Introduction

1. List and explain with examples the Tasks (Functions) of management in the
organization?

Management is an activity consisting of process which is mainly concerned with

important task of goal achievement. No business enterprise can achieve its objective
until all the members of the organization work in planned and integrated way .Therefore
the process of management involves the determination of objectives and putting them in
action.

According to G.R. Terry ‘Management is a distinct process consisting of planning,

organizing, actuating and controlling, performed to determine and accomplish stated
objectives by the use of human beings and other resources’’ Management is considered
a continuing activity made up of basic management functions which are Planning ,
Organizing, Staffing, Directing and Controlling. The managers have to perform all these
functions in order to achieve the desired organizational goals.
Planning

Of the five management functions — planning, organizing, staffing, leading and

controlling — planning is the most fundamental. All other functions stem from planning.
Before a manager can tackle any of the other functions, he or she must first devise a
plan. A plan is a blueprint for goal achievement that specifies the necessary resource
allocations, schedules, tasks, and other actions. Planning is 'thinking in advance' and
means setting up a blue print for the future and deciding what do you went to do and
who will do a particular task.

A goal is a desired future state that the organization attempts to realize. Goals are
important because an organization exists for a purpose, and goals define and state that
purpose. Goals specify future ends; plans specify the means. The word planning
incorporates both ideas: It means determining the organization's goals and defining the
means for achieving them.

Planning allows managers the opportunity to adjust to the environment instead of

merely reacting to it. Planning increases the possibility of survival in business by
actively anticipating and managing the risks that may occur in the future. Planning is a
basic management function that achieves optimum balance of needs or demands with
the available resources.

An easy example of planning is perhaps the planning that goes in the recruitment of
employees in an organisation. The HR department’s planning here is repetitive and
short term. Once the objective is achieved, the same process is followed in the future
with little or no modifications.

Organizing

After planning the next function of management is organizing. Organizing involves

division of work among people whose efforts must be coordinated to achieve specific
objectives and to implement pre-determined strategies. It is the backbone of
management. After the objectives of an enterprise are determined and the plan is
prepared, the next step in the management process is to organize the activities of the
enterprise.

Organization of an enterprise activities enables to define an organizational structure

with: role positions, and jobs and activities assigned to the roles, activities are defined
and grouped/compartmentalized, human, material and financial resources are
coordinated and authority and responsibility relationships are defined and coordinated.
organizing ensures effective management through getting people to relate meaningfully
with one another, working to a common objective.

According to Louis Allen "organizing is the process of identifying and grouping the work
to be performed defining and delegating responsibility and authority, and establishing
relationships for the purpose of enabling people to work most effectively together in
accomplishing objectives."

According to the Haiimann "Organizing is the process of defining and growing the
activities of the enterprise and establishing authority relationships among them. " With
reference to above definitions it’s clear that organizing refers to the way in which the
work of a group of people is arranged and distributed among group members.

For example, HUI Manufacturing, a custom sheet metal fabricator, has done away with
traditional “departments” to focus on listening and responding to customer needs. From
company-wide meetings to team huddles, HUI employees know and understand their
customers and how HUI might service them best (Huimfg, 2008).

Staffing

After planning and organizing the next function of management is ‘Staffing’ .It is
important to have a good organization structure, but it is even more important to fill the
jobs with the right people. Filling and keeping the position provided for by the
organization structure with right people at the right place is the staffing phase of the
management function. All the managers have a responsibility for staffing.

Staffing consists of the right to advise or assist those who possess line authority as well
as other staff personnel. Staff authority enables those responsible for improving the
effectiveness of line personnel to perform their required tasks. Line and Staff personnel
must work together closely to maintain the efficiency and effectiveness of the
organization. To ensure that line and staff personnel do work together productively,
management must make sure both groups understand the organizational mission, have
specific objectives, and realize that they are partners in helping the organization reach
its objectives.

Size is perhaps the most significant factor in determining whether or not an organization
will have staff personnel. The larger the organization, the greater the need and ability to
employ staff personnel. As an organization expands, it usually needs employees with
expertise in diversified areas (Training, Economist, Strategic Management, Legal).
Although small organizations may also require this kind of diverse expertise, they often
find it more practical to hire part time consultants to provide it is as needed rather than
to hire full time staff personnel, who may not always be kept busy.

Leading

Directing is said to be a process in which the managers instruct, guide and oversee the
performance of subordinates to achieve predetermined goals. It is a process or
technique by which instructions can be issued and operations be carried out as per
plan. Directing is said to be the heart of management process. Planning, organizing,
staffing depend on the directing function for implementation success. It is a basic
management function that includes building an effective work climate and creating
opportunity for motivation, supervising, scheduling, and disciplining.

Directing is concerned with the initiation of organized action and stimulating people to
work. It involves issuance of orders, instructions and leading and motivating the
employees to execute them. Directing is the inter-personal aspect of management
which deals directly with influencing, guiding, supervising and motivating the
subordinates for the accomplishment of pre-determined objectives. Planning,
organizing, staffing are merely preparations for doing the work but the work actually
initiates through directing function.
According to Koontz and O’donnell “Direction is the interpersonal aspect of managing
by which subordinates are led to understand and contribute effectively and efficiently to
the attainment of enterprise objectives.” The manager must stimulate action by giving
direction to his subordinates through orders and also supervise their work to ensure that
the plans and policies achieve the desired actions and results.

Personality research and studies of job attitudes provide important information as to

how managers can most effectively lead subordinates. For example, this research tells
us that to become effective at leading, managers must first understand their
subordinates’ personalities, values, attitudes, and emotions.

Controlling

Controlling is seeing that actual performance is guided towards expected performance

.All other functions of management cannot be completed effectively without
performance of the control function. It implies measurement of accomplishment against
the standards and correction of deviation, if any, to ensure achievement of
organizational goals. The efficient system of control helps to predict deviation before
they actually occur.

According to Theo Haimann "Controlling is the process of checking whether or not

proper progress is being made towards the objectives and goals and acting if
necessary, to correct any deviation.” Controlling ensures that there is effective and
efficient utilization of organizational resources so as to achieve the organizational goals.
Controlling has two basic purposes:

a) If facilitates coordination

b) It helps in planning
Conclusion

Planning must be done before the actual operation and control should follow plans
during and after the actual performance. The experience gained in controlling will help
improve the process of planning. Thus we can say Controlling and Planning are
interdependent and interrelated.
References

https://www.mosaicprojects.com.au/WhitePapers/WP1096_Six_Functions_Governance.
pdf

https://mosaicprojects.com.au/PMKI-ORG-005.php

Principles of Management by Harold Koontz, Heinz Weihrich, A. Ramachandra Aryasri

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