Deck 1: Supervision: Tradition and Contemporary Trends

Question 1

For a supervisor,conceptual skills include:

A) the recognition of 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) the ability to communicate with, motivate, and understand people.
D) the ability to analyze information and reach good decisions.

Answer 1

A
Explanation: For a supervisor, conceptual skills include recognizing how a department's work helps an entire organization achieve its goals and how the work of various employees affects the performance of the department as a whole.

Question 2

Which of the following is the reason why supervisors must have good technical skills?

A) Supervisors are part of top management.
B) Supervisors work with future-oriented tasks.
C) Supervisors are first-level managers.
D) Supervisors work with conceptualization tasks.

Answer 2

C
Explanation: Technical skills are the specialized knowledge and expertise used to carry out particular techniques or procedures. Supervisors inspire employees to do their best. Therefore, they need good technical skills.

Question 3

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.

Answer 3

C
Explanation: Abraham Maslow (1908-1970), a pioneering psychologist who is perhaps the best-known contributor of the people focus, recognized that people have different sets of needs that are met in a hierarchical pattern. Based upon Maslow's findings, supervisors must help workers to satisfy their personal needs while being productive in organizations.

Question 4

Mary has been working as a seamstress for the last ten 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 5

_____,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 6

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.

Question 7

Top managers rely most on _____.

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

Question 8

In the context of 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 9

According to Abraham Maslow's hierarchical pattern of needs,which of the following is the highest level of needs?

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

Question 10

The ability to see the relationship of the parts to the whole and to one another is known as:

A) technical skills.
B) process skills.
C) conceptual skills.
D) human relations skills.

Question 11

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 achieving departmental goals that contribute to company goals.
C) Supervisors need to project future forecasts and involve themselves in long-term planning.
D) Supervisors need to formulate vision for the company and develop business strategies.

Question 12

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 13

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

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

Question 14

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

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

Question 15

Supervisors require less conceptual skills because they:

A) are part of top management.
B) work with future-oriented tasks.
C) are first-level managers.
D) work with conceptualization tasks.

Question 16

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 tasks.
C) plan organizational strategies with top management.
D) deal directly with employees and have knowledge about an organization's customers.

Question 17

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 18

Which of the following 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

Question 19

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 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

Question 20

In the context of important managerial skills,analyzing information about events,trends,and changes in a company's environment to identify threats and opportunities for the work unit is primarily part of _____ skill.

A) encouraging innovative thinking
B) developing
C) consulting
D) external monitoring

Question 21

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

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

Question 22

Ray,a manager at Senzel Inc.,wants to implement a new software in the company's processes.This software will help him to monitor the productivity of his employees more effectively.However,before implementing the change,he discusses it with his supervisors 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 23

Gary is a new supervisor in a manufacturing company.In the context of supervisory skills,Gary will mostly need _____ skills in his work.

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

Question 24

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 25

In the context of 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 26

In the context of skills of 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 27

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 28

Gilbert,a new supervisor,finds it hard to associate with his employees.He thinks his subordinates are from diverse cultures and that understanding these cultures is difficult.In the context of skills of a supervisor,Gilbert must improve his _____ skills.

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

Question 29

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 30

Which of the following is a people-related activity?

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

Question 31

Which of the following is an example of the developing skills of a manager?

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 32

In the context of 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 33

Maya,a supervisor at Zelden Inc.,focuses on achieving her department's goals on time.She understands that it contributes to the achievement of the organization's goal.In the context of supervisory skills,Maya has good _____ skills.

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

Question 34

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

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

Question 35

In the context of skills of successful managers,being considerate when tasks are difficult and helping employees to get over anxiety and stress is the primary part of _____.

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

Question 36

Which of the following managerial skills do supervisors and other managers rely on when they 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 37

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 38

In the context of 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 39

Providing praise for significant achievements and effective performance can be best categorized as part of the managerial skill called _____.

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

Question 40

Renox Inc.,a service-based company,brought new processes to its workplace.Mark,the manager for training,was given the responsibility to communicate the new processes to the employees.He held a meeting and involved all the employees to take part in forming new ideas to accept the processes.Mark also recognized the accomplishments of old employees and empowered new employees to accept new ideas.He also developed new training managers to improve the employees' skills.In this scenario,Mark primarily used ______ activities to implement the new processes in Renox Inc.

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

Question 41

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

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

Question 42

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 43

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

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

Question 44

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 45

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 as to who should do the ordering and who should help her with counting the inventory.These responsibilities can be best categorized as the supervisory function of:

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

Question 46

Monitoring performance and making needed corrections is termed as the management function of:

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

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

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-skilled 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 49

Supervisors typically spend most of their time:

A) staffing and controlling.
B) planning and organizing.
C) staffing and organizing.
D) leading and 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 workplace,this is an example of _____.

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

Question 51

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 much higher authority so that other employees respect her.
D) question negative stereotypes regarding Emily and ask the employees to avoid such remarks.

Question 52

Elizabeth is a supervisor at Marten Inc.,a company that sells electronic goods.Steven,a new sales executive at Marten Inc.,is dealing with a difficult customer.He finds it difficult to deal with this customer who requires extensive knowledge about products before he purchases something.The best way in which Elizabeth can help Steven in the long run is to _____.

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

Question 53

Lorenzo works as a supervisor at NovaMachines Corp.,a manufacturing firm.He finds that the raw materials of the firm are being used ineffectively due to which NovaMachines Corp.is incurring losses.He asks his subordinates to make appropriate changes in order 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 54

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

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

Question 55

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 56

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

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

Question 57

Sandra works is the supervisor of the accounting department of Welfare Co.She noticed that in the month of September,the expenditure on supplies was much more than its allowed budget.She researched the surplus and found that she had approved a bulk purchase of supplies to take advantage of a volume discount.Sandra then made appropriate corrections to the expenditure so that their future expenditures of supplies are in line with the budget allowed.In this scenario,in which of the following management functions was Sandra primarily engaged?

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

Question 58

Which of the following skills is relatively more important for first-level managers?

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

Question 59

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 60

Choose the 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 to be a form of discrimination.

Question 61

Salma is a new supervisor.She realizes that she lacks 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 books and observe the behavior of employees.
D) utilize authority to get work done.

Question 62

Bob has been promoted to a supervisory position from a sales executive and will start working full-fledged in his new position in six months.He is anxious about this 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.
D) obtaining and using power and authority.

Question 63

_____ is the right to do certain things.

A) Power
B) Authority
C) Accountability
D) Empowerment

Question 64

Sarah,a supervisor at Zenair Inc.,forgets to communicate its sales targets for the day,which results in low 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 65

Supervisors,who build morale and carry employee concerns to the relevant managers,are expected to serve as a kind of _____ between employees and management.

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

Question 66

Isaac was promoted as a new supervisor in his company.Later,he notices that his colleague Dexter is jealous of him being a supervisor because he was also a candidate for this position.Which of the following steps should Isaac take up in order to solve this issue effectively?

A) Speak about this issue with the top-level executives
B) Try to solve the conflict by explaining Dexter how 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 in important tasks

Question 67

_____ means the ability to do certain things.

A) Power
B) Authority
C) Accountability
D) Empowerment

Question 68

A supervisor's responsibilities include:

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

Question 69

Rachel and Wilma were friendly colleagues who worked in the same department for a long period of time.Rachel was promoted as supervisor of the department.After that,Rachel noticed that Wilma was speaking with her less frequently and was also less friendly than she was before.In the context of a new supervisor's role,this is an example of _____.

A) focus on human relations skills
B) focus on the group
C) power and authority
D) changed work relationships

Question 70

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 71

_____ 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 72

Akira,a supervisor at Weld-on Inc.,was required to work in place of his subordinate due to shortage of workforce.He did his work in an effective way.In the context of 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 73

Prof.Ranjan was teaching 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 functions of a supervisor,Prof.Ranjan was discussing the _____ function.

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

Question 74

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

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

Question 75

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 to deal effectively 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 76

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 77

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

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

Question 78

Jinny,a technical assistant at TechCare Inc.,loves her job.She takes pride in the fact that she has a lot of knowledge and understanding of her job.However,she associates with very few people at 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 79

Jimmy was the only one among the 20 employees working as sales executives at Orion Sales Inc.to be promoted as a supervisor.However,he realized that it would be hard for him to impose authority and power on his subordinates because they saw him as a colleague.In order to acquire power,Jimmy should first:

A) dictate his orders to his subordinates.
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) ask his subordinates to follow the orders unquestionably.

Question 80

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 _____ trait of a supervisor.

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