Deck 1: Supervision Tradition and Contemporary Trends

Question 1

According to Abraham Maslow's hierarchical pattern of needs, the most basic needs of any human being are

A) safety needs.
B) physiological needs.
C) needs related to love and belonging.
D) esteem needs.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following stages of Maslow's hierarchy of needs includes an attitude of acceptance, a lack of racial biases, and creativity?

A) Self-actualization needs
B) Physiological needs
C) Safety needs
D) Esteem needs

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following acts states that a supervisor is "any individual having authority, in the interest of the employer, to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward or discipline other employees, or responsibility to direct them, or to adjust their grievances, or effectively to recommend such action, if in connection with the foregoing the exercise of such authority is not of a merely routine or clerical nature, but requires the use of independent judgment?"

A) The Wagner Act
B) The Taft-Hartley Act
C) The Norris-La Guardia Act
D) The Fair Labor Standards Act

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Supervisors rely more on technical skills than do higher-level managers because

A) higher-order skills like human relations are of little use to supervisors.
B) supervisors are expected to deal with technical work only.
C) their subordinates are generally low in skills and require less human relations skills to manage.
D) employees who have a problem doing their jobs go to the supervisor and expect help.

Question 5

________ is often referred to as the "father of scientific management."

A) Frederick W. Taylor
B) Henri Fayol
C) Abraham Maslow
D) Ivan Pavlov

Question 6

Mary has worked as a seamstress for 10 years. Her ability to sew flawlessly is an example of her

A) decision-making skills.
B) conceptual skills.
C) motivational skills.
D) technical skills.

Question 7

Which of the following must be a supervisor's primary focus?

A) Efficiency
B) Long-term planning
C) Future-oriented conceptualization
D) Predictability

Question 8

_______, a French industrialist, is often regarded as the pioneer of administrative theory.

A) Frederick W. Taylor
B) Henri Fayol
C) Abraham Maslow
D) Ivan Pavlov

Question 9

Which of the following sets of skills is almost equally significant at all levels of management?

A) Conceptual skills
B) Human relations skills
C) Technical skills
D) Decision-making skills

Question 10

In the context of the management skills of a successful supervisor, ________ involve the ability to see the relationship of the parts to the whole and to one another.

A) empowering skills
B) human relations skills
C) conceptual skills
D) monitoring skills

Question 11

A manager at the first level of management is called a(n)

A) top executive.
B) middle manager.
C) assembly-line worker.
D) supervisor.

Question 12

In the context of the modern view of management skills, what does sustainability refer to?

A) A supervisor's responsibility of generating tools that allow information to be shared consistently
B) An organization's potential to generate high levels of profit over long periods of time
C) A business's ability to operate with minimal impact on the environment
D) An overseer's ability to evaluate employees based on their work efficiency

Question 13

Which of the following is true about supervision?

A) Henri Fayol generated the idea that the application of science to the study of production can result in maximal employee efficiency.
B) Supervision is management at the highest level of an organization.
C) It is important for supervisors to help workers to satisfy their personal needs while being productive in organizations.
D) The quality of an organization is often independent of the quality of interactions among its members.

Question 14

According to Abraham Maslow's hierarchical pattern of needs, which of the following is included in the final part of the hierarchy?

A) Safety needs
B) Physiological needs
C) Self-actualization
D) Self-esteem

Question 15

In the context of important managerial skills, the ability to analyze information about events, trends, and changes in the environment to identify threats and opportunities for a work unit is part of the ________ set of skills.

A) innovative thinking
B) short-term planning
C) monitoring operations
D) external monitoring

Question 16

Dillon, a new employee at Texcare Inc., reports to Debra, who is at the first level of management. In the context of different levels of management, Debra is most likely

A) a manager.
B) a stakeholder.
C) a supervisor.
D) the director.

Question 17

For a supervisor, conceptual skills include

A) recognizing how the work of various employees affects the performance of a department as a whole.
B) the specialized knowledge and expertise used to carry out particular mechanical, scientific, or work-related techniques or procedures.
C) communicating with, motivating, and understanding people.
D) the ability to analyze information and reach good decisions.

Question 18

Supervisors emphasize people orientation because they

A) work with conceptualization and policy formation and understand a company's requirements.
B) work with other departments to collaborate on achieving tasks.
C) plan organizational strategies with top management.
D) deal directly with employees and have knowledge about an organization's customers.

Question 19

Which of the following statements is true of managing at the supervisory level?

A) Supervisors are managers at the second level of management.
B) Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that each department contributes to accomplishing the company's goals.
C) Supervisors need to forecast projects and involve themselves in long-term planning.
D) Supervisors need to formulate visions for their companies and develop business strategies.

Question 20

In the context of the skills of successful managers, ________ primarily involves checking on the progress and quality of the work and evaluating individual and unit performance.

A) monitoring operations
B) empowering
C) consulting
D) envisioning change

Question 21

Mark is a training manager at Renox Inc. He encourages employees to think critically about the work they have been assigned and enables them to develop new methods of completing their tasks. He also recognizes the achievements of employees who generate innovative solutions to problems and regularly rewards them for their efforts. In the modern view of management skills, Mark's efforts would fall under ________.

A) change-related activities
B) culture-related activities
C) task-related activities
D) people-related activities

Question 22

Providing praise for significant achievements and effective performance is part of the managerial skill called ________.

A) developing
B) supporting
C) empowering
D) recognizing

Question 23

In the context of the skills of successful managers, ________ primarily involves providing coaching and advice, providing opportunities for skill development, and helping people learn how to improve their skills.

A) supporting
B) recognizing
C) empowering
D) developing

Question 24

In the context of the skills of successful managers, ________ primarily involves checking with people before making decisions that affect them, encouraging others to participate in decision making, and using the ideas and suggestions of others in decision making.

A) consulting
B) empowering
C) clarifying roles
D) envisioning change

Question 25

Gary is a supervisor at a manufacturing company. He keeps accurate records of the company's production rates. He also plans the activities of his employees so that production lines operate at maximum efficiency. In the context of the classical understanding of management skills, Gary's abilities can be categorized under ________.

A) human relations skills
B) decision-making skills
C) technical skills
D) conceptual skills

Question 26

Efforts to carry out critical management-related duties, such as planning, setting objectives for employees, and monitoring performance, can be best categorized as

A) team-related activities.
B) change-related activities.
C) people-related activities.
D) task-related activities.

Question 27

Which of the following is an example of the developing skills of successful managers?

A) Providing coaching and advice
B) Providing praise and recognition for effective performance
C) Being considerate
D) Checking on the progress and quality of work

Question 28

Eleanor, a supervisor at a foundry, is careful about planning tasks and projects. The goals she sets for her employees are aligned with larger organizational plans. She also carefully and consistently monitors their performance. According to the modern view of management skills, Eleanor's efforts would be categorized as ________.

A) change-related activities
B) task-related activities
C) research-related activities
D) people-related activities

Question 29

According to the modern view of management skills, a manager's efforts to empower employees to solve problems and develop their skills are categorized as

A) task-related activities.
B) analysis-related activities.
C) people-related activities.
D) change-related activities.

Question 30

Maya, a supervisor at Zelden Inc., focuses on achieving her department's goals on time. She understands that it contributes to achieving the organization's goals. In the context of the classical understanding of management skills, Maya has good ________ skills.

A) controlling
B) empowering
C) technical
D) conceptual

Question 31

Ray, a manager at Senzel Inc., wants to implement a new software in the company's processes. This software will help him monitor the productivity of his employees more effectively. However, before implementing the change, he discusses it with lower-level managers to understand the effect it will have on the internal environment of the company. Ray is primarily utilizing ________ skills in this scenario.

A) developing
B) consulting
C) recognizing
D) empowering

Question 32

In the context of the skills of the successful managers, making sacrifices to encourage and promote desired outcomes in an organization is primarily part of ________.

A) monitoring operations
B) taking risks for change
C) external monitoring
D) envisioning change

Question 33

In the context of the skills of successful managers, ________ primarily involves challenging people to question their assumptions about the work and consider better ways of doing it.

A) monitoring operations
B) taking risks for change
C) encouraging innovative thinking
D) envisioning change

Question 34

Barry, a customer service executive, finds it difficult to handle an angry customer. He asks his supervisor, Ben, to handle the situation. Ben listens to the customer patiently and apologizes for the inconvenience caused. This calms the customer down. In the context of supervisory skills, Ben primarily used ________ skills to solve the problem.

A) technical
B) human relations
C) conceptual
D) decision-making

Question 35

In the context of the skills of successful managers, ________ primarily involves allowing substantial responsibility and discretion in work activities and trusting people to solve problems and make decisions without getting approval first.

A) empowering
B) developing
C) supporting
D) consulting

Question 36

Which of the following is a change-related activity?

A) Setting objectives for employees
B) Monitoring performance
C) Developing employees' skills
D) Proposing new tactics and strategies

Question 37

Which of the following managerial skills do supervisors and other managers rely on when they need to assign tasks and explain job responsibilities, task objectives, and performance expectations?

A) Envisioning change
B) Taking risks for change
C) Clarifying roles
D) Monitoring operations

Question 38

Which of the following managerial skills do supervisors and other managers rely on to determine how to use personnel and other resources to accomplish a task efficiently and determine how to schedule and coordinate activities efficiently?

A) Short-term planning
B) External monitoring
C) Empowering
D) Developing

Question 39

In the context of the skills of successful managers, presenting an appealing description of desirable outcomes that the unit can achieve and describing a proposed change with enthusiasm and conviction is primarily part of ________.

A) monitoring operations
B) short-term planning
C) encouraging innovative thinking
D) envisioning change

Question 40

In the context of the skills of successful managers, being considerate when tasks are difficult and helping employees overcome anxiety and stress is part of the ________ set of skills.

A) developing
B) supporting
C) empowering
D) consulting

Question 41

Sandra works as the supervisor of the accounting department of Welfare Co. She notices that in the month of September, the expenditure on supplies was much more than the planned budget. She looks into the surplus expenditure and finds that she had approved a bulk purchase of supplies to take advantage of a volume discount. Sandra then makes appropriate corrections so that future expenditure on supplies is in line with the planned budget. In this scenario, Sandra is primarily engaged in the management function of ________.

A) controlling
B) organizing
C) leading
D) staffing

Question 42

Michelle is a sales manager at Feuzen Inc. Her job includes analyzing recent trends and evaluating modern technological changes. In this scenario, Michelle is primarily engaged in ________.

A) clarifying roles
B) external monitoring
C) thinking innovatively
D) short-term planning

Question 43

On which of the following sets of management functions do higher-level managers usually spend most of their time?

A) Staffing and controlling
B) Planning and organizing
C) Staffing and organizing
D) Organizing and controlling

Question 44

Elizabeth is a supervisor at Marten Inc., a company that sells electronic goods. Steven, a new sales executive at Marten Inc., finds it difficult to communicate effectively with customers. The best way in which Elizabeth can help Steven in the long run is to ________.

A) help him by dealing with customers and making sales herself
B) teach him how to handle customers on his own
C) let experienced employees in the company handle customers
D) set him lower sales targets so that he gets room to develop his skills

Question 45

Influencing employees to act (or not act) in a certain way is a primary part of the management function called

A) leading.
B) planning.
C) organizing.
D) controlling.

Question 46

In the context of the controlling function of management, employees are motivated to improve their performance when

A) they believe that the upper management cannot interfere in day-to-day operations.
B) they are encouraged to compete with each other when working on the team's goals.
C) they know what is expected of their department to achieve the goals of the company.
D) they believe that help and feedback are related to their true skills and performance.

Question 47

Deciding on a department's goals and how to meet them most accurately describes the function of

A) planning.
B) leading.
C) organizing.
D) controlling.

Question 48

Aubrey is a supervisor at Air Box Storage, a large web storage company. She pushes her employees to constantly reevaluate the methods they use to complete their tasks and develop better ways of doing them. In the context of the skills of successful managers, which set of skills does Aubrey demonstrate in this scenario?

A) Encouraging innovative thinking
B) External monitoring
C) Envisioning change
D) Taking risks for change

Question 49

Monitoring performance and making needed corrections is the management function of

A) leading.
B) planning.
C) staffing.
D) controlling.

Question 50

Margaret is the only female employee at her workplace, which includes 20 employees. Her suggestions are often overlooked because of this. In the context of diversity of the workplace, this is an example of ________.

A) a gap in communication
B) an empowering issue
C) subtle discrimination
D) supporting behavior

Question 51

A vision will not become a reality unless employees know and want to do their part. ________, as a function of management, is primarily associated with this aspect.

A) Leading
B) Organizing
C) Staffing
D) Controlling

Question 52

Christie works as a supervisor at Rubrics Inc. She is engaged in preparing a budget for her department which includes all the expenditure made on furniture. Which of the following supervisory functions does this most accurately exemplify?

A) Planning
B) Leading
C) Organizing
D) Controlling

Question 53

Supervisors typically spend most of their time

A) staffing and controlling.
B) planning and organizing.
C) staffing and organizing.
D) leading and controlling.

Question 54

Lorenzo works as a supervisor at NovaMachines Corp., a manufacturing firm. He finds that raw materials are being used ineffectively, as a result of which NovaMachines Corp. is incurring losses. He asks his subordinates to make appropriate changes to increase the efficiency of raw material utilization. In this scenario, Lorenzo is primarily engaged in the function of ________.

A) planning
B) organizing
C) controlling
D) staffing

Question 55

Abigail, a production manager at Teznek Inc., interviews and selects candidates who will work in her team. In this scenario, Abigail is mainly performing the ________ function.

A) planning
B) organizing
C) staffing
D) leading

Question 56

Chang works as a supervisor at Corpus Inc. He finds that Emily, the only female employee in the office, has difficulties communicating effectively with her colleagues because of subtle discrimination. In the context of dealing with discrimination, Chang must

A) speak to Emily on a regular basis to alleviate the emotional and psychological effects of discrimination.
B) train Emily to deal with discrimination in an effective manner.
C) empower Emily with authority so that other employees respect her.
D) question negative stereotypes regarding Emily and ask the employees to avoid such remarks.

Question 57

Choose a correct statement regarding workforce diversity.

A) Almost everybody holds some stereotypes that consciously or unconsciously influence their behavior.
B) Questioning negative stereotypes rarely helps supervisors and other managers in improving employee attitudes, and thus should be avoided.
C) It is alright for managers to give preference to employees on the basis of their sex.
D) Mistaking an African American professional for someone with a less prestigious job cannot be considered a form of discrimination.

Question 58

Organizing draws heavily on a supervisor's conceptual skills, but leading requires good ________ skills.

A) technical
B) human relations
C) conceptual
D) decision-making

Question 59

The activities involved in identifying, hiring, and developing the necessary number and quality of employees can best be categorized as the management function of

A) organizing.
B) staffing.
C) controlling.
D) leading.

Question 60

Rhonda is the supervisor of the spare parts department at a car dealership. Her responsibilities include scheduling work for employees, setting deadlines, and delegating work on ordering and counting the inventory. Rhonda's responsibilities can be best categorized as the supervisory function of

A) leading.
B) controlling.
C) organizing.
D) planning.

Question 61

Identify the correct statement regarding supervisory responsibilities.

A) Supervisors should keep their staff informed and up to date.
B) Supervisors should avoid having a sense of humor.
C) Supervisors should refrain from learning proper hiring practices.
D) Supervisors should keep vague employee records.

Question 62

Because supervisors are responsible for building morale and carrying employee concerns to the relevant managers, they are expected to serve as a kind of ________ between employees and management.

A) arbitrator
B) initiator
C) strategist
D) linchpin

Question 63

Bilal, a supervisor at BrainWare Corp., is given the task of organizing and setting up processes for a new department in his company. This new task will draw heavily on Bilal's ________ skills.

A) human relations
B) conceptual
C) technical
D) motivational

Question 64

Salma is a new supervisor. She realizes that she lacks the necessary human relations skills to perform her job in an effective way. The best way for Salma to learn human relations skills is to

A) associate with managers.
B) assign tasks and give feedback to subordinates.
C) read performance appraisals and observe the behavior of employees.
D) utilize authority to get work done.

Question 65

Akira, a supervisor at Weld-on Inc., was required to work in place of his subordinate because of a shortage of personnel in the workforce. He did his work in an effective way. In the context of the responsibilities of a supervisor, Akira was good at

A) being able to perform the duties of his subordinate.
B) adhering to anti-discrimination rules.
C) keeping in touch with his workplace standards.
D) providing an opportunity for his employees to evaluate him.

Question 66

Ranjan, a professor at a university, teaches his management students about the ways to utilize resources and equipment in a job in order to achieve maximum efficiency and effectiveness. In the context of the functions of a supervisor, Ranjan discusses the ________ function.

A) controlling
B) staffing
C) communicating
D) leading

Question 67

Sarah, a supervisor at Zenair Inc., forgets to communicate the organization's sales targets for the day to her employees, which results in low sales performance. In the context of responsibilities of a supervisor, Sarah failed to

A) be accessible to those under supervision.
B) keep the staff informed and up to date.
C) specialize in her duties.
D) train her subordinates.

Question 68

Of the 20 sales executives at Orion Sales Inc., James is the only one to be promoted to the position of supervisor. However, he realizes that it will be difficult for him to exercise authority over his subordinates because they see him as a colleague. In order to acquire power, James should

A) make immediate changes in the department.
B) associate with top-level managers to learn how to acquire power.
C) ask his boss to officially announce his new position in the company.
D) try to sort out any issues in the department all by himself.

Question 69

The practice of imposing penalties for failing to carry out responsibilities adequately and giving rewards for meeting responsibilities is referred to as

A) planning.
B) accountability.
C) subtle discrimination.
D) reliability.

Question 70

Supervisors spend most of their time leading and controlling because

A) other functions, like planning and organizing, are of no use to them.
B) these functions help them effectively deal with higher-level managers.
C) they communicate directly with the heads of other departments.
D) they work directly with the employees who are producing or selling a product.

Question 71

Jia, a sales executive, performs exceptionally well at her work. Bill, Jia's supervisor, gives her monetary incentives for her outstanding performance. Bill is primarily exercising the ________ function of a supervisor.

A) loyalty
B) accountability
C) fairness
D) controlling

Question 72

Isaac is promoted to the position of supervisor in his company. Later, he notices that Dexter, an employee, is jealous of his promotion, because he was also a candidate for the supervisory position that was given to Isaac. Which of the following steps should Isaac take up in order to solve this issue effectively?

A) Speak about this issue to top-level executives
B) Try to defuse the conflict by training Dexter to become a supervisor
C) Neglect Dexter's feelings and perform his job with honesty
D) Try to understand Dexter's perspective and ask for his support on important tasks

Question 73

In the context of performing supervisory duties, the right to do certain things is known as ________.

A) authority
B) accountability
C) power
D) monitoring

Question 74

Bob has been promoted to a supervisory position and will take charge of his work group in six months. He is anxious about his new position. In this scenario, Bob should focus on

A) handing over all tasks to his subordinates.
B) preparing for the job.
C) seeking a better opportunity elsewhere.
D) obtaining and using power and authority.

Question 75

A supervisor's responsibilities include

A) communicating only with superiors and subordinates.
B) conceptualizing projects and tasks.
C) projecting the future trends of a company.
D) providing an opportunity for employees to evaluate him or her.

Question 76

________ skills are relatively important for first-level managers. Hence, most supervisors start out working in a department they now supervise.

A) Conceptual
B) Technical
C) Human relations
D) Decision-making

Question 77

Jinny, a technical assistant at TechCare Inc., loves her job. She takes pride in the fact that she is knowledge about her job. However, she associates with very few people at the office and dislikes ordering or requesting others to perform tasks. She finds it difficult to communicate with her superiors. From this scenario, we can infer that Jinny would be a poor supervisor because she lacks ________.

A) conceptual skills to create strategies
B) motivation to perform her job better
C) the ability to inspire others to achieve their goals
D) the ability to plan her tasks effectively

Question 78

Which of the following would be a new supervisor's most reliable source of getting to know his or her new employees?

A) The top management
B) The performance appraisals of employees
C) The human resource department
D) The employees themselves

Question 79

In the context of performing supervisory duties, ________ is the ability to do certain things.

A) power
B) authority
C) accountability
D) empowerment

Question 80

Which of the following behaviors will allow a newly promoted supervisor to transition smoothly to a position of power?

A) Focusing on evaluating the success of the whole team rather than of individuals
B) Making changes quickly to the department to assert authority
C) Communicating directly with more assertive employees to understand how the department feels
D) Encouraging and teaching employees to manage tasks the supervisor handled before being promoted