A Successful Business Is one That Integrates All Business Functions

A successful business is one that integrates all business functions:

Introduction

This assignment is based on business functions. It will explain what business functions are, lists the functions in a business and give a description of each and focus on two of the most important functions in any business. It will also give an example of a business that uses these functions.

A business has to use its resources in order to produce a product or service. It organises these resources into different functions, which are human resources, sales and marketing, research and development, production and operations, finance and accounts. These functions can also be used to structure the business.

Human resources:

Human resources are one of the most important functions of many businesses.

The role of human resources is to recruit and retain the employees of the business. Their job is to provide the business with the right type of people who have the right type of skills and they do this by careful selection and assessing of prospective employees. Human resources account for a large proportion of many businesses' costs and it is these people that invariably drive a business. Management of these resources therefore is an integral part of business success

Their main responsibilities are manpower planning, recruitment and selection, training and development, employee relations and employee motivation and health and safety. It is an important business function that must be integrated with the other business functions in order for the business to function properly.

Manpower planning

Manpower planning means arranging that the organisation has the number of employees and the range of skills that it needs. (Fuller P. 2003)

It means planning ahead and forecasting the future needs of the organisation in relation to the type of job that will be done in the future, the level of employees needed to make sure the jobs are done.

Recruitment and selection

Recruitment is concerned with attracting a group of potential candidates to apply for the vacancy that the organisation has available. Effective recruitment procedures are a prerequisite to the development of an effective workforce. (Tiernan, Morley, Foley 2001)

Once the right candidates have been attracted to the vacancy, they go through a selection process that ensures that the right candidate is picked for the vacancy.

Training and development

The objectives of training and development are to make employees better at doing their jobs. Training is usually applied at worker level and development prepares managers and other professionals to take on more responsibilities in their present and future positions.

(Fuller P. 2003)

Training can be done on the job by an experienced worker, team leader or the supervisor.

Employee relations and motivation

When staff are absent from work they are not able to carry out the functions for which they have been employed. In many businesses, these functions have to be taken on by someone else. If not, the customer could suffer. Reducing absenteeism is an important feature of human resource management.

An important