Planning Functions of Management

Planning Functions of Management

In any corporation management planning is very important. There are several planning functions of management. This paper will address the planning functions of management while looking at the Boeing Company. This paper will identify legal, ethical, and social responsibilities inside of Boeing as well as some factors that influence the company’s strategic, tactical, operational, and contingency planning.

The definition of legal is “Allowed by or in accordance with a particular set of rules; acceptable, permissible” (Simpson and Weiner, 1989, para 1). The definition of responsibility is “A charge, trust, or duty, for which one is responsible” (Simpson and Weiner, 1989, para 2). This definition is referring to the responsibility of the company. Boeing’s legal responsibility does not only cover the commercial sector but there is also a military sector.

The military division within Boeing has a contract with the United States Air Force in which Boeing was awarded “A contract to provide the next-generation Combat Search and Rescue helicopter, stating that the Air Force should reopen discussions with the three rival defense contractors bidding on the contract”(Ahearn, 2007 p. 2). Boeing’s legal responsibility in this situation was to insure that the United States government was provided the newest in technology available for a particular aircraft. The legal responsibility in relation to the military sector is very critical since some aircraft parts on an aircraft can be classified. If these parts fall into the wrong hands the company can be held responsible for the breach of classified parts. Further, this could be crucial to homeland security.

The definition of ethics is “The rules of conduct recognized in certain associations or departments of human life (Simpson and Weiner, 1989, para 3).” Ethics is broken down to doing the right thing even when no one is looking. Boeing has had trouble with their ethical responsibilities with today’s society after several multi-million dollar companies proved to be unethical. An example of such companies includes Enron and WorldCom. Both of these companies mislead the customer to thinking and believing something that the company was indeed not. These companies betrayed the consumers on multiple levels. This action can only be blamed on all the levels of management in all the departments of such companies (Reeves, 2005). Those on the outsides of these companies might view the upper management as doing what would beneficial to him or herself. It was companies like these, which made life very difficult for legitimate companies like Boeing who had to try to save face to the consumers. Unethical behavior conducted by individuals from the above companies forced companies like Boeing to spend and upgrade millions of dollars on security to track progress better.

The definition of social is “Capable of being associated or united to others” (Simpson and Weiner, 1989, para 1). “Boeing rightly insist that they cannot be expected to provide jobs for life in a fast-changing, global market. But what they can--and should--offer employees, is a tool kit of portable skills, a high level of training that allows displaced workers to land new jobs (McMurdy, 1996 p. 35).” In a sense, Boeing believes if the company can give back to the community where the company is established, the community will be allowed to give back to Boeing.

Some factors that influence Boeing’s strategic, tactical, operational, and contingency planning processes would all have to depend on several instances. One example would be the specific type of contract Boeing is trying to obtain whether the contract is commercial or government.