The management process and the functions of management

1. Management as a process

A process is a series of steps taken to reach a result. Management is called a process because the manager performs a set of interrelated functions continuously and in a sequence: he plans what is to be done, organises the resources, staffs the positions, directs the people, and controls the results; the results of control feed back into the next round of planning. The process is:

• continuous — it never ends while the organisation exists;
• circular — control leads back to planning;
• composite — the functions overlap and are performed together, not one after the other in watertight stages;
• universal — every manager at every level performs all the functions, though in different proportions (top managers plan more, supervisors direct more).

2. Classifications of functions

Gulick’s acronym appeared in his paper in Papers on the Science of Administration (1937), edited with Lyndall Urwick. Koontz and O’Donnell treat co-ordination as the essence of management rather than a separate function, because it is achieved through all five.

3. The functions explained

Planning

Deciding in advance what to do, how, when and by whom. It bridges the gap between where the organisation is and where it wants to be. It includes setting objectives, forecasting, framing policies, procedures, programmes and budgets, and choosing among alternatives. Planning is the primary function: the others are carried out to put the plans into effect.

Organising

Identifying and grouping the activities needed to achieve the plans, assigning them to positions, delegating authority, and establishing relationships of authority and responsibility. Its result is the organisation structure, shown on an organisation chart.

Staffing

Filling the positions in the structure and keeping them filled: manpower planning, recruitment, selection, placement, training, development, appraisal, promotion, transfer and compensation. Koontz and O’Donnell made it a separate function because the quality of people decides the success of everything else.

Directing

Guiding, supervising and motivating subordinates so that they work towards the objectives. It has four elements:

• Supervision — overseeing work as it is done;
• Motivation — creating the will to work;
• Leadership — influencing people to follow willingly;
• Communication — passing information and understanding.

Directing is the function that sets the organisation in motion; Fayol called it “command”.

Controlling

Measuring actual performance against the standards set in planning, finding deviations, and taking corrective action. Its steps are setting standards, measuring performance, comparing, and correcting. Planning and controlling are often called the Siamese twins of management: planning without control is pointless, and control without a plan has nothing to measure against.

Co-ordination

The integration of the efforts of different individuals and departments so that they move towards a common goal in harmony. It is not done at one stage but runs through all the others, which is why it is called the essence of management (Unit III).

4. Other functions sometimes added

• Innovation — developing new products, methods and markets (Drucker treated it as a basic function of business).
• Representation — the manager represents the organisation before government, the trade unions, financial institutions and the public.
• Decision-making — strictly part of every function rather than a separate one.

5. Managerial roles (Mintzberg)

A short paragraph on Henry Mintzberg’s study of what managers actually do (The Nature of Managerial Work, 1973) adds depth. He grouped ten roles into three sets:

• Interpersonal: figurehead, leader, liaison.
• Informational: monitor, disseminator, spokesperson.
• Decisional: entrepreneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, negotiator.

How this is examined

“What is management? Explain the functions of management” was set for 10 marks in August 2024 and in April 2023; the January 2026 100-mark paper opened with “What are the major functions of management? Explain” for 16 marks. It is the safest Unit I question to prepare fully.

For 10 marks: a definition, a line on management as a process, the table of classifications, then the five functions with three or four points each, and a closing line on co-ordination. For 16 marks, add the features of the process, Mintzberg’s roles, and a diagram of the cycle.