Four Function Paper

My Organization and the Four Functions of Management

Christopher Martens

Management: Theory, Practice, and Application MGT 330

Paul Moore

March 6, 2006

My Organization and the Four Functions of Management

The four functions of management are vital to the current and future success of my organization. The Managers in my organization utilize the four functions of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling to harness the efforts of members of the organization to reach and exceed all company goals and expectations. It is with this effective and efficient management that my organization can gain sustainable competitive advantages that will allow it to thrive within the industry. If management did not utilize the four functions of management, my organization may falter and sustain damage to its reputation. In addition, this could leave the door open for competitors to gain market share within our niche in the market. If the four functions of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling are implemented continuously and successfully then the organization's future will indeed be promising.

Planning is the first vital function of management that is employed by my organization. The Planning phase of the four functions involves prioritizing and preparing for the days, weeks, and months ahead. Planning is important so that my company can prioritize properly and diligently monitor the important goals which give my company direction. Moreover, if the objectives are clearly flagged, then they are more likely to be achieved. At my organization, planning includes strategic meetings with the Navy to discuss future military needs and how my company can accommodate those needs. In this way, my organization can plan the purchase and arrival date of raw materials, and make any adjustments to the workforce required to meet our monthly, quarterly, and yearly obligations. Planning is a necessary function of my organization in order to obtain the proper amount of materials, engineering support, and labor required to meet and exceed all customer desires and expectations.

Organizing, the second function of management, can be viewed as the activities my organization employs to collect and configure resources in order to implement plans in a highly effective and efficient manner. The purpose of the organizing function is to make the best use of my organization's resources to achieve organizational goals. Moreover, the organizational structure is the formal decision-making framework by which job tasks are divided, grouped, and coordinated to carry out all formalized plans. The steps in the organizing process at my facility include reviewing plans, listing tasks, grouping tasks into jobs, grouping jobs, assigning work, and delegating authority. My organization uses the organizing function in order to utilize the proper resources to implement the plan while maintaining efficiency and controlling costs in achieving the plan.

Leading, the third function of management, has the greatest chance of being successful when all of the employees of my organization work toward achieving the same goals. Since leadership involves the exercise of influence by one person over others, the quality of leadership exhibited by supervisors in my organization is a critical factor in organizational success. The successful leaders