A new business has been launched with four employees who work for the entrepreneur-owner. As the owner contemplates growth in sales and personnel, she realizes that the next step of growth will involve the special problem of?
A.intermediate supervision
B.formal policies
C.direct supervision
D.quality management
B? What does yur book say?
B and A were my best guess. The descriptions seemed a like. Thank you!
You're welcome.
To determine the answer to this question, we need to understand the different stages of growth in a business and the challenges associated with each stage.
In the initial stage, when a business is launched with a small number of employees, the entrepreneur-owner typically has direct supervision over the employees. The owner is directly involved in day-to-day operations and closely monitors employee performance.
However, as the business grows and sales increase, the owner may face challenges in maintaining this level of direct supervision. This is where the concept of "span of control" comes into play. Span of control refers to the number of employees that a manager can effectively supervise. As the number of employees increases, it becomes difficult for a single individual (such as the owner) to provide direct supervision to everyone.
Now, let's consider the options provided:
A. Intermediate supervision: This refers to the delegation of supervision tasks to mid-level managers who oversee a specific department or team. However, in the given scenario, the business only has four employees, which may not necessitate the need for intermediate supervision yet.
B. Formal policies: As the business grows and more employees are added, it becomes important to establish formal policies and procedures that guide employee behavior and decision-making. While formal policies are important for overall business operations, it does not directly address the specific challenge of growth in sales and personnel.
C. Direct supervision: This is the current situation where the owner is directly supervising the four employees. However, the owner realizes that direct supervision may become challenging as the business grows.
D. Quality management: Quality management focuses on ensuring that products or services meet certain quality standards. While important, it does not specifically address the growth challenge associated with increasing sales and personnel.
Based on this analysis, the answer to the question is C. Direct supervision. The entrepreneur-owner recognizes that as the business grows, maintaining direct supervision over all employees may become more difficult, requiring a different approach to management and supervision.