Chapter 2 - The Supervisor's Function In Organization, Administration, And Management Flashcards
A structure through which individuals work as a team could be called
A. An integrated society
B. An organization
C. An investigation
D. A process direction and control
B. An organization
In order to help insure that the required coordination of human effort in an organization is achieved, it is necessary to have
A. Human understanding
B. Direction and control
C. Administrative management
D. Budgeting, reporting and action
B. Direction and control
A supervisor’s job may be narrowed into three main areas. These areas are leading, directing and
A. Training
B. Administration
C. Controlling
D. Coordinating
C. Controlling
A supervisor’s job concerns itself primarily with
A. Training subordinates
B. Planning schedules
C. Improving morale
D. Directing subordinates
D. Directing subordinates
An abstract condition a supervisor would concern himself about is
A. Morale
B. Working conditions
C. Equipment
D. Training
A. Morale
When a supervisor works out a broad outline of things that require doing and the way to do them in order to accomplish the organization’s purpose, he is in effect
A. Directing
B. Planning
C. Coordinating
D. Reporting
B. Planning
One whose duty it is to interrelate the different parts of the work process is said to be in
A. Staffing
B. Planning
C. Directing
D. Coordinating
D. Coordinating
Generally when a police organization issues plans dealing with problems, both present and anticipated, more detail and precision is required at the
A. Top level
B. Staff leve
C. Level near the top
D. Lower levels
D. Lower levels
Plans, to have value, must be effectively communicated to the people who are expected to follow them. Plans may be communicated by verbal commands, written orders, or by manuals. We know from experience that if communications can misinterpreted, they will be. We find that standing orders and orders which are complicated are best communicated
A. Verbally
B. Indirectly
C. In writing
D. With flexibility of purpose
C. In writing
Procedural plans relating to standard operating procedures should be reviewed by supervisors for the purpose of improvement
A. Continually
B. When so directed
C. Only when a need is evident
D. At least every six months
A. Continually
A tactical plan issued by a police department would most nearly be a plan to
A. Give guidance and direction to personnel in the normal routine of their duties
B. Explain the varied elements of police service such as revolver training, use of the baton, etc.
C. Meet emergency-type situations such as a riot, major disaster, etc.
D. Meet vice and crime problems on a day-to-day basis
C. Meet emergency-type situations such as a riot, major disaster, etc.
Tactical plans and procedures are usually developed
A. After the incident has taken place
B. While the incident is taking place
C. Long in advance of the expected incident
D. Just prior to the anticipated incident
C. Long in advance of the expected incident
Tactical plans should be
A. Rigid
B. Extemporaneous
C. Structured
D. Flexible
D. Flexible
A plan designed to provide guidance and direction to police in their normal routine performance would be called
A. A tactical plan
B. An operational plan
C. An auxiliary plan
D. A fuctional plan
B. An operational plan
Recruitment, training and the placing of personnel are considered
A. Line functions
B. Staffing functions
C. Auxiliary functions
D. Procedural functions
B. Staffing functions
The usual result of placing an employee in a position he favors and is best suited for is
A. Improved performance
B. A greater challenge
C. Decreased initiative
D. Better direction and control
A. Improved performance
A close analogy of having a “color-blind man picking strawberries” is
A. Putting a round peg in a round hole
B. Putting a square peg in a square hole
C. Putting a round peg in a square hole
D. Putting the right man doing the right job
C. Putting a round peg in a square hole
A first line supervisor is most likely to transmit decisions to subordinates through
A. Written policy
B. Orders, instructions, and other media available to him/her
C. Oral and written directives
D. Example
B. Orders, instructions, and other media available to him/her
A police supervisor would follow up his orders mostly by
A. Delegation of authority
B. Policy and direction
C. Observation and inspection
D. Subordinate personnel
C. Observation and inspection
In an organization, the need for coordination becomes greater when it
A. Is small and compact
B. Increases in size and complexity
C. Has few lines of control
D. Has similar functions
B. Increases in size and complexity
Lines of authority and channels of communication usually become more indistinct when an organization
A. Has a high esprit de corps
B. Is small and well run
C. Has established clear goals
D. Increases in complexity
D. Increases in complexity
Coordination, as an essential process of an organization, is best accomplished through
A. A clear mandate
B. Common objectives
C. Direct communications
D. Inspection and control
C. Direct communications
It is important for a supervisor to develop friendly rapport with supervisors of related units, both within and outside his organization. He can best accomplish this through
A. Informal meetings, formal associations, and by being friendly
B. Being available during his normal work schedule
C. Developed, flexible lines of communication
D. Understanding and knowing himself
A. Informal meetings, formal associations, and by being friendly
Friction between different police units occur primarily because
A. Work loads are not evenly distributed
B. People from each unit do not appreciate the problems of the other
C. Channels of communication are not open and available
D. The organizational structure has failed to function properly
B. People from each unit do not appreciate the problems of the other
The best way for supervisors to understand the workings and problems of supervisors from other police units of the department is
A. Through regularly scheduled conferences and staff meetings
B. Through informal meetings and the interchange of information
C. By first knowing and understanding his job and unit
D. To actually perform their jobs for a short period of time
D. To actually perform their jobs for a short period of time
Most essential for a supervisor in establishing a climate where the spirit of cooperation exists among his men is
A. A clear objective
B. A training program
C. A friendly attitude
D. Improved work methods
C. A friendly attitude
The type of organization often called the individual, departmental, or military is more commonly known as the
A. Functional organization
B. Straight line organization
C. Line and staff organization
D. Structural organization
B. Straight line organization
The simplest type of organizational structure is the
A. Staff
B. Line
C. Functional
D. Line and staff
B. Line
Authority in a straight line organization is considered
A. Definite and absolute
B. Flexible
C. Divisional
D. Difficult
A. Definite and absolute
Generally considered the greates advantages to a line type organization is its
A. Flexibility
B. Consolidation of duties
C. Simplicity
D. Indirect accountability
C. Simplicity
The type of organiztion where supervisors are too often required to perform functions that are normally done by specialists is the
A. Line and staff organization
B. Functional organization
C. Staff organization
D. Line organization
D. Line organization
The organization known as “functional” violates the principle of
A. Unity and command
B. Span of control
C. Division of work
D. Delegation of authority
A. Unity and command
The most accurate statement that can be said about a functional organization is that
A. Discipline is easy to administer
B. Lines of authority are definite
C. Few are in operation today
D. Conflict and confusion are at a minimum
C. Few are in operation today
All except the smallest police agencies are known as a
A. Line organization
B. Line and staff organization
C. Staff organization
D. Functional organization
B. Line and staff organization
A criminalist of a police department would be considered a
A. Line officer
B. Civilian position
C. Line and staff officer
D. Staff officer
D. Staff officer
Normally a staff supervisor has
A. Staff command over line personnel
B. Line command over subordinates in his unit
C. Line command over line personnel
D. Authority over all subordinates outside his command
B. Line command over subordinates in his unit
Generally regarded as the greatest and most frequent supervisory cause of friction in an organization is
A. Inadequately defined unit goals
B. An imbalance in the area of division of work
C. A failure of staff personnel to recognize their limited line of authority
D. Unfair and too strict discipline
C. A failure of staff personnel to recognize their limited line of authority
Regardless of the basis, the division of work must be
A. Logical and practicable
B. Proportionately structured
C. Apportioned by purpose
D. Functional
A. Logical and practicable
The division of work should result in economies to the organization or convenience to those served or
A. Geographical divisions
B. Knowledge of people
C. Improved operations
D. Employee accountability
C. Improved operations
Division of work involves the process of
A. Structure and design
B. Analysis and synthesis
C. Change and motivation
D. Isolate and utilize
B. Analysis and synthesis
Work involving different functions or purposes should, when possible be accomplished by
A. The same unit
B. Indigenous units
C. Functional units
D. Different units
D. Different units
Police department “A” is large enough to have specialized units such as detectives, a crime lab, etc. If the chief were to experiment and allow each officer to completely investigate a crime committed in his jurisdiction and do the following: conduct a preliminary investigation, prepare all reports, gather and preserve physical evidence, conduct the follow-up, and present the case to court, the probable long-range result would be
A. Increased initiative and less dependency
B. A higher conviction rate
C. Lower productivity and quality of work
D. Greater efficiency and a higher conviction rate
C. Lower productivity and quality of work
Organizational structure should provide a logical arrangement of work and
A. Provide clear-cut channels of authority
B. Outline the law of specialization and productivity
C. Function according to clientele and purpose
D. Designate the varios components of work synthesis
A. Provide clear-cut channels of authority
When a subordinate is under the direct command of only one supervisor, we have what is known as
A. Span of control
B. Specialization
C. Command presence
D. Unity of command
D. Unity of command
The principle of unity of command applies to
A. Those who are commanded
B. Those who command the commanded
C. Thos who command
D. All personnel
A. Those who are commanded
A lieutenant makes it a habit of dealing directly with certain patrolmen rather than the sergeant. This creates confusion, lowering of confidence towards the sergeant, and creates a problem in the area of
A. Span of control
B. Delegation of authority
C. Organizational structure
D. Unity of command
D. Unity of command
A new traffic unit is organized consisting of twenty patrolmen who will enforce hazardous traffic violations in areas of the community that have had a large number of serious and fatal accidents. The unit consists of a squad of twenty men with two sergeants having equal authority. The men are to work in pairs in unmarked cars from 4PM until Midnight. The greatest fault with the procedure and plan as it now exists is
A. A violation of span of control
B. Using unmarked cars for traffic enforcement
C. The principle of unity of command is violated
D. The use of two men in a patrol car
C. The principle of unity of command is violated
Span of control most accuarately refers to
A. The control a supervisor has over specific and related jobs
B. One individual being responsible to one supervisor
C. The number of individuals one supervisor cand handle effectively
D. How well one supervisor can control his subordinates
C. The number of individuals one supervisor cand handle effectively
In an organization the span of control is usuall smallest at the
A. Top level
B. Middle level
C. Lower level
D. Bottom level
A. Top level
Span of control usually depends on the
A. Area of the work performed and the capacity of the supervisor
B. Number of subordinates and the time needed to perform the work
C. Type and complexity of the work being performed
D. All of the above
D. All of the above
Most closely related to delegation of work is the principle of
A. Unity of command
B. Span of control
C. Personnel development
D. Exception to work
B. Span of control
Primary causes for bottlenecks which impede or stop effective operations are a supervisor’s failure to
A. Understand the principles of work overload
B. Utilize his span of control
C. Delegate authority
D. Properly deploy his personnel
C. Delegate authority
Captain Brown is kept so busy during his work day that he very often does not have time to plan ahead as he would like to do. Which one of the following actions might he take to allow him the extra time he needs
A. Broaden the unit’s “span of control”
B. Delegate as many routine tasks as feasible
C. Devote more effort to planning each day’s activity
D. Learn to filter the “important from the unimportant”
B. Delegate as many routine tasks as feasible
The principle of delegation relates to the process of committing an activity to another’s care. From the employee’s standpoint, which statement dealing with the aspects of delegation is least correct?
A. Responsibility and a delegated task are interchangable quantities
B. It provides an opportunity to increase job knowledge
C. Feelings of frustration and insecurity are lessened
D. Experience is gained which may help advancement
A. Responsibility and a delegated task are interchangable quantities
A police chief wants the records system of the department modernized to keep pace with other areas. After drawing up the plans, he orders one of his captains to make the necessary improvements. The captain meets with two lieutenants to smooth out any rough edges and the job is finally done by a sergeant and two patrolmen. Responsible for the successful completion of the new records system is the
A. Police chief
B. Captain
C. Sergeant and two patrolmen
D. Two lieutenants
B. Captain
The least accurate conclusion that could be made when a supervisor fails to delegate work to his subordinates is
A. Lack of confidence in his subordinates
B. He has failed to learn how to delegate
C. A lack of confidence in himself
D. He has an overconfidence in his own ability
C. A lack of confidence in himself
In which case would the process of delegation most likely lose its value as a supervisory tool?
A. If there is little growth potential to those affected by the assignments
B. If the individual to whom a task is delegated has shown little intitiative in the past
C. If adequate follow-up inspections are not made to ensure that objectives are met
D. If those to whom a task is delegated are not in full agreement with its value to the operation
C. If adequate follow-up inspections are not made to ensure that objectives are met
The primary reason some supervisors do not develop subordinates to their full potential is
A. Too full a work schedule
B. They have failed to delegate properly
C. A fear of competition
D. A poorly structured organization
C. A fear of competition
Personnel development is most closely related to
A. The principle of unity of command
B. Effective supervisory communications
C. The principle of span of control
D. Delegation of work and authority
D. Delegation of work and authority
Developing subordinates to their full potential is mostly a
A. Matter of understanding
B. Training task
C. Leadership function
D. Human relations task
B. Training task
The “exception principle” most nearly means that
A. The police hierarchy should act only on exceptional or unusual matters requiring their personal attention
B. In every situation there is the unexpected, or more nearly, the exception.
C. Every organization is structured in a rigid manner, but there must always be exceptions
D. Unity of command is a valid principle that should be followed with few exceptions
D. Unity of command is a valid principle that should be followed with few exceptions
If a lieutenant delegates a project to one of his sergeants and the sergeant completes the assignment in a satisfactory manner, then we have what is known as
A. Incomplete delegation
B. Personnel development
C. Span of authority
D. Completed staff work
D. Completed staff work
Organization involves
A. Psychological matters
B. Physical matters
C. Both A and B
D. Neither A nor B
C. Both A and B
Organizing is closely related to
A. Review
B. Inspection
C. Control
D. Planning
D. Planning
Employees should be trained so they produce effectively, efficiently, and
A. Intelligently
B. With coordination
C. Safely
D. At a low cost
C. Safely
The essence of coordination is
A. Cooperative effort
B. Understanding
C. Unity
D. Subordinate involvement
A. Cooperative effort
When organizational responsibilities are changed, it will necessitate a realignment of work loads so
A. Production will be effective, safe, and efficient
B. Factual data may be refined, organized and implemented
C. A logical and practical division of work will exist
D. Unit supervisors may apportion work by delegation and plan
C. A logical and practical division of work will exist
Span of control is limited mostly by the
A. Supervisor’s limitations
B. Type of job and personnel
C. Particular work load
D. Element of coordination
B. Type of job and personnel
Creative thinking, improving essential external relationships, and planning are
A. Desired, but not essential, for supervisors to perform
B. Essential only in reference to the latter, not the other two
C. Equally desirable among supervisors and subordinates at about the same degree
D. Enhanced when supervisors properly delegate routine tasks
D. Enhanced when supervisors properly delegate routine tasks
