Chapter 01
Supervision: Tradition and
Contemporary Trends
I. Chapter Overview
This chapter provides an introduction to the supervisor. The supervisor is the first-level
manager responsible for coordinating the work of nonmanagement employees, or
employees who provide the products and services for the customers of the organization.
A historical perspective of the supervisor’s role looks into the theories and principles that
have led to the development of current views on supervision. Frederick Taylor’s scientific
management principles (focus on efficiency), Henri Fayol’s administrative principles (focus
on functions), and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (focus on people) are discussed in relation
to the supervisory role in an organization.
The skills required of the supervisor are similar to the skills required of both employees and
managers. Supervisors need technical skills common to their employees, but they also need
human relations skills, conceptual skills, and decision-making skills. Human relations skills
enable the supervisor to work effectively with other people. Conceptual skills enable the
supervisor to see the relation of the parts to the whole and to one another. Decision-making
skills enable the supervisor to analyze information and reach good decisions. Supervisors
usually have ample technical skills, which may have to be held in check. On the other hand,
they may have to develop better human relations, conceptual, and decision-making skills.
Growing diversity in the workforce resulting from increasing proportions of women and
ethnic and racial minorities is challenging the supervisor’s role. Differing perspectives on
situations faced by the organization are an advantage when competitive forces increasingly
require flexibility and innovation. However, most individuals, including supervisors, usually
feel more comfortable with those who are most like themselves. Supervisors need to learn
to value diversity for their own success and for the success of the organization.
,General functions of the supervisor include planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and
controlling. Planning involves setting goals and determining how to meet them. Organizing
involves setting up the groups, allocating resources, and assigning work to achieve goals.
Staffing includes identifying, hiring, and developing the necessary number and quality of
employees. Leading involves getting employees to do what is expected of them. Controlling
consists of monitoring performance and making needed corrections.
Supervisors are responsible for getting the work assigned by their boss accomplished
through the use of the employees who work for them. They are also responsible for
communicating instructions, requirements, and expectations of the organization to their
employees and dealing with them fairly. Supervisors are responsible for informing their
managers of concerns of employees. They are also responsible for cooperating with co-
workers in other departments to assure the effective and efficient operation of the
organization.
Most supervisors start out as employees within the department. Their promotion is based
on performance and skill levels. To be successful, supervisors must leave the role of
employee and develop the required skills of the supervisor. A successful supervisor is
usually someone who has a positive attitude, is loyal and fair, communicates well, can
delegate, and wants the job.
II. Teaching the Concepts by Learning Objectives
Learning Objective 1.1: Define what a supervisor is.
1. Key Term:
Supervisor: A supervisor is a manager at the first level of management, which means
that employees reporting to the supervisor are not managers
2. Teaching Notes:
, The Taft-Hartley Act defines a supervisor as “any individual having authority, in the
interest of the employer, to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge,
assign, reward or discipline other employees, or responsibility to direct them, or to
adjust their grievances...”
The basic job of a manager is to see that an organization meets its goals, yet there are
distinctions. For the top executives of an organization, managing is about making sure
that the organization’s vision and business strategy will allow it to meet its goals
through the years ahead. Managing at the supervisory level means ensuring that the
employees in a particular department are performing their jobs so that the department
will contribute its share to accomplishing the organization’s goals. Usually, supervisors
focus on day-to-day problems and on goals to be achieved in one year or less.
3. Teaching example for defining what a supervisor is:
Students may not be familiar with the structure of an organization and the functions of
its managers. Use an organization chart to show where the supervisor is placed in the
organization. The organization chart is covered in greater detail later, so use a very
simple chart at this point.
The organization chart illustrates where the supervisor is in the hierarchy of the
organization. It also illustrates the variety of work groups that include the position of
supervisor.
The organization chart developed for this Learning Objective may be used again for
later learning objectives. For example, Learning Objective 1.6 explains how supervisors
are responsible to higher management, employees, and co-workers. On the chart,
include at least four levels of employees and at least three divisions of management
such as human resources (or personnel), purchasing, and a sales or production unit. By
doing so, one has two divisions with which a supervisor interacts.
Develop the organization chart by using the following methods:
a. Ask students to help develop an organization chart for a local business they are
familiar with such as a grocery store. Include at least four levels; for example, a
CEO, managers, supervisors, and line workers. (Use a flip chart or black (white)
, board to illustrate a traditional organization chart)
b. In developing the organization chart, ask students to describe what has to
happen in the organization to ultimately deliver products and services to the
customer: for example, hiring people, buying goods and materials, paying the
bills for goods and materials, waiting on customers, and so forth. Add the position
of division manager if it is useful to the discussion.
c. Discuss the general responsibility of each level and the relationship of other
positions to the supervisor, including positions higher, lower, and peers.
d. Discuss how the supervisor’s responsibilities, behaviors, and attitudes differ from
the line worker and the boss of the supervisor. Remind students that the
supervisor has a role in the organization that is different from those who are
higher in the organization and the employees who will work in the supervisor’s
work unit, even though there is a sharing of certain skills.
Typical organization chart, simplified:
4. Exercise for defining what a supervisor is:
Draw on the experience of students in the class. Ask them to describe what supervisors
do by using knowledge they have gained with work experiences or talking with other
people about supervisors.
Supervision: Tradition and
Contemporary Trends
I. Chapter Overview
This chapter provides an introduction to the supervisor. The supervisor is the first-level
manager responsible for coordinating the work of nonmanagement employees, or
employees who provide the products and services for the customers of the organization.
A historical perspective of the supervisor’s role looks into the theories and principles that
have led to the development of current views on supervision. Frederick Taylor’s scientific
management principles (focus on efficiency), Henri Fayol’s administrative principles (focus
on functions), and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (focus on people) are discussed in relation
to the supervisory role in an organization.
The skills required of the supervisor are similar to the skills required of both employees and
managers. Supervisors need technical skills common to their employees, but they also need
human relations skills, conceptual skills, and decision-making skills. Human relations skills
enable the supervisor to work effectively with other people. Conceptual skills enable the
supervisor to see the relation of the parts to the whole and to one another. Decision-making
skills enable the supervisor to analyze information and reach good decisions. Supervisors
usually have ample technical skills, which may have to be held in check. On the other hand,
they may have to develop better human relations, conceptual, and decision-making skills.
Growing diversity in the workforce resulting from increasing proportions of women and
ethnic and racial minorities is challenging the supervisor’s role. Differing perspectives on
situations faced by the organization are an advantage when competitive forces increasingly
require flexibility and innovation. However, most individuals, including supervisors, usually
feel more comfortable with those who are most like themselves. Supervisors need to learn
to value diversity for their own success and for the success of the organization.
,General functions of the supervisor include planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and
controlling. Planning involves setting goals and determining how to meet them. Organizing
involves setting up the groups, allocating resources, and assigning work to achieve goals.
Staffing includes identifying, hiring, and developing the necessary number and quality of
employees. Leading involves getting employees to do what is expected of them. Controlling
consists of monitoring performance and making needed corrections.
Supervisors are responsible for getting the work assigned by their boss accomplished
through the use of the employees who work for them. They are also responsible for
communicating instructions, requirements, and expectations of the organization to their
employees and dealing with them fairly. Supervisors are responsible for informing their
managers of concerns of employees. They are also responsible for cooperating with co-
workers in other departments to assure the effective and efficient operation of the
organization.
Most supervisors start out as employees within the department. Their promotion is based
on performance and skill levels. To be successful, supervisors must leave the role of
employee and develop the required skills of the supervisor. A successful supervisor is
usually someone who has a positive attitude, is loyal and fair, communicates well, can
delegate, and wants the job.
II. Teaching the Concepts by Learning Objectives
Learning Objective 1.1: Define what a supervisor is.
1. Key Term:
Supervisor: A supervisor is a manager at the first level of management, which means
that employees reporting to the supervisor are not managers
2. Teaching Notes:
, The Taft-Hartley Act defines a supervisor as “any individual having authority, in the
interest of the employer, to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge,
assign, reward or discipline other employees, or responsibility to direct them, or to
adjust their grievances...”
The basic job of a manager is to see that an organization meets its goals, yet there are
distinctions. For the top executives of an organization, managing is about making sure
that the organization’s vision and business strategy will allow it to meet its goals
through the years ahead. Managing at the supervisory level means ensuring that the
employees in a particular department are performing their jobs so that the department
will contribute its share to accomplishing the organization’s goals. Usually, supervisors
focus on day-to-day problems and on goals to be achieved in one year or less.
3. Teaching example for defining what a supervisor is:
Students may not be familiar with the structure of an organization and the functions of
its managers. Use an organization chart to show where the supervisor is placed in the
organization. The organization chart is covered in greater detail later, so use a very
simple chart at this point.
The organization chart illustrates where the supervisor is in the hierarchy of the
organization. It also illustrates the variety of work groups that include the position of
supervisor.
The organization chart developed for this Learning Objective may be used again for
later learning objectives. For example, Learning Objective 1.6 explains how supervisors
are responsible to higher management, employees, and co-workers. On the chart,
include at least four levels of employees and at least three divisions of management
such as human resources (or personnel), purchasing, and a sales or production unit. By
doing so, one has two divisions with which a supervisor interacts.
Develop the organization chart by using the following methods:
a. Ask students to help develop an organization chart for a local business they are
familiar with such as a grocery store. Include at least four levels; for example, a
CEO, managers, supervisors, and line workers. (Use a flip chart or black (white)
, board to illustrate a traditional organization chart)
b. In developing the organization chart, ask students to describe what has to
happen in the organization to ultimately deliver products and services to the
customer: for example, hiring people, buying goods and materials, paying the
bills for goods and materials, waiting on customers, and so forth. Add the position
of division manager if it is useful to the discussion.
c. Discuss the general responsibility of each level and the relationship of other
positions to the supervisor, including positions higher, lower, and peers.
d. Discuss how the supervisor’s responsibilities, behaviors, and attitudes differ from
the line worker and the boss of the supervisor. Remind students that the
supervisor has a role in the organization that is different from those who are
higher in the organization and the employees who will work in the supervisor’s
work unit, even though there is a sharing of certain skills.
Typical organization chart, simplified:
4. Exercise for defining what a supervisor is:
Draw on the experience of students in the class. Ask them to describe what supervisors
do by using knowledge they have gained with work experiences or talking with other
people about supervisors.
