Mgt330 Management, Theory, Practice, and Application

MGT/330 Management, Theory, Practice, and Application

Wendy Johnson

June 19, 2003

Management Functions

In my explanation of the four management functions, I will explore how they apply to my organization, my supervisor, and my position. The planning, organization, leading, and controlling aspects of management are what I will discuss in this paper.

The fact that I am not a manager in my organization will pose only a small inconvenience and a minor distraction in the completion of my task. I can assume the role of the manager and thereby circumvent the difficulty not having the position might otherwise bring to this assignment. I will also be able to relate to the results as it applies to the managed. In this paper, I will try to present as complete a picture of the four functions as I am able in this brief mission.

Planning

Planning is the first on the list for a good reason. Nothing good happens in business without a plan. No money will change hands until there is a plan to follow. Financial institutions or backers will not usually write a check for support unless they see a plan that they can believe in. These institutions are not likely to respond to a request unless they believe a plan will get them a return on their investment or the repayment of a loan. Since I am writing about an existing business, the problems regarding initial finance will have already been surmounted.

The manufacturing industry for instance, runs on planning. From the suppliers and vendors to receiving, production and shipping, all aspects of the process must follow a plan. Planning in this environment even has its own department and carrier path. Managing a production floor where labor and production are the same begins with a plan. Knowing where, how and when to assign employees to make the optimal use of the skills they have are a matter of planning. A manager will need to be able to apply his or her judgment in this endeavor to make the best use of the assets in his or her charge. The assets in this case being the employees. All production relies upon the successful execution of the plan. The dynamics of these plans begins with the product schedule. They include many layers of skills and interactions to be effective, too many to cover in these few paragraphs. All production revolves around the quantity and delivery date targets for sales orders.

Organization

The skills involved in managing a production floor include organization. Having a clear picture of the task and the path with which to follow for its success are essential. A manager must be able to anticipate the normal distractions from his or her course along the way and be able to either incorporate these diversions into his or her plan or eliminate them. The production manager should be able to avoid potential disruptions of the schedule. If a production floor is not organized, a manager may not be able to tell if a problem is looming until it has festered into an unavoidable dilemma. One that will distract from time otherwise spent positively. Having clearly defined duties and assignments for all personnel are part of being organized. Each task on the production floor must have a procedure for an employee to follow. The employee assigned to complete it must understand the procedure. A manager should know where each employee is and what each person is doing at any given moment. The penalties for an unorganized production floor can range from injuries to a failed schedule.

Leading

All the plans and organizational skills can come to naught if a manager cannot lead. A leader can make a potential failure into a success or visa versa. The intangible skills are often the most necessary. Managers might not have to be a leader themselves but they must be able to recognize that deficiency if it exists and find people in their organizations who are leaders and who share their vision of success. Leading can be many things; some of the most effective