Chapter 1 - The Supervisor\'s Role in Creating a Positive Workplace PDF

Preview

Summary

Supervision: Managing for Results 10e Newstrom
Chapter 1 The Supervisor’s Role in Creating a Positive Workplace
Lecture Notes
MNGT 110...

Description

CHAPTER 1 The Supervisor’s Role in Creating a Positive Workplace LECTURE NOTES 1.1 Members of a Unique Team CONCEPT: Supervisors are an essential part of the management team. 1.

Management is the process of obtaining, deploying, and utilizing a variety of essential resources in support of an organization’s objectives.

2.

Managers plan, organize, direct, staff, lead, and control organizational resources. They direct the work of others rather than perform the work themselves.

3.

Supervisors perform the same management functions as all other managers (see Figure 1-1 in the text, describing the management process).

4.

The management process (see Figure 1-1) is made up of five functions: a.

Planning—setting goals and objectives and converting them into specific plans.

b.

Organizing—lining up available resources, designing the structure of the department, and dividing the work into jobs.

c.

Staffing—after deciding how many and what kind of employees a department needs, supervisors interview, select, and train the most suitable people for the open jobs.

d.

Leading—providing motivation, communication, and leadership.

e.

Controlling—measuring results, comparing them against what was expected, making judgments of how important the differences are, and taking any necessary corrective actions.

5.

In theory, the functions are performed in order; in practice, the process may be shortcut or reordered to meet the needs of unique problem situations.

6.

The management process is repeated daily, monthly, or yearly and is often referred to as “the management cycle.”

7.

a.

It differentiates the work of managers and nonmanagers.

b.

It provides the underpinning that guides the practice of management.

Examples of managers (see Figure 1-2 in the text) include: a.

Executives, who are in charge of other managers and establish broad strategies, set objectives, plans, and broad policies.

b.

Middle managers, who are in charge of supervisors and plan, initiate, and implement programs intended to carry out objectives established by executives.

c.

8.

9.

Supervisors, who are responsible for getting line employees to carry out the plans and policies of management. (1)

First-level supervisors (about half the total) have only nonmanagerial employees reporting to them.

(2)

Second-level supervisors have other supervisors and nonmanagerial employees reporting to them.

The number of middle managers started shrinking in the 1990s, resulting in expanded roles for supervisors, for several reasons: a.

Desire to cut administrative cost.

b.

Increased use of computer-based information systems.

c.

Desire to flatten organization hierarchy.

d.

Capacity and desire of many employees to take on greater responsibility.

Several laws affect supervisory management: a.

b.

Taft-Hartley Act of 1947. (1)

The act defined a supervisor as an individual acting on behalf of the employer “to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward, or discipline other employees, or (have the) responsibility to direct them, or to adjust their grievances, or effectively recommend such action,” not merely in a routine or clerical nature but with the use of independent judgment.

(2)

Supervisors are prohibited from joining a union made up of production or clerical workers.

(3)

Supervisors may join a union of other supervisors.

Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. This act defined a supervisor as an executive who manages a department or subdivision; directs work of two or more employees; can hire or fire workers; has discretionary powers; spends less than 20 percent of his or her work time in nonmanagerial activities; and is paid a salary but is not required to get overtime pay.

10.

No law prevents supervisors from doing the same work as the people they supervise, but most labor union contracts prohibit this effort, except in an emergency.

11.

Self-managed teams share the responsibilities and roles that supervisors previously performed.

!

a.

They blur the supervisor–employee distinction.

b.

They increase the role of supervisor as coach to develop skills in employees.

1.2. A Body of Knowledge from Which to Draw CONCEPT: Supervisors become active in the management process by applying established management principles and practices to operating problems. 1.

Supervisors become managers by thinking and acting like managers. They: a.

Take a professional disciplined approach to the working environment.

b.

Think in a systematic way.

c.

Approach work positively.

d.

Accept responsibility for improving operations.

e.

Move from following orders to making task assignments, helping others solve problems, and decision making.

f.

Understand their involvement in complex organizational activities.

2.

Supervision can be improved by studying the five functions of the management process and the ten basic management principles.

3.

An experienced manager or mentor willing to provide guidance and support can really help a new supervisor.

4.

Management principles can be thought of as universally applicable guidelines for carrying out the management process. a.

Work should be divided so that each person performs a specialized portion. This is called division of work.

b.

Managers have the right to give orders and instructions but must accept responsibility for having the work done right.

c.

Managers are responsible for discipline and morale, but they must also offer something of value.

d.

An individual should have only one boss. This is called unity of command.

e.

There should be one master plan or set of overriding goals. This is called unity of direction.

f.

All individuals, especially managers, must place their interests second to those of the organization.

g.

Pay and rewards should reflect a person’s efforts and contributions to the organization.

h.

Instructions should flow down a chain of command from the higher manager to the lower one.

i.

Employees should be treated equally and fairly. This is called equity.

j.

Managers should encourage initiative among employees. This is the basis for empowerment.

! 5.

All managers and supervisors play three roles that each require a different skill: •

Technical skills include job know-how and knowledge of the industry and its processes, equipment, and problems.

•

Administrative skills include knowledge of the entire organization and how it is coordinated, knowledge of its information and records system, capacity to interact with stakeholders, and ability to plan and control work.

•

Interpersonal skills include knowledge of human behavior and the ability to work effectively with peers, superiors, and subordinates as individuals and in groups.

The role of supervisor emphasizes technical and interpersonal skills most and administrative skills the least (see Figure 1.3 in the text). 6.

Supervisors work with the shortest time horizon. Higher-level executives and most middle managers plan for and create results that happen within a month or a year. Supervisors are on the firing line and deal with day-to-day or even hour-by-hour problems.

! 1.3 Many Competencies Required CONCEPT: Supervisors must bring to their managerial work a broad range of personal characteristics, as well as an understanding of how their performance will be judged. 1.

Typical professional and educational characteristics of supervisors: a.

b.

Three out of four supervisors are promoted from within. (1)

Long service (have held many jobs).

(2)

Much more education than those they supervise.

(3)

The best and most experienced employees. Knowledge and skill of the job is helpful.

(b)

It does not ensure that they have management skills.

Of the supervisors that are not promoted from within: (1) (2)

2.

(a)

Ten percent are hired from college or a technical school or after completing company-sponsored training. Fifteen percent are hired from another company.

Five distinct stages help new supervisors make a smoother transition to management:

3.

a.

Taking hold—establishing personal credibility and power base.

b.

Immersion—getting to know the department fully.

c.

Reshaping—rebuilding department operating procedures to his or her personal style.

d.

Consolidation—removing problems and perfecting changes.

e.

Refinement—fine-tuning operations, consolidating gains, and searching for additional improvements.

Personal characteristics of supervisors: a.

Job-related technical competence, such as a results orientation and grasp of financial information.

b.

Career-related skills, like problem solving, communication, and leadership.

c.

Personal characteristics, like integrity, credibility, and flexibility.

! 4.

Supervisors are responsible for performance management, an ongoing process of clarifying and communicating performance expectations to employees and providing coaching and feedback to reinforce the desired actions.

5.

The purpose of the management process is to convert the resources available to a supervisor into a useful end result (see Figure 1-4 in the text).

6.

a.

The end result or output may be a product that is complete or partially complete.

b.

The end result may also be a service provided directly to the consumer or to another department.

c.

The end result should be at least as valuable as the combined cost of the initial resources and the expense of operating the process (see Figure 1-4).

When supervisors take a systems perspective, they use their analytic skills to better understand the range of factors that influence results. Elements of a systems approach include: • • • • • •

7.

Recognition of the many variables in operation. Causal connections among parts of the system (interdependencies). Subsystems nested within larger systems. Cyclical repetition of inputs, processes, outputs, and feedback. Consequences that may be positive or negative, intended or unintended, and short- or long-term in nature. Recognition that there are often multiple paths to the same end result.

Supervisors are responsible for and judged on (1) how well they manage the resources available to them and (2) how good the results are in terms of the following criteria: a.

Quantity of output or production standards.

b.

Quality and workmanship.

c.

Costs and budget control.

d.

Management of human resources.

! 1.4. A Concern for Both Work and People CONCEPT: Effective supervisors balance the application of their skills between the work to be done and a concern for the people who perform this work. 1.

Supervisory balance requires that as much attention be paid to interpersonal factors matters as to technical and administrative ones (see Figure 1-5 in the text).

2.

Supervisors must be prepared to handle 50 to 80 problems a day.

3.

The supervisors’ environment is characterized by ten factors: a. b. c. d. e. f. g.

Technology, both existing and changing. Legal restrictions. Organizational policies and procedures. Pressures to meet quantity, quality, and cost control goals. Competition with other supervisors for scarce resources. A sometimes overwhelming amount of information. Rising expectations by employees to obtain meaningful work, work–life balance, and opportunities to participate in decision making. h. Globalization of business, with employees, operations, and markets thousands of miles away. i. Changes in the composition of the workforce. j. Economic uncertainty.

! 4.

5.

Supervisors are the keystones of the organizational arch (see Figure 1-6 in the text). They can feel pressure from both employees and upper management. They should: a.

Admit their need for help.

b.

Be strong role models.

c.

Anticipate and prepare for change and crises.

d.

Listen and minimize arguments with others.

e.

Learn to handle stress.

Workplace bullying that verbally and intentionally ridicules and intimidates others on a regular basis can result in: a.

Psychological distress.

b.

Performance declines.

c.

Undesirable behaviors, such as absenteeism and reduced cooperation.

d.

The spread of bullying to co-workers, suppliers, and customers.

Supervisors should confront bullies and demand they cease bullying, while working to create a positive culture of respect for all.

! 1.5. Understanding Employee Expectations and Perceptions CONCEPT: The majority of employees are reasonably satisfied with their work, but individuals still have different perceptions of their work, and they differ in their responses to it. 1.

About 50 percent of all employees are reasonably satisfied with their jobs, meaning that on balance, the positives outweigh the negatives. Younger people have higher expectations and are by far the most dissatisfied with their work. Workers today expect something that •

Challenges their skills.

•

Provides autonomy and flexibility.

•

Creates an opportunity for work–life balance.

•

Offers fair pay in return for extra effort.

2.

Eight to 10 Americans say their jobs are too easy and that they would prefer a challenging job to one for which they just “put in their time.”

3.

Supervisors should make sure employees have enough to do that capitalizes on their talents and skills and live up to promises about promotions for those who do a good job.

4.

Supervisors can refer to subordinates as employees, workers, or—to indicate a more collegial relationship—colleagues, team members, or associates.

5.

Supervisors should be informed about their employees’ individual differences and their unique perceptions of the work itself. Employees’ perceptions differ depending on:

6.

•

Their past experience with similar work.

•

Assumptions about the motivation of others.

•

Expectations about what will happen.

•

The reliability of information.

•

Their present state of mind.

Programs and systems that can improve employees’ perceptions of their work environment include: •

Flexible work schedules, sometimes called compressed work-weeks.

•

Job sharing.

•

Telecommuting.

•

Task-based work....