MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS

Management Functions

Management Functions

Introduction

The four functions of management, planning, organizing, leading, and controlling, are very essential in building strong organizations and even stronger more effective teams. Planning, organizing, leading, and controlling are the functions of management. These function activities must be performed by all managers regardless of their industry level, title, or the task they have at hand. These four management skill are used whenever a project or a task is at hand. Even in the field we are working in, many of us may have been using the four management functions and not noticed what they were, or we may have been a part of a team that was lead by the functions of management and not noticed what was going on.

Discussion

The theory of Management has seen many different approaches to overcoming work place conflict and structural challenges through out history. There are four major functions of management: planning, organizing, leading and controlling. For thousands of years, managers have wrestled with the same issues and problems confronting. After industrial revolution, large corporations need formal management theory to guide their practise. Then in the early 1900s, the first step toward developing a theory was taken. Either in industrial age or in information age, those four functions are essential to management, and their relations even closer now. The four functions are used to apply on the resources of the organization. Compared with the industrial age, as the development of new technologies, management are facing new problems on an everyday basis now, four functions of management are inter-related in some manners.

"Planning is the management function that involves the process of defining goals, establishing strategies for achieving those goals, and developing plans to integrate and coordinate activities"(Robbins et al 2003). It delivers strategic value, which is an important tool to mangers. It also allows management to help planing the future, rather than being led by the changes in the market. A good plan both help coordinate the action of all levels of management and employees (Laurie and Mullins 2002).

Meanwhile, it helps to serves the comprehensive thinking and increases market awareness, even customer services. In industrial age, managers need to forecast the demand then firms that there is enough material on hand to make products, assign tasks to people, direct daily activities and coordinate the various task (Spulber 2001). Furthermore, it should ensure that the machines were kept in good working condition and find markets for the completed products. In the information age, Ackerman (2000) indicates that as the business world continues to adapt and change, an organization must be played as the most important role to be successful.

Based on the increase of using new technology that has enabled a company to market overseas, the amount of competitors has increased rapidly. Meanwhile, Attentions has been paid on employees, they should be informed when these is a change occur. This will allow them to adjust and work as best as they can (Neil 2002). For example, in the healthcare insurance industry, the government seems ...