Republic of the Philippines

Region VI- Western Visayas

GUIMARAS STATE COLLEGE
Buenavista, Guimaras

ED 219: THEORIES AND PRINCIPLES OF EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT

CHERRY MAE P. PARCON JONATHAN GABION

Discussant Professor

FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENT

A manager is someone who can lead, direct and control operations and people in their
organization without imposing their authority. In a world where a more informal working structure
is becoming increasingly popular, a manager must work with their team to achieve larger goals.

Functions of management are a great starting point to find your footing before you dive
straight into your role as a manager. It helps you stay informed about what you need to do and how
so that you can guide your staff accordingly.

Fayol's theory defines five functions of management— planning, organizing, staffing,

directing, and controlling. Each of these functions plays a critical role in helping organizations
achieve efficiently and effectively. Luther Gulick, Fayol’s successor, further defined 7 functions of
management or POSDCORB—planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating, reporting,
and budgeting.

But Gulick’s 7 functions of management have been criticized by experts as an

oversimplification of the managerial process. So, Fayol’s functions of management are more
commonly accepted by management even today.

Five Functions of Management

1. Planning
Planning is an important function of management because it sets the pace for all
subsequent steps in the managerial process. You need to develop a roadmap for the future

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 —predefined steps—to accomplish organizational goals. In this step, you’ll have to
evaluate methods and strategies to determine how you’ll progress toward your goal.

2. Organizing
This is the process of coordinating and allocating a firm’s resources to carry out its
plans. Organizing includes developing a structure for the people, positions, departments,
and activities within the firm. Managers can arrange the structural elements of the firm to
maximize the flow of information and the efficiency of work processes. They accomplish
this by doing the following:
• Dividing up tasks (division of labor)
• Grouping jobs and employees (departmentalization)
• Assigning authority and responsibilities (delegation)
This is where you put your plan into action by establishing a system of authority or
hierarchy in the context of your organizational structure. Determine the tasks that need to
be completed to achieve your goals before assigning them to your staff. As opposed to
the traditional ways of working where a manager made all the decisions, today’s business
world is more dynamic and flexible. Every member of the organization—regardless of
position—shares accountability and responsibility.

3. Staffing
This is another important function of management. You must assign tasks based on
each team member’s knowledge, skills, and abilities. You must be careful here because
you may have to hire new talent for specific tasks that require specific technical
expertise. Assessing the needs of your employees in terms of incentives, training and
development and compensation are critical for the success of this step.
An effective manager will have the insight to evaluate the competency and efficiency of
their employees. This is to ensure that their assigned
tasks match their skills. You must adopt an empathetic approach to connect with your
employees and understand their strengths and weaknesses.

4. Directing
Directing is concerned with supervising your team’s progress. In this step, you must
keep an open channel of communication and get regular updates to stay on top of things.
A great way to do this is by giving and receiving feedback to address any problem areas
and improve performance. This is where you must act as a leader, navigate conflict, and
motivate your employees to take initiative.
As a manager, you must give each team member enough autonomy to help them stay
motivated and perform without constant supervision. Besides monitoring your team, you
also must keep your manager and other stakeholders informed with progress reports. The
entire organization should work like a well-oiled machine to achieve your goals in a time-
effective manner.

5. Controlling

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 The controlling function of management generally means organizational control. That
is, it’s a process by which an organization (through its managers) influences its sub-units
and members in the process of attaining organizational goals and objectives. Because
organizations develop standards and goals, controlling necessarily ensures that
individual, group, and organizational performance does not deviate from standards. 
Controlling should not be viewed as negative - such as manipulative of an individual’s
personality, values, attitudes, or emotions. Rather, managers simply make certain
employee activities are consistent with achieving organizational goals and objectives. 
 
Not only do you have to ensure that every step is going according to plan, but also
watch out for potential problems to take corrective measures. Make timely adjustments
and modifications where necessary. It’ll help you accomplish your goals faster within
your timeframe and your budget.

As a manager, in-depth knowledge of the various functions of management is critical for

professional success. This is a good measure of your efficiency and effectiveness that play a crucial
role in achieving organizational goals.

Leading a team isn’t a walk in the park because you must accommodate different work
styles, personalities, and skillsets. Functions of management highlight essential skills that every
manager needs to supervise, coordinate, and communicate with their teams. As a good manager,
you need to have the right insight to understand who you’re working with and how you can use
their abilities for the greater good of the organization.

References:

 https://harappa.education/harappa-diaries/functions-of-management/#:~:text=The%20theory
%20defines%20five%20functions,organizations%20achieve%20efficiently%20and
%20effectively.
 https://opentextbc.ca/businessopenstax/chapter/organizing/#:~:text=A%20second%20key
%20function%20of,and%20activities%20within%20the%20firm.
 https://www.economicsdiscussion.net/organisation/staffing/31866
 https://thebusinessprofessor.com/en_US/management-leadership-organizational-behavior/
what-is-the-controlling-function-of-management