Functions of Management

Functions of Management

Successful businesses are driven by the desire to maintain the competitive edge. To do so a business must make the most of the available resources, increase efficiency, and maximize productivity. A major component to a successful business, no matter what kind of business it is, is the effectiveness of the management sector. "Management involves working with people and resources to accomplish organizational goals" (Bateman & Snell, 2009). Four important functions of management include planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. (Bateman & Snell, 2009).

Planning

Every business has set goals to accomplish. To achieve these goals, one needs to assess the company's current situation, resources that are lacking, and steps that need to be taken to accomplish the goals. It also involves thinking of what may occur in the future and choosing activities the company is worth being involved in. With a plan in place, less time and money is wasted on needless activities and items. Bateman and Snell discuss how historically planning involved mainly supervisors creating the business plans and delegating others to execute them (2009). At this moment, people have been finding that if every individual in an organization, which include the customers, suppliers and stakeholders, are involved in the planning process more value is created. (Bateman & Snell, 2009). In the recruitment business, one needs to have a plan of attack in order to increase the numbers of attendants to the program. With a plan, the likelihood of increasing the company's value is greater.

Organizing

According to Bateman and Snell, organizing is the coordination and assembly of a company's parts, which include a business's resources, people, finances, and information. They go on to anticipate that managers will accept people as their most valuable component. With an intellectual, creative staff, organizing the company to be flexible to adversities will be easily approached and handled. In the recruitment business, one must clearly organize the information retained from the customers, and ensure that said information gets into the hands of the proper persons. Knowing who is skilled at what will also assist in the proper organization of the business and will make transitions go smoothly.

Leading

A flourishing business needs a management team with leadership abilities. Not everyone is self-motivating. A leader will be useful in "stimulating people to be high performers" (Bateman & Snell, 2009). This involves guidance, close contact to people, and inspiration. Sometimes people need a push in the right direction to become productive assets within a company. It is important to empower people, as opposed to belittling them. In my company, we strive to empower people so that they can get their job done independently and also be confident in their skills and ideas. Showing them their importance increases the productivity in the business and value in our product.

Controlling

Controlling is a function that involves monitoring performance and creating changes if necessary. By maintaining control, managers can ensure that the company's goals are being met and that resources are being used wisely and as planned. Even with meticulous planning and organizing, one cannot preemptively anticipate all future events