Functions
of Management
Effective
management consists of four primary functions.
These functions are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Each function is a key ingredient, but must
be used in conjunction with the others to produce the desired results. Failure to utilize even a single function may
result in an undesired outcome.
Planning is
the first component, and involves the setting of goals and overall strategy as
well as the direction that an organization will take. The fundamentals of the planning stage have
not changed through the years, but the implementation has. Whereas executives previously set the goals
and direction, these tasks are increasingly being performed by all members of
an organization (Bateman & Snell, 2004).
