Chapter 9: The supervisors Function (SGT/2015) Flashcards
supervisor’s job in 3 broad areas?
leading, directing, and controlling
Define Organization-
a structure through which people work as a group.
Define POSDCORB (Gulick)
- Planning: outline the things that need to be done
-Rules and regs are subject to more rapid change
than policies
-Rules must be current, reasonable, and clear - Organizing: work subdivisions are arranged.
- Staffing: bringing in and training staff
-Informal recruiting is often the best means and
most effective for staffing
-Every effort should be made to place employee
in their niche - Directing: making decisions and serving as the leader
-Consumes much of the supervisor’s time - Coordinating: interrelating the work
-Perhaps no function of mgt is more important than
coordination
-Coordination can best be accomplished by direct
communication. - Reporting: keeping people informed.
- Budgeting: fiscal planning, accounting
Define the Line Organization
- simple
- channels of authority/responsibility extend in a direct line
- quick decisions can be made
- discipline is easily administered
- disadvantage: units become departmentalized
Define the Functional Organization
-violates the prime rule that workers perform best when they have 1
supervisor
-discipline is difficult to administer
-may be confusion among line workers
The Line and Staff Organization.
found in almost all, but the very smallest police agencies
Define Division of Work.
-four main basis for dividing work: function, area, clientele, and purpose
-homogeneous work should be apportioned to the same unit
-supervisor should constantly analyze the nature of work to determine if the
work is effectively divided
-principle of specialization and the law of productivity require assigning
workers the fewest tasks in order to improve the quality and increase the
quantity of his work
What is Unity of Command
-organizational structure should provide clear-cut channels of authority
-every worker should be under the direct command of 1 supervisor
-principle of unity of command applies to those commanded, not those who
command
Define Span of Control
- how many employees a supervisor can effectively supervise
- factors effecting span of control:
- type of work
- complexity of work
- the area covered by the work
- distances between elements
- time needed to perform tasks
- the homogeneity of operations
- the types of people served
- the effectiveness of managers - tendency in L.E. is to exceed bounds of control
What is Delegation
-committing an activity to another’s care
-excellent tool for developing workers for positions of greater responsibility
-just b/c a task is delegated, does not relieve the supervisor of responsibility
-Delegation failures:
-happens when workers delegate upwards
-Delegation process
-give worker task and authority to complete task. Authority should be
consistent from task to task
-Primary function of manager is to preside over the delegation process
-once a task is delegated, importance explained, necessary
instructions given, supervisor should discreetly assure worker is
progressing satisfactorily
Define Personnel Development
-supervisors should training subordinates to take over in absence of supervisor
What is the Exception Principle
-supervisors should only act on matters that require their personal attention; otherwise, they get bogged down
What is Completed Staff Work
-a worker who had a task delegated should complete the entire task. The only
job of the supervisor is to approve/disapprove the work
Researching and Planning Projects
-if a plan of action is proposed, it should be well coordinated, unequivocal, and supported by factual data
