Page 100 - Cambridge IGCSE Business Studies

Cambridge IGCSE Business Studies Section 2 People in business

The role of management

In most organisations managers are responsible for:

■ setting objectives
■ motivating workers
■ making sure workers have the resources they need to complete their tasks.

Functions of management

All managers perform five functions, as shown in Figure 7.8.

Functions of
Management

Planning Organising Commanding Coordinating Controlling

Figure 7.8 Functions of management

Planning
Planning is about looking at where the business is now and where it wants to be in
the future. Once this has been decided, management must then set clear objectives
and decide on the actions needed for these to be achieved.
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Organising
This function of management is about preparing and organising the resources needed

to achieve the planned goals and objectives. Management will have to decide the best
way of completing important tasks at the lowest possible cost to the business.

Commanding

This function involves the control and supervision of subordinates. Commanding
should also aim to motivate workers towards achieving the planned objectives.

Coordinating
Coordinating is making sure that all of the different parts of the business are

working together towards achieving the business’s goals and corporate objectives.

Controlling
Th is final function of management involves checking to make sure that the plan

is working. Will it be completed on time and to the required standard? If not then
action must be taken to correct it.

As well as these five functions, managers need to:
■ understand the people who work for them
■ set a good example
■ treat subordinates fairly
■ delegate tasks
■ communicate eff ectively.