Eighth edition Administrative office management An Introduction Zane K. Quible Ph.D.

Mary Brown, the supervisor of the word processing center in Delta Corporation in San Antonio, recently retired because of her age. During the years she had been supervisor, various managers felt that Brown should be dismissed because of her laxness in supervising the ten employees in the center. Because she reaching retirement age, however she was not dismissed. The employees were often late to work, took longer breaks that was permissible, took advantage of the corporation in terms of sick days, and so forth. Mary was repeatedly asked to be stricter in her supervisory efforts, but no noticeable changes were ever made. When the qualifications for the replacement for Mary brown were developed, the decision was made that the new supervisor should be more authoritarian and should require the employees in the word processing center to conform with existing company policy. The replacement, Annabell Jackson, was hired primarily because of her authoritarian characteristics. All of her former employers who were contacted regarding Jackson’s performance mentioned her authoritarian personality. Because of the laxness of brown and the hope that Jackson could improve the situation, she was offered the job. As the administrative office manager, you are aware that the first day Jackson is on the job will probably determine whether or not the employees in the word processing center will cooperate with her. Thus, you feel a necessity to discuss several things with her before her first day on the job.

What suggestions do you have to assure Jackson’s success as a supervisor in the word processing center?