The Functions of Management Essays - Economy, Accountability

The Functions of Management The Functions of Management When we here the work management immediately we think of personnel. On the other hand management has been called ?creative problem solving.? It is not linked to a specific type of business or organization but it is rather general in a broader spectrum. With any business or organization there is success and there is failure. The success of management is determined on how they accomplished the four functions of management. (Higgins, 1994) Planning: The first step in any business, organization or personal agenda is a plan. Planning is defined as the on going process of developing the business mission and objectives and determining how they will be accomplished. (Higgins, 1994) Another definition is specifying the goals to be achieved and deciding in advance the appropriate actions needed to achieve these goals. (Bateman Let's look at one of our local insurance conglomerate. The plan was to assist families in a time of need and the ultimate goal was to try too make insurance affordable for any one who desired to purchase it. Today this plan is still changing and the necessary changes are being made to accommodate everyone involved. Organizing: The next function is organizing. The definition for organizing is establishing the internal organization structure of the business. To make it simple organizing is assembling and coordinating the human, financial, physical, informational, and other resources needed to achieve goals. (Bateman & Snell) Looking at the structure of the my most recent employer you would say the internal organizational structure is the top level management (executives), middle level management (managers over departments), and low level management (supervisors, human resources, office and file system) organizing to achieve the mission and goals set forth for the business. Leading: Leading is defined as being able to stimulate people, helping to guide them toward achieving teams and organizational goals. (Bateman Did you know that leading was broken up into two other functions called staffing and directing? Staffing- recruiting, hiring, filling and keep filled with qualified people of all positions in the business. (Higgins, 1994) Directing- influencing peoples' behavior through motivation, communication, group dynamics (learning teams), leadership, and discipline. (Higgins, 1994) There are those of us that feel receiving incentives is motivation to go to work and become high performers, using our brains, and presenting ideas. Here is another example; management planned an entire week for employee appreciation. During this time employees are given gifts and several activities are implemented to demonstrate to the employees how much their hard work and dedication is not overlooked. Great work is done by great team workers. Controlling: The fourth function of management monitors performance and implements changes as they are needed. Coordination or controlling the organizational structure processes and systems to effective reach and efficiently reach goals and objectives. (McNamara, 1997-2008) Some managers believe that when their plans are put in motion things may not turn out as planned so feedback is needed throughout the process. This function and especially monitoring allows management to learn and make changes when necessary. For example, with the growing number of employees our management team decided to create another shift which created more jobs. Then the need for more space was necessary and desk sharing was created. Desk sharing is two individuals in same department share a workstation at different hours. Now there are expansions being added for more employees. Monitoring is a very important aspect of control. (Bateman & Snell) The success of management is known by it's accomplishment of missions, goals, and objectives. There are managers that are skilled and focused on one or two of the four functions but it is imperil that they are equally devoted to all four functions. ?They can be skilled planners and organizers but if the manager cannot lead or control the process of the then the manager cannot reach their full potential.? (Bateman With any business or organization the success lies in how well these functions are implemented. REFERENCES Bateman, Thomas S., and Snell, Scott A. Management: Collaborating in a Competitive World, 7e. http://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary Erven, Bernard L., The Five Functions of Management, The Foundation of Management Excel. www.ag.ohio-state.edu McNamara, Carter, M.B.A., PHD. Authencity Consulting, LLC. Introduction to Management, Basics-Definitions (and Misconceptions) About Management, Copyright 1997-2008. www.managementhelp.org. Management Excel Teaching: James Higgins, The