MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS

Prof.Reidy Herrera
Dpto.Socio-Humanístico/ Sección de inglés

READING # 4 / UNIT: 4 / Process

Management plays a vital role in any business or organized activity. Management is composed of a team of managers who have charge of the organization at all levels. Their duties include making sure company goals are met and seeing that the business operates efficiently. Regarless of the specific job, most managers perform four basic functions. These management functions are planning, organizing, directing and controlling.

Planning involves determining overall company objectives and deciding how goals can be best achieved. Managers evaluate alternative plans before choosing a specific course of action and then check to see the chosen plan fits into the objectives stablished at higher organizational levels.
Planning is listed as the main management function because the others depend on it. However, even as managers move on to perform other managerial functions, planning continues as goals and alternatives that are further evaluated and revised.

Organizing, the second management function,is the process of putting the plan into action. This envolves resources, especially human resources, so that the overall objectives can be attained. In this phase managers decide on the position to be created and determine the associated duties and responsibilities. Staffing, choosing the right person for the right job, may also be included as part of the organizational function.

Third is the day-to-day direction and supervision of employees. In directing, managers guide, teach,and motivate workers so that they reach their potencial abilities and at the same time achieve the company goals that were established in the planning process. Effective direction, or supervision by managers, requires ongoing communication with emplyees.

In the last management function controlling, managers evaluate how well company objectives are being met. In oreder to complete this evaluation, managers must look at the objectives established in the planning phase and how well the tasks asssigned in the directing phase are being completed. If major problems exist and goals are not being achieved, then changes need to be made in the company's organizational or managerial structure. In making changes, managers might have to go back and replan, reoganize, and redirect.

In order to perform these functions adequately and efficiently, managers need interpersonal, organizational and technical skills. Although all four functions are managerial duties, the importance of each may vary depending on the situation. Effective managers meet the objectives of the company through a succcessful combination of plannig, orginazing,directing and controlling.

           ACTIVITIES:

1. Define the four management functions.
2. Why management is important in every business activity?
3. Define all those terms related to the theme of the reading.
4. Explain each phase of the managerial functions.
5. How is management composed ?
6. Give some example to illustrate these functions. Such as parties or doing something at home, planning a journey to the beach...etc.
7. Why is planning listed as the main management function? (explain)
8. Write a brief summary about these functions.
9. Give some comments about the use of these reading in your career.
10. What type of reading is this?

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