Question 1

A supervisor believes that one of her employees is using the office telephone for excessive personal calls.What should she do?

Accepted Answer

If a supervisor believes that one of his or her employees is using the office telephone for excessive personal calls, he or she should ask the employee directly and in private what his or her telephone conversations were about.

Question 2

Discipline is best defined as:

Accepted Answer

Discipline is the action taken by a supervisor to prevent employees from breaking rules.

Question 3

Identify a step of the discipline process that is less upsetting to employees because it refrains from hurting them in the pocketbook.

Accepted Answer

A warning is unpleasant to hear but fulfills the important purpose of informing employees about the consequences of their behavior before more punitive measures are taken. Suspension, demotion, and discharge are more upsetting to an employee because they hurt the employee in the pocketbook.

Question 4

The requirement that an employee not come to work for a set time period,during which the employee is not paid,is referred to as a:

Accepted Answer

A suspension is the requirement that an employee not come to work for a set period of time, during which the employee is not paid.

Question 5

After having a discussion on what the problem is,which is the next step of the counseling interview process?

Accepted Answer

The counseling interview starts with a discussion of what the problem is. It then moves to a consideration of possible solutions and the selection of one solution to try. The interview ends with the supervisor scheduling a follow-up meeting.

Question 6

Which of the following is true of counseling?

Accepted Answer

The supervisor should focus on behavior and performance-what people do, not who they are-and encourage the employee to do the same.

Question 7

In the counseling interview process,which step comes right after the consideration of possible solutions to a problem?

Accepted Answer

The counseling interview starts with a discussion of what the problem is. It then moves to a consideration of possible solutions and the selection of one solution to try. The interview ends with the supervisor scheduling a follow-up meeting.

Question 8

Which of the following is true of administering discipline?

Accepted Answer

The specific ways in which a supervisor applies these steps may be dictated by company policies or the union contract, if any. Thus, a supervisor must be familiar with all applicable policies and rules.

Question 9

Lorenzo,who works as a supervisor at Travelus Corp.,notices that one of the employees,Maya,takes very long coffee breaks while socializing with her colleagues.Before more punitive measures are taken,Lorenzo decides to tell her something that is unpleasant to hear but fulfills the important purpose of informing her about the consequences of this behavior.From the given information,we can infer that Lorenzo has decided to give Maya a _____.

Accepted Answer

From the given information, we can infer that Lorenzo has decided to give Maya a warning. A warning is unpleasant to hear but fulfills the important purpose of informing employees about the consequences of their behavior before more punitive measures are taken. Suspension, demotion, and discharge are more upsetting to an employee because they hurt the employee in the pocketbook.

Question 10

A salesperson in a hardware store has a 10-year-old son with behavior problems,and this is affecting his work.The supervisor gets to know about this and plans counseling sessions with him.In one of these sessions,the supervisor says,"I've noticed that we haven't received any more customer complaints about your service and,in fact,one customer told me you went out of your way to help." From the given information,identify the stage in which the process of counseling has most likely reached.

Accepted Answer

The counselling process has reached the scheduled follow-up meeting stage. Supervisors should schedule a follow-up meeting, which should take place just after an employee begins to see some results. At the follow-up meeting, the employee and the supervisor review their plans and discuss whether the problem has been or is being resolved.

Question 11

Which of the following is the step that a supervisor who follows progressive disciplinary practices would take up if an employee does not improve his or her behavior even after he or she has been warned?

Accepted Answer

When a supervisor observes and understands the facts behind problem behavior, disciplining an employee occurs in as many as four steps: warnings, suspension, demotion, and dismissal. This pattern of discipline is progressive in the sense that the steps progress from the least to the most severe action a supervisor can take.

Question 12

In the process of administering discipline,the first step should ideally be to _____ the employee.

Accepted Answer

When a supervisor observes and understands the facts behind problem behavior, disciplining an employee occurs in as many as four steps: warnings, suspension, demotion, and dismissal.

Question 13

As a supervisor who follows progressive disciplinary practices,which step should be taken up next if an employee does not improve his or her behavior even after he or she has been suspended for a month?

Accepted Answer

When a supervisor observes and understands the facts behind problem behavior, disciplining an employee occurs in as many as four steps: warnings, suspension, demotion, and dismissal. This pattern of discipline is progressive in the sense that the steps progress from the least to the most severe action a supervisor can take.

Question 14

Which of the following is the most effective way to end constant whining and complaining by an employee with a problem behavior?

Accepted Answer

Employees are more likely to cooperate in a solution they helped develop. Asking an employee to suggest solutions can be an especially effective way to end constant whining and complaining by that employee.

Question 15

Norah is a supervisor at Vogue Inc,a company that follows progressive disciplinary practices.Which of the following disciplinary measures is Norah most likely to take as a first step?

Accepted Answer

When a supervisor observes and understands the facts behind problem behavior, disciplining an employee occurs in as many as four steps: warnings, suspension, demotion, and dismissal. This pattern of discipline is progressive in the sense that the steps progress from the least to the most severe action a supervisor can take.

Question 16

What is the last step of the counseling interview process?

Accepted Answer

The counseling interview starts with a discussion of what the problem is. It then moves to a consideration of possible solutions and the selection of one solution to try. The interview ends with the supervisor scheduling a follow-up meeting.

Question 17

Who among the following should begin a counseling interview?

Accepted Answer

The person who requested the counseling begins by describing the problem. If the employee requested help, the employee should begin. If the supervisor set up the interview because something seemed wrong, the supervisor should begin.

Question 18

Which of the following is the most common reason behind employees becoming emotional during counseling sessions?

Accepted Answer

Because counseling often occurs as a result of an employee's personal problems, the employee may be emotional during counseling sessions. The supervisor needs to be prepared for crying, angry outbursts, and other signs of emotion.

Question 19

Unlike punishment,discipline _____.

Accepted Answer

Punishment is an unpleasant consequence given in response to undesirable behavior. Discipline, in contrast, is broader; it is a teaching process.

Question 20

Identify a true statement about discipline or punishment from the following.

Accepted Answer

Punishment is an unpleasant consequence given in response to undesirable behavior. Discipline, in contrast, is broader; it is a teaching process.

Quiz 12: Problem Employees: Counseling and Discipline

A supervisor believes that one of her employees is using the office telephone for excessive personal calls.What should she do?

Discipline is best defined as:

Identify a step of the discipline process that is less upsetting to employees because it refrains from hurting them in the pocketbook.

The requirement that an employee not come to work for a set time period,during which the employee is not paid,is referred to as a:

After having a discussion on what the problem is,which is the next step of the counseling interview process?

Which of the following is true of counseling?

In the counseling interview process,which step comes right after the consideration of possible solutions to a problem?

Which of the following is true of administering discipline?

Which of the following is the step that a supervisor who follows progressive disciplinary practices would take up if an employee does not improve his or her behavior even after he or she has been warned?

In the process of administering discipline,the first step should ideally be to _____ the employee.

As a supervisor who follows progressive disciplinary practices,which step should be taken up next if an employee does not improve his or her behavior even after he or she has been suspended for a month?

Which of the following is the most effective way to end constant whining and complaining by an employee with a problem behavior?

Norah is a supervisor at Vogue Inc,a company that follows progressive disciplinary practices.Which of the following disciplinary measures is Norah most likely to take as a first step?

What is the last step of the counseling interview process?

Who among the following should begin a counseling interview?

Which of the following is the most common reason behind employees becoming emotional during counseling sessions?

Unlike punishment,discipline _____.

Identify a true statement about discipline or punishment from the following.