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Functions of Management April 7, 2010 Math 330 Tom D. Annuzio ? According to Bateman and Snell (2009), “the effective and efficient management of all four functions of management is the key to being a good manager. ” To accomplish this task, a manager must master and apply all four functions (planning, organizing, leading and controlling) of management on a regular basis. Creating an effective and efficient company is a worthwhile task for any manager to strive towards.
It requires a very delicate balancing act that many managers are unable to achieve. The average manager will be good at one or maybe two of the functions of management, but it takes a great leader to achieve all four functions of management with just one manager. Planning is defined by Bateman and Snell (2009), as “The management function of systematically making decisions about the goals and activities that an individual, a group, a work unit, or the overall organization will pursue. Planning is the difference between a successful and unsuccessful manager. .Planning, the first management function requires analysis of physical situations in a business, perhaps problems that need to be solved or analysis of systems that need improvement to become cost effective. Planning is the first step in management and is paramount as it facilitates control, valuable decision making and in the avoidance of business ruin. .Planning also requires anticipation of future needs of the company to be successful.
By assembling and coordinating the human, financial, physical, informational, and other resources needed to achieve goals a manager would be completing the second function, the function of organizing. According to Bateman and Snell (2009) “Organizing activities include attracting people to the organization, specifying job responsibilities, grouping jobs into work units, marshaling and allocating resources, and creating conditions so that people and things work together to achieve maximum success. With organization, you are assisting in building a company that can achieve the goals set forth by the management team. Organizing a productive team of employees is an important part of this function. In many businesses people are the most valuable resource, so organization of these people from job function, to working in teams, to keeping the information flowing is very important in helping the business to succeed. Organization is a matter of appointing individuals to assignments or responsibilities that blend together to develop one purpose, to accomplish the goals. Leading is stimulating people to be high performers. ” Bateman and Snell (2009). Leading is a combination of communicating and guiding inside and outside customers to work together to attain the companies’ goals. A true leader will stimulate, motivate and communicate to employees the common goal of the company. The leadership of a project, company or team of leaders will give the manager an active roll rather than a passive roll in the stake of the company. “Planning, organizing, and leading do not guarantee success.
The fourth function, controlling, monitors performance and implements necessary changes. ” Bateman and Snell, (2009). All managers need to be able to control the resources put into their hands so that the final product that a company produces is the best that it can be. Quality control and safety is the name of the game. Continuous monitoring of the output of a company will help managers to control their costs, contain labor issues and maintain a happy bottom line for them personally and their company as a whole.
Historically control in a business meant to “put out the fires”. Today, control means to foresee any possible action that may need to be taken prior to the error occurring. Control today, means that as a manager you set the standards, measure the performance and take any corrective action that may be needed to prevent any “fires” from happening. Conclusion?? References Bateman, T. S. , & Snell, S. A. (2009). Management: Leading and Collaborating in a Competitive World (8th ed. ). New York, New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies.