What is the purpose of the List Item's Approve/Reject menu/ribbon item?

Steps to replicate the problem

1. Create a custom list
   1. Go to http://yourfarm/yoursite/ and click on the Lists quick launch.
   2. Click on the Create button
   3. On the Create screen, select Filter By > List > Custom List
   4. Enter a Name for the Custom List (e.g. “TestWorkflow”
   5. Click on Create button
2. You should now be in the list, with the List Tools > List ribbon showing.
   1. Click on the List Settings ribbon button.
   2. This should take you to the List Settings page
   3. Click on the Versioning Settings link
   4. In the Content Approval section, click on the Yes radio button for “Require content approval for submitted items”
   5. Click on the Workflow Settings link on the List Settings page
   6. It should take you to the Workflow Settings page
   7. It should say “There are no workflows currently associated with this list.”
   8. Click on the “Add a workflow” link
   9. Select the “Approval – SharePoint 2010” workflow template
   10. Enter a unique name for this workflow: “TestWorkflow Approval”
   11. Uncheck the “manually started” checkbox under Start Options
   12. Check the “Start this workflow when a new item is created” checkbox
   13. Click Next
   14. Insert a user login in the Approvers “Assign To” picker. I typically insert my own login for testing.
   15. Check the Enable Content Approval checkbox.
   16. Click Save
3. Click the list name in the navigation at the top of the page to return to the list.
4. Click Add new item
5. Enter some text in the Title field.
6. Click Save
7. You now have a list item with a workflow.
8. Click on the drop down contextual menu, which has View Item, Edit Item, Approve/Reject and other menu items
9. Click on the Approve/Reject menu item
10. The Approve/Reject dialog appears.
11. Select Approved. Enter a comment.
12. Click OK
13. The Approval Status in the list says approved.
14. Click on the Tasks link in the quick launch side bar
15. Notice that the Task Status column says “Not Started”

So, when one views the list item, and attempts to approve or reject the item, it appears that it only sets the column in the list itself and has nothing to do with the actual workflow.

Is this intentional? It doesn't appear to be very useful - users get confused thinking they have approved a request and then wonder why the user or the next stage has not gotten an appropriate mail message.