The Four Basic Activities that Comprise the Management Process (Coursework Sample)

THE FOUR BASIC ACTIVITIES THAT COMPRISE THE MANAGEMENT PROCESS
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Introduction
The management process involves coordinating various work activities for the managers, supervisors and other members of an organization to accomplish them effectively and efficiently. Effectiveness, in this case, means engaging in only those activities that can help the organization achieve its goal. Efficiency involves using the minimum resources or lowest possible cost to generate the most output. The paper aims at assessing the four basic activities that comprise the management process as presented by different authors, and how these activities relate to each other.
Main Body
Activities of the Management Process
Planning
Planning, as the core activity of the management process, involves setting the mission and objectives, as well as determining how best to accomplish them. This activity requires managers to be good thinkers, possess decision-making skills, and be aware of the challenges facing the organization. Managers first have to scan the environment by identifying the customers, competitors and the current economic conditions before forecasting on the future conditions. Managers should then establish objectives, identify the strategies to use in achieving the objectives and formulate the right steps for implementing the plans. Examples of planning activities include scheduling employees, allocating resources and assigning deadlines.[Stephen Robbins and Mary Coulter, Management. 8th ed. Upper Saddle River (New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005), 98.]
Organizing
The organizing activity involves putting together human, physical and financial resources to achieve the set goals. Managers have to identify, group and delegate tasks to the employees, as well as defining, establishing and coordinating relationships between authority and responsibility. It is through this activity that the management develops the organizational structure, which is a chart that shows the chain of command in the organization. This activity also incorporates organizational design decisions, which are decisions concerning the duties of individual jobs and how the staff should accomplish them. Depending on the nature of the firm, managers have to cluster responsibilities into departments organized by products, geography, functions and customers.[David Lamond, "A Matter of Style: Reconciling Henri and Henry," Management Decision 42, no. 2 (February 2004): 342.]
Leading
Leading is an activity in which managers influence the members of the organization to achieve the set goals and objectives. Managers should inspire, motivate, encourage and connect their employees on an interpersonal level. They should also use their authority and supervisory duty in convincing their employees to apply their knowledge and skills in trying new ways of performing a task, as well as influencing them to view things in a different perspective. Effective leading aims at shaping employees to follow the directions of a leader because they believe in his/her leadership other than because they have to follow.[P Singh "Management of Business Processes Can Help an Organization Achieve Competitive Advantage." International Management Review 8, no.2 (2012): 23.]
Controlling
Controlling involves activities that an organization undertakes to ensure that performance standards go as per the pre-arranged plans. Managers should measure achievements against the objectives, identify the source of deviation and come up with a corrective course of action.Performance standards are usually in terms of profits, levels of customer service, costs, revenues and the number of defective products. Managers can measure performance using ways such as customer satisfaction, production results, formal performance appraisals and financial statements. Controlling does not mean dictating the employees, but using effective strategies that ensure that the firm achieves its objectives.[John Jeston and Johan Nelis, Business Process Management: Practical Guidance to Successful Implementations (Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2006), 67]
How the Activities of Management Process Relate to One Another and Examples
The management functions of most businesses in the world comprise of controlling, leading, organizing and planning in their operations. A good example is McDonald’s, a franchise business and the leading food retail whose management process has resulted in tremendous success in its operations over time. The company’s management process ensures that all restaurants work toward the set objectives and its vision of becoming the best quick service restaurant in Europe and America. Its organizational culture motivates and improves employees’ creativity, which enhances its competitive advantage and makes all retail centers in various regions to operate smoothly.[Robert Lussier, Management Fundamentals: Concepts, Applications, Skill Development (Mason, OH: South-Western, 2012), 34] [Anil Rai, Customer Relationship Management: Concepts and Cases (New Delhi: PHI   Learning, 2013), 466]
Another example is Toyota, a Corporation that started as a small family firm, but through its effective management process, it has grown to be a leading automotive company. The company has adopted a strategic plan focused on customer satisfaction, lean manufacturing, ...