management essay example

1. Running Head: FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENT 1
Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Controlling
[Name of Student]
[Name of Institution]

2. Running Head: FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENT 2
Introduction
Management refers to the social processes by which an individual or a team assumes
responsibilities for the effective and economical planning and implementation of an
organization’s operations to realize its objectives. Management is thus an active process
consisting of processes such as marketing, finance, sales, and purchases. However, these
activities are generally implemented with duly established planning, controlling, leading, and
organizing functions of management (Tillman & Cassone, 2012). Thus to manage implies to
plan, organize, lead, and control. Although these functions are theoretically separated, in
practical management, they overlap, blend, and are quite inseparable. This paper explores the
planning, organizing, leading, and controlling functions of management.
Planning and Organizing
Planning, perhaps the most basic management function entails designing the future
course an organization wishes to take and the most appropriate strategies and processes by which
its objectives are to be achieved. Planning thus entails advance decisions on what an organization
intends to do at what time and the manner in which the identified activities would be
implemented. Planning also bridges the gap between an organization’s current and future
position in regards to solving its problems and decision making. Among the functions of
planning in management is to guarantee the proper and optimal utilization of the human and the
non-human resources at the disposal of an organization (Tillman & Cassone, 2012).
Organizing is a management function closely related to planning as it entails the
integration of all the resources by which an organization intends to achieve its objectives. The
items used in organizing an organization’s operations include physical, financial and human
resources, which must be presented in a productive relationship for the realization of

3. Running Head: FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENT 3
organizational objectives (Lussier & Hendon, 2012). In management, organizing also implies
providing all the necessary tools, labor, equipment, materials, and techniques for the entire
structure of an organization. Organizing thus involves the identification and the grouping of
various activities followed by the assignment of duties to the different personnel. In addition,
organizing entails the delegation of authority and giving of responsibilities to employees then
coordinating the relationships among these roles.
Controlling
Controlling is a function of management, which refers to the comparing or measuring of
goals achieved against the set standards followed by the necessary corrections to any reported
deviations for these measurements, comparisons, and corrections are necessary for the realization
of organizational goals. Controlling thus ensures business activities conform to standards. It is
thus imperative that managers design and establish efficient control systems that would not only
prevent but also foresee deviations at early stages. Control systems are thus useful in the
monitoring of processes for achieving organizational objectives and making corrections. In other
terms, controlling in management refers to the correction of performance activities that are not in
line with organizational objectives. Considered core to the controlling function of management
are the establishing of standards for individual and organizational performance, the measurement
actual performances, the comparison of actual performances with set standards, and correction of
deviations.
Leading
Leading is the other function of management that is central to productive business. It is
crucial that a management adopts a paradigm of leadership that not only makes it easier to lead
but also endears it to employees (Lussier & Hendon, 2012). For a management to lead well, it

4. Running Head: FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENT 4
should have certain characteristics identifiable with good leadership. First, a management should
be composed of people with commendable characters such as trustworthy, integrity, and
responsible. Importantly, leading a team requires enthusiasm, passion, and dedication about
one’s work through which managers may motivate and inspire their subordinates to work
towards the realization of organizational objectives (Lussier & Hendon, 2012). Managers also
need to be confident to lead their teams well since such a trait would help them draw confidence
from out of their juniors. Finally managers should lead in a purposeful manner; especially when
faced with uncertain and unfamiliar situations for they need to reassurance others and make them
feel secure, confident, and positive (Lussier & Hendon, 2012). Also worth mentioning as
leadership qualities for managers are tolerance, composure, and calmness towards ambiguity and
commitment to excellence and success.
Conclusion
Though the main functions of management may be understood as independent subjects,
management is not merely made up of a single process. The main functions of management that
organizations should accord the deserved attention include planning, controlling, organizing, and
leading. It should be noted that this list is not exhaustive. While planning refers to the designing
of the future course of an organization and the strategies and processes by which set objectives
are to be achieved, controlling generally refers to the measuring and comparing of the achieved
goals against the set standards. Leading on the other hand refers to guiding other employees on
the principles by which they are to handle themselves and their responsibilities. Organizing on
the other hand entails the integration of all the processes and materials so that an organization’s
goals are achieved.

5. Running Head: FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENT 5
References
Lussier, R. N., and Hendon, J. R. (2012). Human resource management: functions, applications,
and skill development, first edition. Sage Publications.
Tillman, F. A., and Cassone, D. T. (2012). A professional's guide to decision science and
problem solving: an integrated approach for assessing issues, finding solutions, and
reaching corporate objectives (ft press operations management), first edition. FT Press.