Deck 10: Supervisory Leadership and the Management of Change

Question 1

Under some circumstances, the amount of authority a delegated employee can have may exceed the amount of authority a supervisor possesses.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

When practicing the process of delegation, one must assign duties and grant authority as well as create responsibility and accountability for completion of those duties.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

When supervisors delegate work they are no longer responsible.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Delegation is the process of entrusting duties and related authority to peers.

Question 5

A store clerk should have the authority to give a customer's money back within specified limitations.

Question 6

Employees want hope from their leaders, meaning that when leaders believe, they kindle the fire of optimism in followers.

Question 7

People want leaders who are passionate about their convictions.

Question 8

Great leaders are known as great communicators with impeccably credibility.

Question 9

There are no jobs that a supervisor cannot delegate to someone else.

Question 10

Supervisors who empower others to act strengthen their employees and promote teamwork among them.

Question 11

Members of a work group do not assume leadership roles.

Question 12

Successful supervisors tend to be somewhat more intelligent than the average subordinate.

Question 13

Effective delegation should increase the quantity and improve the quality of work being completed by the responsible employee.

Question 14

Contingency-style leadership proposes that no one leadership style is best and that the appropriate style depends upon a multitude of factors in the situation.

Question 15

Leadership is based on what the supervisor does, not what the followers think and do.

Question 16

Factors such as the size of the work group and the type of people involved have no significant impact on the effectiveness of supervisory leadership.

Question 17

According to Robert Greenleaf, a servant-leader leads first and serves second.

Question 18

Waiting until the supervisor is certain failure will not occur is necessary when delegating work assignments.

Question 19

The ability to trust a leader was much more important in the past, when people were not as independent as they are today.

Question 20

Delegation gives employees a greater voice in how a job is to be done; the employee is empowered to make decisions.

Question 21

General supervision and participative management are grounded in Theory Y assumptions.

Question 22

The acceptance of change is more likely if there is a relationship of confidence and trust between the employees and the supervisor.

Question 23

Resistance to change in the workplace is very uncommon because employees pride themselves upon being up to date.

Question 24

A supervisor may not delegate work assignments for fear of being replaced by a subordinate.

Question 25

Participative management style is similar to the Theory X style of management.

Question 26

The autocratic approach to supervision is the most effective long-run approach for ensuring better work performance.

Question 27

Employee resistance to change is based upon the change itself rather than the manner in which the change is introduced.

Question 28

All employees eagerly anticipate and want their supervisors to delegate some responsibilities to them.

Question 29

A supervisor who uses participative management must never demonstrate authority lest the trust that has been built between him/her and the employees be broken.

Question 30

Free-reign supervision is usually the best approach because it allows the subordinates to make the decisions.

Question 31

The autocratic style of supervision is associated with a participatory management style.

Question 32

Principles of empowerment are more conducive to the general supervisory style.

Question 33

A directive is the communication approach by which a supervisor tells employees what, how, and why something is to be done.

Question 34

One of the best tactics for a supervisor when introducing a change is to hide reasons for the change from the employees.

Question 35

Supervisors who practice participative management do not issue directives.

Question 36

Delegation of authority really means that the supervisor should run his/her department by consensus or vote.

Question 37

Change affects individuals in different ways.

Question 38

A good supervisor sometimes shows how a job can be done more efficiently, promptly, or courteously.

Question 39

Delegation often results in greater employee motivation, as well as better job performance.

Question 40

Survival of a company may depend on the abilities of its managers to make fundamental changes.

Question 41

Which of the following statements regarding the assignment of duties is NOT correct?

A) Each employee must be assigned a specific task or job to perform.
B) Routine duties can usually be assigned to almost any employee.
C) Any of a supervisor's duties can be assigned.
D) Much of a supervisor's success will depend on the assignment of job duties.

Question 42

In order to overcome normal employee resistance to change, the supervisor should:

A) Keep the details of the change from employees for as long as possible to avoid upsetting them needlessly.
B) Meet any and all resistance with a firm disciplinary hand.
C) Consult with employees ahead of time and explain to them the reasons and needs for the change.
D) Threaten employees that if they do not change, they will lose their jobs.

Question 43

Which of the following supervisory styles is most compatible with Theory Y assumptions?

A) The autocratic management style
B) The participative management style
C) The bureaucratic management style
D) The free-reign management style

Question 44

A manager who believes in contingency-style leadership believes:

A) Leadership is only necessary during a crisis.
B) That leadership can be learned in terms of behaviors to do and not do.
C) Leaders need to serve first and lead second.
D) That no one leadership style is best, and that the appropriate style depends upon several factors.

Question 45

When delegating tasks a supervisor should:

A) Maintain total control.
B) Define limitations.
C) Micro-manage the employee.
D) All of the above.

Question 46

Probably the most important factor in reducing employee resistance to change is:

A) The relationship between the supervisor who is introducing the change and the employees.
B) Having employees understand corporate culture.
C) Not permitting affected employees to share in decision making about the change.
D) Concealing the underlying reasons that surround the change.

Question 47

Research has indicated that most people want all of the following from their leaders EXCEPT:

A) direction.
B) trust.
C) dominance.
D) results.

Question 48

With a participatory style of management, which of the following is True?

A) The supervisor consults with employees before making a decision.
B) Employees can make all the decisions.
C) The supervisor must follow the recommendations provided by others.
D) The supervisor will use Theory X principles.

Question 49

Brynne has always been an advocate of the autocratic approach to management. As such, she has had to make several assumptions about her employees. Which of the following is NOT one of those assumptions?

A) Most employees only work to earn money.
B) Most employees are motivated by a feeling of accomplishment.
C) Most employees will work hard only if they are in fear of losing their job.
D) Most employees are lazy.

Question 50

If a supervisor believes he/she has a really great idea, he/she should schedule a meeting with top management.

Question 51

All of the following are reasons that supervisors may be reluctant to delegate tasks to their employees, EXCEPT:

A) A fear of mistakes.
B) The "do it myself" mentality.
C) The feeling that employees might perform the job better than them.
D) Upper management might not like that they are delegating tasks.

Question 52

In practice, supervisors usually blend their leadership approaches, based on a number of considerations including all of the following, EXCEPT:

A) The situation at hand.
B) The employee or employees who are involved.
C) To satisfice.
D) The supervisor's skill and experience.

Question 53

Accountability is:

A) The power to influence or command employees.
B) The obligation one has to one's boss and the expectation that employees will accept credit or blame for the results achieved in performing assigned tasks.
C) The process of entrusting duties and related authority to subordinates.
D) The ability to guide and influence the behavior of others.

Question 54

Participative management is most closely associated with:

A) autocratic supervision.
B) democratic supervision.
C) general supervision.
D) none of the above.

Question 55

Higher-level managers who reject a supervisor's proposal for change usually begin to look unfavorably upon the supervisor.

Question 56

According to Kouzes and Posner, which of the following is NOT one of the practices of effective leaders?

A) Challenging the process
B) Knowing one's "place" in the organization
C) Encouraging the heart
D) Envisioning the future

Question 57

Alan provides his employees with opportunities to influence and share in organizational decision making. What style of supervision is Alan following?

A) Bureaucratic style
B) Autocratic style
C) General style
D) Participative style

Question 58

All of the following are reasons that employees resist change, EXCEPT:

A) Fear of economic loss.
B) Fear of loss of status quo.
C) Fear of loss of security.
D) Fear of being up to date.

Question 59

It is not always necessary to receive total approval, but a supervisor should at least consult with those who might be impacted by the change.

Question 60

Which of the following is a CORRECT statement regarding leadership?

A) The best leaders are promoted from within.
B) Leadership is something that an individual can develop if he or she has a real desire to do so.
C) Leadership always resides in the person in charge of a group of people.
D) Most effective leaders tend to be far above average intelligence.

Question 61

Waldo is excited about the arrival of the new company supervisor. He hopes that the new supervisor is someone who willingly takes on difficult tasks, and believes in the mantra, "success breeds success". What area of leadership does Waldo want to see the most from his new supervisor?

A) Direction
B) Trust
C) Hope
D) Results

Question 62

SAASE is a non-profit organization that has achieved success by staying ahead of the curve. The organization is always working on improving itself and sustaining what it is today while creating processes for long-term success. SAASE engages in which organizational process?

A) Organizational renewal
B) Planned change
C) Restructuring
D) Reengineering

Question 63

At work, Lisa meets with her subordinates at least twice a week to convey to them what tasks must be done and how, when, and why they are to be completed. Which approach to supervisory leadership does Lisa use?

A) Laissez-faire approach
B) Participative approach
C) General supervision approach
D) Directive approach

Question 64

After a natural disaster wiped out an entire town, the townspeople and city administrators met to establish a rebuilding strategy. This is an example of _________ change.

A) Planned
B) Unplanned
C) Superficial
D) Cascade

Question 65

If an employee believes he/she has a great idea he/she should:

A) Share the idea with family and friends.
B) Share the idea with others who may be impacted by the idea.
C) Share the idea with upper management immediately.
D) All of the above.

Question 66

According to Warren Bennis, what do employees typically want from their leader?

Question 67

After a much-publicized safety breach at D&A Chemicals Inc., supervisors and employees at all levels became rapidly engaged in education and training of safety measures and precautions. This best demonstrates which type of change?

A) Unplanned change
B) Controlled change
C) Culture change
D) Cascade change

Question 68

Targeted job objectives that present a challenge but are achievable are referred to as:

A) Strategic plans
B) Key performance indicators
C) Stretch targets
D) Organizational goals

Question 69

Employees are most likely to accept change if the supervisor is:

A) confident and trustworthy.
B) demanding.
C) aggressive.
D) from a different country.

Question 70

Ahmed is a manager at a distribution center. Having worked in a field that is constantly changing, he believes that no one leadership style is best. Instead, the appropriate style depends on a multitude of factors. This demonstrates which leadership style?

A) Contingency-style leadership
B) Participative leadership style
C) Servant leadership style
D) Transformational leadership style

Question 71

Which of the following refers to a continuous process for long-term success?

A) Organizational renewal
B) Cascade change
C) Internalized updating
D) Culture change

Question 72

When an unexpected situation causes an organization to initiate a strategy for change, _______ change is about to occur.

A) Unplanned
B) Planned
C) Expected
D) Targeted

Question 73

Henrietta, a supervisor at a hair salon, believes that by responding to the needs of her employees, they are able to be the best that they can be. This in turn makes her more effective at her job too. Henrietta is a proponent of which leadership principle?

A) Transformational leadership principle
B) Servant leadership principle
C) Contingency leadership principle
D) Transitional leadership principle

Question 74

The obligation to perform certain tasks and duties as assigned by the supervisor is referred to as:

A) Authority
B) Responsibility
C) Delegation
D) The cascade effect

Question 75

Christopher meets with his staff at least weekly to help them review their goals and tasks. He encourages his staff to set targeted job objectives that present a challenge but are achievable. Such objectives are also referred to as:

A) Key performance indicators
B) Stretch targets
C) Change agents
D) Bull's eyes

Question 76

When supervisors become engaged in organizational renewal, they should practice all of the following steps EXCEPT:

A) Establish clear targets
B) Take risks
C) Focus on the inputs
D) Spend money to train employees

Question 77

Miranda works at at an office where policies and reminders are posted everywhere. Her company emphasizes strict compliance with all organizational policies, rules, and directives. This best describes which approach to supervisory leadership?

A) Autocratic style
B) Participative style
C) Bureaucratic style
D) General supervision style

Question 78

What are some traits shared by most successful supervisory leaders?

Question 79

Samuel is responsible for generating monthly reports on his organization's sales figures. This month, he decided to pass the project along to one of his subordinates so that he can gain experience in data analysis and also to free up more of his own time for other duties. This is an example of:

A) Contracting
B) Outsourcing
C) Delegating
D) Mentoring

Question 80

What takes place when organizations rapidly engage supervisors and employees at all levels in education, training, and the establishment of clear accountability for change processes and tasks?

A) Unplanned change
B) Cascade change
C) Internal change
D) External change