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Related Experiment Videos

Let first-level supervisors do their job.

W E Sasser, F S Leonard

    Harvard Business Review
    |February 11, 1980
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    First-level supervisors face conflicting demands from management and employees. Empowering these supervisors with influence improves organizational performance.

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    Area of Science:

    • Management Science
    • Organizational Behavior
    • Human Resources

    Background:

    • First-level supervisors operate in a complex environment, balancing demands from upper management, workforces (including unions), and task requirements.
    • These competing demands are often conflicting, creating challenges for supervisors' sense of identity and authority.
    • Supervisors frequently transition from employee roles, adding complexity to their new management position.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To analyze the challenges faced by first-level supervisors in harmonizing diverse and conflicting demands.
    • To explore the impact of unclear and insufficient organizational authority on supervisor effectiveness.
    • To investigate how empowering first-level supervisors can enhance overall organizational performance.

    Main Methods:

    • Conceptual analysis of the first-level supervisor role.
    • Examination of the dynamics between management, workforce, and task requirements.
    • Exploration of the concept of 'levers of influence' for supervisors.

    Main Results:

    • First-level supervisors must navigate a precarious balancing act between multiple, often contradictory, stakeholder needs.
    • Lack of clear and sufficient organizational authority hinders supervisors' ability to implement management goals effectively.
    • Supervisors often experience a loss of identity due to the pressures of their role.

    Conclusions:

    • Empowering first-level supervisors with inherent 'levers of influence' is crucial for their success.
    • Granting greater authority to first-level managers can significantly improve the performance of the entire organization.
    • Recognizing and supporting the unique position of first-level supervisors is key to effective management.