Supervision Today 8th Edition PDF

 Eighth Edition Supervision Today! Stephen P. Robbins San Diego State University San Diego, California David A. DeCenzo...

 Eighth Edition Supervision Today! Stephen P. Robbins San Diego State University San Diego, California David A. DeCenzo Coastal Carolina University Conway, South Carolina Robert M. 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Such references are not intended to imply any sponsorship, endorsement, authorization, or promotion of Pearson’s products by the owners of such marks, or any relationship between the owner and Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliates, authors, licensees or distributors. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Robbins, Stephen P Supervision today / Stephen P. Robbins, San Diego State University San Diego, California, David A. DeCenzo, Coastal Carolina University Conway, South Carolina Robert M. Wolter, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) Indianapolis, Indiana.–8th ed.   pages cm ISBN 978-0-13-388486-9 — ISBN 0-13-388486-4 1. Supervision of employees. I. Title. HF5549.12.R628 2015 658.3’02—dc23 2014015830 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN 10: 0-13-388486-4 ISBN 13: 978-0-13-388486-9 Brief Contents part 1 Defining Supervision and Supervisory Challenges 1 Chapter 1 Supervision Fundamentals 2 Chapter 2 Supervision Challenges 26 part 2  lanning, Organizing, Staffing, P Controlling, and Decision Making 59 Chapter 3 Planning and Goal Setting 60 Chapter 4 Organizing 88 Chapter 5 Staffing and Recruiting 118 Chapter 6 Controlling 148 Chapter 7 Problem Analysis and Decision Making 178 part 3 Motivating, Leading, Communicating, and Developing 207 Chapter 8 Motivating Followers 208 Chapter 9 Leading Followers 238 Chapter 10 Communicating Effectively 264 Chapter 11 Developing Groups 292 part 4  ppraisal, Safety, Negotiation, Change, A and Labor Relations 319 Chapter 12 Performance Appraisal 320 Chapter 13 Workplace Health and Safety 348 Chapter 14 Conflict, Politics, Discipline, and Negotiation 376 Chapter 15 Change Management 408 Chapter 16 Supervision and Labor 428 Postscript: Personal Development 451 Answers to Comprehension Checks and Crossword Puzzles 457 Glossary 466 Index 477 iii Contents Preface xvii part 1  efining Supervision and Supervisory D Challenges 1 Chapter 1 Supervision Fundamentals 2 Key Concepts 2 Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 3 Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 4 Organizations and Their Levels 4 What Common Characteristics Do All Organizations Have? 5 What Are the Organizational Levels? 5 The Management Process 6 What Is Management? 6 What Are the Four Management Functions? 7 Do Management Functions Differ by Organizational Levels? 8 Changing Expectations of Supervisors 8 What Roles Do Supervisors Play? 8 Comprehension Check 1-1 9 Are Supervisors More Important in Today’s Organizations? 9 Is Sustainability Important to a Supervisor? 10 Does a Supervisor Need to Be a Coach? 11 Transition from Employee to Supervisor 11 Where Do Supervisors Come from? 12 Is the Transition to Supervisor Difficult? 12 Do You Really Want to Be a Supervisor? 14 Supervisory Competencies 14 Something to Think about (and promote class discussion) Becoming a Supervisor 15 What Is Technical Competence? 15 News Flash! The Supervisor’s Role in Modern Organizations 16 How Do Interpersonal Competencies Help? 17 What Is Conceptual Competence? 17 Why Must One Have Political Competence? 17 How Do Competencies Shift by Managerial Level? 18 From Concepts to Skills 19 What Is a Skill? 19 What Else Is Critical for Me to Know about Supervising? 19 Comprehension Check 1-2 20 Enhancing Understanding 21 Summary 21 Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 21 Key Concept Crossword 22 iv  Contents   v Developing Your Supervisory Skills 23 Getting to Know Yourself 23 Building a Team 23 Mentoring Others 23 Communicating Effectively 24 Thinking Critically 24 Chapter 2 Supervision Challenges 26 Key Concepts 26 Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 27 Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 28 Global Competitiveness 29 Is There Such a Thing as “Buy American”? 29 How Does Globalization Affect Supervisors? 30 Something to Think about (and promote class discussion) Who Owns What? 30 Technology Enhancements 31 News Flash! The Cultural Variables 32 What Is Technology? 33 How Does Technology Change the Supervisor’s Job? 34 E-Business at Work 34 What Is an E-Business? 34 What Changes Can Supervisors Expect from E-Business? 35 Comprehension Check 2-1 38 Working in a Diverse Organization 38 What Is Workforce Diversity? 38 How Does Diversity Affect Supervisors? 39 Changing How Business Operates 41 Why Are Organizations Doing More with Less? 42 Why the Emphasis on Continuous-Improvement Programs? 42 How Does Work Process Engineering Differ from Continuous Improvement? 43 What Are the Supervisory Implications of Downsizing, Contingent Workforces, Continuous-Improvement Programs, and Work Process Engineering? 44 Thriving on Chaos 46 From Chaos to Crisis 47 The Good and Profitable Organization 47 What Is a Socially Responsible Organization? 48 How Do We Act Responsibly? 49 What Is Ethics? 49 Comprehension Check 2-2 51 Enhancing Understanding 52 Summary 52 Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 53 Key Concept Crossword 54 Developing Your Supervisory Skills 55 Getting to Know Yourself 55 Building a Team 55 Guidelines for Acting Ethically 55 Communicating Effectively 56 Thinking Critically 56 vi   Contents part 2 Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Controlling, and Decision Making 59 Chapter 3 Planning and Goal Setting 60 Key Concepts 60 Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 61 Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 62 What Is Formal Planning? 63 Productivity 63 What Is Productivity? 63 News Flash! The Downsides of Planning 64 Why Is Productivity Important to the United States? 65 Planning and Level in the Organization 66 What Is the Breadth of Planning? 66 How Do Planning Time Frames Differ? 66 How Are Plans and Supervisory Levels Linked? 67 Can Continuous-Improvement Programs Be a Help in Planning? 67 Key Planning Guides 69 What Are Standing Plans? 69 What Are Single-Use Plans? 70 Comprehension Check 3-1 71 Something to Think about (and promote class discussion) From the Past to the Present 75 Goal Setting 76 How Were Goals Set in Years Past? 76 What Is the Key to Making Goal Setting Effective? 76 Why Might Goal Setting Work for You? 77 Self-Fulfilling Prophecy for Your Followers 77 Balanced Scorecard: The Natural Evolution of Goal Setting? 78 A Special Case of Planning: The Entrepreneurial Supervisor 78 What Is Entrepreneurship? 79 Do Entrepreneurs Possess Similar Characteristics? 79 How Do Entrepreneurs Recruit and Retain Employees? 80 What Supervisory Issues Are Faced by Entrepreneurs? 81 How Do Entrepreneurs Compare with Traditional Supervisors? 81 Comprehension Check 3-2 82 Enhancing Understanding 83 Summary 83 Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 83 Key Concept Crossword 84 Developing Your Supervisory Skills 85 Getting to Know Yourself 85 Building a Team 85 Setting Goals 85 Communicating Effectively 86 Thinking Critically 86 Chapter 4 Organizing 88 Key Concepts 88 Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 89 Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 90 What Is Organizing? 92 Basic Organizing Concepts 92 What Is Work Specialization? 92  Contents   vii What Is the Span of Control? 93 Something to Think about (and promote class discussion) Return to Yesteryear 94 What Is the Chain of Command? 95 What Is Authority? 96 News Flash! Obeying Authority 96 Where Are Decisions Made? 98 What Are the Five Ways to Departmentalize? 99 Comprehension Check 4-1 101 From Departmentalization to Structure 102 A Simple Structure 102 The Functional Structure 103 The Divisional Structure 103 Matrix Structure 103 Project Structure 104 Team-Based Structure 105 The Boundaryless Organization 105 The Learning Organization 107 Organizing Your Employees 108 How Do You Identify the Tasks to Be Done? 108 What Is the Purpose of Job Descriptions? 108 Empowering Others through Delegation 109 What Is Delegation? 110 Isn’t Delegation Abdication 110 Comprehension Check 4-2 111 Enhancing Understanding 112 Summary 112 Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 112 Key Concept Crossword 113 Developing Your Supervisory Skills 114 Getting to Know Yourself 114 Building a Team 114 Delegating 114 Communicating Effectively 115 Thinking Critically 116 Chapter 5 Staffing and Recruiting 118 Key Concepts 118 Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 119 Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 120 The Human Resource Management Process 121 The Legal Environment of HRM 122 Something to Think about (and promote class discussion) Is It Safe? 124 Employment Planning 125 How Does a Supervisor Conduct an Employee Assessment? 125 How Are Future Employee Needs Determined? 125 Recruitment and Selection 125 Where Do Supervisors Look to Recruit Candidates? 125 How Does a Supervisor Handle Layoffs? 127 Is There a Basic Premise to Selecting Job Candidates? 128 How Effective Are Tests and Interviews as Selection Devices? 129 News Flash! The Realistic Job Preview 131 Preparation for the Interview 131 Interview Questions You Shouldn’t Ask 132 Interview Questions You Should Ask 132 Comprehension Check 5-1 133 viii   Contents Orientation, Training, and Development 133 How Do You Introduce New Hires to the Organization? 133 What Is Employee Training? 134 Performance Appraisals 136 Compensation and Benefits 136 How Are Pay Levels Determined? 136 Why Do Organizations Offer Employee Benefits? 137 Current Issues in Human Resource Management 137 Workforce Diversity 137 The Workplace: Reasonable Grounds for Romance? 137 What Is Sexual Harassment? 138 How Do “Survivors” Respond to Layoffs? 140 Comprehension Check 5-2 141 Enhancing Understanding 142 Summary 142 Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 142 Key Concept Crossword 143 Developing Your Supervisory Skills 144 Getting to Know Yourself 144 Building a Team 144 Interviewing 145 Communicating Effectively 145 Thinking Critically 146 Chapter 6 Controlling 148 Key Concepts 148 Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 149 Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 150 The Control Process 151 How Do You Measure Actual Performance? 152 How Do You Compare Results with Standards? 153 When Should Corrective Action Be Taken? 155 Types of Controls 156 What Is Preventive Control? 156 When Are Concurrent Controls Used? 157 What Is Corrective Control? 157 The Focus of Control 158 What Costs Should You Control? 158 News Flash! On the Rocks 159 Comprehension Check 6-1 160 Why Pay Attention to Inventories? 161 What Is Value Chain Management? 162 Why the Focus on Quality? 163 What Are the Characteristics of Effective Controls? 164 Can Controls Create Problems? 165 Contemporary Control Issues 167 Is Employee Theft Increasing? 168 Something to Think about (and promote class discussion) Out with E-Mail 168 What is the Sarbanes–Oxley Act? 169 Do Controls Need to Be Adjusted for Cultural Differences? 170 Comprehension Check 6-2 171 Enhancing Understanding 172 Summary 172 Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 172 Key Concept Crossword 173 Developing Your Supervisory Skills 174 Getting to Know Yourself 174  Contents   ix Building a Team 174 Establishing Budgets 174 Communicating Effectively 175 Thinking Critically 175 Chapter 7 Problem Analysis and Decision Making 178 Key Concepts 178 Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 179 Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 180 The Decision-Making Process 181 How Do You Identify the Problem? 181 How Do You Collect Relevant Information? 182 How Do You Develop Alternatives? 182 How Do You Evaluate Each Alternative? 182 How Do You Select the Best Alternative? 183 How Do You Implement the Decision? 184 How Do You Follow Up and Evaluate? 184 Decision Tools 184 What Are the Conditions of Decision Making? 184 What Is the Expected Value Analysis? 185 How Are Decision Trees Useful? 185 What Is Marginal Analysis? 186 Decision-Making Styles 186 What Are the Four Decision-Making Styles? 186 What’s the Point of These Four Decision-Making Styles? 187 What Common Errors Are Committed in the Decision-Making Process? 187 Comprehension Check 7-1 189 Problems Versus Decisions 189 News Flash! Global Decision Making 190 How Do Problems Differ? 190 What Is the Difference between Programmed and Nonprogrammed Decisions? 190 Group Decision Making 191 What Are the Advantages of Group Decisions? 191 Are There Disadvantages to Group Decision Making? 192 Is There a Guide for When to Use Group Decision Making? 193 How Can You Improve Group Decision Making? 193 Something to Think about (and promote class discussion) The Value of Diversity in Decision Making 194 Design Thinking In Decision Making 195 Big Data In Decision Making 195 Ethics in Decision Making 196 What Are Common Rationalizations? 197 What Are the Three Views on Ethics? 197 Is There a Guide to Acting Ethically? 198 Comprehension Check 7-2 199 Enhancing Understanding 200 Summary 200 Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 200 Key Concept Crossword 201 Developing Your Supervisory Skills 202 Getting to Know Yourself 202 Building a Team 202 Becoming More Creative 203 Communicating Effectively 203 Thinking Critically 204 x   Contents part 3 Motivating, Leading, Communicating, and Developing 207 Chapter 8 Motivating Followers 208 Key Concepts 208 Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 209 Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 210 What Is Motivation? 211 Understanding Individual Differences 212 Can Personality Measures Predict Practical Work-Related Behaviors? 212 Do You Need to Develop Your Emotional Intelligence to Improve Your Supervision Skills? 213 The Early Theories of Motivation 213 How Do You Focus on Needs? 213 Do Supervisors Focus on the Nature of People? 214 What Effect Does the Organization Have on Motivation? 215 Comprehension Check 8-1 216 Contemporary Theories of Motivation 217 What Is a Focus on Achievement? 217 How Important Is Equity? 218 Do Employees Really Get What They Expect? 219 Something to Think about (and promote class discussion) Motivated to Do What? 220 How Do You Create an Atmosphere in Which Employees Really Want to Work? 221 Designing Motivating Jobs 222 Motivation Challenges for Today’s Supervisors 224 What Is the Key to Motivating a Diverse Workforce? 224 Should Employees Be Paid for Performance or Time on the Job? 225 How Can Supervisors Motivate Minimum-Wage Employees? 226 How Are Contingent Workers Motivated? 227 What’s Different in Motivating Professional and Technical Employees? 227 What Can a Supervisor Do to Improve Employees’ Work–Life Balance? 228 News Flash! Maintaining Motivation on the Shoe Leather Express 229 How Can Managers Use Employee Recognition Programs? 230 How Can Employee Stock Ownership Plans Affect Motivation? 231 Comprehension Check 8-2 231 Enhancing Understanding 232 Summary 232 Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 232 Key Concept Crossword 233 Developing Your Supervisory Skills 234 Getting to Know Yourself 234 Building a Team 234 Designing Jobs That Motivate 234 Communicating Effectively 235 Thinking Critically 236 Chapter 9 Leading Followers 238 Key Concepts 238 Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 239 Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 240 Understanding Leadership 241 Are Leaders Born or Made? 241 What Are the Traits of Successful Leaders? 241  Contents   xi What Is This Thing Called Charisma? 242 What Is Visionary Leadership? 244 Comprehension Check 9-1 245 How Do You Become a Leader? 246 Why Does a Leader Need Technical Skills? 246 How Do Conceptual Skills Affect Your Leadership? 246 How Do Networking Skills Make You a Better Leader? 246 What Role Do Human Relations Skills Play in Effective Leadership? 247 Something to Think about (and promote class discussion) Growing Leaders 248 Leadership Behaviors and Styles 248 What Is Task-Centered Behavior? 249 What Are People-Centered Behaviors? 250 What Behavior Should You Exhibit? 250 Effective Leadership 250 News Flash! National Culture Could Affect Your Leadership Style 252 Contemporary Leadership Roles 252 Do Credibility and Trust Really Matter? 252 Why Are Credibility and Trust Important? 253 What If You Play Favorites? 254 How Can You Lead through Empowerment? 254 Why Should Supervisors Engage Their Employees? 255 Leadership Issues Today 255 What Are Transactional and Transformational Leaders? 255 What Is Team Leadership? 256 What Is E-Leadership? 257 Is Leadership Always Relevant? 257 Comprehension Check 9-2 258 Enhancing Understanding 259 Summary 259 Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 259 Key Concept Crossword 260 Developing Your Supervisory Skills 261 Getting to Know Yourself 261 Building a Team 261 Mentoring Others 261 Communicating Effectively 262 Thinking Critically 262 Chapter 10 Communicating Effectively 264 Key Concepts 264 Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 265 Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 266 What Is Communication? 268 The Communication Process 268 Methods of Communication 269 How Do You Communicate Orally? 270 Why Do You Use Written Communication? 270 Something to Think about (and promote class discussion) Do Women and Men Communicate Differently? 270 Is Electronic Communication More Efficient? 271 What Issues Are Created by Instant Messaging and Text Messaging? 271 How Does Nonverbal Communication Affect Your Communication? 272 What Is the Grapevine? 273 Barriers to Effective Communication 274 How Does Language Affect Communication? 274 What Did You Say? 275 xii   Contents Did You Get My Message? 275 Do You See What I See? 275 What Do Roles Have to Do with Communication? 275 Comprehension Check 10-1 276 Is There a Preferred Information Medium? 277 How Does Honesty Affect Communication? 278 How Can You Improve Your Communication Effectiveness? 278 News Flash! Twitter... Social Benefit or Social Disaster? 279 A Special Communication Skill: Active Listening 282 The Importance of Feedback Skills 282 What’s the Difference between Positive Feedback and Feedback for Improvement? 283 How Do You Give Effective Feedback? 283 Comprehension Check 10-2 285 Enhancing Understanding 286 Summary 286 Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 286 Key Concept Crossword 287 Developing Your Supervisory Skills 288 Getting to Know Yourself 288 Building a Team 288 Active Listening 289 Communicating Effectively 290 Thinking Critically 290 Chapter 11 Developing Groups 292 Key Concepts 292 Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 293 Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 294 What Is a Group? 295 Why Do People Join Groups? 295 Understanding Informal Workgroups 296 What Are Norms and How Do They Affect Work Behavior? 296 News Flash! Solomon Asch and Group Conformity 297 Are Cohesive Groups More Effective? 298 What Is an Emergent Leader? 298 How Can Informal Groups Be Helpful? 299 Are There Ways to Influence the Informal Workgroup? 299 Comprehension Check 11-1 299 The Increasing Use of Teams 300 What Are the Different Types of Work Teams? 301 Turning Groups into Teams 301 The Five-Stage Model of Group Development 302 A Model of Development for Deadline-Driven Ad Hoc Groups 304 How Do You Build Effective Teams? 305 Team Challenges for Supervisors 306 What Obstacles Exist in Creating Effective Teams? 306 Something to Think about (and to promote class discussion) Fast Times! 307 How Can Team Obstacles Be Overcome? 308 Contemporary Team Issues 309 Why Are Teams Central to Continuous-Improvement Programs? 309 How Does Workforce Diversity Affect Teams? 310 What Challenges Exist When Supervising Global Teams? 310 When Are Teams Not the Answer? 311 Comprehension Check 11-2 312 Enhancing Understanding 313 Summary 313  Contents   xiii Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 313 Key Concept Crossword 314 Developing Your Supervisory Skills 315 Getting to Know Yourself 315 Building a Team 315 Developing Your Coaching Skills 316 Communicating Effectively 316 Thinking Critically 316 part 4 Appraisal, Safety, Negotiation, Change, and Labor Relations 319 Chapter 12 Performance Appraisal 320 Key Concepts 320 Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 321 Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 322 The Purpose of Employee Performance Appraisals 324 When Should Appraisals Occur? 324 What Is Your Role in Performance Appraisals? 325 What Are the Legal Issues in Performance Appraisals? 328 Are There Appropriate Criteria for Appraising Performance? 328 How Do You Gather Performance Data? 329 Performance Appraisal Methods 329 What Are the Absolute-Standards Measurements? 329 How Do You Use Relative Standards? 332 Comprehension Check 12-1 333 Objectives 334 Potential Problems in Performance Appraisals 334 What Is Leniency Error? 334 How Do Halo Errors Affect Appraisals? 335 What Is Similarity Error? 335 What Is Recency Error? 335 Something to Think about (and promote class discussion) Evaluating Students 335 How Does Central Tendency Error Affect Appraisals? 336 Are You Inclined to Use Inflationary Pressures? 336 How Can You Overcome the Hurdles? 336 Responding to Performance Problems 339 News Flash! Performance Appraisals in Contemporary Organizations 339 What Do You Need to Know about Counseling Employees? 340 Is Your Action Ethical? 340 Comprehension Check 12-2 341 Enhancing Understanding 342 Summary 342 Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 342 Key Concept Crossword 343 Developing Your Supervisory Skills 344 Getting to Know Yourself 344 Building a Team 344 Conducting a Performance Evaluation 344 Communicating Effectively 345 Thinking Critically 346 xiv   Contents Chapter 13 Workplace Health and Safety 348 Key Concepts 348 Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 349 Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 350 The Occupational Safety and Health Act 352 What Are the OSHA Enforcement Priorities? 352 How Does a Supervisor Keep OSHA Records? 353 What Are the OSHA Punitive Actions? 355 Does OSHA Work? 356 Comprehension Check 13-1 358 Job Safety Programs 358 What Causes Work-Related Accidents? 358 How Can Accidents Be Prevented? 359 How Do Supervisors Ensure Job Safety? 359 News Flash! Causes of Workplace Violence 360 A Special Case of Safety: Workplace Violence 360 Maintaining a Healthy Work Environment 362 How Do You Create a Smoke-Free Environment? 363 Something to Think about (and promote class discussion) Save Lives, Save Money: Make Your Business Smoke-Free 363 What Are Repetitive Stress Injuries? 364 Stress 365 Are There Common Causes of Stress? 365 What Are the Symptoms of Stress? 365 How Can Stress Be Reduced? 366 Helping the Whole Employee 366 Where Did EAPs Come from? 367 Why Provide Wellness Programs? 367 Comprehension Check 13-2 368 Enhancing Understanding 369 Summary 369 Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 369 Key Concept Crossword 370 Developing Your Supervisory Skills 371 Getting to Know Yourself 371 Building a Team 371 Developing Safety Skills 372 Communicating Effectively 373 Thinking Critically 373 Chapter 14 Conflict, Politics, Discipline, and Negotiation 376 Key Concepts 376 Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 377 Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 378 What Is Conflict? 379 Is All Conflict Bad? 379 Where Do Conflicts Come from? 380 How Do You Manage Conflict? 380 What Resolution Techniques Can You Use? 380 Which Conflicts Do You Handle? 382 How Do You Choose the Appropriate Resolution Technique? 382 How Do You Stimulate Conflict? 383 How Cautiously Should You Proceed in Stimulating Conflict? 384 Comprehension Check 14-1 385 Understanding Organizational Politics 385 What Is Politics? 385  Contents   xv Why Does Politics Exist in Organizations? 386 Can You Play Politics and Still Be Ethical? 387 How Do You Know When You Should Play Politics? 387 News Flash! Status in Organizations 388 The Disciplinary Process 389 What Types of Discipline Problems Might You Face? 390 Is Discipline Always the Solution? 391 Basic Tenets of Discipline 391 How Do You Lay the Groundwork for Discipline? 391 How Do You Make Discipline Progressive? 393 What Factors Should You Consider in Discipline? 394 What about the Law? 394 Negotiation 395 How Do Bargaining Strategies Differ? 395 How Do You Develop Effective Negotiation Skills? 397 Something to Think about (and promote class discussion) Hand Me a Towel 398 Comprehension Check 14-2 399 Enhancing Understanding 400 Summary 400 Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 400 Key Concept Crossword 401 Developing Your Supervisory Skills 402 Getting to Know Yourself 402 Building a Team 402 Six Steps to Resolve Conflict 403 Disciplining an Employee 404 Communicating Effectively 405 Thinking Critically 406 Chapter 15 Change Management 408 Key Concepts 408 Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 409 Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 410 News Flash! EA Sports 411 The Forces for Change 412 What Are the External Forces Creating a Need for Change? 412 What Are the Internal Forces Creating a Need for Change? 412 How Can Supervisors Serve as Change Agents? 413 Two Views of the Change Process 413 What Is the Traditional View of Change? 414 What Is the Contemporary View of Change? 414 Will You Face a World of Constant and Chaotic Change? 415 Why Do People Resist Change? 415 How Can You Overcome Resistance to Change? 416 Something to Think about (and promote class discussion) Robot Doc 417 Comprehension Check 15-1 418 Stimulating Innovation 419 How Are Creativity and Innovation Related? 419 What Is Involved in Innovation? 420 How Can a Supervisor Foster Innovation? 420 Comprehension Check 15-2 422 Enhancing Understanding 423 Summary 423 Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 423 Key Concept Crossword 424 xvi   Contents Developing Your Supervisory Skills 425 Getting to Know Yourself 425 Building a Team 425 Innovation in the Workplace 425 Communicating Effectively 426 Thinking Critically 426 Chapter 16 Supervision and Labor 428 Key Concepts 428 Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives 429 Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma 430 What Is Labor Relations? 430 Why Do Employees Join Unions? 432 Labor Legislation 434 The Wagner Act 434 The Taft-Hartley Act 435 Other Laws Affecting Labor–Management Relations 435 Comprehension Check 16-1 436 How Are Employees Unionized? 437 News Flash! When the Union Arrives 438 Collective Bargaining 439 What Are the Objective and Scope of Collective Bargaining? 439 What Is the Collective Bargaining Process? 440 What Happens When Agreement Cannot Be Reached? 442 Something to Think about (and promote class discussion) Can Boeing Shift the Work? 444 Comprehension Check 16-2 445 Enhancing Understanding 446 Summary 446 Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions 446 Key Concept Crossword 447 Developing Your Supervisory Skills 448 Getting to Know Yourself 448 Building a Team 448 Resolving a Grievance 449 Communicating Effectively 449 Thinking Critically 450 Postscript Personal Development 451 Introduction 451 What Is a Career? 452 How Do I Make a Career Decision? 452 Can I Increase My Chances for Getting into the Organization? 453 Where Can I Find Jobs Advertised on the Internet? 453 Preparing a Résumé 453 Excelling at the Interview 454 Some Suggestions for Developing a Successful Career 455 A Final Word 456 Answers to Comprehension Checks and Crossword Puzzles 457 Glossary 466 Index 477  Preface   xvii Preface Welcome to the eighth edition of Supervision Today! We continue to present this book in a way that our users have found useful. Many of you helped make the previous editions of this book a resounding success. In this edition, we continue that trend and make your reading experience even better. In our quest to make this the most complete supervision text currently available, we’ve taken into account feedback from our readers. We continue to present a book that focuses on the basic elements of supervision—one that covers the essential and traditional concepts in effectively supervising employees; that has a strong applied, practical, and skill focus; and that is user friendly. This new edition continues to be rich in instructional aids and experiential opportunities. Let’s highlight some of these elements: specifically, the basis for the content, the new features, and the “student- friendly” approach of this edition. Foundations of the Eighth Edition Most of us understand concepts better when we can relate them to our everyday lives. In this edition we help you build an understanding of supervising through real-life ­concepts, examples, and practice. We believe that when you have an opportunity to apply what you are learning—in an educational setting that encourages risk taking— you will perform more effectively on the job. Moreover, in the process you will build your supervisory skills portfolio! We recognize that the supervisor’s job continues its rate of dramatic change. Supervisors are working with a more diverse workforce in terms of race, gender, and ethnic background. Supervisors’ jobs are constantly affected by technological changes, a more competitive marketplace, and corporate restructuring and workflow rede- sign. Despite all of these changes, supervisors still need to understand the traditional ­elements of directing the work of others and the specific skills required: goal setting, budgeting, scheduling, delegating, interviewing, negotiating, handling grievances, counseling ­employees, and evaluating employees’ performance. A good supervision text must address both traditional and contemporary issues. We believe we’ve done this by focusing on relevant issues and by including lots of ­examples and visual stimuli to make concepts come alive. The full-color design format captures visually the reality and the excitement of the supervisor’s job. We’ve also spent years developing a writing style that has been called “lively, conversational, and interesting.” That’s just another way of saying that you should be able to understand what we’re saying and feel as though we’re actually in front of you giving a lecture. Of course, only you can judge this text’s readability. We ask you to read a few pages at random. We think you’ll find the writing style both informative and lively. What’s New for the Eighth Edition? We have been pleased with the response to the previous edition of the textbook. Reviewers and current adopters tell us that the content is solid and that the ­skill-building exercises work well in the classroom. For the eighth edition we have concentrated on refining the presentation and addressing the evolving roles that supervisors are asked to embrace in today’s workplace. Significant additions to the eighth edition include the following: Sustainability in chapter 1 Update on the importance of supervisors in chapter 1 xvii xviii   Preface Motivating contingent workers in chapters 2 and 8 Workplace diversity updates in chapters 2, 5, 8 and 1 Supervisory issues faced by entrepreneurs in chapter 3 Recruiting and retaining employees in an entrepreneurial environment in chapter 3 Project structure for teams in chapter 4 Teleworker updates in chapter 4 Virtual and network organizations in chapter 4 Workplace romance in chapter 5 Adjusting controls for cultural differences in chapter 6 Big data in decision making in chapter 7 Design thinking in decision making in chapter 7 Using employee recognition programs in chapter 8 Work life and family balance updates in chapter 8 Employee engagement in chapter 9 Problem-solving, self-managed, cross-functional, and virtual work teams in chapter 11 Supervising global teams in chapter 11 Paired comparison appraisal in chapter 12 Key Features of the Eighth Edition Before you start a journey, it’s valuable to know where you’re headed so you can mini- mize detours. The same holds true in reading a text. To make learning more efficient, we continue to include the following features. Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives Each chapter opens with a list of outcomes and learning objectives that describe what you will be able to do after reading the chapter. These outcomes and learning objectives are designed to focus your attention on the major issues in each chapter. Each outcome and learning objective is a key learning element. Key Concepts Each chapter contains a list of the key concepts addressed in the ­chapter. These terms represent critical comprehension areas. And through the Key Concept Crossword you can get feedback on how well you’ve understood the key concepts. Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma These interesting chapter-opening stories focus on an issue regarding a topic that will be discussed in the chapter. Although they have value, these vignettes are often overlooked. To address this problem, and to focus heavily on supervisory issues, all of our opening vignettes are posed as situ- ational dilemmas. No matter where you may work as a supervisor, at some point in your career you will be faced with a difficult issue—one that goes beyond simply following the law. These opening vignettes are designed to encourage you to think about what you may face and to begin to develop a plan of action for handling workplace dilemmas. For this edition three of the opening vignettes are new, which offers a contemporary view of ­workplace dilemmas. Margin Notes Key concepts identified at the beginning of each chapter are set boldface when they first appear in the chapter. The marginal note defines the term for quick reference. News Flash! Because of the popularity of these vignettes in previous editions, we con- tinue to include them in this new edition. Each vignette presents an issue that highlights a distinction between traditional and contemporary supervisory roles. Each chapter con- tains a news flash item specific to the topics included in the chapter and two are new.  Preface   xix Something to Think About Supervisors make many decisions every day. Some decisions present clear-cut answers based on legal and company rules and regulations. Other resolutions may not be so obvious. You need to evaluate and think through a number of variables to develop an answer or course of action. These sections are excellent class discussion starters and are included in each chapter to focus on the presented topics. Focus on Comprehension We continue to present our second-level headings in the form of questions. Each of these questions was carefully written to reinforce understanding of specific information. After reading a chapter (or a section), you should be able to return to these headings and answer the question. If you can’t answer a question or are unsure of your response, you’ll know exactly what sections you need to reread or re- view, or where to place more of your effort. All in all, this format provides a self-check on your reading comprehension. Comprehension Check This is a quick “Are-you-understanding-what-you’re-reading?” feature. In each chapter there are two Comprehension Checks with objective questions (which are answered in the “Solutions” section at the end of the book beginning on page 457) that offer quick feedback on whether you’ve understood what you’ve read. If you have problems answering these questions correctly, you should reread those sections before moving on to new material in the book. Of course, not every element of the chapter’s material can be tested—nor can simply answering these questions cor- rectly guarantee comprehension. But answering these questions correctly can indicate that you are making progress and that learning has taken place. Thinking Critically Critical thinking is also an important outcome. Several years ago, training organizations began taking a hard look at themselves. Typically, they found that their programs needed to expand language-based skills, knowledge, and abilities across the curriculum. What outcomes did this achieve? In essence, it indicated the need for all training programs to cover the basic skill areas of communication, critical thinking, computer technology, globalization, diversity, and ethics and values. This edition of Supervision Today! continues this feature to help you acquire these key skills by upgrading levels of thinking from knowledge to comprehension and, finally, to application. We convey relevant supervisory knowledge, give you an ­opportunity to reinforce your comprehension, and demonstrate how you can apply the concepts. End-of-Chapter Features: A Skill-Focused Approach Today it’s not enough simply to know about supervision; you need skills to succeed in your supervisory efforts. So we’ve maintained our skill component in the Enhancing Understanding and Developing Your Supervisory Skills sections at the end of each chapter, which include the following features: Summary Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions Key Concept Crossword Getting to Know Yourself Building a Team A step-by-step description of how to develop your skills in the area discussed in that chapter Communicating Effectively Thinking Critically These features are designed to help you build analytical, diagnostic, team-­building, investigative, and writing skills. We address these skill areas in several ways. For ­example, we include experiential exercises to develop team-building skills; cases to xx   Preface build diagnostic, analytical, and decision-making skills; and suggested topical writing assignments to enhance writing skills. Summary Just as Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives clarify where you are going, chapter summaries remind you where you’ve been. Each chapter of this book concludes with a concise summary organized around the opening chapter outcomes and learning objectives. Comprehension: Review and Discussion Questions These questions reinforce chapter content. If you have read and understood the content of a chapter, you should be able to answer the review questions, which are drawn directly from the material in the chapter. The discussion questions, on the other hand, tend to go beyond comprehen- sion of chapter content. They’re designed to foster higher-order thinking skills. The discussion questions enable you to demonstrate that you not only know the facts in the chapter but can also use those facts to deal with more complex issues. Key Concept Crossword Crossword puzzles using the key concepts from each chapter provide another way to reinforce comprehension on a level, and in a way, that you may enjoy. Answers are provided in the Solutions section at the end of the book begin- ning on page 457. Getting to Know Yourself Before you can effectively supervise others, you must under- stand your current strengths as well as areas in need of development. To assist in this learning process, we encourage you to complete these self-assessments from the Prentice Hall Self-Assessment Library 3.4, which can be packaged with the textbook. Building a Team These exercises give you an opportunity to work as a team, learning and practicing the supervisory skills introduced in the chapter. By combining your new knowledge and natural talents, you will be able to practice a supervisory activity and assess your own progress. Chapter Topic How-To Focus This section gives step-by-step instructions on how to de- velop a skill directly related to a topic addressed in the chapter. Communicating Effectively In this feature, suggested writing projects help you develop writing skills. Projects can also become presentations to reinforce verbal and presentation skills. Thinking Critically: Case Analyses Each chapter concludes with two case studies ­designed to make you think critically as you make decisions regarding a supervisory issue. These cases enable you to apply your knowledge to solve problems faced by s­ upervisors. For this edition 28 percent of the cases have been replaced and updated with new topical situations dealing with current workplace issues. Supplemental Materials For the Student Self-Assessment Library 3.4 Self-Assessment Library (SAL) is a unique learning tool that allows students to assess their knowledge, beliefs, feelings, and actions in regard to a wide range of personal skills, abilities, and interests. SAL 3.4 contains sixty-seven research- based self-scoring exercises that generate immediate individual analysis for the student. SAL is available as a printed workbook, a CD-ROM, and by an access code, so stu- dents have a choice of how they want to complete the assessments. Contact your Pearson ­representative to have SAL packaged with this textbook—SAL ISBN 0-13-608376-5.  Preface   xxi For the Instructor At the Instructor Resource Center, www.pearsonhighered.com/irc, instructors can access a variety of print, digital, and presentation resources available with this text in downloadable format. Registration is simple and gives instructors immediate access to new titles and new editions. As a registered faculty member, you can download resource files and receive immediate access to and instructions for installing course management content on your campus server. In case you ever need assistance, our dedicated technical support team is ready to help with the media supplements that accompany this text. Visit http://247.pearsoned.com for answers to frequently asked questions and toll-free user support phone numbers. The following supplements are available for download to adopting instructors: Instructor’s Resource Manual Test Bank TestGen® Computerized Test Bank PowerPoint Presentation  Acknowledgments Writing a textbook is often the work of a number of people whose names generally never appear on the cover. Yet, without their help and assistance, a project like this would never come to fruition. We’d like to recognize some special people who gave so unselfishly to making this book a reality. We want to thank the users of previous editions and students who provided a num- ber of suggestions for this revision. To all who provided us feedback, please know that we take your comments and suggestions seriously. We review each comment and see how it might be incorporated into the text. Unfortunately, in a few instances, a­ lthough the comments and suggestions were absolutely on target, sometimes adding specific information isn’t feasible. That’s not to say that we discounted what you said, but we had to balance the focus of the book with the feedback given. Finally, we’d like to add personal notes. From Steve’s corner: To my wife, Laura Ospanik. Laura continues to be a phenom- enal source of ideas and support. For that I am grateful. From Dave’s corner: I want to give special thanks to my family, who give me the encouragement and support to do my job. Each of you is special to me in that you continue to bring love and warmth into my life. Terri, Mark, Meredith, Gabriella, and Natalie, thank you. You continue to make me proud to be part of your lives. From Rob’s corner: I want to thank my wife, Sheila, for encouraging and support- ing me in my work on the eighth edition of Supervision Today! I also thank my grand- daughters Kennedy, Katherine, and Caroline for demonstrating the love of learning this book is meant to inspire. I continue to be grateful for the opportunity to be part of this learning endeavor. An Invitation Now that we’ve explained the ideas behind the text, we’d like to extend an open invita- tion. If you’d like to give us some feedback, we encourage you to contact us. Send your correspondence to Dave DeCenzo at E. Craig Wall, Sr. College, Coastal Carolina University, P.O. Box 269154, Conway, SC 29528-6054. Dave is also avail- able via e-mail at [email protected]. Alternatively, you may contact Rob Wolter at [email protected]. Either way, we welcome your feedback! We hope you enjoy reading this book as much as we enjoyed preparing it for you. Steve Robbins Dave DeCenzo Rob Wolter xxii  Part 1 Defining Supervision and Supervisory Challenges Part 1 introduces you to the world of work and the functions of a Chapter 1 Supervision supervisor. Emphasis in this section is placed on supervisory roles Fundamentals and the skills needed to be successful in today’s ever-changing Chapter 2 Supervision work environment. Supervisory positions are also being influenced Challenges by a number of environmental factors. What these factors are and how they affect the supervisory function are discussed. 1 Supervision Fundamentals Chapter Key Concepts After completing this chapter, you will be able to define these supervisory terms: conceptual competence organization controlling organizing effectiveness planning efficiency political competence employee engagement process first-level managers skill interpersonal competence supervisors leading supervisory competencies management sustainability management functions technical competence middle managers top management operative employees Chapter Outcomes and Learning Objectives After reading this chapter, you will be able to: 1-1. Explain the difference among supervisors, middle managers, and top management. 1-2. Define supervisor. 1-3. Identify the four functions in the management process. 1-4. Explain why the supervisor’s role is considered ambiguous. 1-5. Describe the four essential supervisory competencies. 1-6. Identify the elements that are necessary to be successful as a supervisor. Acestock/Alamy 4   Part 1 Defining Supervision and Supervisory Challenges Responding to a Supervisory Dilemma Organizations are changing, but are organizations changing their traditional structures? By and large, the answer is no, traditional organizational structures are still ­evident today. However, some organizations are changing the traditional organizational struc- ture to appeal to potential employees. One such company is Google. According to Fortune magazine, Google ranks in the top five best places to work and has ranked so for five consecutive years.1 What makes this organization so different from others? Why are employees flocking to organizations such as Google? The traditional organizational pyramid has operative employees at the bottom Eric Carr/Alamy of the triangle, supervisors above them, middle managers above supervisors, and top management above all (see Exhibit 1-1). This structure is a vertical approach to man- agement in which the decision making is done at the top and orders are sent down to the operational employees at the bottom of the organizational hierarchy. Operative employees do not have much say in the organization’s operations. Google uses a cross-functional organizational structure combined with a unique philosophy. Their cross-functional organizational structure is more of a team approach to management and is structured horizontally. According to Google.com, they purpo- sively maintain “an open culture often associated with startups, in which everyone is a hands-on contributor and feels comfortable sharing ideas and opinions.”2 Google’s benefits package also plays a major part in attracting employees. Google states that, from employee retirement funds to their free lunch and dinner program, they strive to offer customizable programs that suit the needs of each of their employees. What more could an employee want? Which organizational structure do you think works best and why? Do you think the vertical structure works better in some cases, whereas the horizontal structure works better in others? Would you prefer a more relaxed working environment or do you prefer something more structured? This book is about the millions of supervisors working in today’s dynamic organ- izations and the jobs they do in helping their organizations reach their goals. This book will introduce you to the challenging activities and the rapidly changing world of supervision today! Objective 1.1 Explain the difference among ­supervisors, middle managers, Organizations and Their Levels and top management. Supervisors work in places called organizations. Before we identify who supervisors are Objective 1.2 and what they do, it’s important to clarify what we mean by the term organization. An Define supervisor. organization is a systematic grouping of people brought together to accomplish some specific purpose. Your college or university is an organization. So are supermarkets, organization A systematic grouping of people charitable agencies, churches, neighborhood gas stations, the Indianapolis Colts football brought together to accomplish some team, Nokia Corporation, the Australian Dental Association, and Cedars-Sinai Hospital. specific purpose. These are all organizations because each comprises specific common characteristics. 1 Fortune, “100 Best Companies to Work for,” CNN Money, 2014, http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/ best-companies (accessed May 23, 2014). 2 Google, “Our Culture,” Google.com, http://www.google.com/intl/en/about/company/facts/culture (accessed May 23, 2014).  Chapter 1 Supervision Fundamentals   5 What Common Characteristics Do All Organizations Have? Top All organizations, regardless of their size or focus, share Management three common characteristics. First, every organization has a purpose. The distinct purpose of an organization is ­typically expressed in terms of a goal or set of goals that Middle the organization hopes to accomplish. Second, each orga- Managers nization is composed of people. It takes people to establish the purpose and to perform a variety of activities to make the goal a reality. Third, all organizations develop a system- Supervisors atic structure that defines the various roles of members and that often sets limits on members’ work behaviors. This may include creating rules and regulations, giving some members supervisory responsibility over other members, forming Operative Employees work teams, or writing job descriptions so that organiza- tional members know their responsibilities. Although organizations and their structures vary widely, often adapting to the environment in which the organization operates, we can Exhibit 1-1 Levels in the traditional organizational show—in most traditional organizations—an organization’s structure as a pyramid pyramid. containing four general categories (see Exhibit 1-1). What Are the Organizational Levels? Generally speaking, organizations can be divided into four distinct levels: operative employ- ees, supervisors, middle managers, and top management. Let’s briefly look at each level. The base level in the pyramid is occupied by operative employees. These employ- operative employees ees physically produce an organization’s goods and services by working on specific Employees who physically produce an organization’s goods and services by tasks. The counter clerk at Burger King, the claims adjuster at Progressive Insurance, working on specific tasks. the assembly-line worker at the Toyota auto plant, and the UPS representative who ­delivers your packages are examples of operative employees. This category may also include many professional positions: doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers, and information technology specialists. The common feature these operative workers share is that they generally don’t manage or oversee the work of any other employee. Now turn your attention to the top two levels in Exhibit 1-1. These are traditional management positions. Top management is a group of people responsible for establishing top management the organization’s overall objectives and developing the policies to achieve those objec- A group of people responsible for establishing an organization’s overall tives. Titles of typical top management positions in business firms include chair of the objectives and developing the policies board, chief executive officer, president, and senior vice-president. Among nonprofit to achieve those objectives. organizations, top management may have such titles as museum director, superintendent of schools, or governor of a state. Middle managers include all employees below the top middle managers management level who manage other managers. These individuals are responsible for All employees below the top manage- ment level who manage other manag- establishing and meeting specific goals in their particular department or unit. Their goals, ers and are responsible for establishing however, are not established in isolation. Instead, the objectives set by top manage- and meeting specific departmental or unit goals set by top management. ment provide specific direction to middle managers regarding what they are expected to achieve. Ideally, if each middle manager meets their goals, the entire organization meets its objectives. Examples of job titles held by middle managers include vice-president of finance, director of sales, division manager, group manager, district manager, unit man- supervisors ager, or high school principal. As part of an organization’s manage- ment team, supervisors oversee the Let’s again return to Exhibit 1-1. The only category that we haven’t described work of operative employees and are is supervisors. Like top and middle managers, supervisors are also part of an organi- the only managers who don’t manage other managers. See also first-level zation’s management team. What makes them unique is that they oversee the work managers. of operative employees. Supervisors, then, are the only managers who don’t manage other managers. Another way to think of supervisors is as first-level managers. That is, first-level managers Managers who represent the first level counting from the bottom of the traditional pyramid-shaped organization, supervisors in the management hierarchy. See also represent the first level in the management hierarchy. supervisors. 6   Part 1 Defining Supervision and Supervisory Challenges What kinds of titles are likely to tell you that someone is a supervisor? Though names are sometimes deceiving, people with job titles such as assistant manager, department head, department chair, head coach, foreman, or team leader are typically in supervisory positions. An interesting aspect of supervisors’ jobs is that they may engage in operating tasks with their employees. The counter clerk at Burger King may also be the shift supervi- sor. The claims supervisor at Progressive may also ­process claim forms. It is important to recognize that even though they perform operative tasks, supervisors are still part of man- agement. That was made clear in 1947, when the U.S. Congress passed the Taft-Hartley Act. This act specifically excluded supervisors from the definition of employee. Moreover, the Taft-Hartley Act stated that any person who can “hire, suspend, transfer, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward, or discipline other employees while using inde- pendent judgment is a ­supervisor.” Because first-level managers usually have this author- ity, the fact that they also engage in the same kind of work that their employees perform in no way changes their management status. In reality, they are still expected to perform the duties and responsibilities ­associated with the management process. Objective 1.3 Identify the four functions in the management process. The Management Process Just as organizations have common characteristics, so, too, do managers at all levels of the organization. Although their titles vary widely, there are several common elements to their jobs—regardless of whether the supervisor is a head nurse in the Heart Center unit of the Washington Hospital Center who oversees a staff of eleven critical-care spe- management cialists, or the chief executive officer of the 82,000-plus-member Exxon Corporation. The process of getting things done, effectively and efficiently, through and In this section, we look at these commonalities as we discuss the management process with other people. and what managers do. process The primary activities supervisors perform. What Is Management? efficiency The term management refers to the process of getting things done, effectively and effi- Doing a task right; also refers to the rela- ciently, through and with other people. Several terms of this definition warrant some tionship between inputs and outputs. discussion: process, efficiently, and effectively. effectiveness The term process in the definition of management represents the primary activities Doing the right task; goal attainment. that supervisors perform. We call these the management functions. The next section describes these functions. Efficiency means doing the task right and refers Means: Ends: to the relationship between inputs and outputs. If Efficiency Effectiveness you get more output for a given input, you have R G increased efficiency. You also increase efficiency e o when you get the same output with fewer resources. s a Because supervisors deal with input resources that o l u are scarce—money, people, and equipment—they r A are concerned with efficient use of these resources. c t Consequently, supervisors must be concerned with e t minimizing resource costs. a Although minimizing resource costs is impor- U i tant, it isn’t enough simply to be efficient. A super- s n visor must also be concerned with completing a m g e activities. We call this effectiveness. Effectiveness e Goals n means doing the right task. In an organization, Low Waste High Attainment t this ­translates into goal attainment. Exhibit 1-2 shows how efficiency and effectiveness are inter- related. The need for efficiency has a profound Exhibit 1-2 effect on the level of effectiveness. It’s easier to be Efficiency versus effectiveness. effective if you ignore efficiency. For instance, you  Chapter 1 Supervision Fundamentals   7 could ­produce more sophisticated and higher-quality products if you disregard labor and material input costs—yet that would more than likely create serious financial problems. Consequently, being a good supervisor means being concerned with both attaining goals (effectiveness) and doing so as efficiently as possible. What Are the Four Management Functions? In the early part of the twentieth century, a French industrialist named Henri Fayol wrote that all managers perform five management functions: They plan, organize, com- management functions mand, coordinate, and control.3 In the mid-1950s, two professors at UCLA used the Planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. functions of planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling as the framework for their management textbook.4 Most management textbooks continue to be orga- planning nized around management functions, though these have generally been condensed to Defining an organization’s goals, the basic four: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling (see Exhibit 1-3). establishing an overall strategy for Because organizations exist to achieve some purpose, someone has to define that achieving these goals, and developing a comprehensive hierarchy of plans to purpose and the means for its achievement. A manager is that someone. The planning integrate and coordinate activities. function encompasses defining an organization’s goals, establishing an overall strategy for achieving these goals and developing a comprehensive hierarchy of plans to integrate organizing and coordinate activities. Setting goals keeps the work to be done in its proper focus and Arranging and grouping jobs, allocat- helps organizational members keep their attention on what is most important. ing resources, and assigning work so Managers also have to divide work into manageable components and coordinate that activities can be accomplished as planned; determining which tasks results to achieve objectives. This is the organizing function. It includes determining are to be done, who is to do them, which tasks will be done, who will do them, how the tasks will be grouped, who will how the tasks are to be grouped, who reports to whom, and when decisions report to whom, and when decisions will be made. are to be made. We know that every organization contains people and that part of a manager’s job is to direct and coordinate the activities of these people. Performing this activity is referred leading to as the leading function of management. When managers motivate employees, direct the Motivating employees, directing activities of others, selecting the most activities of others, select the most effective communication channel, or resolve conflicts effective communication channel, and among members, they’re engaging in leading. resolving conflicts among members. The final function managers perform is controlling. After the goals are set, the plans formulated, the structural arrangements determined, and the people hired, trained, and motivated, something may still go amiss. To ensure that things are going as they should, controlling a manager must monitor the organization’s performance. Actual performance must be Monitoring an organization’s perfor- compared with the previously set goals. If there are any significant deviations, it’s the mance and comparing performance with previously set goals. If significant manager’s responsibility to get the organization back on track. This process of monitor- deviations exist, getting the organiza- ing, comparing, and correcting constitutes the controlling function. tion back on track. Planning Organizing Leading Controlling Achieving Setting goals Determining Directing, Monitoring Organizational and + what needs + motivating, + activities = goals organizational to be done and handling direction conflicts Exhibit 1-3 Management functions. 3 H. Fayol, Industrial and General Administration (Paris: Dunod, 1916). 4 H. Koontz and C. O’Donnell, Principles of Management: An Analysis of Managerial Functions (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1955). 8   Part 1 Defining Supervision and Supervisory Challenges Do Management Functions Differ by Organizational Levels? A manager’s level in an organization affects how these management functions are performed. A supervisor in the sales department at Black & Decker won’t do the same kind of planning as Black & Decker’s president. That’s because although all managers perform the four management functions, there are important differences relating to their level. Typically, top management focuses on long-term strategic plan- ning such as determining what overall business a company should be in. Supervisors focus on short-term, tactical planning such as scheduling departmental workloads for the next month. Similarly, top management is concerned with structuring the overall organization, whereas supervisors focus on structuring the jobs of individuals and workgroups. Objective 1.4 Explain why the supervisor’s role is considered ambiguous. Changing Expectations of Supervisors Seventy years ago, if you had asked a group of top executives what they thought a supervisor’s job was, you would have gotten a fairly standard answer. They would describe a man (which it was likely to be back then) who forcefully made decisions, told employees what to do, closely watched over those employees to make sure they did as they were told, disciplined them when they broke the rules, and fired those that didn’t “shape up.” Supervisors were the bosses “on the operating floor,” and their job was to keep the employees in line and get the work out. If you ask top executives that same question today, you’ll find a few who still hold to the supervisor-as-boss perspective, but you’ll also hear executives describe today’s supervisor using terms such as trainer, adviser, mentor, facilitator, or coach. In this ­section, we look at some of these changing expectations of supervisory managers. What Roles Do Supervisors Play? The supervisor’s job is unique in that it bridges the management ranks with the operat- ing employees. No one else in the organization can make that claim. Yet because of this uniqueness, supervisors have an ambiguous role. Each of the following offers a different viewpoint of the supervisor’s role:5 Key person: Supervisors serve as the critical communication link in the organization’s chain of authority. They are like the hub of a wheel around which all operating activities revolve. Person in the middle: Because they are “neither fish nor fowl,” supervisors must interact and reconcile the opposing forces and competing expectations from higher man- agement and workers. If unresolved, this conflicting role can create frustration and stress for supervisors. Just another worker: Some people, particularly upper-level managers, see supervisors as “just another worker,” rather than as management. This is reinforced when their decision-making authority is limited, when they’re excluded from participating in upper-level decisions, and when they perform operating tasks alongside the same people they supervise. Behavioral specialist: Consistent with the belief that one of the most important abilities needed by supervisors is strong interpersonal skills, they are looked at as behavioral specialists. To succeed in their jobs, supervisors must be able to understand the ­varied needs of their staff and be able to listen, motivate, and lead. 5 Based on J. Newstrom and K. Davis, Organizational Behavior: Human Behavior at Work, 9th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1993), 239.  Chapter 1 Supervision Fundamentals   9 Although each of these four role descriptions has some truth to it, each also offers a slanted view of the supervisor’s job. Our point is that different people hold dif- ferent perceptions of this job, which can create ambiguity and conflicts for today’s supervisor. Comprehension Check 1-1 1. All of the following except one are characteristics of all organizations. Which one is not a characteristic? a. Purpose b. Profit c. People d. Structure 2. The term process in the definition of management refers to a. the primary activities supervisors perform on their jobs. b. the transformation of raw materials into goods. c. the relationship between doing a task correctly and doing the correct task. d. the means of goal attainment. 3. The management function that involves monitoring activities to ensure that targets are being met is called a. planning. b. organizing. c. leading. d. controlling. 4. A key person in a supervisory role is someone who a. interacts with opposing forces to reconcile differences. b. serves as the critical communication link in the organization. c. is just another worker. d. has a strong ability to listen and understand what is being said. Are Supervisors More Important in Today’s Organizations? Regardless of what people think and the different role perceptions they hold, a case can be built that the supervisor’s job will continue to become increasingly important and complex in the future. Why? We can provide at least three reasons. First, organizations are implementing significant change and quality programs to cut costs and increase productivity. Examples of these programs include continuous quality improvements, the introduction of work teams, group bonus plans, flexible work hours, and accident-prevention and stress-reduction programs. These programs tend to focus on the work activities of operating employees. As a result, supervisors have become increasingly important because they typically assume responsibility for introducing and implementing these change efforts at the operations level. Second, organizations are making extensive cutbacks in their number of employees. Boeing, General Motors, United Airlines, Motorola, IBM, and American Express are just a few of the major companies that have cut anywhere from 1,000 to 50,000 jobs. Organizations are constantly thinning their ranks among middle managers and ­staff-support personnel. “Lean and mean” continues to be a major theme for the best corporations. The implications of these cutbacks will be that supervisors have more people directly reporting 10   Part 1 Defining Supervision and Supervisory Challenges to them. Moreover, many tasks previously performed by people in support units—such as work design, process flow, scheduling, and quality control—will be reassigned to supervi- sors and their employees. The net effect will be significantly expanded responsibilities for supervisors. Finally, employee training is more important than ever as organizations seek to improve productivity. New employees—many of whom are poorly prepared for work or have language or communication deficiencies—require basic training in reading, writing, and mathematics. Changes in jobs brought about by computers, automation, and other technological advances require additional skills training among current employees to prevent their skills from becoming obsolete. Supervisors will carry the primary burden for identifying these skill deficiencies, designing appropriate training programs, and in some cases, even providing the training itself. Obviously, being a supervisor is both challenging and exciting. One thing we