The Functions of Management
The Functions of Management were first defined in 1916 by Henri Fayol. His book, Administration Industrielle et Generale, lists these functions as: planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating, and controlling (Barnett, 2007, ¶ 2). Since that time, experts have concluded that coordinating plays a role in all functions of management (Barnett, 2007, ¶ 5). Coordinating was dropped and it has now become the four functions of management as we know them today, planning, organizing, leading and controlling. All four can be seen in the management process at Orrtax.
Planning requires managers to set goals or objectives and devise a way to accomplish those goals (Bateman & Snell, 2007). External environments, such as the IRS, State and Local Taxing Authorities, determine the objectives of managers in the tax development department. This department must pass a series of tests in a short amount of time, before receiving federal, state and local approval of their software. Accomplishing this is one of the many challenges of management and planning plays a vital role. Before each compliance season, managers determine what resources are needed and create a process, or plan.
At Orrtax, process documents are created and handed out to the department. These documents convey to upper management the timeline and milestone dates. They inform the teams about tools and resources available and they outline the processes the department will follow. This function is referred to as organization. Organization has a huge impact on the company’s ability to meet its deadlines and keep the project moving. During this ...