Basic Functions of Supervisors and Managers Explained

55
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
CHAPTER 2
BASIC FUNCTIONS OF
SUPERVISOR AND
MANAGER

56
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE

57
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
In this chapter the following
topics will be covered
Leadership Role
Functions of the Supervisors
Characteristics to become an Effective
Supervisor
Special Skills of Supervisor
Supervisory Responsibilities
Disciplining Employees
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6

58
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
TOPIC 2.1
LEADERSHIPR O L E

59
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
At the end of this topic, the students will be able to:
Determine the factors that influence leadership
ability of the supervisor
Define types of leadership role
Apply the leadership styles to a given situation
1.
2.
3.
Learning Outcomes

60
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
Behavioral Theories
Leadership Orientation
Achievement Oriented
Subordinate Oriented
Leadership Style
Autocratic Approach
Democratic Approach
Laissez-Faire
Situational Theory
Boss-centred Leadership
Subordinate-centred
Leadership
2.1 LEADERSHIP ROLE
(Good Morning. We shall continue our lesson on Administrative Office Management by continuing
to chapter 2 discussing some basic functions of supervisor and manager)
One of the functions of a supervisor is to supervise the employees effectively in the work place. In
order for the supervisor to be able to supervise well he needs to have leadership skills and ability.
There are five factors that influence the leadership ability of the supervisors. These factors are:
The level of hierarchy of the manager or supervisor.1.
Number of individuals reporting to the supervisor.2.
Nature of the work performed by the subordinates.3.
Background or the experience of the subordinates.4.
Stability of the work unit.5.
Leadership ability is one’s ability to get things done through and with others. There are several
theories of leadership that can be used by supervisor when they are supervising employees. These
theories of leadership are divided into Behavioral Theories and Situational Thoeories.
Theories of Leadership
Behavioral Theories
There are two behavioral theories of leadership – leadership style and leadership orientation. Each
theory has distinct characteristics.
Leadership Style
The leadership style include:
Autocratic Approach: A leadership style of dealing with subordinates in which the superiors (su-
pervisor or manager) make decisions without seeking the ideas, suggestions, and recommendations
of their subordinates.

61
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
This type of leader will hold the power to himself/herself. He or she will use the power to control his/
her subordinates’ actions or behaviour. For example, if the leader sets a dateline to his/her subordi-
nates to submit a monthly report, the leader will use his/her power to make the subordinates stay and
finish the report after “office hour”. When this type of leader tends to be not flexible, the subordinates
will tend to retaliate by reducing their productivity. Generally in the office settings the employees are
expected to follow all instructions or directions given by the departmental manager when the jobs are
related to official activities.
Although the autocratic approach is considers less effective than the democratic approach However,
autocratic approach is appropriate to use in the following areas:
During emergency situations.•
Immediate decisions required situations.•
When new recruits are expected to perform the job tasks but they are not familiar with the pro-•
cess or procedure.
An insubordinate employee (an employee who likes to disobey instructions or tend to be rebel-•
lious.)
Democratic approach: It is a style whereby the leader will seek the participation of the subordinates
to give suggestions, ideas, feedbacks or recommendations. The subordinates will be invited to
discuss a particular issue or many issues, they will express their thoughts, and however, the final
decision will be finalized by the leader who is responsible for the decision made. This technique is
officially known as participative management.
A leader who applies democratic approach is more flexible than the autocratic approach. For ex-
ample, if the subordinates make a big mistake, the leader will investigate the reason for making that
particular mistake before taking appropriate disciplinary action. Normally, this type leader will toler-
ate with the mistakes done by the subordinates.
However, democratic approach is well suited with the following situations:
i. When the time is sufficient for the subordinates to participate (giving ideas).
ii. Important changes have to be made with the input from the subordinates.
iii. Subordinates need to express their thoughts and solve some concerns.
iv. Situations or problems confronting the work group need to be resolved.
There is another technique that makes extensive use of the democratic process known as Manage-
ment-by-objectives technique (MBO).
In MBO the employees and their supervisors will discuss together to determine the job tasks to be ac-
complished by the employees. The progress of the employees’ performance in achieving the goals
will be evaluated from time to time by the supervisors.

62
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
This MBO technique is best applied in the following situations:
When the work group is well educated.•
When the work group is self-motivated.•
When the work group is goal oriented.•
So far you have learned two leadership styles. They are autocratic and democratic leadership styles.
Let’s go on to the third leadership style. It is known as Laissez-faire approach.
Leaders or supervisors with Laissez-faire leadership style will give full freedom to the employees to
perform the tasks and to achieve the organization’s goals with very little assistance/supervision from
the supervisor. Some leaders who use this approach are not concerned about their employees.
Other leaders use this approach because they believe they will gain popularity from the employees
when the employees are given freedom
The following situations are suitable using this leadership style of approach:•
When the work group is highly skilled.•
When the work group is well-educated.•
When there are temporary or leased employees are in the group.•
Leadership Orientation
Let’s move on to another set of behavioral theories of leadership style called Leadership orientation.
It can be divided into two orientations.
Achievement-oriented Supervision
First, when the supervisors are more concerned on the achievement of the subordinates,
thus, the supervisors are applying an achievement-oriented supervision. With this orien-
tation, the supervisors are focusing more on the productivity of the employees. They have
high expectations on the output level to be achieved by the employees.
Subordinate-oriented Supervision
However, for the second orientation, the supervisors are applying subordinates-oriented
supervision where they are more concerned on the welfare of the employees. Practicing
this orientation, supervisors believe that when the subordinates’ needs are fulfilled, the
employees will perform at a satisfactory level. The supervisor is concerned with output to
a lesser degree that achievement-oriented individual.
1.
2.

63
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
Definition of Terms
Democratic Approach: style of dealing with subordinates in which the superiors
consult their subordinates in the decision-making process.
Participative Management: managerial style in which subordinates are invited to
participate in the decision-making process, but the manager is ultimately respon-
sible for the decision that is made.
Laissez-Faire Approach: managerial style in which supervisors give their
subordinates considerable freedom and provide them with very little assistance
as they carry out their assigned task.
Achievement-oriented Supervision: supervisory process in which supervi-
sors expect their subordinates to maintain a high level of output regardless of
the impact of productivity expectations on the employees.
Subordinated-oriented Supervision: supervisory process in which the
supervisor believes that if his or her subordinates’ needs are fulfilled, they
will perform at a satisfactory level.
Situational Theory
A growing number of individuals believe that the situational theory of leadership is more realistic that
the behavioral theories. The situation theory is based on the belief that the amount of leadership
a supervisor should use will vary from situation to situation. The situational theory can be divided
into:
Boss-centred leadership is a situational theory of leadership which is autocratic in nature. Su-
pervisors will have high level of authority and employee will have less freedom.
Subordinate-centred leadership is a situation theory of leadership which is democratic in na-
ture. Employees will high amount of freedom and supervisor use of authority is reduced.
a.
b.

64
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
Before we continue, let’s take a break and review what had been learned.)
REVIEW QUESTIONS (2.1)
Instructions: Circle the correct response
1. All but one of the following have an impact on the amount of leadership skills required in a
supervisory position. Which does not have an impact?
A. The number of subordinates for whom the supervisor is responsible
B. The personality of the supervisor
C. The hierarchical level of the supervisor
D. The background of the subordinates
2. All but one of the following are characteristics of the autocratic leadership approach. Which is
not a characteristic?
A. The autocratic supervisor seeks ideas, suggestions, and recommendations from
subordinates.
B. The autocratic supervisor rarely deviates from the norm.
C. The autocratic supervisor tends to be inflexible.
D. The autocratic supervisor tends to discipline subordinates before attempting to
determine reasons for their misconduct.
3. All but one of the following are characteristics of the democratic leadership approach. Which of
the following is not a characteristic?
A. Subordinates are asked to participate in the decision-making process, especially if
the impact of the decision is apt to have an effect on them.
B. The approach is flexible.
C. A cooperative relationship is likely to exist between the supervisor and subordinates.
D. The supervisor is rarely ultimately responsible for making the final decision.
4. All but one of the following are characteristics of the laissez-faire leadership approach. Which
one is not a characteristic?
A. The subordinates have a considerable amount of freedom.
B. The supervisor may display a lack of care.
C. The laissez-faire approach is a useful approach when employee creativity is involved.
D. The subordinates are given a considerable amount of assistance from the supervisor.

65
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
TOPIC 2.2
FUNCTIONS OF
SUPERVISION

66
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
List and explain the functions of supervision.
State activities in the functions of supervision.
1.
2.
Learning Outcomes

67
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
Supervisory
Functions
Planning Controlling
Directing
Staffing
Organizing
2.2 FUNCTIONS OF SUPERVISION
(In this topic you will see that function of supervision is the same as the functions of management of
the administrative office manager. However we will discuss the actual activities the supervisor will
do in each of the function)
Figure 2.1 Functions of Supervision
Planning
Deal with analyzing relevant information from both the past and present, and assessing probable
developments of the future so a course of action -the plan- may be determined that will enable the
firm to meet its goals.
The amount of planning the supervisor’s job involves is often directly related to the hierarchical level
of his or her position. Higher level supervisors spend more time in the planning function than lower
level supervisors. The type of plan developed by lower level supervisors are usually for a shorter
duration (e.g. implementing the goals and objectives developed by higher level supervisors) than
those developed by higher level supervisors.
The supervisors generally have to make sure that their planning efforts are consistent with the or-
ganization’ mission statement and vision statement. The supervisors are also expected to develop
both the mission and vision statements of their operational areas.

68
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
Mission Statement is statement
that identifies the organization’s
reasons for being
Vision Statement is statement
that identifies how the
organization gets where
it wants to go.
Organizing
Is the bringing together all economic resources (the work, the workplace, the information, and the
workers) to form a controllable (manageable) unit – the organization – to accomplish specific objec-
tives
The organizing function involves determining which of the subordinates in the work unit are best
qualified for a particular job and then assigning that job to the appropriate individuals. Organizing
also involves developing a staff system that facilitates the accomplishment of established plans, tak-
ing into consideration budgetary allocations for those plans. Developing an environment in which the
employees can be productive and efficient and developing effective work processes and procedures
are other dimensions of organizing.
Staffing
The staffing activities of the supervisor are quite extensive; in others it might be limited. Higher level
supervisor have considerable control over selecting new employees for their respective work units;
while lower level supervisors may not have much control.
Some other staffing activities include orientating and training new employees, retraining, promoting,
evaluating, and counselling employees.
Directing
Deals in motivating and directing the workers so the objectives of the organization will be success-
fully achieve.
Of all the responsibilities of the supervisor, directing subordinate is likely the most demanding and
time-consuming aspect of their jobs.

Some of the activities involved in this function include leading, motivating, developing and recogniz-
ing the efforts of subordinates. The directing function is concerned with the manner in which the
supervisor relates to the subordinate on a person-to-person basis or to a group of subordinates on
a person-to-group basis. The activities in the directing function is more important to the lower lever
supervisors.

69
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
Controlling
Involve ensuring that operating results conform as closely as possible to the plans made for the or-
ganization. Thus the controlling function involves comparing actual results with anticipated results.
The activities in this function may consume a considerable portion of the supervisor’s time, especial-
ly when actual results are less than what was anticipated. The supervisor is responsible for taking
corrective action to remedy the situation.

70
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
TOPIC 2.3
CHARACTERISTRICS OF
SUPERVISORAN EFFECTIVE

71
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
List and explain the characteristics of effective
supervisor.
Identify how supervisor can achieve these char-
acteristics.
1.
2.
Learning Outcomes

72
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
Characteristics of
Effective Supervisor
Getting others
to cooperate
Treating others
equitably
Listening to
others
Delegating
tasks
Building
teams
Understanding
subordinates
2.3 CHARACTERISTRICS OF AN EFFECTIVE SUPERVISOR
(Other than using the appropriate leadership style, a supervisor needs to have several characteristics
that would help him to be an effective leader. In this topic we are going to look at the eight charac-
teristics of an effective leader.)
Several characteristics of effective supervisors have been identified as follows:
Figure 2.2 Characteristics of Effective Supervisor
1. Getting others to cooperate
It is very important for the supervisor to be able to get the cooperation of other employees to ac-
complish the department’s job tasks. Supervisors find their jobs exceedingly more difficult when
their subordinates are uncooperative.
The ways to get employees to cooperate:
Tell employees that top level managements is dependent on their ideas, suggestions and1.
productivity
Accept and used the employee’s ideas.2.
Provide as much variety as possible in the daily routine of the employees.3.
Justify the existence of procedures and policies4.
2. Listening to Others
This is the second characteristic to be a good supervisor. Supervisors should be willing to listen
to their subordinates. Supervisors who have negative feelings of their subordinates are likely not
willing to listen to their subordinates.

73
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
Interpersonal relationship between supervisors and subordinates will not be good if both parties
are not willing to listen to each other. Some supervisors do feel guilty when they are not listening
to their subordinates especially when there is a disagreement about a particular issue. Some su-
pervisors who practice autocratic approach do believe that their subordinates are not in a position
to question or discuss an issue.
In another situation, supervisors are at fault when they are making decisions or judgements be-
fore the subordinates are done talking, thus subordinates would feel that the supervisors are less
concern about their ideas or suggestions. There are also situations where supervisors give com-
ments about a situation before knowing the relevant facts, therefore, it is like forcing the subordi-
nates to have same beliefs as they do.
Listening to Subordinates involved:
The supervisor must pay attention to or concentrate on what the subordinate has to say1.
The supervisor must hear what the subordinates is actually saying-not just what the supervi-2.
sor wants to hear.
The supervisor should practice active listening which requires supervisor being attuned to3.
the message being communicated as well as the feelings being communicated. It also in-
volves responding to what the subordinate is actually saying.
3. Delegating Tasks
This is the third characteristic to become an effective supervisor. It is very important for supervi-
sors to have the ability to assign tasks to their subordinates. If the supervisors do not delegate,
they probably have to do a lot of different tasks. If they choose to delegate they will have to de-
pend on others who will complete the tasks under his/her authority. When the delegating of tasks
is done effectively, it will expand the supervisors’ capabilities, encourages teamwork and leads to
higher productivity.
Supervisors who delegate tasks to their subordinates need to give the authority to the subordi-
nates to accomplish the tasks. Some supervisors do not want to delegate tasks to their subordi-
nates.
Reasons for Supervisors not delegating to the subordinates:
They do not know how to delegate effectively.1.
They feel afraid to delegate task to subordinates.2.
They believe they can perform certain tasks more effectively than the subordinates.3.
They find it easy to perform the tasks themselves than to teach someone else.4.
They will follow their way to accomplish the tasks which might be different from the way the5.
subordinates might choose to do them.
To ensure that delegation of work is successful the supervisor needs to consider the following
guidelines when delegating work

74
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
Guidelines in delegating work
Select the appropriate person to perform the task to be delegated.•
Supervisors need to be selective when choosing the subordinates to perform the tasks be-
cause not all subordinates will have the same ability and quality to accomplish the tasks.
The success of completing tasks will depend on selecting an appropriate person.
Select tasks that can be delegated.•
A good supervisor will have to be selective before delegating any task. Some tasks cannot
be delegated. Supervisors will usually delegate tasks which are routine in nature which re-
quire less judgement and the steps are quite easy. Supervisors need to set limits or restric-
tions when the tasks are delegated to the subordinates.
Help the subordinates to whom tasks have been delegated.•
Some supervisors feel that when the tasks have been delegated to a subordinate who is
qualified to perform the task, they don’t have to offer any help. This can happen when the
supervisor is practicing laissez-faire approach. The subordinate will be left to accomplish
the task. Many subordinates are able to do many tasks without the help from the supervi-
sors but should they need help, supervisors should be around to help them.
Make sure that work assignments are fully understood.•
A supervisor will be patient when the task is performed for the first time by the subordinates.
They need to stand by closely with the subordinates when they start doing the tasks. Usu-
ally questions will pop up when they begin doing the tasks especially when the tasks are
done for the first time. Therefore, supervisors need to make sure the subordinates fully
understand the tasks they are accomplishing.
4. Understanding Subordinates
Supervisors are responsible to motivate their subordinates. It is also important for the supervi-
sors to understand their needs, drives, interests and attitudes. If the supervisors do not know the
background of their subordinates, it will be difficult to motivate them to perform their best ability.
Supervisors should be familiar with several aspects of their subordinates described as follows:
Ability to think. In order to fully understand the subordinates, supervisors have to be aware•
of their thinking capability. It will be helpful if the subordinates can sort the important from
the unimportant and to organize the important thoughts in a logical way.
Social traits. Supervisors need to understand the social traits of their subordinates. It is•
good if the supervisor can recognize subordinates who have tendency to become aggres-
sive, withdraw, dominate the situation, put others at ease and etc.
Personality traits. Supervisors need to understand the personality traits of their subordinates•

75
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
in order to have an effective working relationship. If the supervisors do not know this, it will
be difficult for the supervisor to motivate or to supervise them. Understanding the personal-
ity traits can also assess the emotional state of the subordinates.
Character. Supervisors need to be aware of the character of their subordinates. It will be•
difficult to put a trust on the subordinates when the supervisors are only guessing the degree
of trust in them. Not all subordinates have the same integrity among them therefore the
supervisors may put higher trust on some subordinates than others.
Work habits. Supervisors need to know the work habits of the subordinates. This includes•
having to know who is a self-starter, who needs some directions, and who needs consider-
able direction.
Relations with others. Supervisors must be aware of how subordinates relate to others. It is•
important to supervisors to decide which subordinates can work with other people in a given
project and which subordinates are good in public relations.
It is good when the supervisors know and understand their subordinates well. They can respond
more effectively to their needs. They will be happy doing tasks given to them. This will make the
supervisor’s job much easier.
5. Treating Others Equitably
Supervisor should treat all employees equitably. The relationships between supervisors and sub-
ordinates have been damaged because of a lack of equitable treatment on the part of the supervi-
sor. A perceived lack of fairness is often as damaging to the relationship as a real lack of fairness
is.
How to treat others equitably?
Do not practice favouritism in the workplace.1.
Treat all subordinates in a consistent manner in similar situations.2.
Policies that exist for one subordinate should exist for all subordinates.3.
When employees are involved in a situation of serious nature, decision on the course of ac-4.
tion taken should be done with consultation with higher level individuals, not by the supervi-
sor alone.
6. Building Teams
One of the important roles of the supervisor is building team. There are several benefits of
building effective teamwork attitude among employees. These benefits include:
Employees have greater control over their jobs.•
It encourages individual creativity and the use of creativity in solving a variety of work-related•
problems.
It gives employees the feelings that they play a more significant role in determining what hap-•
pens in the organization.

76
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
When employees are able to work together, this will contribute to increase in productivity, improve-
ment of quality of work and employees feeling they are playing an important role within the organiza-
tion. The end result will be a happier and more satisfied workforce.
REVIEW (2.2)
Read the case below. Response the questions given at the end of the case
Encik Hamid, a senior manager in the Marketing and Sales Department of Syarikat Manjalara Sdn.
Bhd, received many complaints regarding leadership style of his supervisors, Encik Manaf and Puan
Yusni. To overcome this complain, Encik Hamid promised to lead the investigation as soon as pos-
sible in order to bring up the image of the company.
Upon investigation, he discovered that Encik Manaf, the supervisor had given freedom to his workers
to do their work with little assistance as they carryout the tasks. Most of the workers have disciplinary
problems such as absenteeism where workers were always late to work without concrete reasons.
Encik Hamid also discovered that Puan Yusni was more concerned about the quality work such as
completing work on time. The workers were also not motivated and they felt that they were not im-
portant to the organization because they seldom got feedback regarding their work and they also felt
left out. As a result, the workers produce poor-quality work and failed to meet deadlines and did not
give full cooperation in their work. As a conclusion, Encik Hamid noticed that his supervisor did not
use effective communication regarding job instruction to the workers.
a. Differentiate between Encik Manaf and Puan Yusni leadership style.
b. Should a supervisor follow only one orientation to leadership in supervising subordinates?
Explain your answer.

77
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
TOPIC 2.4
SPECIAL SKILLS OF
SUPERISORS

78
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
List the skills special required by a supervisor
Describe the specials skills of a supervisor
1.
2.
Learning Outcomes

79
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
2.4 SPECIAL SKILLS OF SUPERISORS
(Let us continue to understand other skills that supervisors need to have so that they can successfully
carry out their responsibilities)
SPECIAL SKILLS OF SUPERVISORS
Conceptual Skills
Is the skill that will enable the supervisors to perceive quickly how one phenomenon may impact
on another.
Human Skills
Is the skill that will enable the supervisors to work effectively with each subordinate in each situa-
tion.
Technical Skills
Is the skill that will enable the supervisors to perform tasks which their subordinate’s perform.
Teaching Skills
Is the skill that will enable the supervisors to train their subordinates. Two important elements of
teaching in which a supervisor should be skilled are demonstrating and explaining.
Coaching Skills
Is the skill that will enable supervisors to develop their subordinates. The objective of coaching is
to improve job skills to increase subordinate’s understanding of the technical aspect of the job.
Counselling Skills
Is the skill that will enable supervisors to help subordinates in a variety of ways. However most
supervisors do not have time to provide counseling in all areas, thus employee assistance pro-
grams
(EAPs) are installed in organizations to assist supervisors who may not have the skills to counsel

80
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
subordinates in certain areas.
Communication Skills
Is the skill that will enable supervisors to relate well with their subordinates. However there are fac-
tors that might impede communication process. These factors are
Lack of knowledge or background information. A lack of knowledge or background information on
the part of the receiver or sender will impede the communication process.
Inappropriate vocabulary usage. Not everyone has the same level of vocabulary understanding.
Using word that is not understood by the receiver can cause a barrier to communication process.
Presence of bias or prejudice. A prejudice comments levelled against an individual impedes•
effective communication.
Impact of filtering. As messages pass from one individual to another, the original intent of the•
message may become distorted or changed in meaning.
Lack of empathy. Lack of empathy and concern for others can hamper the communication•

81
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
TOPIC 2.5
SUPERISORS
RESPONSIBILITIES

82
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
List the supervisory responsibilities required by a
supervisor
Describe the supervisory responsibilities of a
supervisor
1.
2.
Learning Outcomes

83
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
2.5 SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
When supervising subordinates, supervisory has additional responsibilities to carry out. Some of
these additional responsibilities include:
Career Goal Planning•
Ethical Behavior•
Tardiness•
Absenteeism•
Alcoholism and Drug Abuse•
Stress and Burnout•
Sexual Harassment•
Multicultural Issues•
Let us take a look at what the supervisor has to do in order to fulfil these additional duties.
Career Goal Planning (supervisors have an important responsibility in helping employees plan their
career goals.)
Employees who perceive that they are making progress in the attainment of their career goals•
are often more productive and satisfied that those lacking such perception.
Supervisors perceived by their subordinates as an impediment to the attainment of important•
career goals most likely will not be able to maximize the development of effective supervisor-
subordinate relationship.
Subordinates with clear-cut goals, supervisor helps by:•
i. assessing their strengths and weaknesses
ii. developing strategic plans to attain their goals
iii. putting subordinates’ plans into action
Subordinates who lack clear-cut career goals, supervisor will:•
i. help enhance employee satisfaction derive from the job
ii. help employee assessed their strengths and weaknesses
iii. identify possible areas of career interest for the subordinates
Once employee identified their career goal preferences, supervisor helps the subordinate to develop
strategic plans and put their plans into action

84
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
Ethics are rules or codes of conduct
that guides one’s behaviour.
Ethical Behavior
Supervisors have a significant impact on getting their subordinates to behave ethically. The pres-
ence of unethical behavior may also indicate the presence of illegal behavior.
Therefore in order increase ethical behaviors of the subordinates the supervisor has to:
Display ethical behaviour through their actions and words1.
Implement a code of ethics by which all employees are expected to live regardless of job title2.
or hierarchical level
Rewarding ethical behaviour and taking punitive action against unethical behaviour.3.
Tardiness
Tardiness is described as being late. Such as late to the office, late in completing assignments, or
being late for meetings. Supervisors play a significant role is reducing employees’ tardiness.
Over time tardiness can be costly to the organizations. To reduce tardiness several steps can be
taken:
Rewarding employees who are punctual1.
Supervisors setting a good example themselves.2.
Actions can be taken in dealing with tardiness include:
Employee can be given oral or written reprimand.1.
If this does not help, subordinates pay will be reduced.2.
If this does not help, subordinates are given a week’s layoff without pay.3.
If this fail, the subordinate will be terminated.4.

85
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
Low morale
Health reasons
Lack of satisfaction of the job
Lack of interest on the job
Family responsibilities
Unable to accept workplace
discipline
Transportation problem
Weather conditions
Job not challenging
Absenteeism
Absenteeism is described as not being physically present. Absenteeism is costly not only in terms
of money but also in terms of lost productivity. And Supervisors play a significant role in controlling
absenteeism. Absenteeism can be handled the same way as tardiness.

Some of causes of absenteeism include:
One of the common reasons for employees’ absenteeism is lack of job satisfaction because subordi-
nates have lost interest in the job. In such situation the supervisor can remedy the problem by taking
any one of the following course of actions:
Determine ways in which the job can be made more interesting and challenging•
Determine whether the job demands or requirements are considerably less than the employee•
is capable of performing
Determine the reasons for employee’ taking the job in the first place, besides the need for•
money
Determine whether the working condition is satisfactory•

To reduce absenteeism several actions can be considered
Rewards employee with good attendance records1.
Review job description2.
Give higher salary increases3.
Faster promotions4.
Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
Another responsibility of the supervisor is the detection of employees who have substance-abuse
condition.
Alcoholism is a progressive disease character by the excessive, repetitive, and uncontrolled con-
sumption of alcohol.
A drug abuser is one who shows a strong psychological dependence on drugs and are unable to
function physically and mentally without them.

86
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
Organizations have developed programs design to help their addicted employees. The important
aspects of the program are:
Treatment of alcoholism as a health condition the requires medical attention•
Willingness to provide assistance to alcoholic employees•
Commitment to the employee as long as improvement is made and/or maintained•
Thorough communication of program elements to all employees•

Problems of an Alcoholic employee are:
absent three times more often•
have job-related accident rates 2 or 3 times higher•
have off-the-job accident is 4 to 6 times higher•
and accident and sickness benefits paid out are 3 times higher (than nonalcoholic employees•
To detect signs of alcoholics:•
Deteriorating job performance•
Withdrawal•
Increased tardiness•
Increased absenteeism•
Because most supervisors are not in a position to help employees overcome alcoholism, the usual
course of action is to refer them to the appropriate individuals, such as physicians or counsellors.

Drug Abuser
The use of drugs by employees is a continuing problem for many organizations and many organiza-
tions are providing their employees with information about drug abuse.

Supervisors have the responsibility for detecting employee with a drug-addiction condition. The
symptoms of drug abuse are typically not as noticeable as those for alcohol abuse. However some
signs of drug abuse are:
frequent absenteeism•
industrial accidents of an unexplained nature•
long lunch breaks•
wearing dark glasses to hide dilated pupils•
high pilferage rates•
When employee is proven to be a drug addict, the supervisors will generally refer the individual to a
professional capable of providing the needed assistance.

87
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
Burnout: Is the depletion of one’s physical and
mental resources caused by excessive striving to
reach unrealistic job-related goals
Stress and Burnout
As the personal lives of individuals become more hectic, they begin to experience increased level
of stress. A common stress found among employees is technostress (stress employee experience
because of the technology they use on their jobs).
Some of the common causes of stress and burnout are:
Having too much to do in too short a time•
Not having clearly defined goal•
Not being involved•
Not being challenged•
Having personal problems•
The following are several ways for employees to cope with stress:
Develop an appropriate attitude toward work and life in general•
Take an unpaid leave of absence as a means of ‘relaxing’ and ‘regrouping’•
Transfer to a less stressful position•
Join a therapy group•
Seek professional counseling•
Take advantage of opportunities for physical activity•
Take advantage of vacation time•
Stress need to be avoided because when stress become excessive, employees begin to experience
burnout.
Symptoms of Burnout include:
lack of concern for the job•
poor-quality work•
failure to meet deadlines•
frequent absenteeism and tardiness•
frequent fatigue•
hostile attitude•
Moodiness•
forgetfulness•
negative feelings about work and life in general•

88
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
Sexual Harassment
Supervisors also are responsible for avoiding the sexual harassment of their subordinates and for
stressing that their subordinates avoid sexually harassing one another.
Sexual harassment is unwelcomed sexual advances, in requesting favors (in exchange for a salary
increase, a promotion, and others) and in dialogue of a sexual nature. Not only is sexual harass-
ment illegal because it violates the Civil Rights Acts, but it can also creates numerous interpersonal
problems.
Preventive measures:•
Supervisors and subordinates must know what constitutes sexual harassment1.
Implement policy that prohibits sexual harassment2.
Educate employee of sexual harassment3.
There should be clear written policy regarding sexual harassment4.
Indicate behavior of sexual harassment is NOT tolerated5.
Train employee on handling sexual harassment6.
Harassed employees are encourage to discuss the situation with their supervisors or7.
some other designated employee
Harassed employees need to know their complaints will be handled confidentially.8.
Harassed employees will be free from retaliation9.
Multicultural Issues
Organizations increasingly are becoming multicultural in terms of their workforce. As a results, for
those supervisors who work on a daily basis with individuals of diverse cultures, are obligated to ac-
cept the diversity and to deal with it in a professional, responsible manner.
Failure on the part of the supervisor to accept the diversity renders him or her less effective as a
supervisor.
Differences of multicultural workforce are likely to be found in beliefs, attitudes, work habits, ethics,
etc. In handling the differences the supervisors need be tolerant of and sensitive to the differences,
and the supervisors also need to work with the subordinates on accepting differences.
Several ways for supervisors to deal with multicultural diversity:
Attending seminars and workshops on multicultural diversity1.
Engaging in self-study2.
Enroll in classes dealing with multicultural diversity3.
Discuss multicultural issues with others4.

89
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
TOPIC 2.6
DISCIPLINING
EMPLOYEES

90
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
List the characteristics of effective discipline.
List the purpose of disciplinary interview.
Describe the suggestions to make a disciplinary
interview more effective
1.
2.
3.
Learning Outcomes

91
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
2.6 DISCIPLINING EMPLOYEES
A common responsibility of a supervisor is disciplining subordinates who do not always perform as
expected or behave in an unacceptable manner. Effectively done, disciplining a subordinate will not
damage the supervisor-subordinate relationship. Discipline should be seen as teaching or enabling
endeavour as well as correcting endeavour.

Before supervisor disciplines a subordinate, a thorough understanding of the situation is crucial. A
number of organizations are incorporating disciplinary interview into the employee discipline pro-
cess. However the use of interview is primarily limited to serious situations and recurrences of the
same situations.

92
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
Characteristics of Effective Discipline
It provides consistent enforcement of the organization’s rules, poli-
cies and procedures.
It requires that management prove guilt rather than that the employee
being disciplined prove innocence.
It provides an appeal and/or higher review process.
It has specified list of penalties and/or sanctions for infractions, thus
providing an element of consistency.
It allows the employee being disciplined to “earn” a clean record after
a period of time.
It considers the special nuances of the situation for which an
employee is being disciplined.
It encourages the implementation of the disciplinary process as soon
as circumstances permit.
It matches the severity of discipline with the severity of the situation.
It enables the employee to learn exactly what is required of him or her
to prevent the situation from recurring.
The process is restricted to the problem at hand and does not involve
itself with a variety of earlier problems for which disciplinary mea-
sures have or have not been taken.
A follow-up of the situation should be made at a specified time; and
the supervisors need to be sure he or she follows through as
discussed during the interviews.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

93
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
Purposes of Disciplinary Interview
To provide an appropriate environment in which to discuss
the situation.
To give the supervisor and subordinate the opportunity to
hear both sides of the situation.
To give the supervisor the opportunity to outline the nature
of the disciplinary action that will be taken against the
employee.
To provide formal, official documentation of the situation
should later discharge become necessary.
To help teach the employee how to and why he or she
should avoid repeating the situation in the future.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

94
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
An Effective Disciplinary Interview
Although disciplining subordinates involves a negative situation and
is generally confrontation, the supervisor is in a position to make the
best of a “bad” situation. Conducting disciplinary interview effectively
may produce result that is effective.
The following suggestions are offered when conducting disciplinary
interview.
Prepare a written document that contains the supervisor’s
comments. Record the employee’s comments made during
the interview, as well as the disciplinary action that is to be
taken. Both the supervisor and employee should sign and
date the document.
Remain unemotional and rational during the interview, don’t
attack or threaten the subordinate.
Conduct interview in privacy so that neither party’s com-
ments can be overheard by others.
Discuss only the situation at hand.
Mention only relevant, objective facts.
Criticise the work, not the worker.
Offer growth opportunities.
Listen fully to the employee’s side of the story.

95
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
(We have completed
Chapter 2. Let us review
these sections, before you
go on to Chapter 3.)
REVIEW QUESTIONS (2.3)
Instructions: Circle the correct response
1. With regard to teaching, which of the following are two areas in which the supervisor should
be skilled?
A. Motivating and communicating
B. Demonstrating and explaining
C. Motivating and explaining
D. Demonstrating and motivating
2. Which of the following is a true statement with regard to the supervisor’s ethical behavior?
A. One of the most effective ways to enhance the ethical behavior of employees is to
man dates uch behavior.
B. Unethical behavior is always illegal behavior.
C. Rewarding ethical behavior is not especially effective in stimulating employees to behave
ethically.
D. Managers who display ethical behavior can often entice their subordinates to behave
ethically.

96
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE
3. Which of the following may be responsible for the greatest amount of employee absenteeism?
A. Illness
B. Lack of job satisfaction
C. Transportation problems
D. Family responsibilities
4. Which one of the following is NOT appropriate for improving the effectiveness of the
disciplining process?
A. Discipline should be consistent with the severity of the offense.
B. Discipline should be delayed until the employee has had time to forget about the offense.
C.The employee should be told how to correct the situation.
D.The discipline should be restricted to the immediate problem.
Answer the following short questions
Question 1
As a supervisor what is your responsibility for employee absenteeism and tardiness and for employ-
ees who have problems with alcoholism and drug abuse?
Minicase
You chair a committee responsible for interviewing the position of a supervisor in the payroll depart-
ment in the Metrowealth Company. When Sulaiman Kadir was interviewed for this position, he was
asked to explain the philosophy of supervision. He replied by saying the he believes subordinates
should for the most part be “left alone” to do their work and that the supervisor generally should not
get involved unless sought out by a subordinates.
Instructions: Referring to the case answer the questions below
QUESTION 1
What leadership approach is Sulaiman describing?
QUESTION 2
Give your reasons whether you agree/disagree with Sulaiman’s approach as the best one to super-
vise the employee?

97
ADMINISTRATIVE
O
S
M
4
5
3 MANAGEMENT 1
OFFICE

Basic Functions of Supervisors and Managers Explained

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Basic Functions of Supervisors and Managers Explained

Similar to Basic Functions of Supervisors and Managers Explained (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Basic Functions of Supervisors and Managers Explained