Discuss the most important decisions that must be made in

Four Functions; Discuss the most important decisions that must be made in (a) planning, (b) organizing, (c) leading, and (d) controlling to allow a manager to utilize organizational resources effectively and build a competitive advantage. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

This paper will discuss four management functions: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. All of these functions are what every good manager does whether he/she knows it. All of these functions have the same importance and work cohesively. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of these four functions and how they can improve ones management skills and the role each function has in management. Planning is the beginning of any function, whether it is car design, catering, disaster relief, or starting a new division or company it is necessary to plan what needs to be done without planning the end results could be chaos. In Reference for Business they give a fine definition; planning is the function of management that involves setting objectives and determining a course of action for achieving these objectives. Planning requires that managers be aware of environmental conditions facing their organization and forecast future conditions. It also requires that managers be good decision-makers. Planning is a process consisting of several steps. The process begins with environmental scanning, which simply means that planners must be aware of the critical contingencies facing their organization in terms of economic conditions, their competitors, and their customers. Planners must then attempt to forecast future conditions. These forecasts form the basis for planning. Planners must establish objectives, which are statements of what needs to be achieved and when. Planners must then identify alternative courses of action for achieving objectives. After evaluating the various alternatives, planners must make decisions about the best courses of action for achieving objectives. They must then formulate necessary steps and ensure effective implementation of plans. Finally, planners must constantly evaluate the success of their plans and take corrective action when necessary (Stephen & Coulter1. 2003). In a small way planning could be viewed as the most…
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