Introduction

A common functional description of management is the process or systematic way that a manager carries out the activities necessary to achieve organizational goals.  This requires the manager to plan, organize, lead and control activities, utilizing all organizational resources within the context of his or her organization’s environment (see Figure below).  These functions involve the following activities:

Planning: Planning activities involve analysing the organization’s current situation including the external environment, identifying and prioritizing appropriate organizational goals and determining the necessary actions required to achieve these goals.

Organising: Organizing activities include the identification and division of the work to be undertaken to accomplish the organizational goals and the allocation and co-ordination of necessary material and human resources.

Leading: Leading activities are the ways in which managers direct and influence their subordinates to perform the tasks that are essential for achieving the organizational goals.

Controlling: Controlling activities involve monitoring and evaluating actual performance compared to set standard in order to ensure that the organizational goals are in fact being reached.