Four Functions of Organizational Management Essay

Introduction

Delegation is one of the management functions which help managers to improve organizational performance through sharing tasks with other employees. Delegating is defined as the assignment of responsibility or secondary authority to subordinates for the execution of certain functions so as to enhance the utilization of manpower resources (Bradley, 2003). “Effective delegation requires you to empower others with some of the responsibility and authority you have” (Wiggins 1998, p. 29). TJ Maxx is one of the big retailers operating around the world. Similar to other companies, it has mechanisms that allow managers to delegate and that make employees accountable for tasks and activities they perfume. In general, the danger of delegation is that it may turn into abdication, that the person who delegates may lose control rather than get help. To avoid such disasters, delegation to other employees needs to be coupled with some mechanism of accountability, some way in which subordinates can be checked and controlled, and if necessary removed, if their behavior or performance is unsatisfactory. This chain of delegation is mirrored by a corresponding chain of accountability that runs in the reverse direction.

Main body

The four functions of management are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. The planning function determines how to initiate a certain activity (or a project) and execute its objectives. In TJ Maxx, managers delegate some tasks such as data gathering and analysis of previous results. The managers determine themselves the nature of actions and responsibilities needed to achieve the goal. They can delegate such tasks as the development of alternate courses of action. The benefit of delegation is that it helps managers to avoid routine work and improve their performance (Wiggins, 1998). Planning decisions involve numerous personnel within the organization with various types and levels of expertise. Delegation allows joining technical and managerial responsibilities. Delegation might be used more effectively if the manager would provide additional training for employees and assess their performance regularly (Schuler, 1998; TJ Maxx Home, 2007).

Organizing involves determining the interfaces needed among personnel in order to assure a dedicated pursuit of the goal. Managers delegate such tasks as the determination of what activities should be performed and functional areas. Staffing is a component of organizing. Staffing is the process of defining the required personnel and the assignment of the personnel to appropriate functions with respect to the project goal. For instance, the delegation may include hiring new people. The benefit of delegation is that it allows managers to save time and effort spent on secondary tasks. Delegation might be used more effectively if the manager stipulates project priorities and goals for subordinates (Schuler, 1998).

The leading function of management is aimed to direct employees and coordinate their activities. Leading involves guiding and supervising the project personnel. It is a crucial aspect of the management function. Leading requires skillful managers who can interact with subordinates effectively through good communication and motivation techniques. Usually, these tasks are not delegated because only a successful manager can improve the performance of his subordinates by directing them, through proper task assignments, toward the project goal. Thus, delegating could help to improve performance if the manager would give workers some flexibility for self-direction in performing their functions (Wiggins, 1998). Individual worker needs and limitations should be recognized by the manager when directing project functions. The development of a responsibility chart can be very helpful at this stage. A responsibility chart is a matrix consisting of columns of an individual or functional departments and rows of required actions. Cells within the matrix are filled with relationship codes that indicate who is responsible for what. The responsibility chart helps to avoid neglecting crucial communication requirements and obligations (Schuler, 1998).

Conclusion

The controlling function of management aims to ensure that necessary actions are taken to correct unacceptable deviations from expected performance. Control is affected by measurement, evaluation, and corrective action. In TJ Maxx, managers delegate such tasks as a measurement of performance. Measurement is the process of measuring the relationship between planned performance and actual performance with respect to project objectives. The variables to be measured, the measurement scales, and the measuring approaches should be clearly specified during the planning stage (Wiggins, 1998). This helps managers to provide systemic and continuous control over all projects and activities carried out by the team (Schuler, 1998). Delegation might be used more effectively if the manager would modify policies and procedures, and Introduce technology for control. “Reverse delegation is a situation in which you delegate a task and you wind up finishing it yourself. Reverse delegation is appropriate if a subordinate lacks the time or ability to properly do the job” (Wiggins 1998, p. 29). In general, TJ Maxx managers delegate their authority with a technical specialist, an operations integrator, and a project specialist. For instance, the technical specialist has responsibility for addressing specific technical requirements. An operations integrator controls all operational components of the project interface (Wiggins, 1998). This person should have good technical awareness and excellent interpersonal skills. The project specialist has specific expertise related to the specific goals and requirements. In general, delegation is more effective if subordinates are involved in all functions of management and understand the goals and priorities of the project or current strategies.

References

1. Bradley, C. A. (2003). International Delegations, the Structural Constitution and Non-Self-Execution. Stanford Law Review 55 (5), 1557.
2. Schuler, R. (1998). Managing Human Resources. Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western College Publishing.
3. TJ Maxx Home. (2007). Web.
4. Wiggins, D. (1998). Stop Doing It All Yourself! Some Keys to Effective Delegation. Journal of Environmental Health 60 (9), 29.