Administration, Leadership and Entrepreneurship Module 5 Supervision PDF

Administration, Leadership and Entrepreneurship Module 5 Supervision Learning Objectives: Discuss supervisor their functions and responsibilities Explain Leadership and its importance to supervision Identify the different types of leadership Discuss time study and its objectives...

Administration, Leadership and Entrepreneurship Module 5 Supervision Learning Objectives: Discuss supervisor their functions and responsibilities Explain Leadership and its importance to supervision Identify the different types of leadership Discuss time study and its objectives Discuss cost control and its significance to supervision Explain the facilities and equipment maintence Supervision Supervision is a Latin word Super means ‘from the above’ and vision means ‘to see’. In ordinary sense of the term, supervision means overseeing the activities of others. In management supervision means “Overseeing the subordinates at work with authority and with an aim to guide the employees, if he is doing wrong.” Supervision is direction, guidance and control of working force with a view to see that they are working according to plan and are keeping time schedule. Further, they are getting all possible help in accomplishing their assigned work. We can divide the definitions of supervision into three categories depending on the emphasis these have laid on a particular aspect: 1. From the point of view of emphasis on maximising production The definition following under this category associates supervision with output, that is, because of their skills, expertise and experience etc., supervisors help their subordinates to improve their output in terms of both quantity and quality.  2. From the point of view of emphasis on workers’ performance and human relations aspect In this category, we include those definitions that lay emphasis on workers’ performance and human relations aspect, and which accept the worker as a part of the social system. Thus, according to this view, supervision is the process by which a supervisor helps the supervisee to adjust to his/her job, to develop team spirit and to assume even greater responsibility.  3. From the point of view of emphasis on the development of the personality of the worker In this category are included those definitions that lay emphasis on the development of per­sonality of the worker. According to the experts holding this view, supervision is the act of ‘guiding the workers to develop their self in the best possible manner’. The significance of supervision can be explained as follows: 1. Issue of Orders and Instructions: The workers require guidance of supervisor at every step. He clears their doubts and tells them the proper method of doing a job. A sub-ordinate can give better performance when he knows the work he is supposed to do. 2. Planning and Organizing the Work: A superior acts as a planner and a guide for his sub-ordinates. A schedule of work is prepared so as to ensure an even and steady flow of work. The supervisor lays down production targets for the workers and determines the methods and procedures for doing the work.  3. It is Important at All Levels: Supervision means overseeing and watching sub-ordinates. The time devoted by top management to supervision is only 20% whereas supervisor (or foreman or overseer or superintendent or section officer) devotes about 80% of his time to supervision. Top management supervises managers whereas supervisor supervises workers. The supervision at the front line or firing line is most important since actual work is done at that level. 4. Vital Link between Workers and Management: A supervisor is a representative of the management and a very important figure from workers point of view. He communicates the policies of the management to workers (downward communication) and also provides feed back to the management as to what is happening at the lowest level (upward communication).  5. Motivating Subordinates: A supervisor is a leader at the lowest rung of management ladder. He serves as a friend, philosopher and guide to workers. He inspires team work and secures maximum co- operation from the employees. It is he who can help in getting optimum utilization of manpower. 6. Feedback to Workers: A supervisor compares the actual performance of workers against the standards laid down and identifies weaknesses of workers and suggests corrective measures to overcome them. In this way, workers can improve their performance in  7. Proper Assignment of Work: A supervisor makes systematic arrangement of activities and resources for his group. He assigns work to each worker and delegate’s authority to workers. Workers feel frustrated when the work being done by them is not properly arranged. Some workers may sit idle whereas others may be overburdened if work is not properly assigned. Roles and Functions of a Supervisor in an Organization 1. As a Key Man in the Management: A supervisor is the key figure in the organisation because he/she makes decisions, controls work and interprets policy of the management to the work­ers. He/she represents management to the workers. Therefore, management is judged as he/ she is judged by the workers. He/she is also the main figure in getting the work done. However, in reality, he/she is less than a key figure.  2. Person in the Middle: According to this view, a supervisor has to work between two forces, namely the management and the workers. On the one hand, management has a lot of technical and production-oriented expectations from him/her, and, on the other hand, the workers also have a lot of reward-oriented expectations from him/her. 3. Supervisor as the Marginal Man: According to this sociological concept, supervisor is either left out of main activities and influences affecting his/her department or he/she is just on the margin.  4. Supervisor as Another Worker: According to this view, a supervisor is just like a worker lack­ing authority and having a feeling that he/she is not part of management. Only his/her desig­nation is changed. 5. Supervisor as a Human Relations Specialist: As per this view, a supervisor is considered to be a human relations specialist looking after the human side of operations. Functions of Supervisor: 1. Help his/her workers to develop their innate qualities to improve their performance 2. Help his/her subordinates to adjust to their job requirements and to develop 3. Make the workers loyal towards their organisation 4. Provide expertise, skills, knowledge and experience to make workers learn without fear and hesitation 5. Encourage free communication 6. Develop employee potential to an extent where they need no supervision 7. Cooperate with other supervisors 8. Prove a good link between the management and workers 9. Solve personal problems of his/her subordinates to the extent possible  10. Maintain discipline 11. Correct the mistakes of his/her subordinates 12. Explore new fields of knowledge 13. Introduce new, useful and scientific methods of production and administration 14. Have a clear understanding about his/her plan of action 15. Know his/her job, duties, responsibilities, authority, accountability and so on 16. Divide responsibilities and duties to his/her subordinates rationally and scientifically 17. Listen and look into the grievance of his/her subordinates 18. Delegate authority and win their confidence. Requisite qualities for effective supervision are: i. Tact and discretion, ii. Social skills, iii. Technical competence, iv. Empathy, v. Honesty, vi. Courage, vii. Self-confidence, viii. Communication skills, ix. Teaching and guiding ability and x. Strong common sense. Meaning of ‘Span of Supervision and Control’: Span of supervision means the number of subordinates whom a supervisor can competently direct, guide and control. If he is tasked to supervise a large number of subordinates doing a number of dif­ferent or unrelated jobs, it will naturally place him under heavy mental and physical strain. If a supervisor has a large number of subordinates, engaged in a large number of unrelated jobs, the following effects are bound to be felt: (a) Lack of proper communication with subordinates. (b) Indifference to ideas, suggestions and grievances of subordinates. (c) A feeling among subordinates that their supervisor does not wield enough influence with his superior. (d) Frequent clash of views between supervisor and his superior. Why Proper Span of Supervision is Necessary: 1. A manager is a human being with natural limitations as regards the time and energy he can devote to the activities falling under his supervision. 2. There is also limitation as regards the multiple complex jobs that he can effectively supervise. 3. Given his limited time and energy, long hours of strenuous work involved in effective supervi­sion may affect his physical and mental health. Kinds of Span of Supervision: (1) Selection of Ideal Span of Control a Difficult Task: It is not easy to pick up an ideal span of control. It depends on a number of considerations. However, it is not that difficult to evaluate the strong and weak points of each type of supervision span to know what span of supervision will be ideal for an organization.  (2) Wide Span of Supervision: If a number of different and unrelated jobs are placed under a single manager for supervision, it will indeed become too difficult for him to manage and control all of them equally efficiently. He will face this problem even if the jobs are of an identical nature.  (3) Functional Supervision: F.W. Taylor, widely regarded as the father of Scientific Management, introduced a new pattern of super­vision. Functional supervision is based on the assumption that a foreman cannot deal with all the technical problems which come up in a day’s work.  (4) Line and Staff Supervision: Under line and staff supervision, there is only one supervisor in charge of a particular group of subor­dinates. But he is aided and advised by specialists (staff executives) in various fields. Staff executives do not carry any authority and cannot give orders to subordinates, i.e., operative workers. They can only offer advice to line supervisors who may or may not accept it.  (5) Supervision in ‘Tall and Narrow Structure’ of Organization: In a tall and narrow structure of organization, there are too many links in the chain of authority. This creates problems in respect of communi­cation, decision-making and human relations. A lot of time is spent on relaying messages which, in any case, may take long to reach the subor­dinates concerned.  (6) Supervision in ‘Flat- Topped’ Structure of Organization: This kind of organization is the best for ensuring balanced supervision. Under it, the man at the top has a number of deputies, each of whom looks after a particular activity or department. Such span of supervision gives the organization chart a flattened or “spread out” appearance. Leadership Leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act toward achieving a common goal. In a business setting, this can mean directing workers and colleagues with a strategy to meet the company's needs. Leadership captures the essentials of being able and prepared to inspire others. Effective leadership is based upon ideas —both original and borrowed—that are effectively communicated to others in a way that engages them enough to act as the leader wants them to act.  Leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act toward achieving a common objective. Organizations refer to upper-level personnel in their management structures as leadership. To be an effective leader in business, you must possess traits that extend beyond management duties. Leadership skills can be learned and leaders may evolve. A person may be referred to interchangeably as both a "leader" and a "manager," though the two terms are not necessarily synonymous. Leadership Styles Authoritarian Leadership (Autocratic) Authoritarian leaders, also known as autocratic leaders, provide clear expectations for what needs to be done, when it should be done, and how it should be done. This style of leadership is strongly focused on both command by the leader and control of the followers. There is also a clear division between the leader and the members. Authoritarian leaders make decisions independently, with little or no input from  Authoritarian leadership is best applied to situations where there is little time for group decision-making or where the leader is the most knowledgeable member of the group. The autocratic approach can be a good one when the situation calls for rapid decisions and decisive actions. However, it tends to create dysfunctional and even hostile environments, often pitting followers against the domineering leader. Characteristics of Autocratic Leader Allows little or no input from group members Requires leaders to make almost all of the decisions Provides leaders with the ability to dictate work methods and processes Leaves group feeling like they aren't trusted with decisions or important tasks Tends to create highly structured and very rigid environments Discourages creativity and out-of-the box thinking Establishes rules and tends to be clearly outlined and communicated Autocratic Leadership BENEFITS DRAWBACKS Allows for quick decision- Discourages group input making especially in stress- filled situations Offers a clear chain of Hurts morale and leads to command or oversight resentment Works well where strong, Ignores or impairs creative directive leadership is solutions and expertise needed from subordinates Participative Leadership (Democratic) is typically the most effective leadership style. Democratic leaders offer guidance to group members, but they also participate in the group and allow input from other group members. Participative leaders encourage group members to participate, but retain the final say in the decision-making process. Group members feel engaged in the process and are more motivated and creative. Democratic leaders tend to make followers feel like they are an important part of the team, which helps foster commitment to the goals of the group. Characteristics Some of the primary characteristics of democratic leadership include: Group members are encouraged to share ideas and opinions, even though the leader retains the final say over decisions. Members of the group feel more engaged in the process. Creativity is encouraged and rewarded  Researchers suggest that good democratic leaders possess specific traits that include honesty, intelligence, courage, creativity, competence, and fairness. Strong democratic leaders inspire trust and respect among followers.3 These leaders are sincere and make decisions based on their morals and values. Followers tend to feel inspired to take action and contribute to the group. Good leaders also tend to seek diverse opinions and do not try to silence dissenting voices or those that offer a less popular point of view. Pros and Cons of Democratic Leadership PROS CONS More ideas and creative Communication failures solutions Group member Poor decision-making by commitment unskilled groups High productivity Minority or individual opinions overridden Delegative Leadership (Laissez- Faire) under delegative leadership, also known as laissez-faire leadership, were the least productive of all three groups. In this group also made more demands on the leader, showed little cooperation, and were unable to work independently. Delegative leaders offer little or no guidance to group members and leave the decision-making up to group members.  While this style can be useful in situations involving highly qualified experts, it often leads to poorly defined roles and a lack of motivation. laissez-faire leadership tended to result in groups that lacked direction and members who blamed each other for mistakes, refused to accept personal responsibility, made less progress, and produced less work. Laissez-faire leadership, also known as delegative leadership, is a type of leadership style in which leaders are hands-off and allow group members to make the decisions. Researchers have found that this is generally the leadership style that leads to the lowest productivity among group members. Characteristics of Laissez-Faire Leadership Laissez-faire leadership is characterized by the following: Hands-off approach Leaders provide all training and support Decisions are left to employees Comfortable with mistakes Accountability falls to the leader Pros and Cons of Laissez-Faire Leadership PROS CONS It encourages personal Lack of role clarity growth. It encourages Poor involvement with innovation. the group It allows for faster Low accountability decision-making. Passivity Transformational Leadership is often identified as the single most effective style. This style was first described during the late 1970s and later expanded upon by researcher Bernard M. Bass. Transformational leaders are able to motivate and inspire followers and to direct positive changes in groups.  These leaders tend to be emotionally intelligent, energetic, and passionate. They are not only committed to helping the organization achieve its goals, but also to helping group members fulfill their potential. Research shows that this style of leadership results in higher performance and more improved group satisfaction than other leadership styles.3 One study also found that transformational leadership led to improved well-being among group members. Transactional Leadership The transactional leadership style views the leader-follower relationship as a transaction. By accepting a position as a member of the group, the individual has agreed to obey the leader. In most situations, this involves the employer-employee relationship, and the transaction focuses on the follower completing required tasks in exchange for monetary compensation.  One of the main advantages of this leadership style is that it creates clearly defined roles. People know what they are required to do and what they will be receiving in exchange. This style allows leaders to offer a great deal of supervision and direction, if needed. Group members may also be motivated to perform well to receive rewards. One of the biggest downsides is that the transactional style tends to stifle creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. Situational Leadership stress the significant influence of the environment and the situation on leadership. Hersey and Blanchard's leadership styles is one of the best-known situational theories. First published in 1969, this model describes four primary styles of leadership, including: Telling: Telling people what to do Selling: Convincing followers to buy into their ideas and messages Participating: Allowing group members to take a more active role in the decision-making process Delegating: Taking a hands-off approach to leadership and allowing group members to make the majority of decisions  How to Schedule Your Time Step 1: Identify Available Time. Start by establishing the time you want to make available for your work.... Step 2: Schedule Essential Actions. Next, block in the actions you absolutely must take to do a good job.... Step 3: Schedule High-Priority Activities.... Step 4: Schedule Contingency Time. Time Study Time study is concerned with the determination of the amount of time required to pet form a unit of work. It consists of the process of observing and recording the time required to perform each element of an operation so as to determine the reasonable time in which the work should be completed. Time study is a work measurement technique for recording the times and rates of working for the elements of a specified job carried out under specified conditions and for analyzing the data so as to obtain the time necessary for carrying out the job at a defined level of performance. Objectives of Time Study The main objective of time study is to determine by direct observation, the quantum of human work in a specified task and hence to establish the standard time, within which an average worker working at a normal pace should complete the task using a specified method. The other objectives are: 1. To fix a fair output rate for workers 2. To furnish a basis of comparison for determining operating effectiveness. 3. To set labour standard for satisfactory performance.  4. To compare alternative methods in motion study in order to select the best method. 5. To determine standard costs. 6. To determine equipment and labour requirements. 7. To determine basic times/normal times. 8. To determine the number of machines an operator can handle. 9. To balance the work of operators in production or assembly lines. 10. To set the completion schedule for individual operations or jobs. 11. To determine the cycle time for completion of a job. Cost Control Cost control is a tool of management executives to regulate the working of the manufacturing concern. Under the globalize economy, mere planning is not enough. Efforts are constantly made to scrutinize the results of the workings. If so, out of control situations may be find out and eliminated immediately, with the help of cost control, the executives can limit the costs within the planned level. Characteristics of Cost Control 1. Delineation of Centers of Responsibility: Overlapping operations and responsibilities destroy the very essence of cost control. 2. Delegation of Authority: If persons are charged with responsibility without authority, the cost control will be ineffective. Hence, proper or adequate delegation of authority is necessary for proper cost control. 3. Measurement of Performance: A performance is to be measured with the help of reasonable criteria. Standard costing can be used as reasonable criteria. The person whose performance is being measured should participate in setting the standards.  4. Relevance of Controllable Cost: Only few costs are controllable at different levels of management. The management evaluates the performance of an employee with the help of costs incurred that are controllable. 5. Cost Reporting: Cost report provides a basis for effective cost control. Hence, if the cost reports is not prepared and submitted in time, the cost control cannot be exercised. 6. Constant Efforts: The measurement of performances, knowing functioning of manufacturing department and analysis of costs require constant efforts. This type of constant efforts leads to cost consciousness and result in cost control. 7. Policies and General Objectives: All the employees of the organization are communicated the policies and general objectives. If so, cost control is very easy. Steps involved in Cost Control 1. Planning: Planning may be done as in the form of budget, standard, estimate and the like. The past events have been considered for proper planning. The planning is expressed both in physical as well as monetary terms. The standards are used as yardsticks. 2. Communication: The planning and policy should be communicated to the employees. If so, they can assume the responsibility and do the work properly. Communication has two directions. They are upward direction and downward direction. Instructions flow from the top level to lower level. Likewise, report on performance move towards upwards.  3. Motivation: The performance is evaluated; costs are ascertained and reported to the management regarding the results of performance. Such report may be act as motivating force and leads to better performance in the days to come. 4. Appraisals and Reporting: The actual performance is compared with preplanned standard and find the deviations. The causes for such deviations are also analyzed. Finally, the deviations with reasons are reported to the top level of management for cost control. 5. Decision Making: The top management may review the report on many directions. Lastly, the management takes necessary corrective actions. Finally, the existing standard or budget may be revised according to the prevailing situations. Advantages of Cost Control 1. Return on capital employed may be increased. 2. The volume of profit is also increased with minimum output and sales. 3. Management can increase the productivity with available resources. 4. The employees are getting job continuously. 5. The employees can get reasonable remuneration with bonus. 6. The available factors of production and resources are effectively used. 7. The credit worthiness of the company is increased. 8. There is a possibility of prosperity and economic stability of the industry. Maintenance is “to keep in an existing state, preserve from failure”. This implies that maintenance must consist of actions taken to prevent an equipment or facility of failing, keeping them in good work condition. The need of maintenance is based on the actual or imminent fail. Ideally, maintenance is carried out to keep equipment and systems running efficiently during at least its usual life cycle. As such, practical functioning of equipment is a function based on time. CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE Advantages: Low cost Fewer workers needed Disadvantages: Costs increase due to unplanned equipment stops Labour costs increase, especially when extra time is needed Extra costs due to equipment repair or replacement Secondary equipment can suffer damage during primary equipment failure Inefficient use of human resources PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE Advantages: Inactivity time gets shorten, so equipment availability increases Maintenance regularity allows better flexibility Components life cycle extends Energy savings Failure rate decreases Costs reduction around 12-18% in comparison with corrective maintenance Disadvantages: It is still probable that failure happens Intensive workforce It includes activities that may not be really necessary but recommended These activities that may not be necessary may accidentally cause damage to other components PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE Advantages: Components availability and lifetime increases Equipment inactivity time decreases Materials and labour costs decrease Improves employees’ spirits Costs reduction around 8-12% in comparison with preventive maintenance Disadvantages: Significant initial investment in diagnosis equipment Investment in personnel training increases Potential savings are not easily perceived by the C-Suite Meaningful savings are only perceived in the long term