A reflective paper on the four functions of management. And applying them to real life.

Asforthe word ‘management’, there has been long debate about its meaning. For our purpose, we take the perspective of the functions that managers

Leadership is a facet of management. It is just one of the many assets a successful manager must possess. The main aim of a manager is to maximize the output of the organization through administrative implementation. To achieve this managers must undertake the four functions of management: planning, organization, leading and controlling. In some cases leadership is just one important component of the leading function. Predpall (1994) said, "Leaders must let vision, strategies, goals, and values be the guide-post for action and behavior rather than attempting to control others". In some circumstances, leadership is not required. For example, self-motivated groups may not require a single leader and may find leaders dominating. The fact that a leader is not always required proves that leadership is just an asset and is not essential.

The second aspect of management used to investigate the issue is Controlling. Control is a concern that is facing every manager in every organisation today. Many businesses continually look to improve relationships between all levels of staff in order for a healthy working environment. To effectively control a business the organisation requires information about

Organizational control is defined as the systematic process through which managers regulate organizational activities to meet planned goals and standards of performance (p.628). In an organization, control is needed to ensure that the organization runs smoothly. Saverio Todaro who is a licensed safety inspector made a confession in the federal court in New York. He claimed that he had submitted clean asbestos and lead test of hundreds of buildings, even though he himself has never performed a single test (p.627). This is an example of lack of control in an organization. An example that I have of an attempt of control that has been a little more than an illusion is from my experience of coaching high school soccer. Usually after every game,

This paper will start off by comparing, and contrasting the role of the manager and a

Controlling is monitoring the performance of the organization, identifying deviations between planned and actual results, and taking corrective action when necessary. With all these four functions that are involved in the process of management, if all are followed correctly the organization will be properly ran and will have few complications.

The four functions of a manager are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. These are key elements that managers must understand to run a successful organization. I will view each concept as well as their roles to acknowledge how these functions have been related to my personal experience in the work environment. Behind the scenes of a manager, they spend an equal amount of time planning so that he or she can successfully achieve the leading and controlling functions. These functions are standard for any industry that is striving to maintain a strong organization. While reviewing this paper, try to think of the four functions as a method that is established to build on each other. The four functions must be performed efficiently, and when done correctly, an organization will reap the accomplishments from a well-defined plan. My own experiences of how the four functions operate illustrates that each role requires a manager to devote time and patience in order to ensure that the main principles are achieved.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze a case study related to issue of control and how organizations can utilize different approaches of control in order to improve quality and performance in all arenas, domestic and global. The focus of this case revolves around Lincoln Electric, an Ohio based company that has set the bar for how to develop and implement a successful management system. This paper will use the Lincoln Electric case analysis to present recommendations on how managers can use control methods to enhance employee performance, increase employee participation and empowerment, and improve organizational quality in

There are four functions of management: planning, organizing, leading and controlling. The four basic principles of management found in all businesses and corporations. Management is a process designed to achieve an organization's objectives by using its resources effectively and efficiently in a changing environment.

Since Fayol left his general manager office, separated management from business operation and studied it, management has become an independent subject. A number of academics and entrepreneurs are desirous to find what management is and how to be a successful manager. Therefore, through varied approaches, many different views about management has been appearing such as Fayol’s function theory (1949) which based on his owe managing experience and Mintzberg’s 10 roles theory (1973) which came from observing five chief-executive officers. Furthermore, Mintzberg regarded Fayol’s theory as “folklore”. It seems that Fayol’s theory has been made redundant by Mintzberg’s study. The purpose of this paper, however, is to present that

“Management is the planning, organizing, leading, and controlling of mankind and other resources to achieve organizational goals efficiently and effectively (University, p 4 2011)”. The greatest achievement of an organization is to provide goods and services that customer’s value. The managerial department of an organization has the power to determine the performance of the employee’s, which directly affects the quality of the service or product that is being supplied to the customer. “Managerial tasks are essential for effective management, which involves planning, organizing, leading, and controlling (University, p 6 2011)”. Planning is the process of identifying the suitable goals of an organization and how they will be implemented in the company. Organizing is the procedure that determines the departments of an organization. When departments have been established the next step is to decide who will work best at a particular job. The development of organization inside a business will form the organizational structure for the company. “Leading is the ability to inspire and organize individuals to work as a team to complete the goals of the business in an efficient and effective manner (University, p 9 2011)”. Controlling is being able to assess the procedures of a company and eliminate or change any strategy plans that are not showing high- performance levels. Controlling may consist of monitoring

Controls are measuring sticks to see if the desired goals are being met. Successful managers create parameters for their employees and implement controls within a criteria to confirm if the job is being done to standard. Case in point, I give quarterly performance counseling’s to each subordinate in my department on performance, being efficient at the job and using problem solving techniques. Controls to an extent border along the lines of micromanaging, but it can also be used to emphasize how well the subordinate is doing too. All quarterly counseling’s are not corrective in nature, but it is a great assessment tool for exceptional job performance as well. The usage of controls is part of my responsibility as a supervisor to ensure the goals are being achieved to standard.

The paper will explore different theories of Management, include Henri Fayol and Henry Mintzberg. This section of this paper provides an overview of functions, roles and skills required of a manager. What is Management? Management can define as the process of reaching organisational goals by working with and through people and other organisational resources. (Management Innovation, 2008).

Controlling involves ensuring that performance does not deviate from standards. Controlling consists of three steps, which include

By the time Henri Fayol had finished his theory, General Industrial Management, in 1916, which was based on his reminiscence as a successful turnaround of a major mining company from depths of failure; he set out to illustrate management as being a separate entity to other jobs within an organisation as he would say although “technical” and “commercial” “function” were “clearly defined”, “administrative” education was lacking. In his theory he introduced his five duties a manager had to follow to be called effective: plan, organise coordinate, command, and control and added to this fourteen principles he felt managers should use as reference to conduct the five duties. However Fayol was very much an idealist his theory was based on what a complete manager should be like and gave the view of managers taking control from behind a desk, yet critics, most influential being the academic Henry Mintzberg, who released his work in 1973, were more realists and saw a manager life as chaotic, involved and interactive, arguing what Fayol was portraying is not possible, and outdated.