Implications of organizational correlates of technology for supervisory behavior
department or school: Business, Sauder School of
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCV
creator: Hostetter, Frederick Herbert
issued: 2011-09-15T22:39:47Z
issued: 1966
related degree: Master of Science in Business - MScB
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: This study deals with the indirect effects of industrial technology upon the behavior of first-line supervisors. Homans' paradigm of the constituents of social behavior, and Woodward's observations regarding organizational correlates of technology provide the rationale for the enunciation of specific hypotheses pertaining to the nature of supervisory activities, interactions and sentiments associated with each of three categories of industrial technology. The validity of the specific hypotheses is tested thru a secondary analysis of data reported in a number of observational studies of organizational behavior. The perennial "man in the middle” concept of the first-line supervisor is rejected. It is not a valid ideal-type concept that is representative of supervisory behavior in all forms of contemporary production organizations. It appears that the dominant mode of technology within a production organization or work unit affects organization structure and processes. The latter phenomena seem to be important factors shaping supervisory role demands, characteristics of work environment, and, hence, supervisory behavior. Thus, the study suggests the utility of three ideal-type constructs of supervisory behavior; one for each of the three categories of technology. Unit-and small-batch-production technology Role demands include an important technical element. Administrative activities include personally attending to personnel matters, production reports and specifications, and coordinating and monitoring work flow through the unit. Interactions with fellow supervisors along the work flow are minimally required. Interactions with both subordinates and staff specialists are typically task-oriented, face-to-face and devoid of conflict. Interactions with superiors may be mediated by the reports of staff specialists if the latter are found in the organization. Sentiments toward subordinates, superiors and staff specialists tend to be neutral to friendly in tone and fairly con…
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/37407
note: IMPLICATIONS OF ORGANIZATIONAL CORRELATES OF TECHNOLOGY FOR SUPERVISORY BEHAVIOR by FREDERICK HERBERT HOSTETTER B.A., U n i v e r s i t y of B r i t i s h Columbia, 1 9 6 2 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION i n the F a c u l t y of Graduate Studies We accept t h i s t h e s i s as conforming t o the r e q u i r e d standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA A p r i l , 1 9 6 6 I n p r e s e n t i n g t h i s t h e s i s i n p a r t i a l f u l f i l m e n t of the requirements f o r an advanced degree at the U n i v e r s i t y of B r i t i s h Columbia, I agree that the L i b r a r y s h a l l make i t f r e e l y a v a i l a b l e f o r reference and study, I f u r t h e r agree that per-m i s s i o n f o r extensive copying of t h i s t h e s i s f o r s c h o l a r l y purposes may be granted by the Head of my Department or by h i s representatives,. I t i s understood that copying, or p u b l i -c a t i o n of t h i s t h e s i s f o r f i n a n c i a l gain s h a l l not be allowed without my w r i t t e n p e r m i s s i o n . Department of Q^ivA.xngvcfl- ftvtaC (fc?ov\w»>s Act H A ^ V I •jvct The U n i v e r s i t y of B r i t i s h Columbia,. Vancouver 8, Canada. ABSTRACT This study deals w i t h the i n d i r e c t e f f e c t s of indus-t r i a l technology upon the behavior of f i r s t - l i n e s u p e r v i s o r s . Homans' paradigm of the c o n s t i t u e n t s of s o c i a l behavior, and Woodward's observations regarding o r g a n i z a t i o n a l cor-r e l a t e s of technology provide the r a t i o n a l e f o r the enuncia-t i o n of s p e c i f i c hypotheses p e r t a i n i n g t o the nature of supervisory a c t i v i t i e s , i n t e r a c t i o n s and sentiments a s s o c i -ated w i t h each of three c a t e g o r i e s of i n d u s t r i a l technology. The v a l i d i t y of the s p e c i f i c hypotheses i s t e s t e d t h r u a secondary a n a l y s i…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0102370
language: eng
degree discipline: Business Administration
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
scholar level: Graduate
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/37407