Course Design Guide MGT/210 Version 3

Course Design Guide

School of Business MGT/210 Version 3 Supervision and Leadership
Copyright 2009, 2006 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.

Course Description MGT/210 (Supervision and Leadership) addresses the difference between management and transformational leadership. Students will engage in a self-awareness analysis to determine how best to identify and implement their leadership strengths and to overcome their challenges. Major topical areas include the supervisors role in an organization, effective leadership skills, problem-solving applications, effective motivation techniques, successful communication concepts, and methods for achieving maximum employee performance. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum.

University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Rue, L. W., & Byars, L. L. (2004). Supervision: Key link to productivity (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. All electronic materials are available on the student website.

Week One: Foundations of Supervision

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Objectives 1.1 Determine the functions of supervision. 1.2 Describe the personal attributes that aid supervisors in managing diversity. Read the course description and objectives. Read the instructors biography and post your own. Read Appendix A regarding the final project requirements. Read Ch. 15 (pp. 184) and review the Glossary terms (pp. 398 405) in Supervision: Key to Productivity. Resource: Ch. 1 (p. 15) of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity Read Incident 1-1: Promotion Into Supervision. Think about Roys personal attributes and goals and about how he might apply those abilities to reach his goals as a supervisor. 2/15 30

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Course Preparation Readings

Checkpoint Incident 1-1: Promotion Into Supervision

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Answer, in 200 to 300 words, the four questions on p. 15 at the end of the incident. CheckPoint Article Review on Diversity in the Workplace As workplace demographics change, supervisors benefit from knowing how to maximize the opportunities and meet the challenges that diversity presents. This CheckPoint provides you with an opportunity to read about current industry practices regarding diversity. Resources: University Library, Ch. 1 (p. 19) of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity, and the References within the References Page section of Ch. 2 in Associate Level Writing Style Handbook Select an article from the University Library that addresses diversity in the workplace. Choose an article from a periodical on the list of supervisory and related periodicals on p. 19 of the textbook. Write a 200- to 300-word article review by following the steps below: Begin the review by providing a reference of the article in APA format. Write 3 to 4 sentences that summarize the article. Include any in-text citations for specific opinions or facts from the article that you use in your review. Explain whether you agree or disagree with the opinions in the article. Determine how supervisors can use this information regarding diversity in the workplace. Format the article review consistent with APA guidelines. 2/17 50

Post the CheckPoint as an attachment. Individual Article Search Resources: Appendix A, University Library, Ch. 1 (p. 19) of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity, and the References within the References Page section of Ch. 2 in Associate Level Writing Style Handbook Review the six supervisory responsibilities listed in Appendix A. Locate articles from the University Library for each of the six supervisory responsibilities listed in Appendix A by searching the selected supervisory and related periodicals listed on p. 19 of the textbook. Submit a reference list of three articles you will use for the final project. 2/19 80

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Format the list consistent with APA guidelines. Post the assignment as an attachment.

Week Two: Decision-Making Skills

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Objectives 2.1 Differentiate between decision making and problem solving. 2.2 Identify steps in the decision-making process. 2.3 Identify the major areas of concern regarding supervisors ethical conduct. Read Ch. 69 (pp. 89155) of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity. Participate in class discussion. Respond to weekly discussion questions. 4 of 7 days DQ 1 2/21 DQ 2 2/23 2/24 10 10

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Readings Participation Discussion Questions

CheckPoint Incident 2-2: Bad Times at Quality Shoe

Decision making is an important supervisory function and often a difficult one. This CheckPoint allows you to apply what you have learned regarding the steps in the decision-making process, the advantages and disadvantages of group decision making, and the differences between decision making and problem solving. Resource: Ch. 2 (pp. 35 & 36) of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity Read Incident 2-2: Bad Times at Quality Shoe. Answer the three questions on p. 36 following this scenario in 200 to 300 words.

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Week Three: Planning and Organizing Skills

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Objectives 3.1 Determine the supervisors role in the overall planning system of an organization. 3.2 Relate the importance of delegating authority to fulfilling supervisory responsibility. Carpenters are often told to measure twice, and cut once. Spending adequate time on strategy and planning is like measuring, and implementing the plan is like cutting. Extra time and effort during the planning stage are crucial if you want to avoid common problems later 3/1 30

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CheckPoint Incident 6-2: What Should I Do Next?

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on. As a supervisor, you may be called upon to develop a plan without being given specific guidelines. This CheckPoint offers you an opportunity to determine what information a supervisor would need to create a plan for upper management and then to outline how you would prepare the plan. Resource: Ch. 6 (pp. 89108) of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity Read Incident 6-2: What Should I Do Next? Answer the three questions on p. 108 following this incident in 200 to 300 words. Individual Exercise 7-2: InBasket Delegating is an important aspect of supervisory effectiveness. Still, according to Rue and Byars (2004) in Ch. 7 of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity, failure to delegate is probably the most frequent reason that supervisors fail in their jobs (p. 117). Some supervisors are reluctant to delegate at all; others do not quite know how to delegate, or they are unsure regarding which tasks should be delegated. Recall the basic steps in the delegation process from Ch. 7 of your text as you formulate your answers to this assignment. Resource: Ch. 7 (p. 126) of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity Follow the steps listed below to complete this 700- to 1,050-word assignment: Read Exercise 7-2: In Basket. 3/4 70

Join the discussion thread to which your instructor has assigned you. Discuss, with your assigned classmates, which items in this exercise should be delegated and which should be acted upon. Choose one of the items on which you and your assigned classmates agreed and one item on which you and your assigned classmates disagreed. Explain the rationale for the issue that was agreed upon by all classmates present. Examine the issue on which you and your assigned classmates disagreed. Was your attitude on this issue affected by your own unwillingness to delegate authority? Was your attitude affected by your assessment that the task could not be delegated? Or was your attitude affected by your inclination to delegate but impacted by the difficulty you encountered in determining how the task could be delegated effectively? Explain your answers. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Post as an attachment.

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Week Four: Productivity and Methods Improvement

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Objectives Readings Participation Discussion Questions 4.1 Identify ways to minimize obstacles when working on teams. 4.2 Describe the supervisors role in improving team productivity. Read Ch. 1013 (pp. 163235) of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity. Participate in class discussion. Respond to weekly discussion questions. 4 of 7 days DQ 1 3/6 DQ 2 3/8 3/9 10 10

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CheckPoint Work Team Concepts

Because a work group can accomplish more than an individual, many organizations create formal teams to complete designated work assignments. For the work groups to be as productive as possible, individual team members, as well as supervisors and leaders, should be aware of group norms and behaviors that can sometimes create obstacles for the teams. In this CheckPoint, you have an opportunity to reflect on your discussion experience with assigned classmates and then to analyze that experience in terms of your reading regarding work teams. Resource: Ch. 8 (pp. 128140) of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity Review your discussion experience with assigned classmates. Post your 200- to 300-word response to this question: How did that experience with your fellow classmates illustrate one of the concepts (group norms, group cohesiveness, group pressure, group conformity, groupthink, group influence, group leadership, group self-direction, group communication) explained by Rue and Byars (2004) in Ch. 8 of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity?

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Week Five: Staffing Skills

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Objectives 5.1 Compare and contrast various ways to recruit staff and select personnel. 5.2 Determine effective methods for training employees. Staffing is one of the most important responsibilities a supervisor undertakes. Successful organizations must determine how to find the best people and then ensure that those people become and remain 3/15 30

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CheckPoint Recruiting, Selecting, Orienting,

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and Training

an effective part of the company. Based on organizational needs, procedural preferences, and size, organizations approach recruiting, selecting, orienting, and training personnel in different ways. Resources: Appendix B, Ch. 10 (pp. 163181) of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity, and Microsoft Word Tutorial: Creating Tables Review the Microsoft Word Tutorial: Creating Tables at http://corptrain.phoenix.edu/wiu/com210/index.htm Use the table in Appendix B to compare and contrast the ways in which a large company and a small company might approach recruiting, selecting, orienting, and training personnel. Post the table as an attachment.

Individual Exercise 10-2: OJT

According to Rue and Byars (2004), orientation is concerned with introducing the new employee to the organization and the job (p. 177). On the other hand, training involves the acquisition of skills, concepts, rules, or attitudes by employees in order to increase their performance (p. 178). Both orientation and training programs are essential in a well-run organization. Resource: Ch. 10 (p. 184) of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity Review Exercise 10-2: OJT. Follow the assignment instructions at the end of this exercise on p. 184. Include the 1,400- to 1,750-word assignment in your final project for the section on Determining Effective Orientation and Training Methods. Format the assignment consistent with APA guidelines. Post the assignment as an attachment.

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Week Six: Performance Appraisals and Rewards

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Objectives 6.1 Explain how to conduct performance appraisals. 6.2 Identify the effects of Equal Employment Opportunity laws. 6.3 Determine ways to balance the supervisors responsibility to both the employer and the union. Read Ch. 1418 (pp. 241319) of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity. Participate in class discussion. 4 of 7 10

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Readings Participation

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days Discussion Questions Respond to weekly discussion questions. DQ 1 3/20 DQ 2 3/22 3/23 10

CheckPoint Employees Union

Supervisors must often juggle the different needs and expectations of various organizational stakeholders, such as upper management and employee unions. Supervisors must also be aware of legislative changes designed to prevent discrimination and to protect different classifications of workers. This CheckPoint presents a scenario in which you, as a supervisor, must determine how to balance these various needs and expectations. Follow the steps listed below to complete this 200- to 300-word CheckPoint: Assume that you, as a supervisor in a manufacturing plant, have heard rumors that the union, which has been virtually inactive until now, is planning to take complaints to upper management. Outline a plan you could present to upper management that might prevent the need for union action. Explain how this plan also represents your responsibility to the employees union. Follow APA formatting guidelines for this paper. Post as an attachment.

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Week Seven: Leadership Skills

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Objectives 7.1 Explain ways supervisors can affect employee motivation. 7.2 Discuss basic leadership styles. 7.3 Explain methods for handling conflict in an organization. Not all workers are motivated by the same rewards. Although some rewards in a company are fixed (salary ranges, for example), an effective supervisor should be aware of the motivational processes and theories to increase employee motivation and to improve organizational productivity. This CheckPoint offers an example of a group of employees that is not motivated and asks how you, as a supervisor, might improve the situation. Resource: Ch. 14 (p. 255) of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity Read Incident 14-1: No Extra Effort. 3/29 30

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CheckPoint Incident 14-1: No Extra Effort

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Answer the two questions on p. 255 following this incident in 200 to 300 words. Individual Exercise 15-3: Test Your Leadership Style Although all supervisors and leaders share some important qualities, they also approach their jobs in different ways, depending on their styles and preferences. This assignment asks you to assess your leadership style and then to determine how you would apply those strengths. Resources: Appendix A and Ch. 15 (pp. 257272) of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity Complete this 700- to 1,050-word assignment by following these steps: Complete the leadership style questionnaire on pp. 270272 in Ch. 15 of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity. Select one of the supervisory responsibility categories from the final project list in Appendix A. State the results of the questionnaire to explain what kind of leader you are. Then, explain how you would apply your strength as a leader, supervisor, or leadersupervisor mix to situations that might arise regarding the supervisory responsibility you selected. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Post as an attachment. 4/1 100

Week Eight: Conflict Resolution and Employee Support

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Objectives 8.1 Formulate methods for addressing employee resistance to change. 8.2 Select appropriate counseling techniques regarding troubled employees. Read Ch. 1922 (pp. 326393) of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity. Participate in class discussion. Respond to weekly discussion questions. 4 of 7 days DQ 1 4/3 DQ 2 4/5 4/6 10 10

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Readings Participation Discussion Questions

CheckPoint Incident 18-1: Changes in an Employees

Sometimes troubled employees will approach supervisors and ask about available resources and methods for coping with their problems. More often, however, supervisors must determine that an employee needs help, based on changes in that employees behavior.

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Behavior Resource: Ch. 18 (p. 321) of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity Read Incident 18-1: Changes in an Employees Behavior. Answer the two questions on p. 321 at the end of this incident in 200 to 300 words.

Week Nine: Controlling Skills

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Objectives 9.1 Specify ways a supervisor can help an organization reduce costs and control assets. 9.2 Assess the importance of effective communication as a supervisory skill. 9.3 Determine methods for addressing and improving relations with employees. Supervisors are an essential component in improving the overall productivity and effectiveness of an organizationfrom planning and strategizing to cutting costs and controlling assets. This Capstone CheckPoint will give you the opportunity to recall the reading you have done as well as the activities you have completed during this course. Post your 200- to 300-word response to this question: In your opinion, what is the most important thing a supervisor can do to improve the overall productivity and effectiveness of an organization? Explain your answer. Final Project Best Practices Manual for Supervisors As you near the end of MGT/210, you have gained knowledge and experience regarding what it takes to be an effective supervisor. Put your newly developed skills to work for yourself and others by creating a Best Practices Manual for Supervisors. Resources: Appendix A; Ch. 3 (pp. 3850), Ch. 7 (pp. 111124), Ch. 9 (pp. 144155), Ch. 11 (pp. 185201), Ch. 16 (pp. 273286), Ch. 17 (pp. 292319), and Ch. 22 (pp. 382393) in Supervision: Key Link to Productivity; and Ch. 1 and 2 in Associate Level Writing Style Handbook Compile the following sections of a best practices manual for new supervisors. Your overall contributions to the manual should be 2,100 to 2,800 words in length and cite a minimum of three sources. Only one of these sources can be your course text. The six supervisory responsibilities to which you will contribute best practices are as follows: Demonstrating Communication Skills Determining Effective Orientation and Training Methods 4/15 250 4/12 30

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Capstone Checkpoint

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Improving Productivity for Teams Conducting Performance Appraisals Resolving Conflict Improving Employee Relations

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Post your paper as an attachment. Optional Discussion Questions Week Two Discussion Questions Recall the steps in the decision-making process (Rue & Byars, 2004) as outlined in Ch. 2 of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity. o o o o o o o o Be alert to indicators and symptoms of problems. Tentatively define the problem. Collect facts and redefine the problem if necessary. Identify possible alternatives. Gather and organize facts. Evaluate possible alternatives. Choose and implement the best alternative. Follow up (p. 33).

Which of the eight steps in the decision-making model could be eliminated if a decision had to be made quickly? Is this model more appropriate for individual or group decision making? Explain your answers. Review the behaviors that raise ethical questions in the workplace, listed in Figure 4.1 in Ch. 4 (p. 58) of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity. Respond to one of these questions: Which three areas do you believe to be most prevalent? Which three areas have the greatest consequence in the workplace? Justify your answers. Week Four Discussion Questions Describe an obstacle to working on teams. Explain how the team can overcome that obstacle.

Your instructor will assign one of the guidelines to promoting positive contributions from informal work groups listed on p. 139 in Ch. 8 of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity. Provide an example of how this guideline has been successful (or unsuccessful) in your experience in the workplace, in school, or in your personal life. Week Six Discussion Questions Your instructor will assign one of the eight performance appraisal methods listed on pp. 200 & 201 in Ch. 11 of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity. Provide a specific example of how you would use this method to conduct a performance appraisal for an employee. Select one of the following statements from p. 221 of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity. Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Explain your reasons.

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o The supervisors primary objective should be to avoid making mistakes in employment decisions that can lead to Equal Employment Opportunity complaints. o Organizations should be allowed to hire anyone they choose. Week Eight Discussion Questions Dan is an employee at a regional mid-size computer company that has recently been sold to a larger, national computer manufacturing corporation. Dan is in charge of computer production orders, and because of this recent shift in ownership, his departments day-to-day operations are about to change drastically. Dan has been an employee of the mid-size company for 10 years, and thinks that the current way of doing things in his department does not need any improvement. Respond to these questions after reading the scenario: If you were Dans new supervisor, provide a method for how you would address the issue described above and justify the effectiveness of your solution. Why would Dan find your solution effective or helpful? Why would your solution be effective or helpful from your perspective as a supervisor? Read one of your classmates responses to this discussion question. Provide them with constructive feedback, offering suggestions to help them clarify and revise their solution. Would the solution be useful in other situations, or is it specific to this one scenario? Why or why not? Read Exercise 18-1: What Is the Problem? on p. 322 in Ch. 18 of Supervision: Key Link to Productivity. Response to these questions: Determine which of the approaches listed at the end of the exercise that you, as a supervisor, would choose to take. Explain your reasons. Copyright
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