Functions of Management

Functions of Management

In this Functions of Management paper I will define four functions of management, planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. I will also explain how each function relates to my own organization.

The first function in management is the planning process. “Planning is the ongoing process of developing the business' mission and objectives and determining how they will be accomplished. Planning includes both the broadest view of the organization, e.g., its mission, and the narrowest, e.g., a tactic for accomplishing a specific goal.”(Erven, 1999) Working for a medical nutrition business we participate in planning processes everyday. The company is always trying to develop better tasting nutritional product. This process takes a lot of planning from the development stage, to ordering ingredients, develop packaging and setting up taste panels to ensure that the product will sell. Plus we also need to keep up with our competitors. We always begin our planning process with a kick off meeting to try to get everyone excited about the new product launch.

The second function in management is the organizing process. “Organizing is establishing the internal organizational structure of the organization. The focus is on division, coordination, and control of tasks and the flow of information within the organization. It is in this function that managers distribute authority to job holders.” (Erven, 1999) The company I work for is structured according to the function within the company. We are organized by Sales & Marketing, Sourcing & Quality, and then we are sectioned off by the plant and the products they produce.