The Science and Art of Management

The process of setting and achieving the organization’s goals through organizational resources is called management. To accomplish organizational goals, managers perform four basic functions of managerial work which are known as the four functions of management. These functions include planning, organizing, leading and controlling. These functions are highly integrated and recur throughout the organization. The four functions of management are important to all organizations, whether they are large national corporations, small family based businesses, or nonprofit organization.

Planning is the first function of management. Planning is the continuing process to set an organization’s goals missions and objectives, determining how to accomplish these goals, selecting priorities and results, identifying methods, resources, responsibilities and timeliness. Planning makes organizations adaptable to changes by identifying opportunities and avoiding problems. Planning improves the decision making process and sets the direction for the other functions of management. Planning helps the management to direct employee efforts towards group and organizational goal attainment. The planning function determines the effectiveness, efficiency and strategy of the organization .The activities in the planning process include: define mission, analyze weaknesses and strengths, identify threats and opportunities, set objectives and goals, develop operations and tactics and monitor plan. Planning is the step that is passed down to employees from the most upper management.

The second function of management is organizing. The establishment of the internal organizational structure of an organization and distribution of authority is referred to as organizing. The organizing process translates the planned steps into reality. An organizational structure is the outcome of organizing function. This structure coordinates and motivates employees to work together to achieve goals. The activities in the organizing process include: reviewing plans, list tasks, group tasks into jobs, group jobs, assign work and delegate authority and responsibilities.

The third function of management is leading. Leading is to influence people’s behavior through motivation, communication and group dynamics. Leading implies managerial activities with the aim of causing proper employee performance. Satisfactory fulfillment of this function involves finding out employee needs and creating reward systems for quality and timely work. Leading not only enables the employees achieving organization’s goal but simultaneously helps them achieving their own career objectives. Leadership involves a manager using power, influence, vision, persuasion, and communication skills. The outcome of leading function is high level motivation and commitment of employees towards organizational goals. The activities in leading process includes: determine direction, state a clear vision, building trust, and motivation, communication, managing conflict and attaining goals.

In the functional chain of management the final link is controlling which completes the circle of management cycle. Controlling is the process of establishing performance standards based on an organization’s goals, measuring performance, comparing and taking corrective actions, if necessary. The proper implementation of the plans is ensured by the controlling process. The controlling process assesses and monitors the current results and compares it with the actual plans. The outcome of controlling function is the accurate measurement of performance and regulation of efficiency and effectiveness. The activities in the controlling process include: establish performance standards, measure actual performance, compare measured performance against established and take corrective actions.

Relation of the four functions of management to my organizationI find my organization to be typical hierarchal structure of the pyramid style: top level managers: president, vice president; middle level managers: regional director; store manager; Front line managers: department managers front end manager and employees. My job function in the pyramid is the employee at customer service.

As all these four functions are interrelated, so all the levels of the organizational structure are involved in performing these functions but the major part of each function is related to a certain level. The first function, planning is carried out by the top level managers, organizing is done by the middle managers and leading is performed by the department and front end managers. Controlling is done by all level of managers.

In conclusion, organizations success depends on the proper implementation of these four functions which are paramount for the organization’s success. Failure is guaranteed to those managers who do not devote adequate attention to all four functions. The four functions of management are useful for a Fortune 500 business all the way down to personal management of one’s own assets. Whether the CEO of a top corporation or a housewife these functions are a solid groundwork to understand and achieve the goals that need to be met.