MAN 3760 Module 1 Self-Assessment: How a Ramp Supervisor Communicates Under Pressure Example

Reviewed by Edgar Pennington, MBA Thomas Edison State University Updated October 2026

This MAN 3760 Module 1 example is a self-assessment exercise in Leadership Communication, a course in TESU's Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership and B.S. in Professional Studies, taught from Hackman and Johnson's Leadership: A Communication Perspective. MAN-3760 begins by defining leadership as human communication that modifies the attitudes and behaviors of others to meet group goals and needs. The reflection is written by a composite ramp supervisor for a ground-handling contractor at Newark Liberty International Airport who leads 18 baggage handlers. He reports what the module's self-assessment showed about his communication, connects it to the text's communication perspective and to research on leaders' communication styles, and sets two goals to practice.

CourseMAN-3760 Leadership Communication
ModuleModule 1
Paper typeModule 1 self-assessment exercise: fundamentals of leadership and communication
LengthAbout 465 words, 4 pages
FormatAPA 7 student paper
SchoolThomas Edison State University
ProgramBachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership
UpdatedOctober 2026

Free sample paper for MAN 3760 Module 1

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Clear but Not Curious: What a Communication Self-Assessment Showed a Ramp Supervisor

Student Name

Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership, Thomas Edison State University

MAN-3760: Leadership Communication

Mentor Name

Month Day, Year

What this page is doingThe title summarizes the self-assessment's main finding, a strength in clarity paired with a gap in asking and explaining.
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Clear but Not Curious: What a Communication Self-Assessment Showed a Ramp Supervisor

The Assessment and My Results

The self-assessment in this module asked me to rate how often I engage in behaviors such as giving clear instructions, listening, asking for input, explaining reasons and adapting my message to the listener. My highest scores were for clarity and directness. My lowest were for asking questions and explaining the reasons behind decisions. On a ramp where an aircraft must be loaded in 35 minutes, clarity matters. But the results made me think about what my crew does not hear from me.

Leadership as Communication

Hackman and Johnson (2013) define leadership as human, symbolic communication that modifies the attitudes and behaviors of others to meet group goals and needs. The definition puts communication at the center: a leader leads through what he says, how he says it and what he does not say. If I only give instructions, my crew learns what to do but not why, and they cannot adapt when something unexpected happens, such as a late bag transfer or a weight imbalance.

What Research Says About Leaders' Communication

De Vries et al. (2010) studied the communication styles of leaders and found that a supportive, expressive and precise style was strongly related to followers' satisfaction with the leader and their perception of the leader's effectiveness, and that communication style was closely tied to charismatic and human-oriented leadership. My precision is a strength; my lack of supportive and explanatory communication is the gap. Under time pressure, I default to short commands, and my crew hears only orders.

What this page is doingLinking a specific low score to research on what followers value turns the self-assessment into a diagnosis rather than a list of numbers.
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Two Goals

First, I will explain the reason behind one decision at every pre-shift briefing, such as why we load the forward hold first on a particular aircraft type. Second, I will ask one question of a crew member during each turnaround debrief, such as what slowed us down, and listen to the answer before responding. I will ask my lead handler to tell me at the end of each week whether he noticed the difference. Because openness from the leader is what makes employees voice problems, in the findings of Detert and Burris (2007), the second goal should surface delays before they happen.

Reflection

I chose ramp work because I like clear tasks and fast results. This assessment showed me that the same habits that make me efficient can make me a poor communicator when the job requires judgment. Leadership on the ramp is not only telling people where the bags go.

Conclusion

I communicate clearly but rarely ask or explain. The text's definition of leadership as communication, and research linking supportive communication to followers' satisfaction, show why that matters. Two small, regular practices will test whether I can add those behaviors without losing the clarity the ramp needs.

References

de Vries, R. E., Bakker-Pieper, A., & Oostenveld, W. (2010). Leadership = communication? The relations of leaders' communication styles with leadership styles, knowledge sharing and leadership outcomes. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25(3), 367-380. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-009-9140-2

Detert, J. R., & Burris, E. R. (2007). Leadership behavior and employee voice: Is the door really open? Academy of Management Journal, 50(4), 869-884. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2007.26279183

Hackman, M. Z., & Johnson, C. E. (2013). Leadership: A communication perspective (6th ed.). Waveland Press.

What the MAN 3760 Module 1 instructions ask for

MAN-3760 grades five self-assessment exercises, three application and analysis papers, three group case analyses with a group process analysis, seven quizzes, twelve discussions and a final project. Self-assessment exercises ask you to complete an assessment tool from the text and reflect on what you discovered. In the first module, connect your results to the text's view of leadership as communication. Report your results honestly, explain what they mean for how you lead, support the reflection with research and set specific goals you can practice and check. The self-assessments count for 15 percent of the grade together, so each deserves a careful, specific reflection. Report the scores briefly and give most of the paper to interpreting them.

How this MAN 3760 Module 1 example is built

The reflection opens with the assessment and the writer's highest and lowest scores. A section applies the text's definition of leadership as communication to the ramp setting. A section uses research on leaders' communication styles to explain why the low scores matter. A section sets two practice goals and a way to check them. A short reflection and conclusion follow, connecting the results to the writer's choice of work and to what the crew experiences. Every claim about the writer's communication is tied to the ramp setting, so the reflection is specific to his work rather than general advice about communication. The practice goals include a way to get feedback from the crew.

Where the marks sit in the MAN 3760 Module 1 rubric

Mentors grade self-assessment exercises on honest reporting of results, thoughtful reflection, connection to course concepts and specific goals. Reflections that explain what a score means in the writer's actual work show more insight than a summary of numbers. Using research to explain why a weakness matters demonstrates connection to the course. Goals that are concrete and checkable show the writer intends to change, and clear, cited writing completes the exercise. Mentors also look for awareness of the setting's demands; recognizing that clarity matters on a tight turnaround, while adding what is missing, shows balanced judgment. Accurate citations of the text and research complete the exercise.

MAN 3760 Module 1 help: mistakes that cost marks

Students lose points by reporting scores without discussing them, by describing only strengths or by setting goals such as "communicate better" that cannot be checked. Others never connect results to the text's definition of leadership. Explain what your highest and lowest scores mean in your work. Connect them to the module's concepts. Choose one or two practices and decide how you will know if they are working. If your scores surprise you, say so and explain why; surprise is often where the most useful reflection begins. Ask someone who works with you whether the results match what they see. A free first sample on your own MAN-3760 Module 1 self-assessment is available on request.

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More MAN 3760 and Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership sample papers

MAN 3760 Module 1 questions, answered

Where can I find a free MAN 3760 Module 1 sample paper?

Clear but not curious: a Newark ramp supervisor's communication self-assessment and two practice goals appear above.

How do Hackman and Johnson define leadership?

As human, symbolic communication that modifies the attitudes and behaviors of others to meet group goals and needs.

What is a self-assessment exercise in MAN-3760?

An exercise in which you complete an assessment tool from the text and reflect on what it shows about you.

What communication style do followers value?

Research links a supportive, expressive and precise style to followers' satisfaction and perceptions of effectiveness.

What textbook does MAN-3760 use?

Hackman and Johnson's Leadership: A Communication Perspective, sixth edition, from Waveland Press.