Four Functions of Management

Four Functions of Management

Today’s companies should challenge themselves to have all four functions of management in order to have successful endeavors. The four functions of management planning, organizing, leading, and controlling should be understood in order for a corporation to be successful meeting goals. Performing all four management functions such as planning: delivering strategic value, organizing: building a dynamic organization, leading: mobilizing people, and controlling: learning and changing should done through decision-making and communication.

Planning: Delivering Strategic Value

Planning is a set of goals put into place to be reached and decided in advance of the proper action taken to determine how goals will be accomplished. “Planning activities include analyzing current situations, anticipating the future, determining objectives, deciding in what types of activities the company will engage, choosing corporate and business strategies, and determining the resources needed to achieve the organization’s goals”(Bateman & Snell, 2007, p17). Delivering strategic value is a continual process of a corporation being knowledgeable about customers, suppliers, and others; which allows a corporation to identify opportunities creating a competitive advantage. Top-level managers of department stores have to determine what sells and what does not through marketing, and have to maintain goals of sales through style, type, and floor plan of product which is organized by middle-level managers.

Organizing: Building a Dynamic Organization

Organizing is resources needed to accomplish goals such as coordinating the employees, financial, physical, and information. “Organizing activities include attracting people to the organization, specifying job responsibilities, grouping jobs into work units, marshaling and allocating resources, and creating conditions so that people and things work together to achieve maximum success” (Bateman & Snell, 2007, p17). Organizing functions use new forms of building a dynamic organization with managers who can effectively use resources to keep the competitive edge and provide customer satisfaction. Department store mid and lower-level managers work together when it comes to organizing the goals set by upper managers, such as the floor plan for products. Lower-level managers will instruct employees on how the floor plan should be setup through leadership.

Leading; Mobilizing People

Leading is effective communication and motivation of employees, persons, and groups that will lead to higher performance by inspiring employees. Leading requires working in close contact with employees, this will help to guide and inspire employees toward accomplishing team work and organizing goals. “Leading is selling the vision of the future of your organization to the workforce” (Staley, 1999, p 101). Well trained managers must be able to mobilize people through leadership, teamwork, and communication. A corporation that has good management working for them means managers will listen to employee