Q&A Hero

Q: Continuous improvement is concerned with radical or quantum change where work process engineering focuses on ongoing incremental change.

Q: A radical or quantum change in an organization's work process is commonly referred to as ________. A) quality circles B) unity of command C) work process engineering D) span of management E) span of control

Q: The primary goals of continuous improvement include the following EXCEPT ________. A) focus on the customer B) seek continual improvement C) seek accurate measurement D) involve employees E) strive to improve the quantity of the work

Q: The quality revolution that continues to take place in both the private and public sectors is known by the generic descriptive term ________. A) continuous improvement B) human resource management C) Theory X management D) human resource capital E) scientific management

Q: Explain why downsizing can create problems for the supervisor.

Q: Organizations downsize to accomplish two primary goals - to create greater efficiency and reduce costs.

Q: The term used to describe U.S. companies working to become "lean and mean" organizations by cutting staffs and reshaping their organizations is referred to as ________. A) mechanistic organizing B) downsizing C) re-engineering D) centralizing authorities E) bureaucratic organizing

Q: Define workforce diversity and how it affects supervisors.

Q: Employees set aside their cultural values and life-style preferences when they come to work; therefore, supervisors do not have to remake organizations to accommodate these different lifestyles, family needs, and work styles.

Q: Recent studies suggest that employees want jobs that give them ________ in their work schedules so that they can better manage work-life conflicts. A) flexibility B) security C) opportunities D) less time E) meaningful time

Q: When an employee group such as baby boomers retires en masse, its departure will leave gaping skill-level holes in organizations. Clearly, this has the potential to create a labor shortage, making it much more difficult for supervisors to ________ needed to accomplish organizational goals. A) organize performance reviews B) schedule the time C) understand the tasks D) direct the job activities E) commit the energy

Q: Through every stage of their lives ________ have had an enormous effect on the U.S. economy because of their sheer numbers. A) Gen Xers B) baby boomers C) the greatest generation D) Gen Yers E) Millenials

Q: Awareness of the ________ of the employee pool requires a broad range of new policies and practices. A) expansion B) contraction C) creativity D) underdevelopment E) diversity

Q: Which group is projected by the Bureau of Labor Standards to make up a larger share of the U.S. workforce in 2022? A) whites B) Asians C) minorities and women D) blacks E) Hispanics

Q: An important human resource issue today is adapting organizational policies and practices in light of increasing ________. A) technology B) downsizing C) diversity D) ethnocentrism E) polycentrism

Q: E-business includes the following EXCEPT ________. A) identifying a different kind of leader to run a virtual business B) collaborating with partners to electronically coordinate design and production C) the challenge of finding amateur people to build and operate Intranets and Web sites D) improving communication with suppliers and customers E) developing strategies for running Internet-based companies

Q: The online buying and selling of products or services is referred to as ________. A) e-bay B) e-business C) e-commerce D) e-merchandising E) e-marketing

Q: In addition to the skills a supervisor must possess, describe the other essential elements necessary for success.

Q: Becoming a supervisor is often a major turning point in one's career. Describe the changes and challenges facing a new supervisor.

Q: An effective supervisor enjoys the trust of, and builds credibility with, employees.

Q: A skill is a single action that can be applied in a wide variety of situations.

Q: Most supervisors find that new employees rarely require basic training in reading, writing, and mathematics.

Q: In order to be effective in an organization, a supervisor needs to develop ________ skills to help influence others. A) cross-functional B) charismatic C) political D) recognition E) interpersonal

Q: A supervisor's ________ is the authority to act and expect others to follow directions. A) obligation B) legitimate power C) entitlement D) prerogative E) rightful privilege

Q: Effective supervisors develop trust and build credibility with employees, peers, and bosses when they ________. A) keep skills and competencies up to date B) share personal experiences C) ask others about their pastimes and interests D) maintain detachment while working E) spend time together outside of work

Q: Knowledge about a subject is important, but just as important is whether supervisors can ________. A) share their knowledge with middle management B) convince team members they are right C) apply their knowledge D) appear unpretentious E) continually seek new knowledge

Q: Supervisors need to know what their employees are doing and ________. A) be an authority figure B) be skilled in all tasks C) be a guide and trainer D) be tolerant of mistakes E) be present at all times

Q: In their coaching role, supervisors are expected to ________. A) oversee the work done by employees B) require compliance with procedures C) administer discipline D) develop employees' skills and knowledge E) act as the ultimate authority

Q: Organizations are implementing significant change and quality programs to cut costs and increase productivity. Consequently ________. A) supervisors must maintain careful records of current processes B) the supervisor's job will continue to become increasingly important and complex C) supervisors will have increasing opportunities for advancement D) supervisors will have difficulty keeping abreast of changes E) the supervisor's positive attitude will impress middle and upper management

Q: Imagine that you aspire to be a supervisor. In what skills must you become competent and why are those skills essential to being an effective supervisor?

Q: Of the essential managerial competencies, which is most relevant and which is least meaningful for a supervisor? Explain your reasoning.

Q: Interpersonal competence for a first-line manager would include the ability to ________. A) show sympathy B) provide emotional support C) share personal concerns D) socialize after work E) show tolerance and celebrate differences

Q: The higher one climbs in the organization's hierarchy, the more critical ________ competence becomes. A) motivation B) political C) interpersonal D) communication E) technical

Q: The ability to analyze and diagnose complex situations requires ________. A) technical competence B) decision making competence C) conceptual competence D) persuasion competence E) detection competence

Q: The controlling function of management includes which of the following? A) resolving conflicts B) establishing strategy C) coordinating activities D) grouping tasks E) monitoring performance

Q: If you were supervising a team, how might different viewpoints about your unique role in the organization give you a sense of ambiguity and internal conflict?

Q: Consistent with the belief that one of the most important abilities needed by supervisors is strong interpersonal skills, they may be considered to be ________. A) behavioral specialists B) excellent communicators C) good at conflict resolution D) good negotiators E) strong delegators

Q: When supervisors perform operating tasks alongside the same people they supervise some people, particularly upper management, see them as ________. A) unnecessary B) obsolete C) just another worker D) ineffective E) conflicted

Q: If unresolved, competing expectations between upper management and operatives can cause supervisors ________. A) to resign B) to feel frustration and stress C) to become authoritarian D) to withhold information E) to abdicate authority

Q: Supervisors serve as the critical ________ link in the organization's chain of authority. A) decision-making B) disciplinary C) problem-solving D) communication E) conflict-resolution

Q: A supervisor must interact and reconcile ________. A) disagreements between two teams B) disputes with suppliers C) competing expectations between higher management and workers D) disagreements with other supervisors E) unrealistic expectations of team members

Q: The management function which involves monitoring activities to ensure that targets are being met is called ________. A) leading B) planning C) directing D) organizing E) controlling

Q: In order to keep an organization on track to achieve its goals, managers use which function? A) directing B) coordinating C) leading D) planning E) controlling

Q: Managers perform the ________ function when they divide work into manageable components. A) directing B) planning C) leading D) coordinating E) organizing

Q: The organizing function of management is concerned with ________. A) keeping employee time records B) dividing work into manageable, achievable components C) coaching teams D) maintaining performance records E) training new employees

Q: A manager engaged in planning would be ________. A) maintaining daily activity charts B) assigning individual tasks C) setting goals D) observing performance E) preparing inventory reports

Q: Directing and coordinating the activities of employees is the management function ________. A) planning B) monitoring C) scheduling D) leading E) directing

Q: The ________ management function includes establishing an overall strategy for achieving goals. A) planning B) controlling C) coordinating D) organizing E) directing

Q: A supervisor who disagrees with the wishes of upper management has the authority to perform work as he or she sees most effective.

Q: When supervisors are required to engage in the same work that operatives do, they temporarily lose their management status.

Q: In modern organizations the stature of supervisors has been elevated because ________. A) there is increased diversity in the workforce B) many middle management positions have been eliminated C) international competition has increased D) upper management expects better performance E) they are provided with advanced training

Q: The supervisor's job is unique in that it ________. A) requires expertise in all aspects of employees' work B) bridges the management ranks with the operating employees C) often requires overtime work D) is straightforward and unambiguous E) is usually filled from an outside source

Q: A supervisor's management function is to focus on ________. A) long-term strategy B) vision and mission C) strategic planning D) structuring individual workloads E) organizational structure

Q: Supervisors increase ________ when they get the same output with fewer resources. A) stress B) profit C) power D) efficiency E) quality

Q: Even though supervisors may perform operative tasks they are still part of management. This was made clear by the passing of the ________. A) 1935 Wagner Act B) 1947 Taft-Hartley Act C) 1932 Norris-LaGuardia Act D) 1991 Civil Rights Act E) 1959 Landrum-Griffin Act

Q: The Taft-Hartley Act states that a supervisor may hire, suspend, transfer, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward, or discipline other employees while ________. A) on duty B) following orders from management C) using independent judgment D) on work premises E) training new hires

Q: One way to think of supervisors is as ________. A) first-level management B) top-level management C) mid-level management D) operative-level management E) executive-level management

Q: Many first-level managers perform both managerial functions and operative tasks.

Q: A supervisor's unique responsibility in the management function of an organization is overseeing the work of operative employees.

Q: Middle managers work to achieve organizational objectives by setting and meeting specific goals.

Q: One top-level manager might be a senior vice-president whose tasks include developing the policies to achieve the organization's objectives.

Q: The objectives set by top management provide specific direction to supervisors regarding what they are expected to achieve.

Q: The importance of conceptual competence increases as managers move up in the organization because ________. A) straightforward challenges are common B) problems increase in complexity C) tried and true solutions exist for most problems D) upper-level managers share a common viewpoint E) alliance building is essential

Q: In the twenty-first century the concept of managing in a ________ way has become critical to supervisors. A) structured B) sustainable C) compromising D) expedient E) strategic

Q: The Gallup Organization has found that ________ is the single most important variable in employee productivity and loyalty. A) the quality of on-the-job training B) the implementation of quality and productivity programs C) the relationship between employees and their supervisors D) the benefit package offered by the organization E) the possibility of regular pay increases

Q: The traditional organization pyramid may be divided into the following distinct levels EXCEPT ________. A) operative employees B) middle managers C) supervisors D) boards of directors E) top managers

Q: Titles of typical top management positions include the following EXCEPT ________. A) district manager B) president C) superintendent of schools D) chief executive officer E) senior vice-president

Q: Employees who are given timely information about business plans, performance, and strategies are more likely to make good suggestions for improving businesses. a. True b. False

Q: The principle of shared information is part of the implementation of a command and control work system. a. True b. False

Q: Knowledge development goes hand-in-hand with information sharing in high-performance work systems. a. True b. False

Q: Moving power downward in organizations frequently requires structural change. a. True b. False

Q: It is not uncommon for employees to intentionally or unintentionally pursue outcomes that are beneficial to them but not necessarily to their organization as a whole. a. True b. False

Q: High-performance work systems frequently begin with the way work is designed. a. True b. False

Q: €Today's organizations are relying on the expertise and initiative of employees to react quickly to incipient problems and opportunities. a. True b. False

Q: The primary principles that underlie a high-performance work system are egalitarianism and engagement, shared information and trust, knowledge development, and performance-reward linkage. a. True b. False

Q: The principle of shared information typifies a shift in organizations away from the mentality of command and control toward one more focused on employee commitment. a. True b. False

Q: One of the underlying ideas of high-performance work systems is that workers are intimately acquainted with the nature of their own work and are therefore in the best position to recognize problems and devise solutions to them. a. True b. False

Q: Involving employees in decision making and giving them the power to act tends to decrease employee engagement. a. True b. False

Q: Redesigning workflow around key business processes results in a focus on employee tasks and tends to detract from teamwork. a. True b. False

Q: To encourage employees to pursue job outcomes that are in alignment with an organization's goals, managers should link rewards to performance. a. True b. False