is influenced by employees’ level of belief in the company’s goals, their perceived emotional connection with the employer, the number of obstacles to success they find in their day-to-day work, the availability of resources, the ability to maintain energy, whether the workplace has a supportive social environment and whether they have feelings of accomplishment. See Figure 9.1 Plan Your Work—Work Your Plan! PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-4, Organizing As an Essential Managerial Function II. Informal Organization Every enterprise is affected by a social subsystem known as the informal organization, sometimes called the “invisible organization.” The informal organization reflects the spontaneous efforts of individuals and groups to influence their environment. Supervisors can create and rescind formal organizations they have designed; they cannot eliminate an informal organization because they did not establish it. Informal groups arise to satisfy the needs and desires of members that the formal organization does not satisfy. Informal organization particularly satisfies members’ social needs by providing recognition, close personal contacts, status, companionship, and other aspects of emotional satisfaction. Groups also offer their members other benefits, including protection, security, and support. A. The Informal Organization and the Supervisor Every organization operates in part through informal work groups, which can positively or negatively impact departmental operations and accomplishments. The informal group has the potential to influence employees to strive for high work performance targets or restrict production, and to cooperate with or work against supervisors, to the point of having those supervisors removed. The supervisor should group employees so that those most likely to compose harmonious teams work on the same assignments. Conversely, if an informal group is influencing employees negatively, and to the extent that the department is seriously threatened, a supervisor may have to do such things as redistribute work assignments or adjust work schedules. B. Supervising and Informal Work-Group Leaders Most informal work groups develop their own leadership. An informal leader may be chosen by the group because he or she is well-liked or very knowledgeable, or the leader may assume leadership by being an effective spokesperson for the group. A sensitive supervisor will make every effort to gain the cooperation and goodwill of informal leaders of different groups and will solicit their cooperation in furthering departmental objectives. What Have You Learned? Question 2 Team Skill Builder 9-1: Dealing with People Who Make Your Life Difficult—“The Boss’s Favorite” PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-5, The Informal Organization PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-6, The Informal Organization (cont’d) III. Unity of Command To arrange authority relationships this way, management normally follows the unity-of-command principle, which holds that each employee should report directly to only one immediate supervisor. While formal communication and the delegation of authority normally flow upward and downward through the chain of command, there are exceptions, such as in functional authority and the matrix organizational structure. PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-7, Unity-of-Command and Authority Relationships PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-8, Figure 9.2 A. The Span-of-Management Principle Departments are expensive because they must be staffed by supervisors and employees. Moreover, as more departments and levels are created, communication and coordination problems arise. Therefore, there must be valid reasons for creating levels and departments. The reasons are associated with the span-of-management principle, which holds that there is an upper limit to the number of employees a supervisor can manage effectively. Because no one can manage an unlimited number of people, top-level managers must organize divisions and departments as separate operating units and place middle-level managers and supervisors in charge. Top-level managers then delegate authority to those middle-level managers, who delegate authority to supervisors, who, in turn, supervise the employees. There has long been a question concerning the link between organizational size and organizational performance. The economic law of diminishing returns has been applied to suggest that size can impact organizational efficiency. B. Factors Influencing the Span of Management The number of employees one person can supervise effectively depends on a number of factors (see Figure 9.4), such as the supervisor’s abilities, the types and amounts of staff assistance, employees’ capabilities, employees’ locations, the kinds of activities, and the degree to which departments have objective performance standards. C. How Managerial Levels, Unity of Command, and Span of Management Are Related. A lead person is not usually considered part of management, especially in unionized firms. Although the authority of these individuals is somewhat limited, particularly in employee evaluation and discipline, they perform most managerial functions. Other things being equal, the narrower the spans of management, the more managerial levels are needed. The managerial problem is to decide which is better: a broad span with few levels or a narrow span with more levels. What Have You Learned? Question 1 PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-9, Span-of-Management Principle PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-10, Figure 9.3 PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-11, Span-of-Management Principle (cont’d) PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-12, Figure 9.4 IV. Planning the “Ideal” Department Structure Supervisors should think of an ideal departmental structure—a structure the supervisor believes can best achieve the department’s objectives. Supervisors should design structures that best serve departmental objectives; then, employees can be best matched with tasks. When departments are organized according to activities and functions, the company can seek qualified employees. While CEOs continually search for ideal organizational structure, they often neglect a key component, that is, the concept of a learning organization that fosters employee collaboration and sharing of information. In The Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge describes learning organizations as places “where people continually expand their capacity (SKAs) to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together.” A culture is created in which all employees take responsibility for identifying and resolving work-related issues. Ideally, the learning organization will more quickly be able to adapt and respond to change. See Figure 9.5 IBM’s Core Values PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-13, Planning the “Ideal” Departmental Structure V. Approaches to Structuring Work An organizational chart is a graphic portrayal of organizational authority and responsibility relationships using boxes or other depictions. The graphic elements of organizational charts are usually interconnected to show the grouping of activities that make up a department, division, or section. The arrangement of an organization chart can provide a great deal of insight about how power is distributed, how decisions are made, and how work and information flows throughout an organization. A job description identifies the job’s principal elements, duties, and scope of authority and responsibility. Job specifications refer to the skills, capacities, and qualities—personal qualifications—that are needed to perform the job adequately. The question of how to develop an organizational chart begins with an analysis of what work needs to be done by when and by whom. The organizational structure is influenced largely by the principle of division of work (specialization). This principle holds that jobs can be divided into smaller components and specialized tasks to increase efficiency and output. PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-14, Approaches to Structuring Work PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-15, Figure 9.7 Departmentalization is the process of grouping activities and people into organizational units, usually known as departments. A department is a set of activities and people over which a manager or supervisor has responsibility and authority. The terminology organizations use for this entity varies. A department may be called a division, an office, a service, or a unit. The formal organizational structure is based on a company’s number and types of departments, positions and functions, and authority and reporting relationships. PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-16, Approaches to Structuring Work (cont’d) What Have You Learned? Question 3 From time to time, supervisors confront the need to departmentalize their areas, so they should be familiar with the alternatives for grouping activities. These are the same options available to top-level managers when those managers define the company’s major departments. Departmentalization is usually done according to function, products or services, geographic location, customer, process and equipment, or time. A. The Project Management Structure The need to coordinate activities across departments has contributed to the development of the project management-type organizational structure also called matrix structure. It is a hybrid in which both regular (functional) line and staff departments coexist with project teams or group assignments across departmental lines. Several problems are associated with the project management–type organizational structure. The most frequent is direct accountability. The matrix structure violates the principle of unity of command because departmental employees are accountable to a departmental supervisor and project managers. Other problems involve scheduling employees who are assigned to several projects. These problems can be avoided, or at least minimized, by planning properly and clarifying authority relationships before the project starts. Despite such problems, this structure is increasingly common because organizations find it advantageous. Successful project teams are generally those where someone dreamed big, created a vision, aligned the project team’s goals with the overall strategy, inspired and informed team members, and made changes as necessary. What Have You Learned? Question 4 PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-17, Approaches to Structuring Work (cont’d) PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-18, Figure 9.6 B. Work Assignments and Organizational Stability Supervisors are challenged much more frequently by the problem of how and to whom to assign work than by the problem of how to organize departments. The assignment of work should be justifiable and explainable on the basis of good management, rather than on personal likes and dislikes or intuition. One of the supervisor’s most important responsibilities is to assign work so that everybody has a fair share and all employees do their parts equitably and satisfactorily. The principle of organizational stability advocates that no organization should become overly dependent on one or several key “indispensable” individuals whose absences or departures would disrupt the organization. Organizations need enough employees who have been trained well and have flexible skills. At times, a supervisor may have to hire temporary employees to meet workload demands for a project or other needs. See Supervisory Tips Box Getting Home with Project Management Teams PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-19, Approaches to Structuring Work (cont’d) C. Authority and Organizational Structures Line authority provides the right to direct others and requires them to conform to company decisions, policies, rules, and objectives. Supervisors directly involved in making, selling, or distributing the company’s products or services have line authority. A primary purpose of line authority is to make the organization work smoothly. Staff authority refers to the right and duty to provide counsel, advice, support, and service regarding policies, procedures, technical issues, and problems in a person’s areas of expertise. Certain specialists are granted staff authority because of their positions or specialized knowledge. Staff people assist other members of the organization whenever the need arises. Most organizations use a line-and-staff-type organizational structure. It is a structure that combines line and staff departments and incorporates line and staff authority. Certain departments, such as human resources and accounting, usually are classified as staff since they mainly support other departments. There is no one best way to organize. Organizational theorists contend that structure should follow strategy. Most top managers have forgotten a fundamental principle: “organizations tend to be more effective when they are structured to fit the strategic change and the demands of the situation.” Personal Skill Builder 9-2: Managing Virtually PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-20, Approaches to Structuring Work (cont’d) VI. Organizational Principles in an Era of Organizational Downsizings Many companies have eliminated large segments of their workforces. This process, called downsizing, restructuring, or right-sizing, has been accomplished through such things as plant and office closings, the sales of divisions, extensive employee layoffs, attrition, and early retirements. Typically, management resorts to restructuring in order to reduce costs, streamline operations, and become more efficient and competitive. The companies that are repeatedly restructuring do particular damage because employee productivity declines dramatically as a result. For supervisors and other managers who survive downsizing, the span of management usually widens. Many supervisors are stretched because they are required to add unfamiliar departments or functions to their responsibilities. Some middle-level management and staff positions have been eliminated because information technology (IT) has made it possible for higher-level managers to acquire data and information quickly and to keep in close touch with operations. As a result, supervisors and employees usually have to become more knowledgeable about more aspects of operations. The firms that have downsized most effectively appear to be those that have planned for it systematically and have tried to harmonize, as much as possible, previous and new organizational structures and operations in ways that are compatible and acceptable to those who remain. Most organizational theorists predict that downsizing will continue indefinitely and that in some firms there will be radical restructuring. PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-21, Organizational Principles in an Era of Organizational Downsizing A. Alternatives to Downsizing When employee groups are given wide latitude and considerable authority to make job-related decisions, empowerment is associated with the creation of self-directed (self-managed) work teams (SDWTs). Some firms have tried reengineering, whereby they restructure based more on process (e.g., meeting customer orders and requirements) than on department or function (e.g., sales and production). PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-22, Organizational Principles in an Era of Organizational Downsizing (cont.) When carried out, reengineering could create what has been called the horizontal corporation, in which organizational structures flatten markedly and managerial authority relationships are minimal. The virtual organization, a new concept, in which independent organizations, including customers, suppliers, and even competitors are linked together temporarily, typically through the use of IT, to share costs, skills, employees, and access to each other’s markets in order to respond to exceptional market opportunities. Lean manufacturing or lean production as it would apply to service-related industries is a concept that allows employees greater authority to make decisions based on customer needs. Lean manufacturing is not about laying off people. It is about planning and organizing to use resources more efficiently. It is about planning and organizing to use resources more efficiently. What Have You Learned? Question 5 PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-23, Organizational Principles in an Era of Organizational Downsizing (cont.) NOTE: The bankruptcy filing by General Growth Properties (the nation’s second largest mall owner) on April 16, 2009, illustrated the deteriorating outlooks for the U. S. economy. Some forecasters believe that the “worst is yet to come.” Wells Fargo senior economist speculates that 3-plus million Americans will lose their jobs in 2009. In January 2009, the following headlines cried about the job losses. Amongst the larger ones announced that month were Circuit City (total closing) 30,000; Caterpillar 20,000; Pizer 19,500; Alcoa 13,500; Sprint Nextel 8,000; Home Depot 7,000; and Microsoft 5,000. The companies cover a range of industries and only the seven largest ones for that month have been listed down. Rick Wagoner, GM’s CEO, was forced out and left the organization with a multi-million-dollar departure gift. GM and Chrysler were on the verge of bankruptcy and auto-parts manufacturers that supply Detroit’s Big 3 were in perilous waters. Every segment of the U.S. economy was trying to develop strategies to cope with the economic situation. Reorganization for survival was the theme of the times. It might sound pessimistic but if an organization is to survive—or thrive—in these perilous times, they need to rethink their mission: “What business are we in?” “What should we be doing better than we’ve ever done before?” “How do we engage our employees in this process?” Simple questions but the answers require wisdom, creative thinking, and risk taking. Many of the time-honored suggestions and tips presented in this and other chapters will work if management will step up and do what needs to be done. Most organizations have dedicated employees who need to be encouraged to think outside the box and develop an approach to a unique set of problems under conditions of uncertainty. VII. Organizing for Effective Meeting Management Meetings should be called only when necessary. When a supervisor decides that a meeting is necessary, however, the purpose for the meeting, the topics, and the intended outcome should be communicated to meeting participants, and the participants’ roles should be clarified. The meeting chairperson or facilitator must be skilled at keeping the meeting focused. The chairperson may have to ask controversial questions to start the discussion and participation. This is sometimes done by asking provocative, open-ended questions that use words like who, what, why, where, and when. As a general rule, the chairperson should appoint someone, for example, a scribe or note-taker, to record what happened during the meeting. Before adjourning the meeting, the chairperson may have the scribe orally summarize the key points of the meeting, describe the chosen action, and ascertain that participants are in agreement on the gist of the meeting. The chairperson should see to it that every participant gets the written summary, or minutes. The summary should also be distributed to all other personnel who have a need to know what took place or who and what is essential in accomplishing the necessary actions. See Supervisory Tips Box Guidelines for Planning and Leading a Meeting PowerPoint Presentation Slides 9-24, Organizing for Effective Meeting Management PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-25, Figure 9.8 PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-26, Figure 9.9 VIII. How to Use Time More Effectively Everyone has the same finite amount of time. People need to be deliberate and focused in planning, organizing, and managing their activities in order to use their time effectively (see Figure 9.10). Only by developing a vision about what the end result should be, developing plans, organizing, and prioritizing activities will supervisors be able to use their available time effectively. Refer to the extensive list of time management tips at the end of this section in the text. See Figure 9.10, Plan Your Work—Work Your Plan! What Have You Learned? Questions 6& 7 Personal Skill Builder 9-3: Thinking Outside the Box PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-27 and 9-28, How to Use Time More Effectively PowerPoint Presentation Slide 9-29, Key Terms Answers to What have you Learned? 1. Define the organizing function. The organizing function consists of designing a structural framework—that is, grouping and assigning activities into distinctive areas (e.g., departments, units, services, etc.) so that activities can be carried out effectively. In addition, the organizing function includes the establishment of formal authority and responsibility relationships between activities and departments. The organizing function takes place at all managerial levels, but how this function is manifested usually depends upon where the manager is located in the organizational hierarchy. 2. What are the advantages of the informal organization? What are the challenges of the informal organization? Discuss the approaches the supervisor can take to foster cooperation with informal groups and their leaders. How can the leader(s) of the informal organization help the supervisor achieve departmental goals? Hinder their attainment? The informal organization makes the formal organization come alive. They are informal networks that are very powerful that can either help the supervisor because they can influence employees to perform at higher levels. Informal organization particularly satisfies members’ social needs by providing recognition, close personal contacts, status, companionship, and other aspects of emotional satisfaction. Conversely, they can shape employee behavior to an extent that it interferes with supervision. Work group leaders play significant roles in both formal and informal organizations; without their cooperation, the supervisor may have difficulty controlling the performance of the department. In general, supervisors should be willing to accept the existence of the informal organization, learn to know and work constructively with informal group leaders, and strive to have the informal organization function in ways that will be supportive of departmental objectives. 3. Think of your most recent visit to a restaurant or coffee house. From the time you pulled into the parking lot until the time you pulled out, what were your impressions? What was done well or exceeded your expectations? What could they have done better? What was your assessment of how well they were organized? To what extent do the principles of organizing have on performance? Students’ answers will vary. Some students might cite that they have lower expectations of a fast-food chain than a conventional restaurant. The goal is inexpensive, hot or cold food, FAST! If the service meets their goals, they will undoubtedly support that the service was well done. If the staff is genuinely friendly, courteous, and helpful, they may say that their expectations were exceeded. Organization is the key in this instance and the principles of organizing should be reflected in the student responses. 4. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the project management structure. What needs to be done so that the unit-of-command is not violated? Project management-type organizational structure is a hybrid structure in which regular, functional departments coexist with project teams made up of people from different departments. This may also be called a “matrix structure.” Potential disadvantages of a project management-type organizational structure include direct accountability—the violation of the principle of unity of command because departmental employees are accountable to both a departmental supervisor and a project manager. Scheduling priorities for assigned to several projects is also an issue. Despite these problems, which can be minimized by planning properly and clarifying authority relationships before the project starts, this structure is increasingly common because organizations find it advantageous. 5. Explain the trade-off between the number of levels of management and the span of management. How does this problem typically affect a first-line supervisor? The narrower the spans of management, the more managerial levels are needed. Stated another way, organizational structures tend to be taller when spans of management are narrower, and structures tend to be flatter when spans of management are wider, especially at the supervisory level. Adding or reducing levels of management may or may not be desirable. On the other hand, reducing levels may widen the spans of management to the extent that supervisors become overburdened and cannot maintain adequate control of employees and departmental activities. A trade-off exists between the span and the number of levels. The managerial problem is to decide which is better: a broad span with few levels or a narrow span with more levels. This important question often confronts upper management. A first-line supervisor does not normally face this question, but supervisors should understand how it influences the design and structure of their organizations. 6. How have downsizing and the restructuring of organizations affected you, your family, friends, and the country? Are the downsizings and radical organization restructurings likely to render organizational principles obsolete? Discuss. Downsizing usually means a reduction and elimination of jobs and possibly a level (or levels) of management. This means that managers and supervisors would have to widen their spans of management with added functions or different departmental arrangements. The application of organizational principles in downsized organizations still remains a supervisory responsibility although it will require adaptation and flexibility by supervisors. Many students will have personally experience downsizing and restructuring and that is why they are now in college. If they themselves have not been victims, family members, friends, and community members have. If anything, organizational principles will be more important than ever in this climate of austerity. 7. Why is the ability to conduct effective and productive meetings important for a supervisor? What should supervisors consider when deciding whether a face-to-face meeting is necessary? What steps should supervisors take to ensure that the meetings they participate in or chair succeed? The essence of management is to get people to work together toward the accomplishment of objectives. Therefore, meetings are another important part of management that can enhance a supervisor’s accomplishment of objectives. Meetings should be called only when necessary. If a supervisor calls a one-hour meeting, it actually is not a one-hour meeting if ten people are in attendance—it is a ten-hour meeting. This perspective, of the productivity cost of meetings, should cause a manager to pause and consider whether a face-to-face meeting is necessary, if an entire department needs to be involved, if the information could be shared electronically, or whether it would be more efficient for a few key people to get together to address a targeted objective or specific problem. When a supervisor decides that a meeting is necessary, however, the purpose for the meeting, the topics, and the intended outcome should be communicated to meeting participants, and the participants’ roles should be clarified. Face-to-face meetings are the best for bringing together the people who are responsible for solving a problem or discussing an issue. Most supervisors probably will not be called upon to hold major conferences involving many people from throughout the organization. But virtually every supervisor will have meetings of employees in the department, and the principles discussed in this chapter can be helpful in motivating employees to perform more cooperatively to attain worthwhile goals. For this reason alone, developing the skills of effective meeting leadership should be of major importance to a supervisor. 8. What do you need to do to better manage your time? Why is creating and prioritizing a “to-do” list important? How can technology help and hinder your effective use of time? What are your personal and professional goals for the week ahead? What time management strategies should you use to achieve them? Most people struggle with time management at one time or another in their lives. Creating a “to-do” list gives people an opportunity to chart a course for the day, week, or month and to feel more in control of their lives. Organizational function consists of designing a structure for grouping activities. Creating the list is an organizational skill that helps supervisors lead without chaos, confusion, and panic and employees to have more understanding of the task. Technology is used to link people, assets, and ideas. Technology use has become second nature to students and workers alike, and it has become yet one more thing to balance in the productivity equation. Technology now requires us to be even more diligent in structuring and managing our time because of all of the information, options, and distractions that are available to us instantly on our devices. It might seem logical to consider computers and mobile devices as time savers that can boost efficiency. However, productivity research has shown that after an initial increase in workers’ output per hour at the beginning of this century as technology became part of day-to-day tasks, in the past decade worker productivity has declined to levels equal to that of the 1980s and 1990s. Following are a few tips for making more effective use of time: •Have a daily, weekly, and long-term planner. Use them to identify the most important items. •Determine priorities. Focus on the most important tasks, those that support your objectives. Do not be afraid to ask your boss if a new task takes priority over other assignments. •Use technology wisely. Avoid distractions that are instantly and widely available on the Internet and mobile devices. Give yourself a set amount of time for recreational technology use then get back to the task at hand. •Set up a reminder system. Use your iPad, smartphone calendar, day-time planner, or another system to alert you to what needs to be done by when. •Write everything down. Document what, when, who, and where. Use an iPad, smartphone, or pocket or desk calendar to note activities that need major attention. •Use common-sense organizational and time-management techniques. For example, handle papers only once, keep your desk or workstation clear, finish one job before starting another, avoid distractions, and say “no.” Answers to Personal Skill Building Personal Skill Builder 9-1: Organizing a Company The organizing function follows planning. Ask students to draw a picture depicting how they think the company is organized. The purpose of this activity is to get students to learn more about the organization by visualization. Most students find that the most difficult part of drawing an organizational chart is that it may not be truly representative of the company. The drawing clarifies authority relationships, the span of supervision, the division of work, and departmentalization, it probably does not adequately portray the working relationships between the employees. The Supervisory Tips box gives guidance on how project teams can be successful. “A good project team design enables employees to be the best they can be so that they can achieve both high performance and satisfaction in their work.” If not managed properly, project teams can be a source of conflict. Corporate culture is the set of shared purposes, values, and beliefs that influence how members of the organization behave. For the company to become more decentralize means that the people who are closest to the action make the decisions. The organization is very flat, which encourages decentralization. This makes employee contact and communication with all levels of management much easier and more efficient. They encourage openness in communication, which fosters that cohesiveness in the organization. All employees are encouraged to present their ideas and they seek buy-in from everyone involved. Employees are encouraged to focus back to the principles and values of the company to help guide their decision making. People make decisions on the fly by focusing on their local needs, as guided by those overlying principles and established policies. Food for Thought Questions 3. What would be the advantages to the company if the production operations were transferred to an offshore location such as China? What would be the disadvantages? Students’ answers will vary. Some students might say that offshoring production operations to China could make employees unhappy as they might lose their jobs. On the other hand, other students might say that employees would welcome this change as this could help them advance in their career. 4. What would be the advantages and challenges to the company if it chose to incorporate an online sales division? Students’ answers will vary. Some students might say that online sales make it easier to acquire data and information quickly and to keep in close touch with operations. Computers and mobile devices are time savers and can boost efficiency. Challenges would include that technology requires employees to be even more diligent in structuring and managing their time because of all of the information, options, and distractions that are available instantly on devices. 5. What if the production operations were subcontracted? The disadvantage? Students’ answers will vary. The control factor would be an issue in this instance. This is because quality control in many subcontracted situations is inconsistent with the onshore operation. 6. Should the organization, as many firms have done; subcontract the human resources functions? Why or why not? Students’ answers will vary. This is a debatable question. Instructors should ask students to take a position and defend it in their groups. Subcontracting HR functions can enhance efficiency and reduce costs, allowing the organization to focus on core activities. However, it may also lead to less control over employee relations and culture, so careful consideration is essential. 7. Using your choice of Internet search engine, search for examples of organizational charts using the key words “organizational chart.” Select three organizational charts to compare and contrast. In a one-page paper, describe the authority and responsibility relationships illustrated in each chart, then suggest what you believe are strengths and weaknesses of each organizational structure, based on the charts. Students can check the following websites for comparison and contrast reasons: •http://filacrosse.com/organizational-chart/ •http://www.defuniaksprings.net/index.aspx?NID=1090 •http://www.cwu.edu/enrollment-management/organizational-chart Students’ answers may vary with regard to respective organizational charts. Personal Skill Builder 9-2: Managing Virtually 1. As a supervisor, what specific management issues will you have to address? Students’ answers will vary. The character of the virtual organization requires a high level of trust and collaboration, as the structure often operates with no organizational chart, hierarchy, or vertical integration. When this trust is maintained, innovations and shared success result. 2. What specific concerns might a supervisor have about managing telecommuters? Students’ answers will vary. Supervisors will have to deal with challenges including increase in the communication load for each of the partners as they manage the networked relationships, the danger of eroding trust if communication and coordination are not well maintained, and the difficulty in defining and maintaining employee reporting relationships. 3. If you were an employee proposing a transition to telecommuting, how would you address these concerns? Students’ answers will vary. Since the employee is going to transition to telecommuting, he or she might take some time working in a virtual workplace some getting used to. The employee should adhere to the rules and regulation of the company with regard to working in a virtual environment. He should be trustworthy and update his managers on projects he is working on. Personal Skill Builder 9-3: Technology Tools—Prevent Yourself From Web-surfing to distraction 1. When using the Internet, what are some habits you have that cause you to procrastinate or use time unwisely? If you don’t have any of these kinds of habits, what are some timewasting habits you’ve observed in other Internet users? Students’ answers may vary. Internet users may waste time by logging on to social networking sites like Facebook, twitter, Instagram, Myspace and other sites. They may also watch online videos on sites such as YouTube, vimeo, Netflix, Hulu, vube, twitch, and so on. Also individuals tend to play online games on sites like Miniclip, Armor Games, Kongregate, Girls Go Games, AddictingGames.com, FOG, Nitrome, and so on. 2. Investigate the technology tools listed below by visiting the website where they can be accessed, trying demonstration versions, viewing videos or installing trial versions of a few of them. You can locate the tools by searching their names in your Internet browser, or you can access links to each of the tools on the Chapter 9 Technology Tools section of the companion website for this textbook. Students’ experiences will vary according to the particular technology tool used. An example of a tool such as “Internet Lock” gives a password protection solution and access control to the internet user for his/her connection and programs. It limits users to access only specified websites and keeps them from browsing unwanted websites. Scheduling Internet access and protecting internet programs and IP addresses is also a capability of this tool. Basically one can also restrict or use password protection for Internet access. 3. Choose two of the tools and, in a one- to two-page paper, evaluate whether they would be useful for a person who tends to waste time using the Internet. Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each tool and explain why you would or would not suggest using them. Students’ answers may vary depending upon the tool used. For a person who tends to waste time using the internet, these tools may seem like a boon because it inhibits them from wasting time and hence increases productivity at work. “Internet Lock” for example is a tool that with a password protection solution and limits users to only specific websites while blocking unwanted ones. “Page Savers” is a tool that allows internet users to save or collect articles and write-ups for later reference. This tool benefits when a user is busy with work and can’t read the article at that moment. They are later accessible when the user is free to read them. Answers to Team Skill Building Team Skill Builder 9-1: You Make The Call! 1. Pair up with another classmate. Discuss the following: a. Why would you like to work at Waldo Electronics? Why or why not? Students’ answers may vary, however, one would like to work at Waldo Electronics for their core values which include values such as respect for others, service to customers, telling the truth, looking for ways to cut costs, come up with and try new ideas, make a profit, being fair to all stakeholders and doing the job right the first time. b. What do you think of the way that Waldo has organized its operations? In reviewing all of Waldo’s operations, the following were among the firm’s major policies and approaches: •All employees are paid salaries instead of hourly wages. •Machine operators inspected their own output, made work rules, and participated in the decision-making process. •After initial training, a machine operator was trusted to know what needed to be done and then do it with limited direction. •Every job was stressed as being important. Waldo Electronics follow effective and efficient operations that have fair dealings with its employees and also make sure productivity is increased. 2. We have not shared with you the responses that the employees gave Tom. Please think of your current job or most recent job, and answer the questions that Tom asked each of the employees. Please write out your answers to those two questions and then share those answers with several of your classmates. a. Assuming that you all work for different organizations and have different job responsibilities, what are the similarities to your responses to these questions? Students’ answers will vary. Similarities in responses of the students may refer to employees having better involvement or engagement in fulfilling organizational objectives. Also constant communication, conducting regular meetings and giving effective feedback would help employees do a better job. Employees need to know what is expected of them and also to whom they should report. Having better coordination among various departments, organization stability, and equal share of work assignments helps individual to excel as employees. b. What are the differences? Students’ answers may vary. Some of the differences students may cite include certain employees willing to take on more work whereas some may be comfortable with the work assigned to them. Some may prefer an hourly wage while some prefer a monthly wage. Some may like to collaborate and work on certain projects while other would like to do it individually. 3. Based on the group’s responses, collaboratively write a one-page paper sharing what you learned from this “You Make the Call!” Students’ answers will vary. However, the overall response should include learning how to manage operations at workplace and also how to deal with differences and opinions of all employees. Taking in different perspectives is a good option and makes the employees feel like a part of the organization. Core values mentioned in the section can be used as references to follow while managing an organization. Team Skill Builder 9-2: Dealing with People Who Make Your Life Difficult—“The Boss’s Favorite” (Note: See Appendix to the Chapter 6 Instructors Manual for the IM Table 2: Guide Sheet for Dealing with People Who Make Life Difficult.” This table can be distributed to students so they can develop their own portfolio of strategies for dealing with difficult people.) This is one of the students’ favorite skills applications because they’ve had to deal with this type of person already, especially in the school environment. Often they get frustrated with “Smoochy,” the “suck-up,” the “brown-noser,” or Eddie Haskell. Then again, perhaps few students are familiar with the legendary behavior of Eddie Haskell who went out of his way to heap praise to get his way, especially in public. Our students tell us that this person is one of their most frustrating difficult people. Why? It is because they see the positive consequences of this person’s behavior. That is, there are positive payoffs to the person who behaves this way. Remind students that there is no one recipe that works every time for dealing with difficult people. After they have reviewed the literature and the Internet, ask them to make specific suggestions for dealing with Bill Allen. List their suggestions on the board or on a flipchart. Pose the following question to students: “What does it take for someone to be an apple-polisher?” In short, it takes two to play the game. Bill Allen can only be an apple-polisher if Mr. Harding allows it to happen. Why do people allow others to “suck-up” to them? The classic trilogy of ego, power, and greed is at the top of the list. Bill Allen is a person aiming high with illusions of grandeur and his personal ambitions conflict with the goals of the other team members. Bessie Colicho clearly has no stomach for Bill Allen’s behavior, and, students can read into the statement that Colicho is losing respect for Mr. Harding. Instructors can ask students to distinguish between “brown-nosing” and acts of praise that are sincere and genuine. Both careers www.usatoday.com and/or www.jobfairy.com state that students do not need to “suck-up” to the boss, but they need to go the extra step. Students can make the boss look good without being perceived by others as the brown-noser. The dilemma posed by this skills application is that two parties—Bill Allen and Mr. Harding—are both difficult to deal with. Bill “Smoochy” Allen is a combination of several of the types of people further described in the Internet sources listed below. It is difficult for Bessie Colicho to expose Bill Allen for the person he really is. With the aid of other employees, they can do it in nonvindictive ways that will not make him look bad. If Colicho decides to fight, she must recognize that if she loses, her future with Harding Hardware is dead! Some students have found the following Web sites to be valuable sources of information on how to cope with this type of behavior: “The Suck-Up” http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/14/spy14.html “How to Expose a Brown-Nosing Eddie Haskell” http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/1997/10/27/smallb8.html “Eager Beaver Syndrome” http://www.ritahess.com/EagerBeaver.htm “Beat by the Brownnoser?” http://www.jobfairy.com/articles/handling_brown_nosers.htm “Butter Up Your Boss—Without Being Obvious” http://www.usatoday.com/money/jobcenter/workplace/relationships/2002-11-11-butter-up-boss_x.htm After doing the research, students should be better able to identify these people and cope with them. Team Skill Builder 9-3: Investigating Factors that Influence Span of Supervision Ask students to revisit Figure 9.4 and review the list of factors that influence a supervisor’s span of supervision. This would help them understand factors like supervisory competence, employee abilities, specialized staff assistance, location, nature and complexity of activities, and objective performance standards that influence span of supervision. In order to understand how a supervisor goes about with organizational management concepts, ask students to come up with a set of interview questions and go to a local business or organization and administer the questions on the respective supervisor. Various supervisors may differ in the number of employees they supervise. The number of employees one person can supervise effectively depends on a number of factors (see Figure 9.4). In most situations, there must be a weighing, or balancing, of the factors listed in Figure 9.4, to arrive at an appropriate span of management for each supervisor. Ask students to make notes and summarize them so as to present them in a small group discussion. After comparing the findings, compose a one- to two-page paper describing which factors they found to have the greatest influence and why they believe those factors have the greatest influence. Factors with the greatest influence may include “supervisory competence” wherein the number of employees that can effectively be managed depends to a large degree on the supervisor’s managerial capabilities and the advance planning he or she has done and “location” wherein employees are in the same area or in close proximity, the supervisor can supervise more employees because observation and communication are relatively easy. When employees are widely dispersed, the span of supervision may be somewhat limited because face-to-face communication and coordination are more difficult. Answers to Supervision in Action Questions Video Clip: Tough Mudder—Teamwork 1. Explain how Tough Mudder coordinates activities across departments using the process of departmentalization. Tough Mudder gives importance to teamwork and creates events that require a lot of teams. It is a cross-departmental process in terms of the operations team that coordinates the event, the creative team works on the ground sourcing content from the teams, and also works with the merchandising partnership team to make sure they can integrate partnerships. They do not work on a very individualistic basis but collaborate with each other to achieve goals of great significance. 2. Describe how Tough Mudder creates successful project teams. Tough Mudder has a cross-departmental process in terms of the operation s team, the creative team, and also working with the merchandising partnership team. Their collaborative business follows overcoming obstacles through teamwork, making sure no one is left behind, and making sure everyone is having a good time while working. Employees at Tough Mudder are encouraged to be good at their own work as well as support other people to come up in their work and not fail, and to accomplish goals that have not been met before. 3. What type of organizational structure does Tough Mudder follow? Tough Mudder follows horizontal corporation structure wherein it is a very flat firm resulting from restructuring by customer process and organizational structure. Here, the managerial authority relationships are minimal. 4. How does Tough Mudder make effective use of their time and talents and show that they are a self-organization? Touch Mudder tries to institute a revolutionary structure and have managers with no ego who are willing to also learn from their employees. A lot of leeway is given to employees to take control of their own projects. There is no culture of micro-management or face time. They have ambitious employees who want to contribute to the greater purpose of the organization. They have a time to work together and a time for the individual to work alone, whether it’s writing a report or analyzing data. The open plan office is better for their collaborative environment to come up with new things and iterating on concepts. Also, there is flexibility with regard to work timings, but they see that it is important to strike a balance between the casual work environment and the bigger project work. 5. What kind of employees does Tough Mudder hire to bring in organizational stability? Tough Mudder hires people who they trust, who can take on a lot of responsibility, and those who can deal with difficult situations. They also empower individuals to deal with situations on their own. They have built a structure that flexible, scalable, and devolving kind of an ownership to regional teams so that they be creative and execute and deliver events. They follow consistency and growth and adhere to frameworks. They ultimately require their employees to translate this to the ground. Solution Manual for Supervision: Concepts and Practices of Management Edwin C. Leonard , Kelly A. Trusty 9781285866376, 9781111969790