Functions and Practices of Management
Introduction
Management entails engaging the personnel and resources at a company or business enterprise to accomplish the objectives and goals efficiently and effectively. The functions of management uniquely describe the type of job that managers have. Henry Fayol was the first person who identified the functions or elements of management in 1916. According to his analysis, the main functions of management include planning, leading, organizing, staffing, and controlling. He argued that these functions were universal because all the managers performed them in their line of duty, whether the managers were in a business premise, government, military, or religious activity. It is there essential for an organization to be vigilant when planning the seeds of managerial virtues. Amazon is one of the major companies around the globe today, and this a vital factor when it comes to recruiting managers of warehouses in different locations. As a manager at Amazon, the expectations are very high because the small businesses are focusing on how such companies are run and see the management styles as ways they can adopt to improve their small businesses. As a result, it is vital to ensure that the five functions of management are conducted efficiently and effectively so as to meet the goals set by the company.
Functions of Management
Planning
Planning is a primary and vital function of management, which occupies a high position in the process of management. Planning basically entails what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and who will do it. As a warehouse manager, planning will act as a tool that will be used to set objectives and determine the roles and functions of every individual, as well as set a target for the warehouse. I will first need to assess the environmental condition of the workstation so that I can understand how the operations are being conducted. Moreover, I will have to assess my time because the new work station is two hours away from my home. Planning my schedule will help avoid inconveniencing other employees as they will depend on me to make prudent decisions in time so that operations can continue running smoothly. I intend to establish clear ethos and values that will be communicated effectively and discussed with all the staff members at the warehouse. I also intend to encourage teamwork among employees while promoting open and honest communication among all employees. In this case, regular audits will be conducted to weigh how employees interact with each other. Language is a vital aspect that can create confusion among employees and miscommunication. In this case, I intend to advocate for cautious use of language that emphasizes the gender-conscious and comprehensive ethos, such as promoting the space function as compared to the gender identity of individuals. Besides, I plan to adopt a transparent policy for progression and promotion, which will grant all the employees an opportunity to weigh their performance level. Moreover, I intend to ensure that the duties designated to employees do not conflict with their personal lives. To achieve this, employees will be asked whether the tasks or meetings are creating conflict for anyone.
Organizing
This function entails developing an organizational structure and allocating required personnel to ensure that the organization’s objectives are met. Organizing acts as a bridge between the current position of the company and where it wants to be. As a new branch manager, it is important to continue focusing on the already set objectives and how they can be achieved. In this case, tasks will be categorized and grouped depending on their time requested and the urgency of completing the task. In many cases, tasks tend to vary, and they are bound to a specific time that clients and the company had already agreed. As the warehouse manager, I will ensure that the system is running smoothly, and the necessary customer information is available so that the deliveries and requests are executed within the designated time. I will also ensure that every employee has clear set duties and responsibilities so that there is an efficient workflow. I also intend to define a clear chain of command to ensure that the warehouse runs smoothly, even in my absence. A clear chain of command will also help in passing information to the junior staff, such as those making deliveries. Moreover, I will regularly check on the workers in their respective workstations to ensure that the duties are executed efficiently and effectively, and interact with them on how they feel about the running of the branch. Organizing is a very crucial function of management since it is the foundation of everyday operations and helps ensure that the plan set by the management is turned into a reality. Besides, it ensures that there is a defined structure within the branch, and resources available are used appropriately.
Staffing
Human resource is the most crucial asset of an organization since they are responsible for building and maintaining it. It is therefore vital to ensure that people employed at the branch are those whose vision is in line with that of the organization and those who are ready to assist the company in attaining its goals while also growing individually. Staffing function depends on the planning phase because there is a need to plan for the company to company to come up with a means that will be used in recruiting employees and designating duties. As a manager of a warehouse with 100 employees, I will need to assess whether the number of employees at the warehouse is enough to execute the tasks available. Moreover, I will also assess the available resources to know whether they are enough to satisfy all the employees at the warehouse. With the staffing function, I will be able to ensure that every staff member has the required resources to complete his or her duties effectively. Moreover, I will ensure that each staff member is assigned duties based on his abilities and strengths so that they can conduct those tasks effectively and efficiently. I will also ensure that supervisors have the quality and attributes to inspire and help their subordinate staff, and those who can interact with their colleagues very well. This will increase the level of trust in the management, and the subordinates will be free to pass their grievances to the management without fear. Having a good staffing plan will help the warehouse plan for the peak seasons when the requests are high, and there are more packaging duties required. Performance appraisals will be established to ensure that employees are productive, and those who fail to achieve their targets on three consecutive occasions will be fired so that the company recruits talented people who can perform as per the company expectations. Employee remuneration packages will also be upgraded to attract the best people within the job market. Staffing is a crucial function that will help the organization achieve its goals while at the same time, using resources appropriately.
Leading
Leading entails influencing other employees towards attaining the set company objectives. As a manager of warehouse operations, one also needs to be a leader because leadership skills are vital in shaping the perception of employees and guiding them towards company goals while still promoting individual prosperity. As a leader, I intend to be a transformational leader who will also incorporate some aspects of transactional leadership. I aim to motivate my subordinates by ensuring there is an open and honest communication whereby employees will be allowed to contribute to decisions that will be made at the branch. Moreover, I will engage the staff in setting clear ethos and values that will be communicated effectively to every individual. On the other hand, I intend to learn and understand the values, personalities, emotions, and attitudes of various employees so that I can understand how to interact with them efficiently and seek their opinions. However, to ensure that the branch meets its set targets, rewards and positive reinforcement will be established, and every employee will have an equal opportunity to earn. Moreover, I intend to personally ensure that employees adhere to practice standards when conducting operations in the warehouse. As an e-commerce business, I believe that combining the two leadership styles will help solve any arising problems at the warehouse. At the same time, they also seek to address that may arise in the future. Although Amazon has set standards and an organizational culture that needs to be adhered to, I intend to ensure that staff members can contribute towards certain decisions concerning the branch to ensure that they are motivated to conduct their duties.
Controlling
This function of management requires the manager to ensure that the performance will not deviate from the standards put in place by the organization. It usually consists of three steps; establishing the standards of performance, comparing the performance with the set standards, and providing corrective actions when required. Amazon is an e-commerce company, and therefore the performance standards may be stated in monetary terms, the number of defective products, and the levels of customer service. As a manager, I will ensure that the warehouse performance standards are high by ensuring that the level of customer satisfaction is high, performance appraisals are conducted, and the revenues are high. However, I will not use the power of this function to manipulate the values, personalities, emotions, and attitudes of my subordinates. In this case, I will always monitor the performance to know where the responsibility for aberration from the set standards lies and how we can correct them.
References
Baack, D., Reilly, M., & Minnick, C. (2014). The Five Functions of Effective Management (2nd ed.)
Newstrom, J. (2015). Organizational Behavior: Human Behavior at Work (14th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Robert, C. (2017). Five Functions of Management & Leading. Chron, a Hearst Newspapers.
Schraeder, M., Self, D. R., Jordan, M. H., & Portis, R. (2015). The functions of management as mechanisms for fostering interpersonal trust. Advances in Business Research, 50-62