Answer to Question #324608 in Management for Frank

Question

Management functions are universal to all organizations; however, they are dependent on the

organizations environment/context in which they are applied and practiced. Show your support to

the statement in line with the first three management functions.

Answer 1

Management is a universal phenomenon in the sense that it is a common and essential element in all enterprises. The universality of management is the concept that all managers do the same job regardless of the title, position, or management level, they all execute the management functions and work through and with others to achieve organizational goals. This statement is supported by the first three management functions as discussed below;

Planning- Planning is a vital function of managing. It determines organizational objectives and establishes the suitable strategies for achieving those objectives. The other organizational functions i.e. leading, organizing, controlling etc. are derived from planning. Normally, the quality of information used in planning process shapes the future of the organization. If the information provided for planning is biased, the achievement of the organization objectives may be under question.

Organizing- Managers have to organize the resources in the proper manner in order to achieve organizational objectives efficiently, effectively and economically. They divide the whole task into equal groups, and ensure responsibility and delegate authority to complete that task. Without organizing, the managers cannot achieve organizational objectives.

Controlling- Controlling is another important task of managing. It is a process of measuring and correcting the activities of the subordinates to assure the achievement of desired objectives and conformance to plans. It measures the performance against the goals and plans, and trace out where the negative deviation exists. After knowing the deviation, corrective actions are taken to bring the performance up to the expectation.