Supervision Assignment

Supervision Assignment Chapters 14, 15, 16
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Supervision Assignment Chapters 14, 15, 16
Chapter 14: What are the two basic sources of power available to a supervisor? Which do you think is more important to the supervisor’s effectiveness? Why?
The two basic sources of power available to a supervisor include referent power, which comes from the emotions that an individual inspires; or coercive power, which arises from the fear related to the use of force. The more important type for the supervisor’s effectiveness is the referent power. A supervisor who uses coercive power may command respect at first but in the short run. Employees will begin to resent such a supervisor and will eventually begin seeking for ways to circumvent or avoid him. On the contrary a supervisor who inspires the workers will motivate them to continue working even in his absence.
Conflict is part of any working environment and should be handled appropriately. It can either be positive or negative depending on how one handles it. A conflict is regarded as negative when issues are not handled productively. It may be characterized by yelling, screaming or the people involved ignoring each other. On the contrary, positive conflict is constructive in nature as it involves production of new ideas, solving problems, and providing people with opportunities to expand their skills. In the scenario provided, Jenna is the offended party and her colleagues taunt her unaware that she was becoming agitated. However, she engages in positive conflict by approaching her supervisor to talk about the mistake. The fact that she neither refused to talk nor confront her colleagues about the issue makes the conflict positive as she was also concerned about getting a solution.
Chapter 15: What common error in judgment is Menck making? What steps should he take during the interview to overcome it?
The common error in judgment that the supervisor is making is to assume that since the applicant is well dressed, then he knows what the job needs. Judging the capabilities of the employee through their appearance puts the company at risk of hiring an incompetent individual or one who lack the necessary skills. Nonetheless, the appearance of the employee tells the employer that the applicant is organized and hygienic. Therefore, Donald should not focus on the outward appearance of the applicant. Instead, he should proceed further and interview him by asking him specific questions regarding the position that he has applied for. He should also assess the applicant’s resume and evaluate his job history and experience. These questions will allow Donald to have a better understanding of the interviewee’s knowledge and abilities.
Think of your current job or a job you recently held. Write a job description and a job specification for the job. How well do (or did) you match the requirements of the job?
An example of a job that I have once held is working as a commercial clerk. The job description involved stimulating sales by helping customers and providing suggestions, communicating directly with the customers both in person and over the phone, stocking shelves, counters, and tables with goods, ensuring tha...