Fundamentals of Supervision
& Management

How has management theory evolved over the last 100 years? This lesson will take you back to the older days of assembly lines and scientific management. You will learn how organizations are structured and describe managerial jobs in terms of the technical and managerial tasks that are performed.

It’s time to identify the characteristics of a typical supervisor’s day and how they handle daily challenges. In this lesson, you will learn how to make the supervisor’s path smoother, such as empowerment and communication. How does one begin to think, act, and look like a manager?

Is leadership distinct from management? Do you have what it takes to be a leader, or are you cut out to be just a manager? This lesson covers the evolution of leadership research and begin to discuss the fascinating field of motivation. Believe it or not, a good leader can build motivation right into the design of a job.

In this lesson, you will learn how a supervisor can handle the challenges of delegation, performance management, and time management. Once you understand the challenges of the typical day, you will understand the importance of time management to a supervisor.

It’s time to really dig into the topic dear to many managers’ hearts-motivation. This lesson clarifies what managers need to understand about human motivation and help you to understand the links between motivation and productivity.

Motivational theories are great as long as they truly help you to manage people at work every day. This lesson looks closely at four theories: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation, Alderfer’s theory on the three levels of human, and the three needs outlined by McClelland.

Do you believe that people naturally want to do a good job? Or are people lazy by nature and need to be watched? In this lesson, find out if you’re a Theory X or a Theory Y-type of manager. There are self-fulfilling prophecies to each of those beliefs.

This lesson defines two more very practical and influential motivational theories; equity theory and expectancy theory. This lesson wraps up the theoretical about the importance of creating a motivational environment.

Now comes the hard part: when real life doesn’t work out the way the theories said it should. What happens when conflict arises? This lesson explores conflict and conflict resolution. You will learn about specific techniques of negotiation, a particular type of conflict management.

Your final lesson concludes the problem-solving model discussion and gives you the tools you need to carry the plan through to completion. You will explore the conflicts that may arise while solving problems and completing action plans.