The Four Functions of Management

The Four Functions

of Management

Management is the utilization of organizational resources, combined with people working together to achieve an organizational objective. In order to accomplish a united goal effectively, managers should use the four functions of management, which are: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. The Marine Corps is a large organization that uses these traditional methods of management to conduct business at every section level. This paper will describe the four functions of management and how they are utilized by the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Camp Futenma, Marine Tactical Air Control Squadron 18 (MTACS- 18).

Planning

Planning is the first step in achieving organizational goals. Planning includes: forecasting setbacks and opportunities; developing timetables and courses of action, analyzing costs, and setting an overall objective (Creswell, 1988). According to Anderson and Pulich (2002), planning starts after the highest level of management has announced its goals for the organization, followed by lower levels incorporating their section’s objectives, to achieve the overall goal. The planning process requires the cohesion of each individual section.

For example, every year MTACS-18 joins other units from MCAS Futenma, to participate in an exercise in Pohang, Korea. The overall objective of MTACS-18 during this operation is to set up aviation command and control through the Tactical Air Command Center (TACC), in support of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. In order to support the TACC, each section of MTACS must make a plan.

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S-6 is comprised of the people who work in the TACC. Their objective is to monitor air traffic as smoothly and efficiently as possible. In their plan, they decide how they will arrange their equipment inside the TACC, devise a schedule for those on post, develop a standard operating procedure, and create a contingency plan in case there is a systems failure. The Motor Transport (MT) section has a different plan. MT’s goal is to transport all the gear safely and quickly. MT must work out scheduling plans to load the equipment, and transport it back and forth between Japan and Korea. The Utilities (UT) section supports the TACC by setting up electricity, water, and air conditioning. The aim of UT is to provide uninterrupted service to the TACC. Their plan consists of deciding on how many generators and ac units are needed to maintain the TACC, form a schedule of when MT will transport the gear, organize the arrangement of the gear, and establish an emergency plan in case of power failure.

Although each section has a different objective, their combined goals help achieve the units organizational goal. Not only is it important to create a plan, but managers must follow through by establishing an organizational structure. This leads to the next fundamental, which is organization.

Organization

Organization involves putting the plans into action. When the UT section plans on bringing gear to support the TACC, the manager delegates who will be in charge of calculating the necessary electrical output to sustain power, and assigns a team to get the equipment prepped and ready for transport. Managers use organization to create structure by assigning tasks to individuals, or to a team of people. For instance, in order for MT to load all of the equipment onto their vehicles, they must use a team to complete the entire task. One person may use the

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fork-lift to haul the cargo onto the vehicle, while another person directs that individual where to place it and ensures that nothing is damaged in the process. In the Marine Corps, teamwork plays a large part in the success of organization. Each section is broken down into teams of people, who are lead or “managed” by a Non Commissioned Officer (NCO) . Leading a group of people effectively is an important aspect in the management. Without a good leader, excellent plans and organization would not be carried out successfully.

Leading

Bateman and Snell (2007) describe leading as the manager’s ability to connect with their employees in such a way, that it will motivate them to perform their best, in order to accomplish the organizational mission. In order to become a superior leader, a manger must be able to communicate well with others, be able