Theories, Concepts and Principles of

Management and Supervision

Prepared by: Charisse Asda Woo, RM

Concept of Supervision
Supervision is a way of stimulating, guiding, improving,
refreshing and encouraging and overseeing certain
group with the hope of seeking their cooperation in
order for the supervisors to be successful in their task
of supervision. Ogunsaju (1983).
 
The term supervision is derived from word “Super
video” meaning to oversee, Adepoju (1998). It is an
interaction between at least two persons for the
improvement of an activity. It is also a combination or
integration of processes, procedures and conditions
that are consciously designed to advance the work
effectiveness of individuals and group.
Understanding Theory X and Theory Y

Theory X and Theory Y were first explained by McGregor

in his book, "The Human Side of Enterprise," and they
refer to two styles of management – authoritarian
(Theory X) and participative (Theory Y).

If you believe that your team members dislike their work
and have little motivation, then, according to McGregor,
you'll likely use an authoritarian style of management.
This approach is very "hands-on" and usually involves
micromanaging people's work to ensure that it gets done
properly. McGregor called this Theory X.
On the other hand, if you believe that your people take
pride in their work and see it as a challenge , then you'll
more likely adopt a participative management style.
Managers who use this approach trust their people to take
ownership of their work and do it effectively by
themselves. McGregor called this Theory Y.

The approach that you take will have a significant impact

on your ability to motivate your team members. So, it's
important to understand how your perceptions of what
motivates them can shape your management style.
 
We'll now take a more in-depth look at the two different
theories, and discover how and when they can be useful in
the workplace.
Theory X
Theory X managers tend to take a pessimistic view of
their people, and assume that they are naturally
unmotivated and dislike work. As a result, they think
that team members need to be prompted, rewarded or
punished constantly to make sure that they complete
their tasks.

Work in organizations that are managed like this can be

repetitive, and people are often motivated with a "carrot
and stick" approach. Performance appraisals and
remuneration are usually based on tangible results,
such as sales figures or product output, and are used to
control staff and "keep tabs" on them.
This style of management assumes that workers:
Dislike their work.
Avoid responsibility and need constant direction.
Have to be controlled, forced and threatened to deliver
work.
Need to be supervised at every step.
Have no incentive to work or ambition, and therefore need
to be enticed by rewards to achieve goals.
According to McGregor, organizations with a Theory X
approach tend to have several tiers of managers and
supervisors to oversee and direct workers. Authority is
rarely delegated, and control remains firmly centralized.
Managers are more authoritarian and actively intervene to
get things done.
Although Theory X management has largely fallen out of
fashion in recent times, big organizations may find that
adopting it is unavoidable due to the sheer number of
people that they employ and the tight deadlines that
they have to meet.
Theory Y
Theory Y managers have an optimistic, positive opinion of
their people, and they use a decentralized, participative
management style. This encourages a more collaborative ,
trust-based relationship between managers and their team
members.

People have greater responsibility, and managers encourage

them to develop their skills and suggest improvements.
Appraisals are regular but, unlike in Theory X
organizations, they are used to encourage open
communication rather than control staff.

Theory Y organizations also give employees frequent

opportunities for promotion.
This style of management assumes that workers are:
Happy to work on their own initiative.
More involved in decision making.
Self-motivated to complete their tasks.
Enjoy taking ownership of their work.
Seek and accept responsibility, and need little
direction.
View work as fulfilling and challenging.
Solve problems creatively and imaginatively.
Theory Y has become more popular among
organizations. This reflects workers' increasing desire
for more meaningful careers that provide them with
more than just money.
It's also viewed by McGregor as superior to Theory X,
which, he says, reduces workers to "cogs in a machine,"
and likely demotivates people in the long term.

in the Workplace

Most managers will likely use a mixture of Theory X and
Theory Y. You may, however, find that you naturally favor
one over the other. You might, for instance, have a
tendency to micromanage or, conversely, you may prefer
to take a more hands-off approach .
Although both styles of management can motivate people, the success
of each will largely depend on your team's needs and wants and your
organizational objectives.

You may use a Theory X style of management for new starters who will
likely need a lot of guidance, or in a situation that requires you to take
control such as a crisis .

But you wouldn't use it when managing a team of experts , who are
used to working under their own initiative, and need little direction. If
you did, it would likely have a demotivating effect and may even
damage your relationship with them.
 
However, both theories have their challenges. The restrictive nature of
Theory X, for instance, could cause people to become demotivated and
non-cooperative if your approach is too strict. This may lead to high
staff turnover and could damage your reputation in the long term.
Conversely, if you adopt a Theory Y approach that gives
people too much freedom, it may allow them to stray
from their key objectives or lose focus. Less-motivated
individuals may also take advantage of this more
relaxed working environment by shirking their work.

If this happens, you may need to take back some control
to ensure that everyone meets their team and
organizational goals.
 
Circumstance can also affect your management style.
Theory X, for instance, is generally more prevalent in
larger organizations, or in teams where work can be
repetitive and target-driven.
In these cases, people are unlikely to find reward or
fulfillment in their work, so a
"/community/BookInsights/CarrotsAndSticks.phpcarr
ot and stick" approach will tend to be more successful
in motivating them than a Theory Y approach.
 
In contrast, Theory Y tends to be favored by
organizations that have a flatter structure, and where
people at the lower levels are involved in decision
making and have some responsibility.
Basic Principles for Effective Supervision

1.Healthy Atmosphere
The environment should be made free of tension and
emotional stress. The atmosphere should be given
incentives for work.
2. Staff Orientation
The quality and quantity of the work must be specified in
clean clear terms. Staff should be made to understand
clearly what are or not expected of them. New staff must be
given the necessary orientation.
They should have a schedule to know where to get
information and materials to help them perform the work
satisfactorily well.
3. Guidance and Staff Training
Staff should be offered necessary guidance. They should be
guided on how to carry out the assignment, standard should
be set by the supervisor while information should be given
ruling out the possibility of rumours. Information should be
for every body and specifics to individuals assigned to a
particular task. Techniques of how to do it must be given at
all times. The school must always arrange and participate in
staff training.
4. Immediate Recognition of Good Work
Good work should be recognized. This implies that the
acknowledgement of any good work done must be
immediate and made public to others which will then serves
as incentive to others. Incentive of merit, recommendation
for promotion, etc. improve performances.  
5. Constructive Criticisms
Poor work done should be constructively criticized.
Advice and personal relationship should be given to the
affected staff. It needs be stated here that such criticisms
should be made private and with mind free of bias.

6. Opportunity for Improvement

Staff should be given opportunity to prove their worth
and for aspiring higher. They should therefore be allowed
to use their initiatives in performing their jobs and taking
decision .It will give them the motivation to work much
harder.
7. Motivation and Encouragement
Staff should be motivated and encouraged to work to
increase their
productivity. They should be encouraged to improve their
ability to achieve organizational goal.
Management is a set of principles relating to the functions of
planning, organizing, directing and controlling, and the application
of these principles in harnessing physical, financial, human and
informational resources efficiently and effectively to achieve
organizational goals.

Common Concepts in Management Theories

Managers are expected to handle processes, people, information and
other duties as necessary. A manager may need to motivate their
subordinate employees or determine how best to improve
operational processes. Management theories provide frameworks
for successfully handling those responsibilities. Managers must be
responsible for the performance of their teams toward
organizational goals. Reaching goals might include reducing human
error or standardizing processes. Management theories help to
clarify these types of goals for managers and inform on how best to
realize those goals.
Three major classifications for management theories:

Classical Management Theory

is the oldest management theory that focuses on operations
and the creation of standards to increase production output.
In Classical Management Theory, compensation is considered
the primary motivation for employees. A manager practicing
Classical Management Theory would be focused on
improving output and rewarding high-performing employees
through wages or bonuses.
Behavioral Management Theory
Increasingly complex industries and organizations gave
rise to more human interests in the workplace.
Management theories began to include more people-
oriented methods. Human behavior and satisfying the
interpersonal needs of employees became more central
to management. A manager practicing Behavioral
Management Theory might motivate teamwork through
fostering a collaborative atmosphere.
Modern Management Theory
Modern organizations must navigate constant change and
exponential complexities. Technology is an element that
can change and upend businesses very rapidly. Modern
Management Theory seeks to incorporate these elements
with human and traditional theories. A manager
practicing Modern Management Theory might use
statistics to measure performance and encourage cross-
functional cooperation.
HENRI FAYOL’S 14 Principles of Management
DIVISION OF WORK: Work should be divided among
individuals and groups to ensure that effort and
attention are focused on special portions of the task.
Fayol presented work specialization as the best way to
use the human resources of the organization.

AUTHORITY: The concepts of Authority and

responsibility are closely related. Authority was
defined by Fayol as the right to give orders and the
power to exact obedience. Responsibility involves
being accountable, and is therefore naturally
associated with authority. Whoever assumes authority
also assumes responsibility.
DISCIPLINE: A successful organization requires the
common effort of workers. Penalties should be applied
judiciously to encourage this common effort.

UNITY OF COMMAND: Workers should receive orders

from only one manager.

UNITY OF DIRECTION: The entire organization should

be moving towards a common objective in a common
direction.

SUBORDINATION OF INDIVIDUAL INTERESTS TO THE

GENERAL INTERESTS: The interests of one person
should not take priority over the interests of the
organization as a whole.
REMUNERATION: Many variables, such as cost of living,
supply of qualified personnel, general business
conditions, and success of the business, should be
considered in determining a worker’s rate of pay.

CENTRALIZATION: Fayol defined centralization as

lowering the importance of the subordinate role.
Decentralization is increasing the importance.
The degree to which centralization or decentralization
should be adopted depends on the specific organization in
which the manager is working.
SCALAR CHAIN: Managers in hierarchies are part of a
chain like authority scale. Each manager, from the first
line supervisor to the president, possess certain amounts
of authority. The President possesses the most authority;
the first line supervisor the least. Lower level managers
should always keep upper level managers informed of
their work activities. The existence of a scalar chain and
adherence to it are necessary if the organization is to be
successful.

ORDER: For the sake of efficiency and coordination, all

materials and people related to a specific kind of work
should be treated as equally as possible.

EQUITY: All employees should be treated as equally as

possible.
STABILITY OF TENURE OF PERSONNEL: Retaining
productive employees should always be a high priority
of management. Recruitment and Selection Costs, as
well as increased product-reject rates are usually
associated with hiring new workers.

INITIATIVE: Management should take steps to

encourage worker initiative, which is defined as new or
additional work activity undertaken through self
direction.

ESPIRIT DE CORPS: Management should encourage

harmony and general good feelings among employees