Kondratiuk S.Y.
Tryhub I.P.
National
University of Food Technologies
PLANNING AS A FUNCTION OF MANAGEMENT
Research
and analysis of functions of management is urgent problem indeed. Management
combines characteristics of science and art [1]. Any organization, whether new or old, small or big,
requires certain methods, procedures and plans in place for its efficient
functioning. For this to happen, they must develop and implement management
concepts which help them implement their vision for the future of the
organization.
The management is based upon for
main functions which includes Planning, Organizing, Leading and Controlling [4]. Each function play vital role to consolidate
the management in the Organization. But in my view the most important feature is the planning.
In business, planning is a process
by which management teams and executives set business objectives, analyze the
market and industry and determine the best ways to reach those goals. However,
planning is ongoing; it does not stop when the work starts. Management teams
must frequently evaluate the work as compared to the plan and make adjustments
to account for unplanned developments or industry changes. Managers must
clearly communicate plans to employees and be open to feedback and ideas from
employees to improve on the plan [3].
1.
Planning
increases the organization's ability to adapt to future eventualities: The future is generally uncertain and things
are likely to change with the passage of time. The uncertainty is augmented
with an increase in the time dimension. With such a rise in uncertainty there
is generally a corresponding increase in the alternative courses of action from
which a selection must be made. The planning activity provides a systematic approach to the
consideration of such future uncertainties and eventualities and the planning
of activities in terms of what is likely to happen
2.
Planning
helps crystallize objectives: The
first step in planning is to fix objectives which will give direction to the
activities to be performed. A proper definition and integration of overall and
departmental objectives would result in more co-ordinated inter-departmental
activities and a greater chance of attaining the overall objectives.
3.
Planning
ensures a relatedness among decisions: A
crystallization of objectives as mentioned above would lead to a relatedness
among the decisions which would otherwise have been random. Decisions of the
managers are related to each other and ultimately towards the goals or
objectives of the enterprise.
4.
Planning
helps the company to remain more competitive in its industry: Planning may suggest the addition of a new line of
products, changes in the methods of operation, a better identification of customer
needs and segmentation and timely expansion of plant capacity all of which
render the company better fitted to meet the inroads of competition.
5.
Adequate
planning reduces unnecessary pressures of immediacy: If activities are not properly planned in anticipation
of what is likely to happen, pressures will be exerted to achieve certain
results immediately or a in a hurry. Thus adequate planning supplies
orderliness and avoids unnecessary pressures.
6.
Planning
reduces mistakes and oversights: Although
mistakes cannot be entirely obviated, they can certainly be reduced through
proper planning.
7.
Planning
ensures a more productive use of the organization's resources: By avoiding wasted effort in terms of men, money and
machinery, adequate planning results in greater productivity through a better
utilization of the resources available to the organization.
8.
Planning
makes control easier: The
crystallization of objectives and goals simplify and highlight the controls
required.
9.
Planning
can help the organization secure a better position or standing: Adequate planning would stimulate improvements in
terms of the opportunities available.
10.
Planning
increases the effectiveness of a manager: As
his goals are made clearer, adequate planning would help the manager in
deciding upon the most appropriate act.
So proper planning has a significant impact on the
future of any business. It truly can make or break a company, so it is up to
the management team to take the time to create and implement an effective plan.
It is important to set challenging goals that are realistically achievable [2]. If management sets the bar too high, it will
set employees up for failure, which hurts morale. However, if the goals are
met, employees will take pride in their work, which is good for productivity. A
successful plan improves the company as a whole; the company will be better off
financially and better positioned in the industry when a plan is implemented successfully.
Summing
up the results of the conducted analysis the following conclusions can be made:
management operates through various functions. To decide how much functions
management I has compared some viewpoints of scientists. To my mind management
has only four functions. And in my opinion, planning is a crucial component of
business management. Because of planning depends all further activities of the organization. So managers and
executives must plan every aspect of their business, including marketing,
budgeting, hiring, strategic positioning and making the business as profitable
as possible. Management teams should meet frequently to discuss long-term goals
and short-term plans to move toward those goals.
References:
1. Bernard L. Erven (2003). The Five Functions of
Management: The Foundation of ManagementExcel. Retrieved March 29, 2009, from:http://extension.osu.edu/~mgtexcel/Function.html
2. Henri Fayol
(1916). Model: Five functions of management. Retrieved March 30, 2009, from:
http://www.provenmodels.com/3
3. James
Higgins, The Management Challenge, Second edition, Macmillan, 1994.
4. Jayashree
Pakhare (25.09.2007). Management Concepts - The Four Functions of Management.
Retrieved March 29, 2009.