The paper centers on the functions of management and explains how each of the following four functions are relevant to the daily running of the organization and how they interact with each other as well: leading/directing, organizing, planning and controlling. It also discusses the significance of systems approach to management.
Management
Functions of management
There are basically four functions of management in all organizations and these functions are linked in an intricate manner hence supporting each other in the endeavor towards the accomplishment of the objectives of the organization. The four functions are usually grouped as leading/directing, organizing, planning and controlling.
The leading function is the most instrumental segment of leadership and management since when the junior staff are motivated and the people in the organization are influenced to give their best is when things can move in any organization. There should be utilization of the most effective communication channel as well as establishment of interpersonal relationships between the management and the staff to ensure the flow of information and influence is achieved (Rayyane T., 2012).
Planning is also closely tied up to the leading function and it involves setting of goals within a give time frame and how these goals are to be achieved. Planning is usually geared towards ensuring order within a given department and the entire organization at large. It involves looking at the organization or department in the current status and what needs to be achieved hence coming up with a strategic plan. Apparently planning is a never ending process hence it will be done over and over as the dynamics of the organization keep changing and the previously set objectives keep being achieved. These objectives and plans cannot come into realization without the leading role of the management among the employees who are centrally instrumental in the realization of the plans.
Once the panning process has come to a reasonable advanced stage that needs action, logically organizing comes into effect. This involves assembling of the resources available within the organization that are relevant in the achievement of the plans set. These could be talent, tools, money, technology among other central issues to be organized. These resources available are combined to the team that is set to work towards fulfilling the plan. This is where the labor will be systematized in line with the resources available. Since planning is a never ending process, then organizing is also a continuous process that the organization goes through.
In any organization or any project, there needs to be evaluative tools to check if the hitherto intended objectives have been met. This is where controlling comes into play. It is important that once all the above are done, there is presentation of feedback and also a follow-through to carry out evaluation and assessment of the progress or achievements. This function can be easily achieved through interdepartmental consultations and team meetings. It is an important stage since it gives the direction on what needs to changed and what went well and needs to be emphasized on. It comes in to look at the effectiveness of the three previous functions of management.
Systems approach to management
The systems approach to management takes the approach of viewing the organization in totality and as an interactive whole, not as individual and separate parts. It considers the firm wholesomely so that the resources and the employees and management can be systematically organized in unison to achieve the goals of the organization. This is an approach that is essential in the contemporary society and all organizations are shifting towards it. This is facilitated by the complexity of the firms and the interconnectivity through computers and the accompanying automation. This approach therefore implies that each manager has to be more precise and scrupulous with the decision-making and information flow. The objectives in such an approach are corporate in nature and not divided into departments. Here, there are several sub-systems set up with the objective of meeting the tenets of the corporate objectives (Jenkins G., 2013).
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