The Management Process | EssayIvy.com

THE FOUR BASIC ACTIVITIES THAT COMPRISE THE MANAGEMENT PROCESS;

AND HOW THEY ARE RELATED TO ONE ANOTHER

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Management refers to attaining organizational objectives by working with and through

people alongside other organizational resources. It is a continuous process or series of four

related activities that involve and concentrate on realizing an organization’s goals.

The four

activities in the management process are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. All these

four activities are related since each of them happens after the previous activity has already taken

place or is still in progress.

Planning is the first activity in the management process that involves the preparation of a

sequence of action steps for the attainment of a particular goal. Planning is short term and

emphasizes on formulating functional plans such as daily operation plans in the organization.

Thus, future requirements and circumstances are foreseen through planning. Planning

encompasses the definition of goals, establishing strategies to attain goals and developing plans

to integrate and coordinate organizational tasks. The planning process reveals a planning

hierarchy in the organization whereby the objectives of top management become targets that

lower management must follow. The planning function assists in knowing the organization’s

progress to make right decisions on how to proceed or what to needs to be done next.

Organizing, as the second activity in the management process, is a goal-oriented task that

aims to achieve effectiveness and efficiency. Organization depends on specialization where tasks

are assigned to various specialist departments.

Organizing involves the arrangement of several

elements into a structure that follows one or more rules that guide the conduct of employees. In

this activity, the focus is laid on the allocation and arrangement of human or non-human

. Boddy, D., Management: An Introduction (Harlow: FT Prentice Hall, 2008), 3.

. Ibid., 6.

. Ibid., 7.

resources. Thus, organizing is the most vital activity employed to attain organizational goals

because the tasks to be achieved are determined, and resources are properly utilized.

The third activity that comprises the management process is leading; influencing others to

practice work behavior that would result in the attainment of organizational goals.

An effective

leader provides direction and the type of leadership that motivates employees to accomplish vital

tasks within a given time frame. A manager must set effective policies and formulate proper

strategies that improve the overall performance of the organization. Traits Theory is one theory

in the function of leading that focuses on personal characteristics and qualities.

Honesty and

integrity, self-confidence, full of ambition, flexibility and motivation are some of the requisite

traits for leadership success. Fiedler’s Contingency Theory is another leadership theory that

holds states that an organization must examine the work environment and employ a manager

with a suitable style for such a situation.

A manager must possess skills of motivation since it is

the life-blood of an organization. As stated by Huitt (2004), a manager that fails to exchange

greetings with employees causes a high degree of disloyalty and de-motivation.

The fourth activity in the management process is controlling; monitoring organizational

performance to ascertain the achievement of goals. Accomplishments are measured against set

standards, and corrections of deviation are effected to ensure organizational goals are achieved.

The controlling function ensures that everything runs in tandem with set rules. Effective control

. Boddy, Management: An Introduction, 9.

. Huitt, William, “Maslow's hierarchy of needs,” Educational psychology interactive

(2004): 27.

. Ibid.

. Ibid., 29.

. Boddy, Management: An Introduction, 12.

helps to show variations before they occur. Controlling comprises a five-step process. In the first

step, the major areas of control are determined basing on the organization’s mission, objectives

and goals developed during the planning phase. In the second step, performance standards and

goals are established. The third step involves accurate performance measurement to spot

variances or deviations between actual occurrences and desired outcomes. In the fourth step, the

actual performance is compared to set standards and decisions made in case of any deviations.

The final step involves taking corrective measures when necessary. The reason for taking such

corrective action is carefully assessed such as the need for further staff training or more

equipment.

In conclusion, an organization can be regarded as a systematic body of knowledge based

on concepts, theories, and techniques. The management activities of planning, organizing,

leading and controlling serve to build the organization to realize its goals, vision, and mission.

Through planning, an effective manager identifies their organization’s goals and later determines

the activity and resources required to realize these objectives. In the organizing function,

managers can organize their workforce and resources. Additionally, good leading skills enable

the manager to motivate their subordinates and inspire them in work behavior. Lastly, an

effective control system helps the manager to identify deviations before they occur; thus,

ensuring that everything runs in tandem with the set standards. Therefore, the management

process involves these four vital activities of planning, organizing, leading and controlling. An

ideal manager can easily balance these four management activities to preserve the organizational

standard and keep employees motivated.

Bibliography

Boddy, D. Management: An Introduction. Harlow: FT Prentice Hall, 2008.

Huitt, William. “Maslow's hierarchy of needs.” Educational psychology interactive (2004): 27-

29.

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