principles of supervision Flashcards
Which of the following most accurately describes the primary role of a supervisor within an
organization?
Facilitator
The term supervisor is generally used to refer to individuals at which of the following levels of
management?
First
An individual with supervisory management responsibility would be most likely to oversee which of the
following?
Technician
If a supervisor can perform certain job duties more efficiently than an employee, the supervisor should
generally
avoid stepping in, unless there is a personnel shortage.
First-level supervisors usually rely most heavily on which of the following types of skills?
Human relations skills
Which of the following is an example of an administrative managerial skill?
Completing a weekly performance report
Which of the following supervisory roles involves routing reports and information to employees?
Disseminator
Which of the following is an example of a supervisor acting in the role of entrepreneur?
Encouraging innovation by employees
A supervisor who bargains with other departments is acting in which of the following supervisory roles?
Negotiator
Which of the following does NOT represent an advantage of group decision making?
Saves time
Which of the following steps occurs first in the decision-making process?
Defining the idea or problem
Which of the following is an example of a programmed decision?
Processing an insurance claim
Ethical behavior generally requires consideration of all of the following EXCEPT:
Expedience
Which of the following is an example of ethical behavior?
Maintaining the confidentiality of classified information
A supervisor who continues to make decisions that have been delegated is violating which of the
following principles?
Management by exception
Which of the following CANNOT be delegated?
Accountability
Planning is generally concerned with which of the following?
Future impact of current decisions
Programs, projects, and schedules are examples of
single-use plans.
Supervisors generally give most of their attention to which of the following types of planning?
Short-range
Backup plans that specify alternative strategies to use in the event of an unforeseen outcome are known
as
contingency plans.
Which of the following is focused on facilitating the achievement of long-term strategic plans?
Operational planning
Which of the following does NOT represent an advantage of written objectives?
They are more challenging than unwritten objectives.
Each of the following is important to objective setting EXCEPT:
Idealism
A Gantt chart would be most appropriate for scheduling which of the following?
Completion of orders by a manufacturing facility
Which of the following terms is commonly used to refer to the set of activities that make up the longest
route, in terms of time, required to complete a project?
Critical path
The management by objectives (MBO) planning process is based on which of the following principles?
Individuals work harder to achieve objectives if they are committed to those objectives.
Supervisors should generally plan to handle sensitive or difficult tasks during which of the following
daily time periods?
Period of individual peak effectiveness
Which of the following types of authority is most likely to be carried out by specialists within a particular
field?
Staff authority
Which of the following types of organizational structures usually allows for decisions to be carried out
most quickly?
Line organization
Which of the following best characterizes a decentralized organization?
Middle and lower levels of management make important decisions regarding their units.
Which of the following most likely represents an example of a highly centralized organization?
A CEO must approve all new unit employees before they can be extended a job offer.
Which of the following will most likely result from decentralization of an organization?
Fewer management levels
Matrix organization would most likely be used for all of the following types of projects EXCEPT:
Tracking the results of a marketing campaign
Which of the following types of industries is most likely to rely on matrix organization?
Software development
Team members involved in projects that are structured according to matrix organization are LEAST
likely to suffer from which of the following types of conflict?
Conflicts between team members over functional expertise
An organization with narrow spans of control is generally a(n)
tall organization.
Which of the following represents a drawback of wide spans of control?
Overburdened managers
A manager can effectively supervise a larger number of employees if the
manager and employees work in close proximity.
Which of the following organizational structures violates the principle of unity of command?
Matrix
The principle of unity of command is based on the rationale that
it is difficult for an employee to satisfy two bosses at once.
A job analysis generally assesses all of the following requirements for performing a job EXCEPT:
Political connections
Job descriptions are usually developed by which of the following?
Supervisors
A job analysis generally involves examining
a job and its requirements.
Which of the following is responsible for upholding antidiscrimination laws that affect an organization?
Top, middle, and supervisory management
Which of the following would be considered a member of a protected group?
An elderly worker
Which of the following types of information can be lawfully used to disqualify candidates for
employment?
Legal eligibility to work in the United States
Which of the following terms is commonly used to refer to the process of screening applicants to choose
the best person for a particular job?
Selection
Each of the following represents a pitfall commonly experienced by interviewers during the structured
interview process EXCEPT:
Inconsistency
Which of the following questions is acceptable to ask during an employee interview?
“Can you meet the work schedule of this job?”
Employees acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to improve their job performance through which
of the following?
Training
