Supervision: Concepts and Skill Building 10th Edition by Samuel Certo Solution manual

 
Typically supervisors spend most of their time leading and controlling, because they work directly with the employees who are producing or selling or providing support services. In contrast, higher-level managers are responsible for setting the overall direction for the organization; thus, they spend more time planning and organizing.
 

3. Teaching example to describe the basic types of supervisory skills:

 
The purpose of this teaching example is to provide another illustration to help students understand the combination of the five managing functions to each other.
 
Use Figure 1.3 to illustrate the planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling sequence and the relationship of the parts to the whole.
 
Each of the five functions are shown as connected parts of a whole to show the sequence of the process and how each function depends on preceding functions.
 

4. Exercise for the basic types of supervisory skills:

 
The following list of statements is an example of the five functions related to a single topic. Have the students determine which function is represented in the statement:

• The supervisor looks at the sales forecast and determines more employees will be needed in six weeks. The first steps are taken to meet the needs of the organization.

(planning)

• A request for six employees is sent to the human relations department.

(staffing)

• The new employees will require training. The supervisor requests six copies of the employee handbook, reserves the training room, and uses the employee orientation video.

(organizing)

• The supervisor carefully monitors sales and staff schedules over the next several months.

(controlling)

• After the employees are hired and trained, the supervisor talks with them daily about the expectations for the day and coaches them to help them learn the details of the job.

(leading)
 
Learning Objective 1.6: Explain how supervisors are responsible to higher management, employees, and co-workers
 

1. Key Term:

 
Accountability: The practice of imposing penalties for failing to adequately carry out responsibilities and providing rewards for meeting responsibilities
 

2. Teaching Notes:

 
Supervisors are responsible for carrying out the duties assigned to them and their department by higher-level managers. This includes giving managers timely and accurate information for planning. They should look for ways their group can contribute to achieving the organization’s larger goals. They must also keep their managers informed about the department’s performance. Supervisors are expected to serve as a kind of linchpin, or bridge, between employees and management.
 
Some supervisors may question the notion that they have a responsibility to their employees. After all, the employees are responsible for doing what the supervisors say. Nevertheless, because supervisors link management to the employees, the way they treat employees is crucial. Supervisors are responsible for giving their employees clear instructions and making sure they understand their jobs. They must look for problems and correct them before employees’ performance deteriorates further. They also need to treat their employees fairly and to speak up for their interests to top management.
 
Supervisors are also responsible for cooperating with their co-workers in other departments. They should respond promptly when a co-worker in another department requests information. They should listen with an open mind when co-workers in other departments make suggestions about improving the way things are done. When supervisors learn from one another’s ideas, the whole organization benefits, and the supervisors have the satisfaction of working together as members of a team.
 
Whatever the responsibilities of a particular supervisor, the organization holds the supervisor accountable for carrying them out.
 

3. Teaching example to explain how supervisors are responsible to higher management, employees, and co-workers:

 
Most of the supervisor’s time is spent seeing to it that production requirements are met or customers receive the desired services. In many organizations, promotion to the supervisory position implies responsibility for meeting these requirements. Accountability is the monitoring and controlling part of responsibility. When the work unit is unable to fulfill goals and objectives, the supervisor is expected to take corrective action, such as requesting help, investigating problems or bottlenecks in the work, and moving staff to cover priority areas.