Essay - The Four Functions of Management Management is Defined as the...

The Four Functions of Management

***** is defined as the process of getting work done through others in a manner that succeeds in achieving organizational and business goals. This simple definition has led to the outline of four broad management functions: planning, organizing, leading ***** controlling (Harris, 1993, p. 372). It is also important to note that the management process involves taking into consideration a firm's resources. As such, this implies that managers at all levels in an organization must execute ***** ***** functions of planning, organizing, leading and controlling since they are responsible for the people and factors of production that are under their charge (Faille & O'Connor, 2000, p. 203). It is the objective of ***** paper to describe the four ***** of management ***** ********** importance to an organization.

The planning function involves the defining of ***** as well as development of strategies or plans that are designed ***** achieve the set goals and o*****r *****s. Thus, the ***** function includes goal definitions, business plans, strategy development, resource planning, and design of operational methods (McNamara, 1999, para 4). Of course, the extent to which an individual manager is involved in ***** ***** function will depend on her ***** his seniority and responsibility level within an org*****ization. Thus, only senior management and departmental heads may be directly ***** in the formulation of organizational ***** and business *****. However, once these ***** set, all ot***** managers will have ***** integrate the plans for *****ir individual functions and areas of responsibility with the organizational objectives ***** plans. In addition, all *****her functions ***** management will also need to be designed ***** meet planning goals (Faille & O'Connor, 2000, p. 203).

The organizing function, ***** instance, c*****s for a gre*****t deal of managerial ability in arrang*****g and coordinating production, tasks, *****es ***** information so that organizational, departmental and functional ***** are met. Therefore, the organizing function involves clearly stating employee job responsibilities as well ***** work flow processes in order to enable efficient utilization of available resources (Faille & O'Connor, 2000, p. *****).

Although this sounds fairly *****, ***** point of fact the ***** function calls for a lot of managerial skill since it ***** working ***** scarce ***** and may even be full of paradoxes. This implies that managers ***** be able to clearly define and skillfully manage organizational work *****s ***** job *****. For instance, strategic ambiguity between organizational goals and controls allows for multiple interpretations by individuals in an organization to the overriding culture. Take, for example, a case where both service and cost control ***** important goals. Such a situ*****tion may lead to employee confusion (Harris, 1993, p. 266) unless ********** are ***** to specify decision making procedures and authority.

The third management ***** ***** leading refers to the ***** of a vision ***** the setting ***** direction ***** ***** organization, individual functions or employee teams. More specifically, leading involves establishing strategic direction in terms of a *****, mission, ***** and values as well ***** championing methods