Chapter 2

Question 1

What is the difference between line and staff authority

Answer 1

line authority - allows managers to excercise direct control over subordinates. whti line authority, a manager can issue orders to that person and expect compliance.
staff authoriity - is pssessed by all managers who act in an advisory capacity to other managers. Pure staff authority is not binding and teh advice can be ignored.

Question 2

What can a manager learn from his job description

Answer 2

the scope of their forma authority and the duties of their job.

Question 3

Discuss why delegation is an essential process.

Answer 3

A first line supervisor must delegate authority in order to function effectively. it prevents slowdowns in service by supervisors who mistakenly feel they must be in direct control of all activity. It allows supervisors to spend more time on planning, directing and controlling. it increased subordinates skills and it benefits the agency both econimically and developmentally.

Question 4

Discuss four causes of delegation failure

Answer 4

1 - supervisors fail to recognize the benefits of delegation

2. delegation threatens their job security
3. supervisors feel their subordinates cannot do the job as well as tehy can
4. fear a substandard performance will reflect poorly on them.

Question 5

What tasks should not be delegated

Answer 5

tasks the supervisor does not undersand or does not know how to perform.
Tasks beyond the capacity of teh subordinate
Taks involving the rewarding or punishment of other subordinates
Tasks involving serious personnel problems
Tasks formulating important policy
Tasks wich are offensive or distasteful

Question 6

Discuss the basic steps in the delegation process

Answer 6

Choosing the task - making sure teh task is suitable for delgation deciding what the subordinate is to do.
Selecting the Subordinate - most important step in the process
Giving the assignment - telling the subordinate exactly what is to be accoplished
Setting management controls - setting reasonable due dates and obtaining feedback
checking understanding - subordinate must be required to restate the assignment and teh supervisor must make certain the subordinate understands
Follow up - supervisors must follow up on all delegations to ensure action has been taken, goals hav ebeen satisfied and deadlines have been met.

Question 7

Discuss some factors which impact on span of control

Answer 7

Capabilities of the supervisor
Capabilities of the subordinate
Work performed by the subordinate
extent of the supervisos non-supervisory tasks
Willingness of supervisor to delegate
Physical distance between the supervisor and the subordinate
Quality of agency’s formal training program
Rate of turnover

Question 8

When can the chain of command be violated

Answer 8

an allegation of serious misconduct implicating someone in the chain of command.
An emergency situation in which the immediate supervisor is unavailable
In a potentially damaging situation in which the departments reputation is endangered and the immediate supervisor is unavailable.
*Any decision is better than no decision

Question 9

Discuss the four step approach to management objectives

Answer 9

1. Setting goals - objectives are teh goals of a unit that must be reached within a specific time period
2. Identifying needs - goals must be identified and resources identified
3. Setting timetables - goals become objectives when time frames are set
4. Evaluating Results - management by objectives should be a continuing process and the end of each cycle involves an evaluation of the results.