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Unit Aims, Objectives and Prerequisites
S.1.1 The port supervisor: organizational status

1. Unit Aims

This Unit is designed:

1. To explain the nature of an organization, illustrated by reference to ports, their functions, ownership and administration.
2. To discuss the need for a sound organizational structure, describe how organizational structure is represented and discuss what that representation implies in terms of functional units.
3. To distinguish between authority, responsibility and accountability, and to describe their various organizational implications.
4. To discuss the role of the supervisor in company communication systems, objectives, rules and regulations, the manpower development system and other organizational issues.

2. Unit Objectives

After completing this Unit, the learner will be able to:

1. Explain what is meant by an ‘organization’, and summarize the basic characteristics of an organization.
2. List the main functions of a port and state which body is responsible for carrying out those functions in his/her port.
3. Describe the ownership and administrative framework of the port and explain how, and by whom, the port’s policies are decided.
4. Describe how the structure of an organization is normally represented and explain the implications of the form of that representation in terms of functional units and groupings.
5. Given an organizational chart, identify correctly the superior and subordinates of a particular post, state who reports to the occupant of that post and to whom the occupant reports.
6. List the main features of an ideal job description, state why such a document is important and outline how it is developed.
7. Explain what is meant by delegation of responsibility, delegation of authority, and employee accountability.
8. Name and distinguish between the three sources of supervisory authority.
9. Distinguish between line, staff and functional authority relationships, explain the practical and supervisory significance of the distinctions, and identify each type correctly on a given organizational chart.
10. Explain what is meant by ‘span of control’, how it relates to authority levels, and how it influences supervisory efficiency in an organization.
11. Explain the importance of good communication within an organization, and describe the major media of organizational communication.
12. Explain the importance of setting performance objectives for the organization, its departments, work units and individual employees, illustrated by those set for his/her organization.
13. Explain the need for company rules, regulations and operational procedures, and list the areas covered by the various company handbooks and manuals.
14. List the main features of a human resource development plan and its implementation, and outline the part played by the supervisor in it.
15. Define, recognize the best definition of, or distinguish between true and false statements concerning, the technical terms used in the Unit, as listed in sections 3 and 4 below.

3. Unit Prerequisites

It is assumed that, before starting this Unit, the learner will have studied the following PDP Units (or equivalent units for general cargo berths or bulk terminals):

• Container terminal operations (C.1.1)
• The container terminal and international trade (C.6.1)