1. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow
The other day I was listening to one of the local stations and there was this
promotion on how your boss out of the town. Is it not interesting how almost the
world over,the boss might necessarily be the most popular person around. What
about the saying when the boss is away,employees behave like mice when the catis
not around
It is not interesting to note that being a boss or manager does not necessarily make
one a leader. Leadership has been defined as an act of influencing people to strive
willingly for group objectives, the ability to make people work,but not only to
work,but to do so willingly. The opposite of this are managers who are
tyrants,authoritarian and unreasonable.
Schmidt and Tanneabaum drew up what they termed a continuum of leadership. It
describes two extremes;one the manger is mainly task oriented and the other
extreme where manger is democratic and relationship-oriented.
So, how can one strike this delicate balance and make a good boss? What are those
qualities that make one stand out as a leader not a tyrant? All the other factors
constant,how can managers achieve that goal of getting and retaining good
employees?
A good boss therefore,should primarily focus on the people he is leading and strive
to make them willing partners rather than mere subordinates if a task is to be done
successfully. An autocrat would get a job done but at what cost? He should make
an effort to create a relaxed but serious environment,let his staff feel that he is
approachable at all times. This kind gloves; employees can be very fast at taking a
relatively “soft” boss for granted. There are those times when a boss has “pull the
wipe,to be very firm but not necessarily harsh.
However,managers must always be consistent. When you punish okello for coming
late thrice in a month, do not be too forgiving to Musoke who came four times late
in the same month.
A good boss willing to listen and even take advice from his subordinates. This calls
for humility ,a price that many sometimes find too high to pay.
In your younger days, if you performed well in school,you always wanted your
teacher to tell you just how excellent your work was. Similarly, all employees
appreciate a pat on the back. A good boss should show that he
appreciates,especially when people have gone the extra mile. It is known that
nobody sows peas and reaps beans. What you sow is what you reap?
Employers should invest in their staff, in all sorts of ways. Invest time and
resources show some care,respect and consideration and most certainly that not, he
will reap the same benefits,as the staff will be better motivated and committed to
willingness work for him.
When short comings or problems arise, they can usually be overcome with some
additional instruction or coaching or with a positive,but frank discussion of the
issue at hand. As much as possible a boss should leave the people feeling that he is
helping and supporting them not reprimanding them. And if there is anything at all
negative to say to an employee, it needs to be done in private. Don’t embarrass
employee in front of other workers.
Sooner or later every employee is going to have one or more significant difficulties
in the work place. If you take the “bit stick” approach to every problem that arises,
you will find yourself toiling in a very lonely office or plant.
Question
In not more than 100 words, summarise the qualities of a good boss
Rough copy
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Fair copy
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2. Read the following passage and answer the questions the follow
It was a nightmare for a senior one student newly admitted to one of the famous
schools in the country. Anxious to study in a boarding secondary school,things
suddenly turned bad for the fifteen year old boy.
On the first day he reported to school,he wished he had not been admitted to the
school of his first choice. As he got into bed,a group of six big boys surrounded
him and asked him to hand over every edible thing in his suitcase.
Before he could explain that there were only roasted groundnuts in his suitcase, the lights were switched off. For another young man in another school in westrn Uganda ,the experience was
even worse. Shortly after midnight on the first night at the school, he lost all the
shs 50,000 he had carried for his pocket money to fellow students. Worse still, they made him dance until the wee hours of the morning. His woes ended after he had sung all the songs he learnt in primary school. Both victims were victims of bullying,a practice common in most schools in Uganda and which most school administrators don’t seem to care about! Widely practiced in boarding schools,bullying is often used by students to initiate fellow students into the school “culture”. Others do it for fun while others feel obliged to bully their juniors especially those who are new in the school. It has almost become an acceptable practice for senior one and senior five students in most schools. It is an old practice in many schools and little has been done to combat it. Bullying is a source of pride for some students but often results in disastrous consequences. Victims are subjected to psychological and physical torture which in some cases leads to death. One boy in Bundibugyo was at one time punched and stoned to death by a group of
eight pupils;six girls and two boys. All of them were ten-year olds. A senior
lecturer in the department of sociology at Makerere attributed bullying to collective
action which students take on as a result of peer influence. They feel bullying is
one way of gaining recognition in a group and those who do not bully are called
cowards. Other academicians think that bullying often results from stress because of the
unfavourable conditions in some schools. This stress leads to loss of temper which
is normally cooled of by engaging in bullying activities. Although the cases quoted
above are imaginary,students should be encouraged to report the bullies to the
authorities. Severe punishments like expulsion or suspension should be imposed on
the culprits. As for administrators who condone such behavior, the ministry of
Education and sports should deal with them firmly.
Answer questions by selecting the best of the four possible answers putting a
ring around your best choice
1. The lights were switched off probably
a) In order for the boy to give his things to the bullies quietly
b) By accident as the boys struggled
c) So that the boy would not see the boys bullying him and report them
d) So that the boy could be tortured to death
2. The second boy sang up to the wee hours of the morning means he sang
a) All the morning long
b) Till very late in the morning
c) Up to dawn
d) Up to midnight
3. According to the passage:
a) Senior one and five look forward to bullying in S.5
b) Bullying can involve teasing and beating of victims
c) Bullying is great fun for the junior
d) Students are forced to bully others by the school authorities
4. From the passage,which of the following statements is NOT true about
bullying
a) Students are robbed of their money
b) Old students take advantage of new ones
c) Six girls and two boys killed a boy
d) The school authorities recommended it for initiating new students
5. A suitable title for this passage would be
a) The joys of bullying in school
b) The advantages of bullying in schools
c) The evil of bullying in schools
d) The origins of bullying in schools