Management Functions

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In today’s business world managers follow certain rules that help them be better at their job and also contribute to the success of the business. The functions of management are established to help managers see the business operations with more clarity and understanding. This report will look at the four functions planning, organizing, directing and controlling. In business managers are divided into three parts: top-level, middle managers and first-level managers. Each level of management uses the four functions of management to do their job better.
Management success is gained through accomplishment of mission and objectives. Managers fail when they do not accomplish mission and objectives. Success and failure are tied directly to the reasons for being in business, i.e., mission and objectives. However, accomplishing mission and objectives is not sufficient. Success requires both effectiveness and efficiency. Managers who accomplish their mission and objectives are said to be effective. Efficiency describes the relationship between the amount of resources used (input) and the extent to which objectives were accomplished (output). If the cost of accomplishing an objective is prohibitive, then the objective is not realistic in the context of the firm's resources. Additional planning is necessary. Management is defined as the process of setting and achieving goals through the implementation of some basic management functions. These functions include planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. By using these key tools, one can create an organization as a whole consisting of unified parts acting in harmony to achieve goals, both successfully and proficiently. It is common knowledge to many managers and employees today that the very goal of one organization is to be as efficient and effective as possible. Planning, which can otherwise be known as the “first” function of management, places the groundwork in position for the other functions of management. Planning is a constant process that entails determining courses of action to respond to the questions of what should be done, by whom, where, when, and how. By planning properly, one will devise a proposal for the organizational activities necessary to reach the objectives one has set for themselves or their team.
There are three basic management skills: technical, human and conceptual. A technical skill is t...

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...in an organization or company. Management is basically just creative problem solving. Creative problem solving can be accomplished by using the four functions of management. The managers duties may vary but the basic functions of management remain the same. Planning, organizing, leading, and controlling are the four functions of management. How they are implemented and used in an organization is the responsibility of the manager. Planning is an ongoing process that develops the company’s mission and objectives it also helps to determine how they will be accomplished. Planning is something that we all do practically everyday. We have to plan each day accordingly to accomplish our most important task. By planning we are less likely to have any surprises and by knowing what our tasks are for the day we are more likely to get those tasks accomplished.
Resource:

UOP (2005): Resource; Week One Reading Assignment. Retrieved on April 26, 2005
From University of Phoenix www.ecampus.phoenix.edu
Lemire. J (2005) Week One reading: Course material newsgroup; UOP
Retrieved on April 26, 2005 from www.ecampus.phoenix.edu

James Higgins, The Management Challenge, Second edition, Macmillan, 1994

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