Techniques of Supervision Fall 2004 Final
Professor Steven Isler
True/False
Indicate whether the sentence or statement is true or false.
____1.A manufacturer's instruction manual removes the need for further employee training.
____2.An employee will learn effectively whether he or she is trained systematically or by trial and error.
____3.Job training is one of a supervisor's chief responsibilities.
____4.What a person is paid at work serves as a clear measure of equity.
____5.The employees in Roberto's file management department are probably highly satisfied because Roberto focuses his day-to-day relationships with them on compliance with company policies and procedures.
____6.Regular use of a directive leadership style reflects assumptions consistent with Theory Y.
____7.Strong moral character is important for effective leaders.
____8.The autocratic approach to leading people emphasizes the job to be done and not the people involved.
____9.Being good at receiving communication is not as vital to a supervisor as being able to give direction.
____10.A supervisor starting a conversation by immediately referring to pay or status will not affect an employee's attitude.
____11.A supervisor should immediately punish an employee who willfully disobeys an order.
____12.In appraising all employees in a department, one-half should fall in the middle of the total employee ratings.
____13.A behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS) is an appraisal process that should be avoided because it is very subjective.
____14.A supervisor's appraisal of an employee's performance should be based on an accurate and detailed job description.
____15.A trained professional counselor does not have the authority to discipline, promote, or fire the employee. Therefore, the employee is likely to place more trust in that person in a counseling session.
____16.Progressive discipline follows a sequence of increasingly more severe penalties.
____17.Generally, informal work groups can help solve work problems only if the problems are caused by personality clashes or other social factors.
____18.The "I'm okay" attitude in an exchange between an employee and a supervisor is likely to undermine the supervisor's authority and leadership ability.
____19.Controls are established without regard to the goals set by the organization.
____20.You can reduce cost rates by increasing the amount of work put through your department.
____21.If output goes down and costs remain the same, productivity is rising.
____22.The time needed to complete a task is directly related to the way in which the job is performed.
____23.Many supervisors make the mistake of assuming that the secret to creativity is the free association of ideas.
____24.A test does not have construct validity if candidates who know the content cannot give the correct answer because they do not understand the questions.
____25.Persons under the age of 50 are not covered by age discrimination legislation.
Multiple Choice
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
____26.Which of the following is not an acceptable question to ask a job candidate?
a. / Can you describe your last job?b. / What kind of an attendance record have you had in the last year?
c. / Have you ever been arrested?
d. / Do you have the legal right to work in the United States?
____27.The best single measure of morale is generally considered to be:
a. / Absenteeism. / c. / Production levels.b. / Employee turnover. / d. / Promotion rates.
____28.Helen has asked Tom during an employment interview if he has ever been convicted of a crime. Which of the following statements is true?
a. / She has violated Tom's equal opportunity rights.b. / There can be no employment reason for asking this question.
c. / This question is permissible under the law.
d. / None of the above.
____29.Elaine has applied for a job as a secretary in your office. Which of the following is not an appropriate way to evaluate her application?
a. / Previous experience. / c. / A gut feeling about her ability.b. / Performance test. / d. / Reference checks.
____30.Harold has been provided a list of qualified applicants for an opening in his department. Which of the following considerations will probably not be of much value?
a. / Physical examination. / c. / Personal references.b. / Employment references. / d. / All of the above.
____31.Any test given to applicants should do all of the following except:
a. / Explore issues of lifestyle that would not be readily apparent on the job.b. / Be directly related to the job.
c. / Not discriminate unfairly against the person taking them.
d. / Not unduly invade their privacy.
____32.Beth's department had 5 percent turnover last month. If that rate continues for one year, her turnover rate will be:
a. / 5 percent. / c. / 60 percent.b. / 50 percent. / d. / 10 percent.
____33.The best questions that an interviewer can ask a job candidate are ones that:
a. / Require only "yes" or "no" answers.b. / Are very direct and to the point.
c. / Ask what, where, why, when, and who.
d. / Discourage the candidate from talking too much about himself or herself.
____34.Phyllis wants to be an effective supervisory coach. To do so, she must:
a. / Watch for improvement opportunities.b. / Ask open-ended questions of her employees.
c. / Give timely feedback in a constructive manner.
d. / All of the above.
____35.Breaking a job down into separate steps for training purposes includes each of the following except:
a. / Identifying anything in a particular step that might make or break a job.b. / Dividing the job into its logical steps.
c. / Modifying the job to make it easier for the trainee to understand.
d. / Finding the key point in each job element.
____36.Which of the following statements is not true?
a. / Training has failed if it has not been transferred to the job.b. / Effective training of your employees makes you a candidate for promotion.
c. / Visual aids speed up the learning process.
d. / A college education no longer provides economic benefit to the individual.
____37.Of the four ways available to provide training, the only dependable one is:
a. / Trial and error. / c. / Sink or swim.b. / Structured and systematic. / d. / Hit or miss.
____38.Jane demonstrated that she had the necessary skill to operate a forklift when she:
a. / Said she could operate a manual transmission.b. / Passed a forklift operator's driving test.
c. / Passed a written safety test.
d. / Passed a written test on the forklift manufacturer's operating instructions.
____39.When breaking a job down for training purposes, you should:
a. / Begin with the most difficult step.b. / Divide the job into logical steps.
c. / Involve the manufacturer's sales representative.
d. / All of the above.
____40.Jenny's employment at the state highway department gives her plenty of money, security, and enjoyable social contact. The most likely motivating action her supervisor could use now would be a(n):
a. / Pay raise.b. / Five-year guarantee of employment with regular step pay increases.
c. / Liberalized holiday plan.
d. / Assignment to a challenging, high-visibility design project.
____41.Martha wants to use the expectancy approach to motivate her employees. To do so, she must reliably provide them with rewards they consider worth the extra effort and must make sure that the employees:
a. / Believe they are able to do the extra work successfully.b. / Have almost complete control over how the work will be accomplished.
c. / Have plenty of opportunity to have fun with the other employees.
d. / All of the above.
____42.Carl has a high need for achievement. Which of the following phrases probably does not describe Carl?
a. / Likes to control situations.b. / Likes immediate feedback about performance.
c. / Takes chances on real long shots.
d. / Easily becomes preoccupied with the job to be done.
____43.Which of the needs described by Maslow do employees with a high need for affiliation probably express most?
a. / Esteem. / c. / Social.b. / Self-actualization. / d. / Survival.
____44.In a well-run organization, job satisfaction is primarily the responsibility of:
a. / The employee.b. / The supervisor and the parent organization.
c. / The employee work group.
d. / Government compliance officers.
____45."Sam, the belt on that machine is too loose. Tighten it at once," said Sam's supervisor. This is an example of:
a. / Autocratic leadership. / c. / Democratic leadership.b. / The contingency approach. / d. / Consultative leadership.
____46.The life-cycle theory of leadership maintains that:
a. / Fair play, good decisions, and character make a supervisor a good leader.b. / The range of leadership is from task oriented to people oriented.
c. / More than one approach should be used in a given situation.
d. / Employee groups can display levels of emotional maturity, just as persons can.
____47.Frankie is a people-centered leader. To be effective, she needs to do all of the following except:
a. / Get employee agreement on every decision.b. / Remember that employee participation is a long-range affair.
c. / Demonstrate that her decisions are affected by employee input.
d. / Show that she wants and respects employee opinions.
____48.Ruth wants to become a good leader. Which of the following statements will most help her develop her leadership skills?
a. / Forget it-leaders are born, not made.b. / Master skills of persuasion, influence, and rapport.
c. / Pick one leadership style and stick with it.
d. / Provide the necessary motivation to get employees to meet your needs.
____49.Jeff plans to use the Japanese consensus style of leadership. He should be aware of the fact that:
a. / It works best with emergency decisions.b. / It is less effective with other ethnic and minority employees.
c. / It is similar to the consultative leadership style.
d. / Theory X employees disrupt the process.
____50.The following list of leadership styles represents a continuum from least employee freedom to most employee freedom.
a. / Autocratic, democratic, participative. / c. / Democratic, participative, autocratic.b. / Participative, autocratic, democratic. / d. / Participative, democratic, autocratic.
____51.According to the life-cycle theory of leadership, if Betty is managing a newly formed department, it will probably need:
a. / An autocratic style. / c. / A contingency style.b. / A democratic style. / d. / A participative style.
____52.You have just been notified that your plant will be shutting down for two weeks next month. The best method of communicating this information to your employees is a:
a. / Video presentation. / c. / Poster.b. / Press release. / d. / Mass meeting.
____53.The best way to communicate with employees is to:
a. / Tell them your boss agrees with you.b. / Remind them that you are in charge.
c. / Be direct, specific, and fair.
d. / May not be possible; there is nothing you can do to change their opinions.
____54.Guidelines that help minimize communication problems include all of the following except:
a. / Giving all the orders at one time. / c. / Seeking feedback right away.b. / Not choosing only the willing worker. / d. / Not playing the big shot.
____55.Written communications are generally better than oral communications for which of the following purposes?
a. / Speed. / c. / Informality.b. / Lengthy message. / d. / Personal impact.
____56.Phyllis has asked you about the company's new maternity leave policy. You've heard about it but can't remember all the details. You should:
a. / Send her to the personnel office.b. / Give your best understanding concerning policy provisions.
c. / Have her check with other employees.
d. / Accept your responsibility for keeping informed and get the accurate information as soon as possible.
____57.Ms. Gould, the chief broker of Southeast Commodities Company, negotiated with her assistant, Mr. Strickland, to set agreed-upon goals for Mr. Strickland to reach during the next quarter. This is an example of:
a. / Employee rating. / c. / Management by objectives.b. / Appraisal interview. / d. / Rating interview.
____58.The primary purposes of an appraisal include each of the following except:
a. / To encourage good behavior or to correct and discourage below-standard performance.b. / To satisfy employees' curiosity about how they are doing.
c. / To provide an opportunity for developing employees' skills.
d. / To use the opportunity to provide additional on-the-job training.
____59.Examples of graphic weighting scales include all of the following except:
a. / Forced-choice format.b. / Choice of ratings for each factor.
c. / Open-ended questions.
d. / "Superior," "satisfactory," "unsatisfactory."
____60.A primary objective of a performance rating is to:
a. / Help the employee to improve the quality of his or her performance.b. / Comply with company policy.
c. / Make sure supervisors know what is going on.
d. / Allow employees to compare their performance with that of others.
____61.Employees who are most likely to require professional counseling for excessive absenteeism are:
a. / Chronic absentees. / c. / Moonlighters.b. / Aggressive absentees. / d. / Vacationing absentees.
____62.Since problem employees tend to upset the morale of the work group, supervisors should be concerned about:
a. / Hiring problem employees.b. / Working with them to get an acceptable level of productivity.
c. / Determining when they need professional help.
d. / All of the above.
____63.Which of the following conditions suggests a worried worker?
a. / Reduced productivity.b. / Sudden change in behavior.
c. / Difficulty in absorbing training.
d. / Each of the above is a sign of a worried worker.
____64.The purpose of discipline is to:
a. / Increase employee morale.b. / Encourage employees to meet established standards of job performance.
c. / Increase overall productivity.
d. / Eliminate the need to impose penalties.
____65.Due process is:
a. / The right of any employee to be represented at a fair hearing.b. / Temporary removal of a worker by management.
c. / The imposition of a penalty on an employee by management.
d. / Progressive discipline.
____66.One of the possible limitations of cohesive work groups is:
a. / Individuals work for the good of the group.b. / Individuals may withhold unpopular views.
c. / A common sense of identity and close feelings towards one another.
d. / Similarity of output and higher productivity.
____67.Which of the following statements is an assumption of organizational development?
a. / Most organizations have been overcontrolled.b. / Employees have much to offer and want to do so.
c. / Most organizations are too rigid to respond to their dynamic environment.
d. / All of the above.
____68.Larry is in the position of having to persuade a work group to accept some changes that he thinks it will initially oppose. His best approach probably is to:
a. / Communicate very thoroughly but let the group explore the issue with as little interference as possible.b. / Make a very strong argument for the changes and try to keep opponents from voicing too many objections.
c. / Emphasize immediately that he has the authority to make the changes and that arguments against them will be fruitless.
d. / Include in the changes some new job assignments that will separate work group members and make group opposition weaker.
____69.Of the following supervisors, which one is least likely to have excessive conflict in the department?
a. / Gail, who lays down the law on nearly every work issue and doesn't listen to any back talk.b. / Chico, who openly encourages his employees to talk to him about their gripes.
c. / Pete, who leaves it almost completely up to the employees to decide who will do what and who will get what resources.
d. / Betty, whose performance is poor enough that she may be discharged and the department completely reorganized.
____70.Each of the following is an example of an organizational development intervention except:
a. / Counseling session. / c. / Feedback mechanisms.b. / Encounter groups. / d. / Process consultation.
____71.When the production department blames off-grade products on the maintenance people, the conflict is most likely the result of:
a. / Changes of work flow.b. / A growing sense of mistrust among employees.
c. / A lack of stability in department operations.
d. / An unfair allocation of resources.
____72.Each of the following is part of the basic approach to conflict resolution except:
a. / Be ready to bargain.b. / Decide what you wish to accomplish.
c. / Focus on mutually beneficial outcomes.
d. / Keep the process open to everyone.
____73.The core of the supervisor's judgmental role in control consists of:
a. / Discipline. / c. / Problem solving.b. / Comparison. / d. / Enforcement.
____74.Which of the following package weights does not comply with a weight standard of 20.00 ounces ±0.02 ounce?
a. / 22.00 ounces. / c. / 19.99 ounces.b. / 20.02 ounces. / d. / 20.00 ounces.
____75.The best basis for setting control standards generally is:
a. / High hopes. / c. / Past performance.b. / Systematic analysis. / d. / Production needs.
____76.The chef in a fast-food restaurant is told that the hamburgers she makes must weigh at least one-quarter pound before cooking. This is an example of:
a. / Quantity control. / c. / Time control.b. / Quality control. / d. / Material control.
____77.Which of the following statements is not true about automatic controls?
a. / They are preferred by labor unions.b. / They are likely to increase in the future.
c. / They are liked by management.
d. / They minimize the human element.
____78.Employee resistance to controls can be minimized by:
a. / Arbitrary use of controls.b. / Controls of a less specific nature.
c. / Aiming for improvement rather than punishment.
d. / Flexibility in the application of controls.
____79.When the standards for a department's results are set by engineers or planners outside the department:
a. / The department supervisor has no control responsibility.b. / The outside planners are responsible for seeing that the standards are achieved.
c. / The department supervisor usually still must set individual worker and workstation standards to achieve the department standards.
d. / The outside standards should be viewed only as a loose guide that the supervisor is free to change.
____80.The supervisor needs to be knowledgeable about:
a. / Unit costs. / c. / Budget costs.b. / Standard costs. / d. / All of the above.
____81.Which of the following is not a productive cost reduction target?
a. / Utility costs. / c. / Service costs.b. / People costs. / d. / Competitors' costs.
____82.Positive approaches to cutting costs include only:
a. / Doing without. / c. / Reducing waste.b. / Postponing what you can. / d. / None of the above.
____83.An example of a specific cost improvement goal is:
a. / "We've got to cut costs more."b. / "We have to beat our competitor's price."
c. / "We have to cut scrap rates by 15 percent next month."
d. / "We need everybody's participation."
____84.Marge, the controller of a textile plant, wrote to Leo, the weaving supervisor, that his department had to cut its $20,000 monthly expenses by 5 percent. How much money is to be saved in one month?
a. / $1,000. / c. / $10,000.b. / $12,000. / d. / $5,000.
____85.Costs that a department accumulates for each product or service delivered are called:
a. / Unit costs. / c. / Budgeted costs.b. / Standard costs. / d. / Variable costs.
____86.Kathy has noticed that costs on the toy assembly line have increased by 40 percent since one new employee replaced a retiring employee. Increasing the training for that employee is an example of addressing a cost target because it is the: