SupervisionChapter 1: Supervision

• Many managers are never formally trained to be managers.

• The earliest theories of management primarily consisted of three different views: – the traditional model. – the human relations model. – the human resources model.

• The only thing these three theories have in common is that each one attempts to construct a single model of motivation that would apply to every employee in every situation.

Supervision

Traditional Model: Arose partly due to need to increase worker productivity. Assumes:

– More efficient workers should be paid more than less‑efficient workers

– Most people do not like work and will avoid it if at all possible

– What people do is less important than what they earn for doing it

– Few people want/can handle work that requires creativity or self-direction

Management Models

•The Human Relations Model proposes, managers can motivate their employees by making them feel useful and important.

Management Models

• Human Resources Model criticized both models as being oversimplified &flawed.

• Theory X management assumes that people are inherently lazy and need to be driven to perform.

• Theory Y assumes that people basically want to do a good job.

• Compromise - Good managers inspire employees to do their best and establish an environment that allows them to reach their goals – they listen, encourage, guide.

Management Models

Management Challenges

• Managers today face a new reality in the partnership of managers and workers.

• Managers are finding out that they can’t command their employees’ best work—they have to create an environment that fosters their employees’ desire to do their best work.

• The best employees will leave the old-model companies in droves, seeking employers who treat them with respect and who are willing to grant them greater autonomy and responsibility.

New Functions of Management

• Functions of the new manager:– Trusting employees– Energizing employees– Empowering employees (get out of the way)– Supporting employees– Communicating with employees – (Set expectations)– Learning from employees

• You can always learn something from other managers—whether they’re good managers or bad ones.

Improving Your Skills•To take advantage of the lessons

that you learn, you have to put them into practice. Keep these key steps in mind.

– Assess your organization’s problems – attempt to solve most important ones, first

– Do you help or hinder, give authority, support, create positive results?

– Try out techniques you learn from your reading or from observing other managers change begins with you

– Step back and watch what happens.

LawsThere are numerous federal and state employment laws that managers must obey in making daily, routine management decisions. •Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. prohibits employment discrimination based on an individual’s sex, race, color, religion, and national origin•The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) oversees Title VII + other EEO laws 

Sexual Harassment• Sexual harassment in the workplace generally

occurs in one of two ways: – A manager or a supervisor sexually harasses

an employee by virtue of the power held over that employee by promising or withholding a raise or a promotion in return for sexual favors – quid pro quo

– Creating a hostile work environment occurs when a manager allows employees to engage in telling dirty jokes or allows employees to circulate offensive pictures, Web sites, or email messages

• Supervisors must have well-established guidelines for preventing the sexual harassment of employees

Employment Laws• The Americans with

Disabilities Act (ADA) covers five areas including employment.

• Protected groups include individuals who use wheelchairs, walkers, the speech, vision, or

hearing impaired; people with mental retardation or emotional illness; and numerous other health issues

•EEOC suggests reasonable accommodations (< $50)

•ADA stipulates wheelchair accessibility unless it is not readily achievable or would cause undue hardship

Employment Laws• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act

(ADEA) of 1967 prohibits discrimination against individuals who are forty years of age and older.

• Equal Pay Act of 1963 is to prevent huge disparities in pay and wages between men and women – equal wages for equal work.

• Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 imposes civil (up to $10,000 fine) and criminal penalties on employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens.

• States, cities, and towns have enacted their own laws, e.g., covering marital status, disability, age, and sexual orientation – stricter law prevails

• As a manager, it is important that you are good not only in the technical aspects of your field but also in dealing with others. Empowering, trusting, and supporting your employees are ways you can bring out the best in others and improve your organization. It is also important that you are familiar with employment laws because they affect virtually every aspect of the employee–employer relationship.

Summary