Jim is the daytime supervisor for an automobile assembly line. He supervises 45 people who perform relatively routine jobs that require minimal training. The shop is unionized, so Jim has little latitude when it comes to dismissing poor performers. However, he does have the authority to transfer employees and has been known to reassign poor performers to less desirable jobs on the assembly line. Jim has a reputation for only transferring employees with just cause, and generally is viewed as a fair supervisor by his employees. Although he would like greater autonomy to determine salaries, Jim generally divides bonuses and raises equally among his employees. To do otherwise would likely create conflict with union members and representatives. According to Fiedler's model, what would the task structure of Jim's employees be considered?

A. Absolute

B. High

C. Medium

D. Low

E. Nonexistent

Question

Business

Sheldon Harris

27 January, 12:43

Jim is the daytime supervisor for an automobile assembly line. He supervises 45 people who perform relatively routine jobs that require minimal training. The shop is unionized, so Jim has little latitude when it comes to dismissing poor performers. However, he does have the authority to transfer employees and has been known to reassign poor performers to less desirable jobs on the assembly line. Jim has a reputation for only transferring employees with just cause, and generally is viewed as a fair supervisor by his employees. Although he would like greater autonomy to determine salaries, Jim generally divides bonuses and raises equally among his employees. To do otherwise would likely create conflict with union members and representatives. According to Fiedler's model, what would the task structure of Jim's employees be considered?

A. Absolute

B. High

C. Medium

D. Low

E. Nonexistent

+2

Answers (1)

Know the Answer?

Cason Casey · Answer 1

B) High

Explanation:

According to Fiedler's Contingency Theory, task structure refers to the existing job guidelines about how the job's tasks should be performed.

Even though Jim's employees perform a relatively routine jobs, car manufacturing is a very complex process and any small deviation can ruin the final product. Therefore any task performed at the production line must be very clear and well understood by the workers.