MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS

J.F. Stoner has given an elaborate definition of management on the basis of managerial functions when he says,’ Managing is the process of planning, coordinating resources and activities, leading and controlling the efforts of organizational members and the use of other organizational resources in order to achieve stated organizational goals. 

Planning and Decision Making: Planning as a management function involves determining the organizational goals and deciding how best to achieve them. Planning consists of deciding aims and objectives, selecting the correct strategies and programs for the purpose of achieving the aims,   determine and allocate the resources to ensure that the plans are communicated to all concerned. Decision making involves selecting a course of action from various alternatives available. Planning is composed of certain steps including:

• Establish goals defining desired future state.
• Divide the goals into sub-goals
• Ascertain where the organization wishes to be at a given time in the future.
• Developing a strategy to achieve these goals known as strategic planning.

Organizing: Coordinating Resources and Activities: This management function is related to organize the human and other resources essential to carry out the plan.  The process of organizing is concerned with determining the process of grouping activities and resources in the best interests of the organization. The basic elements of organizing are work specialization, departmentalization, span of control, line and staff roles and authority relationship. Organizing involves the following steps:

Discuss different ways of getting work in organizations

• Explain how all these various elements and concepts fit together to build an overall organization framework.
• Consider the issues associated with organizational development and chan

Leading: This management function involves motivating subordinates, managing employees, influencing individuals or teams as they work, using the most effective communication channels, or dealing with employee behaviral issues. Leading is the set of processes used to get members of the organization to work together to advance the interests of the organization. Managers direct and influence the activities of the subordinates, create proper atmosphere to assist subordinates to contribute their best. Leading function consists of four different activities:

•  Motivating people to put as much effort as they can and given employees the opportunity to attain individual goals and rewards through their performance on the job.
• Encourage organization performance
• Creation of groups in the company and then deal with group members and activities
• Communicate for the achievement of organizational goals.

Controlling: Controlling involves monitoring real performance, comparing actual performance to determined standards and taking corrective action, if necessary.  The management must ensure that the organization is performing in such a way as to arrive at its destination within a given time. If there exists deviation between the actual and the standard, the deviations are identified and corrective steps have to be taken. Managers attempt to ensure that the organization is moving towards its goals. If some part of their organization is on the wrong track, managers try to find out its cause and set things right.