Functions of Management
The functions of management are as vital in an organization as the employees themselves. Without a constant evolution of these functions: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling, the business would suffer and fail. Although together these functions produce a constant flow for a company individually each function is its own power all its own.
Planning is the foundation of effective management. Without prior planning a company would essentially have no mission, no common goal, and no future. Traditionally planning is the function most used by top-level managers. The essential goal being to plan for the future by analyzing the current economy, determining the mission, setting the stage for achievement, and discovering the recourses need to make it all happen (Bateman & Snell, 2009).
Without a plan employees will have no idea what they are working for. For instance in a factory if the employees were told to build a specific piece to a larger component but never knew what the final outcome would be, the mindless work of assembling their part would produce no positive effect. Knowing the final outcome, how it will function in society, and why they are doing what they are doing will create a feeling of worth.
The military is an organization where the planning step is carefully and diligently practiced. However, from time to time upper leadership may withhold the bigger mission due to operational security. This situation can produce the effectiveness of a unit to diminish rapidly. When this happens it is important for upper management to recognize this and ensure they do their part to get the unit back on track. It is important for the troops to know they are serving a bigger purpose and that families are being neglected for a reason.
The organizational function of management must work closely with the planning function. Mid- level managers must have an...