Chapter 1 - The Supervisor's Role

Question 1

We can least expect supervision to take place

A. Among staff personnel
B. At the work level of execution
C. Among the first level of supervisors
D. In a police hierarchy

Answer 1

B. At the work level of execution

Question 2

Having the greatest influence on a patrolman’s performance morale is

A. His immediate supervisor
B. The work environment
C. His relationship with other patrolmen
D. A combination of work load and motivation

Answer 2

A. His immediate supervisor

Question 3

The most important supervisor in a police organization is generally thought to be the

A. Sergeant
B. Lieutenant
C. Captain
D. Police Chief

Answer 3

A. Sergeant

Question 4

Resting upon him is most of the responsibility for wielding a cohesive force that works as a well functioning, smoothly operating unit. He is the

A. Police Chief
B. Captain
C. Sergeant
D. Patrolman

Answer 4

C. Sergeant

Question 5

The police sergeant accomplishes unit objectives by

A. Continual training of his subordinates
B. Organiziing and planning his operations
C. Getting things done through people
D. Setting an example for his men to follow

Answer 5

C. Getting things done through people

Question 6

If a police sergeant is an expert in any one facet of his work, it should be in

A. Coordinating work assignments
B. Handling people
C. Obtaining high performance
D. Having common sense

Answer 6

B. Handling people

Question 7

Patrolmen like to be led by supervisors who

A. Have demonstrated a zeal for high performance
B. Are friendly and easy to work with
C. They respect and have confidence in
D. Know and understand human nature

Answer 7

C. They respect and have confidence in

Question 8

The first step a supervisor takes to gain confidence and respect from his subordinates is

A. Setting an example of his own conduct
B. Knowing the men under his supervision
C. Avoiding prejudices and practicing fairness
D. Knowing how to communicate effectively

Answer 8

A. Setting an example of his own conduct

Question 9

A supervisor aiming to combine the needs of subordinates with the goals of the organization should skillfully apply sound principles of human relations with

A. Functional training
B. Plain talk
C. Common sense
D. Planning

Answer 9

C. Common sense

Question 10

A newly appointed sergeant continually consults with his subordinates prior to making assignments and decisions. As experience is gained, he finds it no longer necessary to seek assistance. However, his men act as if they should be consulted as before. The sergeant’s best action would be to

A. Advise the men it is no longer necessary to seek their assistance in decision-making matters
B. Continue consulting the men in certain areas, but make it clear who is the supervisor
C. Gradually discontinue seeking advice from subordinates in such a manner as they will be unaware
D. Have a conference to explain why he does not consult with them as often

Answer 10

B. Continue consulting the men in certain areas, but make it clear who is the supervisor

Question 11

Promotion to sergeant probably requires a greater change in an individual’s attitude in the area of

A. Specialization
B. Motivation
C. Organizing
D. Human relations

Answer 11

D. Human relations

Question 12

When the morale of the sergeant is high, the morale of the men

A. Is almost always as high
B. May be high or low
C. Is low
D. Remains constant

Answer 12

B. May be high or low

Question 13

Morale cannot be

A. Developed
B. Brought about by logic
C. Improved by good supervision
D. Influenced

Answer 13

B. Brought about by logic

Question 14

People are generally most interested in

A. Others and how they can be helpful
B. Themselves and things that affect them
C. How they fit into a particular organization
D. Knowing how they stand with their supervisor

Answer 14

B. Themselves and things that affect them

Question 15

One of the most basic needs people have relation to their work is they want a

A. Chance for advancement
B. Good salary with frequent raises
C. Likeable relationship with their peers
D. Feeling of stability and security

Answer 15

D. Feeling of stability and security

Question 16

Most important from a supervisor’s standpoint when his men are exposed to conditions causing tension and anxiety is they

A. Fight among themselves
B. Tend to resent authority
C. Seldom seek a remedy
D. Are not good producers

Answer 16

D. Are not good producers

Question 17

Bill Smith has been a police sergeant for almost a year and finds the following conditions exist

1 - At times his subordinates resist changes he wishes to make, even when they are good for the unit.
2 - A number of his subordinates react in different ways at different times.
3 - At times one subordinate or another will resist changes in their duties or assignments.
Of the answers listed, which would most realistically provide an explanation for such behavior?

A. Sergeant Smith has not properly trained his subordinates, nor has he received their loyal support
B. Subordinates are individuals and such cannot be expected to be in agreement with all the a supervisor’s actions
C. In the long run, the interests of management and the worker are rarely the same
D. To a subordinate, he is the department, and he, therefore, feels decisions affecting his outcome should properly be questioned

Answer 17

B. Subordinates are individuals and such cannot be expected to be in agreement with all the a supervisor’s actions

Question 18

After roll call Sergeant Smith meets with his lieutenant and confides that a situation exists in his squad that has him confused. He receives intense loyalty from some of his subordinates while one or two others are actually disloyal. He goes on to say that he treats all of the men fairly, a fact already known to the lieutenant. Of the replies the lieutenant could make, which would most accurately apply to the situation Sergeant Smith has described?

A. A supervisor is selected by management, and, therefore, derives his official authority from that source
B. Loyalty does not lend itself to accurate defenition and is considered by most experts to have little relevance to job performance
C. Loyalty, as morale, cannot be legislated, rather must be instilled into the subordinate by understanding his human aspects
D. In the complex job of managing people, we must learn that the degree of loyalty will vary with the individual

Answer 18

D. In the complex job of managing people, we must learn that the degree of loyalty will vary with the individual

Question 19

You, a sergeant, find the performance of one of your better subordinates has recently dropped. You learn that this officer’s wife is having difficulty coping with the irregular hours. Generally, it would be best for you to

A. Meet with your commanding officer and ask his advice and guidance
B. Take no action unless you are personally asked for help by the officer
C. Meet with the officer and see if you can reduce or solve his problem
D. Evaluate your dealings with this officer to determine if you are adding to his problems

Answer 19

C. Meet with the officer and see if you can reduce or solve his problem

Question 20

One of Sergeant Smith’s best workers has had a decline in his work output and generally appears to be bothered by something. When asked by the sergeant, the officer relates a personal problem he has at home. After hearing the problem, the sergeant would be best advised to

A. Render assistance if he can
B. Not become involved in personal problems
C. Try and help without the officer knowing
D. Determine the cause for the problem

Answer 20

A. Render assistance if he can

Question 21

Sergeant Brown is concerned because the performance of one of his subordinates has dropped sharply in the past month. Through a meeting, it is learned that the officer’s 18 year old daughter has left home and is staying with a girlfriend in San Francisco. The officer is concerned over her well-being. However because of the distance between them, he cannot personally visit with her at the present time. Sergeant Brown happens to be a personal friend of the Police Chief in San Francisco. Would it be appropriate for the sergeant to ask the chief to check on the well-being of his subordinate’s daughter and provide him with the report?

A. Yes; so long as the officer does not consider it meddling in his affairs
B. No; under no circumstances should a supervisor become involved in the personal life of his subordinates
C. Yes; however, the information received should not be related to the officer, rather should be used to formulate an effective remedy
D. No; outside police departments should not be used to deal with unofficial police problems

Answer 21

A. Yes; so long as the officer does not consider it meddling in his affairs

Question 22

Generally speaking, to patrolmen the sergeant is

A. Only interested in management
B. Rarely wrong
C. The police department
D. A father-like figure

Answer 22

C. The police department

Question 23

A sergeant should avoid prejudice and base his decisions only on facts. He can best accomplish this by developing a

A. Biased attitude
B. Judicial attitude
C. Discretionary attitude
D. Loyal attitude

Answer 23

B. Judicial attitude

Question 24

A supervisor studies his men mostly to

A. Get higher production
B. Understand himself
C. Assist them in their problems
D. Understand them better

Answer 24

D. Understand them better

Question 25

A supervisor should generally keep his superiors informed on all relevant matters by

A. Oral and written communications
B. Oral communication
C. Written communication
D. Face-to-face communication

Answer 25

A. Oral and written communications

Question 26

In order to keep his superiors properly informed, a supervisor must keep himself informed. He would do this mostly through

A. Planning and control
B. Observation and command
C. Records, research, and inspection
D. Honesty and integrity

Answer 26

C. Records, research and inspection

Question 27

Effective communication from sergeant to patrolman is aided by

A. Inspection and observation
B. Avoiding harmful barriers
C. Planning and control
D. Eliminating casual factors

Answer 27

B. Avoiding harmful barriers

Question 28

A sergeant generally conveys official policy

A. Downward
B. Upward
C. Downward and horizontally
D. Upward and horizontally

Answer 28

A. Downward

Question 29

A supervisor’s real authority stems from

A. His/Her own supervisor
B. Higher management
C. The spirity of cooperation, respect, and confidence that he is able to gain from his subordinates
D. The law

Answer 29

C. The spirity of cooperation, respect, and confidence that he is able to gain from his subordinates

Question 30

A sergeant should filter intelligence to

A. His superiors
B. His subordinates
C. Neither his subordinates nor superiors
D. Both his subordinates and superiors

Answer 30

C. Neither his subordinates nor superiors

Question 31

A supervisor who provides someone with unexpurgated information is providing

A. Misleading facts
B. Censored facts
C. Unchanged facts
D. His opinion

Answer 31

C. Unchanged facts

Question 32

Sergeant Smith has been assigned to compile extensive data on accident prevention at a given location. After compiling his data, he is not sure if he should submit all of it or what he feels is important. A general rule to follow in such instances is

A. Make a decision and stick to it
B. Forward just what you deem necessary
C. A little less is better than a lot extra
D. Submit too much rather than too little

Answer 32

D. Submit too much rather than too little

Question 33

Should a supervisor find himself torn between the goals of management and the goals of his subordinates, he should

A. Stand behind his men
B. See the best interests of the organization prevail
C. Terminate his service
D. Understand and analyze the position of each other

Answer 33

B. See the best interests of the organization prevail

Question 34

Mary Smith was recently promoted to sergeant and after two months in her new position finds she is encountering some resistence to her leadership from several of the male officers. Generally, it would be most correct for Sergeant Smith to

A. Correct any problems that might exist between her and the male subordinates immediately. She should make it perfectly clear that her sex should have no bearing on their following orders
B. Seek the advice and guidance of her lieutenant. The lieutenant should announce to the squad that he fully supports Sergeant Smith and expects the men to give her their support
C. Recognize that some male subordinates find it difficult to accept women in authority or to submit to their direction and control
D. Recognize that this is a new position for her and that the resistance she is encountering has not bearing on her sex, rather, it is a testing process that all new supervisors go through

Answer 34

C. Recognize that some male subordinates find it difficult to accept women in authority or to submit to their direction and control

Question 35

Police managers recognize that women superviors do not generally have as easy a time as their male counterparts in supervising men. Accepting this, we may correctly state that

A. Many men expect better performance from women than from male supervisors performing similar jobs
B. Women supervisors are often required to prove themselves over and over
C. Women supervisors are often expected to be more circumspect in their personal conduct than male counterparts
D. A, B, and C are all correct

Answer 35

D. A, B, and C are all correct

Question 36

Jane Doe is the first woman in the department to be promoted to the rank of sergeant. Jane realizes that she will meet with a degree of resistance from some of the male subordinates. However, she is determined to meet the challenge. The better solution to problems she is likely to encounter due to her sex is for her to

A. Ignore any actions that might occur and can be directly attributed to her being a woman, but challenge conduct that jeopardizes the unit mission
B. Develop leadership abilities, perpare herself technically, avoid the indulgence of wrongdoing or misconduct, vacillation in the decision making process, and unfairness
C. Make the male subordinates a part of the decision making process and continually go to them for advice, even when it is not actually needed
D. Make it clear from the start that her sex should not and will not have a bearing on her leadership or the decision making process

Answer 36

B. Develop leadership abilities, perpare herself technically, avoid the indulgence of wrongdoing or misconduct, vacillation in the decision making process, and unfairness

Question 37

To be effective as a supervisor, one need not

A. Be highly skilled in all technical aspects of the job
B. Have a real concern in his men’s private problems
C. Conduct himself in an exemplary manner
D. Be able to lead and get the job done

Answer 37

A. Be highly skilled in all technical aspects of the job

Question 38

A police sergeant should

A. Be able to do jobs he is responsible for as well or better than his subordinates
B. Be skilled to a high degree in the technical aspects of his area of responsibility
C. Have a good working knowledge of parts of the job he is responsible for
D. Be able to ascertain problems before they reach the stage of concern

Answer 38

C. Have a good working knowledge of parts of the job he is responsible for

Question 39

Contributing most to understanding human behavior is the

A. Sociologist
B. Psychologist
C. Anthropologist
D. Supervisor

Answer 39

B. Psychologist

Question 40

Attempting to ive individuals an understanding of the ethnic cultures and group relationships of people is the

A. Psychologist
B. Supervisor
C. Anthropologist
D. Sociologist

Answer 40

D. Sociologist

Question 41

Trying to explain the developmental aspects of society is the

A. Supervisor
B. Psychologist
C. Anthropologist
D. Sociologist

Answer 41

C. Anthropologist

Question 42

The most basic reason a supervisor should remain knowledgeable of changes in techniques, procedures, and practices is

A. To inform and instruct his subordinates so they can function properly
B. So he is kept up-to-date on general procedures
C. So that he might instruct others if he is called upon to do so
D. Because that is a responsibility he has and an obligation to the organization

Answer 42

A. To inform and instruct his subordinates so they can function properly

Question 43

In order for a supervisor to prepare himself for his position he should

A. Take the time to know and understand his weaknesses and work to overcome them
B. Have a high school education and enroll in night school to further his education
C. Gain a working knowledge of the principles of organization, administration, and management
D. Know and understand the policies of immediate superior officers

Answer 43

C. Gain a working knowledge of the principles of organization, administration, and management

Question 44

A supervisor should delegate those jobs which

A. Do not relate to his position
B. Subordinates are capable of performing
C. Are delegated to him
D. Are tedious and boring

Answer 44

B. Subordinates are capable of performing

Question 45

If Sergeant Stone delegates to Patroman Brown the task of keeping the platoon’s records, he must also give him

A. Responsibility to match that authority
B. Knowledge concerning the principles of organization
C. Authority to delegate routine tasks
D. Sufficient authority to match that responsibility

Answer 45

D. Sufficient authority to match that responsibility

Question 46

Captain Brown orders Lieutenant Smith to prepare the work schedule for the next week. Lieutenant Smith then orders Sergeant White to prepare the schedule and he in turn assigns Officer Green. Responsible for the completion of the work schedule is

A. Captain Brown
B. Lieutenant Smith
C. Sergeant White
D. Officer Green

Answer 46

A. Captain Brown

Question 47

A supervisor delegates tasks mainly so he will have more time for

A. Routine assignments
B. Training
C. Supervision
D. Planning

Answer 47

C. Supervision

Question 48

A police supervisor should be knowledgeable of the

A. Local political atmosphere
B. Allied agencies which do the same type of work
C. Objectives of the organization
D. All of the above

Answer 48

D. All of the above

Question 49

A supervisor is at his best when he

A. Prevents problems from occuring
B. Knows a problem needs to be solved
C. Understands how problems occur
D. Solves problems that occur

Answer 49

A. Prevents problems from occurring

Question 50

Generally a sergeant should assign his men

A. According to a logical plan
B. Where they would do the best job
C. On a seniority basis
D. With the assistance of his superiors

Answer 50

B. Where they would do the best job

Question 51

The expression “round plug in a round hole” most nearly means

A. Developing people to perform many functions
B. Getting the job done quickly and right
C. Putting the right man doing the right job
D. Assigning your best man to do a job

Answer 51

C. Putting the right man doing the right job

Question 52

There is a definite relationship between how well a subordinate produces, and how well he likes his job, and

A. How well he gets along with fellow workers
B. His lenght of service
C. His chances for advancement
D. The type of supervision he receives

Answer 52

D. The type of supervision he receives

Question 53

In order to best know that orders and procedures are carried out correctly, a supervisor would

A. Know and understand his men
B. Plan and control each operaton
C. Ensure policies and procedures are understood
D. Conduct frequent follow ups

Answer 53

D. Conduct frequent follow ups

Question 54

Positive discipline takes place in the form of

A. Punishment
B. Training
C. Motivation
D. Orgainzation

Answer 54

B. Training

Question 55

During a recruitment period, the police department finds one applicant is the subject of conflicting facts. There is some doubt as to whether he is suited for this type of work. In cases such as this, the department ordinarily should

A. Give him a chance
B. Investigate further into his background
C. Not hire the man
D. Put him on a special probationary period

Answer 55

B. Investigate further into his background

Question 56

Sergeant Smith reveives several telephone complaints about one of his men allegin he is shaking down motorists who commit violations. The sergeant recognizes the voice to be from the same person and while he can give no specific information, he will also no reveal who he is. Smith knows this officer to be a good worker and that he has had no disciplinary problems to this point. After discreetly watching the officer for a week and checking his reports, Smith’s most appropriate action, after following departmental rules, would be to

A. Consider the complaint as malicious
B. Ask the officer to use better judgement when stopping motorists
C. Plan a set-up to test the officer in question
D. Check his personal property for any new large purchases

Answer 56

A. Consider the complaint as malicious

Question 57

A supervisor can generally expect more errors to be committed by

A. Very old employees
B. Lazy workers
C. Inexperienced employees
D. Hard worker

Answer 57

C. Inexperienced employees

Question 58

When disciplinary action is necessary, it is most important that it be

A. Severe
B. Prompt
C. Job related
D. Cause and effect related

Answer 58

B. Prompt

Question 59

If we expect perfection from workers, we will probably get

A. A better, more well-done job
B. Wasted time, frustration, and frayed nerves
C. Rebellion and disciplinary problems
D. An effort equal to what we give

Answer 59

B. Wasted time, frustration, and frayed nerves

Question 60

When a supervisor is required to make a quick decision, he should avoid

A. Communicating
B. Concise orders
C. Command presence
D. Vacillating

Answer 60

D. Vacillating

Question 61

It is generally felt that what employees resent most is

A. The manner in which an order is given
B. The giving of an unfavorable order
C. Orders that benefit the organization
D. The giving of a meaningless order

Answer 61

A. The manner in which an order is given

Question 62

Change in an organization is generally accepted more readily if

A. Adequate advance notice is given to the affected personnel
B. The changes are put into effect slowly
C. The reason for the change is explained
D. They have beneficial long-range goals

Answer 62

C. The reason for the change is explained

Question 63

Women are now filling many first line supervisory positions once held only by men. It would be most correct to state that

A. Principles of leadership and management apply to women just as they do to men
B. Women are not able to apply leadership principles in the same way as men are
C. Women have more difficulty than men in the area of decision making, only because they lack experience
D. Women have been found to be more patient when dealing with subordinates and in the long run achieve better results

Answer 63

A. Principles of leadership and management apply to women just as they do to men

Question 64

Those who advance into positions of authority are often required to change their philosophy and life style. The primary reason for this is

A. Management expects it of them
B. They must now lead others
C. Their workload is likely to increase
D. They are responsible for the actions of others

Answer 64

B. They must now lead others