Explain The Four Basic Functions Of Management (Essay Sample)

UNDERSTANDING THE MANAGEMENT PROCESS
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Introduction
Management is a tool used in organizations by managers and supervisors to control day to day operations. Ideally, the management process comprises of four basic functions, namely planning, organization, leadership and control. The four functions are closely linked together for smooth flow of operations in an organization, and they provide the means by which organizational goals are acquired. The management functions are also used to determine areas of weakness in an organization, and provide bases for effective managerial decision-making. This essay focuses on the four functions of management, discussing how the activities relate to each other in a work environment.
Management Activities
The main role of managerial teams in an organization is to make decisions that lead to efficient goal achievement. To accomplish this, they gather and analyze information from both internal and external environments, which is then used to guide organizational strategies. Strategic planning is essential because it uses available information to determine the steps to be taken leading to goal achievement. Involvement of employees is crucial during this process because unlike other parties, they have first hand information that can be useful in decision making. Involving employees during the decision-making process also sends a positive message making them feel valued and improve their trust in the management team. In addition, involving employees in development of goals and their prioritization plays a role in aligning them to those goals and enhances a better relationship with their seniors.
Organizing is the next activity taken by management after planning. There are two types of organizing namely centralization, where the main decision makers are located at the top management levels and decentralization, where decision-making is located at lower ranks. It involves the allocation of resources, with direct or indirect relation to the achievement of goals and plans set for the organization. The human resource department is responsible for creating the organizational design which is aimed at reflecting the command structure. This enables employees to consult the right parties where need be, and creates a systematic work chain. Further, job allocations are designed to facilitate efficient achievement of departmental goals, where employees are grouped according to their skills and experience, and teams are formed for easier to manage. The organizing function promotes transparency and awareness to employees on organization policies related to employment and work allocation.
Leading is another activity of management. Leading is multi-dimensional in nature and relates to the social and informal influential sources used to inspire the action of other individuals. Managers with leadership skills are able to communicate effectively to their juniors, and influence the effort they put in achieving the organization goals. Leading is also considered as a factor for trust improvement between the managers and other employees, and develops a positive behavior towards work and job satisfaction. As such, employees are able to relate well with their managers and supervisors and effective communication leads to timely achievement of goals.
Controlling is the fourth activity of management, which entails the keeping in check all organization standards to prevent deviation. In control, performance standards for an organization are set and all employees are made aware of those standards. The managers then use those standards to evaluate whether the employees are meeting them and if not, corrective action is taken. Control requires a lot of information which is used to set and test the standard. Performance standards are expressed in monetary terms, but in other cases other units like quality level are used.
Control has measures to determine its effectiveness in achieving the set goals. Performance audit determines whether proper procedures are followed, while budgeting is used to allocate resources according to the organization’s plan. Using the information acquired from performance audit and the budget, the managers then make decisions on the ways to improve the system to achieve objectives effectively using minimum costs to maximize the profits. Such decisions may include staff training, marketing and promotion plans, staff motivation and appraisal plans among others.
Conclusion
Effective management is important in an organization because it provides information that is useful and crucial in the running and achieving set goals. The four functi...