QUESTION 1

Bob Frost has the reputation for being a very efficient Higher Executive Officer. His department is concerned with the processing of ten different items and he has ten Clerical Officers who each deal with one item only. The knowledge required is limited and skill is soon developed in routine work. Training time is short and new entrants soon reach high levels of proficiency. The department thus has high level of productivity of which Bob is very proud. He remains remote from his staff and communication is handled through two Executive Officers who deal with short-term operational problems. Bob concentrates on training new staff and maintains a powerful discipline over poor performers. He is a fair main, respected but feared by his staff, who appreciate the training but are soon bored by their work and are kept at it by apprehension about poor results rather than by interest in it. Although productivity is high, so are labour turnover and absenteeism

Required:

Write a report, addressed to the Supervising Officer highlighting the issues raised and the alternative styles which Bob Frost could adopt

QUESTION 2

(a) What are the stages involved in the development and evolution of groups?

(b) What are the implications of such stages for the behaviour of the supervisor of a newly formed work team?

QUESTION 3

(a) Distinguish between groups, teams and committees?

(b) Give examples of how each may be useful in public sector organisations

QUESTION 4

The essence of leadership is followership

Discuss this observation, preferably with examples of leadership and followership, taken from your own experiences

QUESTION 5

Choosing a leadership style which is entirely appropriate to any given situation is one of the most important skills that an effective manager can possess

Required: Critically discuss the statement, giving reasons for your views