OVERVIEW
SUPERVISION is a new college textbook for first line management. It covers the topics you expect to see in a book on this subject—from planning and decision making to hiring, leading, and understanding labor relations. However, this text covers these subjects and every subject from a special perspective: the systems view.
The systems view isn't complicated. It emphasizes the fact that all organizations are systems. A system takes in a variety of inputs and through a series of interdependent processes and using feedback from the market, turns them into products and services that customers value. By starting from the understanding that organizations are systems, this means that the fundamental job of managers, especially supervisors, is to take actions that make system processes operate well and keep customers satisfied. Helping readers learn how to do this is what this book is about.
RECURRING THEMES
To help supervisors manage successfully, this book focuses on six recurring themes—all consistent with the systems view. They are:
- process management
- teams and teamwork
- empowerment
- problem prevention
- continuous improvement
- customer satisfaction
As you read the book, again and again you will see how these ideas provide the rationale for behaviors that bring out the best in employees and deliver the highest quality products and services for the lowest costs. An important goal in writing this book is not just to provide readers with prescriptions for how to act as a supervisor but also help them see the reasoning behind these prescriptions.
Finally, we've also worked at making this book very readable. One reviewer says it's like having a friendly mentor on hand to help you understand the whats, whys, and hows of first line management. That captures it. It's easy reading, but it's not simple-minded. We've tried to explain things so that students will be able to take ownership and use them in their personal circumstances.
Table of Contents
- Part 1: The Systems View and New Supervisory Challenges
1. The Changing Business Environment and New Roles for Supervisors
2. Supervising People and Processes
3. Teams and Teamwork
Part 2: Planning, Decision Making, and Improving Processes
4. Planning for Performance and Improvement
5. Decision Making, Problem Solving, and Improvement
6. Control and Continuous Improvement
Part 3: Human Relations
7. Leading for Performance
8. Motivation and Performance
9. Communication in a Diverse Workplace
10. Managing Conflict and Creating Trust and Commitment
Part 4: Human Resources Management
11. Selecting New Employees
12. Appraising and Developing Employees
13. Labor Relations and Unions
Part 5: Other Challenges for Supervisors
14. Supervisors, Computers, and Information
15. Leading and Prospering in a Changing Workplace
Go here to check the detailed contents of Supervision
Read some reviewer comments about this text.
Read a brief excerpt from the conclusion of chapter 8 on motivation
Special Features of Supervision (Click on the links to see examples of these features.)
To Accompany SUPERVISION
- Instructor's manual with lecture notes, answers to all text questions, answers to chapter cases, a test bank with testing software, and transparency masters (over 500 pages long with loads of help for effectively using this text)
- Skill development videos
- One hundred slides to use with PowerPoint presentation software
Would you like to know more about this book, its features, and how you can use it in a course or training program? Write to John Woods. We promise you a quick response.