One of the most important components management activities, as well as the overall functioning of organizations is goal setting. It also acts as the main function leader, and stage management activity, and its structural component. Goal-setting is defined as the formulation or choice of the goal of the functioning of the organization, as well as its concretization into sub-goals and their coordination. At the same time, the interpretation of this function in control theory is ambiguous. On the one hand, it is recognized not only as "very important", but also as a determining role in management activities and in the overall functioning of the organization. The presence of reasonable, long-term goals of the organization is the main condition for its functioning, and the ability of the leader to set them is one of the most important managerial qualities. On the other hand, the goal-setting function is usually not singled out as an independent one, but is considered as part of another function - planning. Another interpretation of goal-setting is that it is considered only as the initial stage of the entire management cycle and, as it were, “precedes” it, therefore it is taken out of the system of management functions. This is partially true, but only in the sense that it emphasizes the decisive role of goal setting in management. Goal-setting, as it were, stands "outside and above" all other functions.
At the same time, both in its content and in its role in management, goal-setting is precisely a managerial function that permeates all the activities of a leader. Thus, goal-setting cannot be confined to the initial stage of management for two reasons. First, the definition of the general direction of the organization, indeed, precedes all other functions. However, in the course of all subsequent activities, there is also a reformulation and (or) formulation of new goals. This is necessary in cases where it turns out the ineffectiveness or fallacy of the originally formulated goals. At the same time, goal-setting is not the first stage of management, but, in a certain sense, a consequence of other management functions. Secondly, the specific duty of the leader is to set goals for the performers, which is also included in the entire process of organizational functioning. Further, in its content, the goal-setting function is a complex and unfolded process in time, which has its own specific patterns that are not characteristic of other managerial functions. Finally, sometimes the goal-setting function is used as the basis for organizing the entire management, its peculiar mechanism - in the "management by goals" method. (management by objectives – MVO).
In control theory general characteristics The goal is given on the basis of one of the main provisions of the system approach, according to which it is understood as a backbone factor of organizations. This means that it is the goal that determines the general direction of the organization's activities, its composition (both units and personnel) and structure, regulates the nature of the relationships existing in the organization between its components, and also integrates them into a coherent system. In addition, it also acts as the basis for the criteria for developing the most important strategic decisions in the organization, determines the content of planning. The nature of the goals significantly affects the overall image of the organization. The goal has a significant impact on the activities of the organization, since it determines the main priorities of its functioning.
The implementation of the goal-setting function begins with the definition of the most common goal of the organization, which is the basis for all its activities. To determine this most general goal, the concepts of "company philosophy", "firm policy" and most often "organizational mission" are used. The mission details the status of the organization, declares all the main tasks and determines the general directions of its activities and management. The role of the mission is therefore very great, especially in a free market economy, when business entities are faced with the need to choose it independently. On the contrary, under centralized management, the goals and objectives of organizations are rigidly set, dictated from above - through the system of basic planning targets. The presence of such freedom in organizations is the key to the efficiency of the economy as a whole and its viability.
In the science of management there are no unambiguous "recipes" for determining the mission of the organization, although the implementation of one of the most general rule considered mandatory. It consists in the fact that profit should not be formulated as the mission of the organization, although, of course, this factor is a necessary component of its goals, business objectives as such. The mission should include the formulation of more general and broad, socially significant goals. Profit is internal problem organizations. But since any organization, especially a large one, is a social and open system, it can survive if it satisfies some need that is outside of it. Textbook in this regard is, for example, the formulation of the mission of the Ford company. While retaining a leading role for profit in ensuring the viability of the company, its representatives, nevertheless, formulate the mission as "providing people with cheap transportation." This concise formulation contains all the necessary features of a correctly formulated mission: customer orientation, definition of the scope of activity, focus on broad social goals. In addition, the mission should not depend on the current state of the organization, the forms and methods of its work; on the contrary, they must themselves be determined by the mission.
The other main management function is the function forecasting. "To lead is to foresee" - by this famous expression it is possible to briefly characterize the role of forecasting in management activities and in the functioning of organizations as a whole. The same idea was repeatedly expressed by the founder of the "classical" school of administrative management A. Fayol, calling "foresight ( prevoyance ) the essence of management". This is the ability to "look forward", go beyond the cash, assess the future and take appropriate preparatory measures.
The importance of forecasting in management activities cannot be overestimated. It is one of the main and most specific prerogatives and functions of the leader. In control theory, there are two main approaches to the interpretation of the forecasting function. It is either singled out as independent, or is considered as one of the main stages in the implementation of another management function - planning. The first interpretation is more adequate. The fact is that forecasting is very specific in terms of its role in management, the originality of its content, and the presence of special forms and methods of implementation, it plays an important independent role in management. Therefore, it should be understood as one of its core functions. Forecasting is most significant and deployed most intensively in determining the goals of the organization and, in particular, in the transition from the goal to the stage of developing plans for the organization's activities. Thus, it plays the role of a link, a kind of "bridge" between the functions of goal setting and planning.
The meaning of the forecasting function in management activity is that it is a decisive factor in the transition from the strategy of "passive response" to changing external conditions to the strategy of "active anticipation" of these changes and timely preparation for them, and then to measures to prevent the most negative of them. Forecasting is the main means of transforming a passive management strategy into an active one, a way to replace "therapeutic" management with "preventive" one. Forecasting in management and the need to improve it have become even more relevant in connection with the situational methodology that has become widespread in recent decades. The central idea of situationism is the position that any organization is an open system that adapts to its diverse external and internal environment. The main causes of what happens inside the organization lie outside it. Therefore, decisive for effective management are concepts such as adaptation And external environment. In turn, the adaptation itself can be of two main types: situational adaptation when conditions change external environment and prospective (proactive), based on the detection and early consideration of trends in changes in the external environment. In this case, control is increasingly based on the type of so-called advanced control. (proactive management).
In this regard, in order to disclose the content of the forecasting function, it is necessary to refer to the concept of the external environment of the organization. It is this function that is the main object of forecasting, and its fundamental variability is the main reason for the existence of this function as a whole. To survive and develop successfully, an organization must be able to adapt to these external changes; but for this, in turn, it is necessary to predict them as well.
The external environment as a source of changes and as an object of forecasting has two components - the environment of direct and the environment of indirect impact. The direct impact environment includes factors that directly affect the activities of the organization and are equally directly affected by its activities. These include labor resources, suppliers, laws, activities of institutions state regulation, consumers, competitors. The indirect impact environment consists of factors that may not have a direct, immediate impact on the organization's operations, but still indirectly affect it (and quite strongly, and sometimes decisively). These are factors of the state of the economy, scientific and technological achievements, sociocultural and political factors, international events, etc.
The difficulties of forecasting in an environment that includes a large number of factors (also very complex in themselves) increase dramatically due to the fact that they are not isolated from each other, but are closely interconnected and intertwined. This results in a number of generalizing characteristics of the external forecasting environment - interconnectedness, mobility, complexity and uncertainty.
interconnectedness environmental factors - the level of force with which a change in one factor affects other factors.
Mobility environment - the rate at which changes occur in the organization's environment.
Complexity external environment - the number of factors to which the organization is obliged to respond, as well as the level of variability and complexity of each factor.
Uncertainty the external environment is a function of the amount of information that the organization (or its leader) has and confidence in its reliability about each factor and their combination.
So, organizations and their leaders must not only respond effectively to changes in the external environment, but also be able to predict its trends in order to ensure the survival of organizations and the achievement of their goals.
Along with this, another important function is planning. The concept of planning in relation to management activities has two main meanings, which can be described as "broad" and "narrow". In its broad interpretation, the planning function includes a number of other functions, including those already considered - setting goals, forecasting, as well as organizing execution, etc. Even such a seemingly sharply different function from planning as control is also considered in theory as a component of planning. G. Kunz and S. O "Donnell note that planning and control are "Siamese twins": control without a work plan and criteria for their implementation is impossible, but a plan that is not supported by subsequent control will remain only a plan. The connection of another function is similar - decision making with planning. It is sometimes even defined through the decision-making function: "Planning is, in fact, a choice. The need for it arises only when an alternative course of action is discovered. "Planning is a system in advance decisions taken". Planning, therefore, is included in all other management functions, acts as their necessary component, which is why it is customary to talk about its "omnipresence." Planning at the same time will organize all other functions, giving them, and therefore the entire management as a whole, the necessary degree of organization. "strategic planning".
In a narrower and more specific sense, planning is considered as a stage, a phase of the management cycle, localized between the stages of forecasting and organization of execution. These two interpretations do not contradict each other and are complementary. The ambiguity of the concept of planning is a natural consequence of the real and close relationship of all management functions, their "interpenetration" into each other. All of them form an organic integrity and are presented in unity. This gives management its real life complexity and inconsistency. Any analytical allocation of certain aspects of management, its main functions is conditional. It is justified only within certain limits, for example, for a detailed acquaintance with the content of managerial activity.
Essence planning lies in the fact that it allows you to optimally coordinate the individual efforts of members of the organization and departments to achieve its goals. This agreement has two main aspects.
Firstly, this is the functional division of responsibilities between individual members of the organization and its divisions, the definition of their main tasks and their association with corporate goals. This - content planning.
Secondly, the chronological distribution of the tasks of divisions and individual performers in time, the determination of a rational sequence for their implementation. This - time planning, or process planning.
In the first case, the question is what the performers will do. In the second - when they should do it and in what sequence. As a result, the cumulative activity of many executive units of the organization (individuals and divisions) acquires meaningful and temporal orderliness, their efforts are synchronized, and the organization's activities acquire a holistic and coordinated character. Thus, the planning function actually provides the main task of management - organizational and therefore constitutes the essence of management as a whole. The key role of planning in management, combined with its complexity and variety of tasks, requires an understanding not only of the responsibilities of the leader, but also of the function performed by many other departments of the organization. Therefore, this function consists of three main components:
- 1) individual activities of the planning manager;
- 2) the activities of specialized units and services (as well as specially attracted consultants) for planning;
- 3) the interaction of the head with specialized planning units and the organization of the activities of these units.
Similar to the scheduling function, another function is − organizational, which is also multifaceted and has three main manifestations. The function of an organization is the general process of creation a certain organizational structure, i.e. the choice of the type of this structure, its differentiation into divisions in accordance with the goals and objectives. This process is denoted by the concept of organizational design and subsequent implementation of the selected project.
Firstly, in its course, the question of what the overall organizational structure should be, based on its mission, main goals, and external environment, is being decided.
Secondly, organization is functional division and the subsequent coordination of the main types of work between individuals in a managed system. This is the construction of an agreed system of duties, rights, powers of executors and managers; definition of their functional roles and their coordination within the already chosen organizational structure.
Thirdly, the organization also designates certain coordinating processes, necessary for the implementation of any other management function. This is reflected, for example, in expressions such as "planning organization" or "control organization". In addition, this meaning of the concept of organization is also used to designate the processes of coordinating management functions with each other.
Along with this, there are two more extremely general meanings of the concept of organization. Organization can be seen as process and in this sense it is practically identified with managerial activity in general. Organization as result denotes one or another institutional structure - an enterprise, firm, institution, corporation, etc. The ambiguity of the concept of organization reflects the truly fundamental role of the corresponding function in management and its complexity.
The need for an organizational function is a consequence of the group, joint activities as such. “People are forced to unite in groups,” writes Ch. Barnard, “in order to perform work that they cannot do individually. They join forces to achieve their personal goals due to the presence of a number of physical, biological, psychological and social limitations.” In the process of joint activity as the basis of organizational functioning, there is an objective need to solve two main tasks.
First, it is important to distribute the entire content of the joint activity among its members in such a way that each of them contributes to it, i.e. implement functional division of labor.
Secondly, it is necessary not only to divide, but also to harmonize and organize individual "contributions" to a common goal. The need to introduce proper organization into joint activities is, therefore, the direct cause of the phenomenon of management as such. The processes of differentiation and integration within joint activities give rise to the need to manage them, i.e. organization of this activity in order to make it as holistic as possible, and therefore effective. Management is initially directed to the organization performing activities. However, the general case, most typical of modern, especially large institutions and enterprises, is a more complex picture of the organization. Between the leader and the performers, there are, as a rule, a number of intermediate levels of management. Therefore, top managers must carry out not only and even not so much the organization of execution as such, but the organization of the entire hierarchy of levels of management itself subordinate to them. Because of this, the organizational function of the leader includes two main aspects - the organization of execution and the organization of management. The second aspect is no less significant, and in many cases is dominant (the larger the organization and the higher the level of the leader, the more so).
Further, the most important role in activities of the head playing function decision making. This function is most specific in the activities of the leader and in the most more reflects its uniqueness. It is very widely represented in management activities and permeates all other components and stages of this activity. In management theory, it has become axiomatic that the decision-making function is central a link in the entire activity of the leader. It is noted, for example, that "... decision-making is an integral part of any management ... more than anything else that distinguishes a manager from a non-manager." G. Kunz and S. O "Donnell indicate that "managers consider decision making to be their main business." M. Mescon and others generally define managerial activity through the decision-making function, noting that "the essence of management is to influence the organization and change its structure in order to make decisions."
Core management functions are also often defined through the decision-making function. For example, planning is traditionally interpreted as "the choice of one of the alternatives for the functioning and development of the organization", and goal setting - as "the choice of the mission, goals and objectives of the organization's activities". The position on the key role of decision-making in management activities is consistent with the prevailing empirical, everyday ideas. According to them, the essence of the leader's activity lies in the fact that he "is obliged to decide", that he is then needed in the management system in order to make decisions and take on the burden of responsibility for them. Even a general measure of the real power and influence of a leader is how much he concentrates the decision-making functions, how much he "belongs to the last word" in solving the problems of the organization.
A distinctive feature of this function is much less standardization and algorithmization compared to other control functions. In this regard, the role of subjective, actually psychological factors. There are, of course, numerous rules, procedures and decision-making methods that facilitate this process. However, each leader personal experience knows how important is the role of non-formalizable, subjective, and often intuitive factors in decision-making processes. Because of this, the decision-making function is the subject of study in both control theory and psychology. This is as much an organizational problem as it is a psychological one. It is the decision-making function that most clearly makes you feel that management is, of course, a science, but also an art. The analysis of the content of the decision-making function therefore includes two main, very different and closely interrelated aspects, − organizational And psychological.
It should be emphasized that the problem of managerial decisions has played an important role in the evolution of managerial thought in general. For a long time - until the appearance of the behavioral approach - the theory of management was based on the postulate of rationality of behavior in general and decision making in particular. It consists in the fact that the subject (manager) must and can build his behavior and make decisions, focusing on the maximum consideration of all factors of the situation. This led to the development of the so-called rigid management schemes, the formation of the "classical theory of the firm", based on the concept of "rational man". However, in the fundamental works of C. Barnard, G. Simon, D. March, D. Olsen, D. Kahneman, it was proved that psychophysiological limitations objectively inherent in a person make it impossible to strictly rational behavior and decision-making, and a full account of all objective factors is also impossible in principle. As a result, the concept of "limited rationality" was developed, one of the main theses of which is that subjective psychological characteristics are objective, limiting behavior factors. They have an important and often decisive influence on both decision-making processes and management. As a result, a "school of decision-making" arises, which substantiated the need for a transition from rigidly rationalistic ideas to "soft" management schemes. classical theory firms have given way to behavioral theory.
Currently, both in management theory and in decision theory, there are two main approaches - normative And descriptive.
The normative approach explores these processes while abstracting from subjective, psychological factors and is aimed at developing rules, procedures, a kind of ideal ways and "recipes" of decision-making. The descriptive approach, on the contrary, requires taking into account these factors as the main ones. The first approach focuses on the study of as they should decisions are made. Second - how it really happens. Modern theory management synthesizes these two approaches. Content Disclosure functions decision-making as a component of managerial activity requires organizational and normative consideration. Disclosure of psychological patterns processes management decisions requires a different approach - a descriptive approach.
Organizational analysis of the decision-making function in management activities includes the following main areas:
- - characteristic places And roles processes of management decisions in the overall structure of management activities, as well as their interaction with other management functions;
- – analysis of the main parameters the external and internal environment of the organization, necessitating the implementation of this function and having the strongest impact on it;
- - description normative process structure development of managerial decision making; definition of its main stages and phases;
- - description of the main species And classes management decisions, systematization of the forms of implementation of this function;
- – determination of the main regulatory requirements for management decisions.
Concerning roles this function in the overall structure of managerial activity, then, as noted above, it is this function that is considered as the most important and obvious prerogative of the manager. This circumstance is fixed in a kind of interdependence of the concepts of "decision-making" and "managerial activity". The decision-making function and, accordingly, the processes for its implementation act as a kind of "core", the core of all managerial-type activities, to the greatest extent embody its real complexity and responsibility. The localization of this function, its place in the overall management process is due to three main circumstances.
First, this function acts as one of the most important stages of the strategic planning process. It is localized between the phases of the analysis of strategic alternatives and the actual implementation of the strategy. The solutions developed at the same time are of the greatest importance for the entire functioning of the organization, they are strategic both in the direct content and in the evaluative sense.
Secondly, the decision-making function is included as a necessary component in the implementation of all other management functions. She acts, therefore, as a kind of mechanism their implementation. For example, the definition of the goals of the organization is associated with their choice from some alternative set of them. The organizational function also involves choice its structures. The scheduling function requires choice one or another strategic option. The implementation of the control function is again organically connected with the choice of forms, methods and frequency of control.
Thirdly, any significant stage of the leader's activity is always associated with the need to assess the degree of achievability of the problems and tasks solved at it. Therefore, at the end of each stage, the manager also necessarily decides whether the initially set goals have been achieved or not, whether, therefore, it can be considered completed and proceed to the next stages. Thus, the decision-making function also plays the role of a kind of "bridge" from one stage and phase of management activity to another. That is why the decision-making function is defined as a binder.
Equally significant for management activities is another function - the function motivation. Truly worthy goals long-term plans, correct solutions, good organization will be ineffective without providing motivation - the interest of performers in their implementation. Since the essence of management is "achieving results through other people", it is necessary that they want to do what is required of them. As one of the postulates of management says, " the only way to force a person to do something is to do it in such a way that he himself wants it. "Individual productivity, as well as the effectiveness of organizations as a whole, are directly and very clearly dependent on the degree of motivation of employees. Motivation can compensate for many shortcomings of other functions - for example, shortcomings in planning or organization. However, weak motivation is almost impossible to compensate and make up for anything. Because of this, the most important function of a leader is to motivate performers - to create, maintain and develop employee motivation.
First, it is a characteristic of motivation performing activities. It requires characterization of the main motives labor activity- what the leader should appeal to when organizing his motivational influences.
Secondly, it is a characteristic of one's own motivation for activity. head, revealing the specifics of its main patterns (management motivation).
Thirdly, this is a description of the composition, structure and content directly motivation functions as one of the main components of management activity. In real management practice, these aspects are closely interrelated.
In order to better understand the essence of the function of motivation, it is necessary to turn to one of the most general provisions theories of labor activity motivation. It consists in the fact that the very need for motivation is a direct consequence of the division of labor in joint activities. Under strict conditions individual activities aimed at creating a particular product, the final result of this activity, he himself and the benefits it will bring are motivating enough. Therefore, there is no need for motivation as such. In joint activity, under the influence of the division of labor, the subject is alienated from the final result. Each member of the joint activity turns into a partial worker. He does not work for the end result as a means of satisfying his needs, but for completely different reasons. For example, not a single employee of any aerospace corporation has ever used or even thinks of using final its product is spaceship. This product, the possibility of its direct use to meet the needs here, as in all other similar cases, does not play any motivational role. The real motivators are the benefits that he will receive for the performance of his duties as a part-time worker. This automatically raises the question of the system of motivation and incentives, as well as its fairness, efficiency and validity. It should really and effectively stimulate each member of the organization to fulfill the duties assigned to him by the division of labor. Ensuring performance motivation depends on how effective it will be, to what extent it will be subjectively understood and accepted by the employee as fair.
There are two initial principles for creating motivation systems.
Firstly, they should be focused not only on a part of all the needs of the employee (usually material), but on all types and types of needs inherent in him.
Secondly, they must adequately identify and take into account the real contribution of each performer to the final result and provide incentives proportional to this contribution. If the second principle involves the use of organizational means, then the implementation of the first is based on psychological ideas about the structure of a person's motivation.
In this regard, the function of motivation is considered as the most "psychological" among all other managerial functions. This, in essence, is the immediate practical psychology management. The essence of the function of motivation and the role of the manager in its provision are, therefore, in creating a system that satisfies these two specified principles. The most common, although quite understandable management error is the absolutization of material motives and incentives. Of course, within certain limits and, especially, in combination with another stimulus - the fear of punishment for not doing work, this system ("carrot and stick policy") is quite viable. The question, however, is whether it is the best. Although these incentives are very important (moreover, the main ones), they are not the only ones and do not allow, therefore, to fully realize the motivational potential of the individual.
A kind of breakthrough in understanding this fundamental position, which led to the inclusion of the problem of motivation in management theory, occurred thanks to the famous experiments of E. Mayo at one of the textile factories in Philadelphia. Their general meaning is as follows. At one of the sites, the staff turnover reached 250%, while at other similar sites it did not exceed 5-6%. Material incentives (increased wages, improved hygienic working conditions) had no effect. E. Mayo, having analyzed the situation in detail, suggested taking two 10-minute breaks during which the female workers had the opportunity to communicate with each other, i.e. meet their social communication needs. In addition, the very fact of conducting the study led to the fact that they had an idea of the social significance of their work. As a result, fluidity has practically disappeared, and productivity has increased dramatically. We emphasize that this happened solely because of the "inclusion" of social motives. From this very revealing, although very simple from the modern point of view, research began intensive motivational research in the theory and practice of management.
In order to fully, effectively and competently use the entire motivational potential, the manager must know what main categories of factors it consists of. In general psychological terms, motive understood as a conscious inner urge to activity. All incentive sources of personality activity are united by the concept motivational area. It includes the following components: personality needs, her interests, aspirations, drives, beliefs, attitudes, ideals, intentions, as well as social roles, stereotypes behaviour, social norms, rules , vital goals And values and finally worldview orientations generally. The most important place among them belongs to needs, which include a number of basic types. Without dwelling on their characteristics (since they are described in detail in the corresponding psychological textbooks), we note only two points. First, the variety of types of needs determines the extreme complexity of the motives that form on their basis. Consequently, there are many ways to influence the motivational sphere through the "connection" of various categories of needs. Secondly, any behavior, any form of labor activity is always based on not just one, but several motives. To denote this fact in psychology, there is the concept of polymotivation of behavior and activity. At the same time, certain relationships can develop between different motives - both positive (mutually reinforcing) and negative. Consequently, ensuring the motivation of labor activity should also take into account the need for consistency of motivational influences on the performer.
Plays a special role in the organization of management activities communicative function. The fact is that the very essence of management activity is connected with the need for constant coordination of the activities of the organization's departments and its individual members in order to achieve common goals. This coordination takes place in various forms, but first of all - through the diverse contacts of the members of the organization, i.e. during their communication. Everything that happens in an organization is directly or indirectly related to communication processes, so they are one of the main means of ensuring its integrity and functioning. The system of communicative exchanges, like the circulatory system of the body, permeates all the "cells" of the organization, ensuring its vital activity. In relation to the activities of the leader, it also plays an important, but rather specific role. This specificity lies in the fact that, being important in itself, the communicative function is built into the implementation of all other managerial functions; it acts as a means of their implementation, as well as mutual coordination. Therefore, the communicative function, along with the decision-making function, is considered as "binding process" in organizations.
In general terms, communication is defined as any exchange of information between people (or groups), whether it leads to mutual understanding or not. By virtue of such a general and broad definition, the content of the phenomena and processes included in the concept of "communication" is also very extensive and diverse. Hence, it becomes necessary to structure the concept of communication and identify in it those aspects that are most important for characterizing the content of the leader's activity. There are three such aspects in management theory.
First, communication common phenomenon a process that unfolds in the organizational system at all its levels and in all structures, including those not directly related to the head.
Secondly, communication as a direct manager contact practice with individual subordinates, their groups, departments of the organization.
Thirdly, communication as a special, specific control function, those. as an object of purposeful regulation by the head, as a component of managerial activity. In turn, each of these aspects includes two main plans - regulatory and organizational And subjective-psychological.
The first aspect is related to the objective organizational forms of communication, the requirements for its effective implementation, the structure of the optimal communication process. The second reveals very strong influence on the communication of the psychological characteristics of "communicants" and allows us to explain a number of its important features, including those that hinder its effective implementation. However, even taken only in its psychological part, the concept of a communicative function is also multi-valued and requires versatile disclosure. It includes three proper psychological aspects: communicative behavior leader, communication phenomena and communicative processes his activities.
The characteristics of the content of the communicative function include the following main areas:
- - definition entities and identification of the specifics of the communicative function;
- – analysis of the main species And types communications in organizational systems;
- – definition of structural components and the main stages of communication process;
- - characteristic forms of implementation communicative function;
- – analysis of characteristic difficulties And mistakes ("barriers") of the communicative function;
- - description general requirements, aimed at optimizing the communicative function (principles of optimal communication).
The essence of the manager's communicative function and its main task is to ensure the optimal exchange of information within the organization between its individual divisions and individuals (as well as with the external environment). Optimality criterion at the same time, the extent to which the existing communication network contributes to the achievement of the overall goals of the organization acts. Creating effective communications is achieved in several main ways. Thus, the formulation of a clear, precise and definite goals organization, as well as its concretization into subgoals for each division, in itself "removes" many questions, makes additional clarifications redundant and optimizes communications. Adequate and detailed plan, clearly regulating the main types of work of departments and their standards, is also an effective means of settling business contacts. Next, the right choice organization type (the economy of its structure, the absence of duplicating divisions, multiple subordination in it) also contributes to the creation of an optimal communication network. Finally, an efficient system control - its fairness, understandability to subordinates, publicity, systematicity - all this eliminates "unnecessary conversations", clarifications and conflicts. Thus, it can be seen that the means of implementing the communicative function are all the main management functions (goal setting, planning, organization, control). This circumstance clearly indicates the specificity of the communicative function. On the one hand, the communicative function is the subject of special regulation by the leader. But, on the other hand, it is provided to an even greater extent not directly, but through all other management functions in the course of their implementation. There is also an inverse relationship: basically, it is through the communicative function that the leader implements all his other functions. This is the main specific feature of the function under consideration: the less it is presented as an independent one and the more it is implemented "at the expense" of other functions, the higher its own efficiency. And vice versa, it comes to the fore, requires the leader to pay special attention in cases where the "organization fails" - it works inefficiently. As G. Kunz and S. O'Donnell rightly point out in this connection, "areas of the highest concentration of information density ... are associated with those where there is little or no activity at all."
The fact that all other managerial functions of activity are realized through the communicative function makes clear the data, according to which from 50 to 90% of the total working time of the manager is filled with communications. In addition, 73% of American, 63% of British and 85% of Japanese executives consider communication to be the main obstacle to achieving high performance in their organization.
The implementation of management activities is impossible without control and correctional functions. In everyday consciousness, control is associated with verification, i.e. interpreted narrowly and inadequately. As R. Manteiffel notes, "control based only on verification ... is catastrophic." In fact, control is an extremely complex phenomenon, a kind of attribute of any management system (including organizational), necessary remedy and a mechanism for ensuring the effectiveness of its functioning. It is not limited to any one stage of the management cycle, for example, to the final ("verification"), but is built into all management functions, ensuring their implementation, as well as the possibility of transition from one function to another. So, G. Kunz and S. O "Donnell emphasize that "control is the flip side of planning; ... control methods are essentially planning methods; ... it is useless to try to create a system of control without a preliminary study of the plans. "With regard to another function - goal setting
P. Drucker notes: "Control and direction are synonymous." Control is an integral component of all actions and management functions. Usually it is most pronounced at the end of their implementation. It allows you to determine whether their goal has been achieved or not, and thus "gives sanction" for the transition to subsequent actions, linking all the links in the control chain into a single whole. Hence, the high significance of the control function is also obvious.
In order to be efficient and effective, control must be active. This means that it should not be reduced to a statement of detected errors or deviations, but should include means and mechanisms for correcting them. The latter is ensured by the closely related control corrective functions. While playing an important independent role and possessing a number of specific features, the correction process is nevertheless inextricably linked with the overall function of control. It acts as a stage, and a property, and a requirement for active and effective control. In this regard, these processes are considered within the framework of one function that unites them - the function of control and correction.
So, control in its broad, true sense is defined as the process of ensuring that the organization achieves its goals, and also as a phenomenon that is not local, but global in nature. It is distributed throughout the management activities.
Such a broad definition calls for detail. It includes the following main aspects:
- – control as a necessary attribute of control systems, as general principle, allowing them to achieve their goals;
- – control as needed activity component all departments and members of the organization, ensuring its effectiveness and consistency with the overall goals of the organization;
- – control as a specific prerogative of certain specialized units organizations and individuals who are entrusted with the responsibility of monitoring its functioning;
- – control as an aspect manager's activities, associated with the creation of these structures and their management;
- - direct control duty leader, which is realized in his individual activities, including in the system of personal, direct interactions with other members of the organization (both with managers of subordinate levels, and with ordinary performers).
The first three aspects are generally organizational in nature; the last two are directly related to the content of the control function in the activities of the head and are discussed in this chapter.
The most common, covering all other types of control, are its three main types: advancing (preliminary), current And final. phrase "leading control" somewhat unusual: how to control what has not yet happened? Where is the object of control? However, it is considered the most important type of control and is determined by the essence active, those. most effective strategy management. It is to anticipate and predict future performance; that the main efforts should be focused not on correcting, but on preventing errors and adverse situations. Because of this, planning, and the creation of organizational structures, and even goal setting are considered as aspects of control. "Advanced", or preliminary, control is aimed at three areas - human, material and financial resources.
The first involves the effective selection of personnel. The second is the definition of preliminary standards for the quality of resources. The third is budget development.
Preliminary control is organizationally carried out by the implementation of the system of rules, procedures and "lines" of behavior developed at the planning stage. They act as guidelines, and partly as criteria for all other types of control. Looking to the future is the most important feature of effective control: it is better to know with 75% certainty about a mistake that will happen than with 100% certainty to detect a mistake that has already been made. A properly designed monitoring system should detect potential deviations before they occur.
Current control is implemented directly in the process of execution of work and is usually timed to coincide with the end of any technological phase of the process of organizational functioning. It most fully embodies the already noted principle feedback, which allows not only to assess the quality of the work, but also to make immediate adjustments to them and thereby contribute decisively to the achievement of goals.
Final control is carried out after the completion of certain types of work. His role is twofold. First, on its basis, the question of their quality is finally resolved (with all the ensuing consequences for the performers). Secondly, various evaluation procedures depend on it; resolving issues of "punishment - encouragement", as well as the organization of stimulation and motivation. Therefore, it performs an important motivating function. Therefore, from a psychological point of view, the leader should pay the most attention to this particular type of control, master the methods and rules of final control as a motivating tool.
Control is further subdivided into partial (selective, local, "point") and full (general, global). In the first case, it affects only some, as a rule, the most important technological operations and links; concerns only certain aspects of organizational activity. In the second case, all the main actions of the performers, all performance indicators and (or) all subdivisions of the managed system are subject to control. More effective is the second type of control, since it satisfies the basic organizational rule of control, according to which control must be comprehensive. Here, however, the problem of the organization of control arises - the problem of its economy. The fact is that the more control approaches the "ideal of inclusiveness", the more expensive it becomes and vice versa. Control costs have to be taken into account as an important "cost item" and commensurate with the overall efficiency of the organization. This raises the question of the need for a rational proportion - a compromise between the cost of control and the measure of its completeness. Finding such a compromise essential skill leader in the implementation of his control function. One of the effective means used for this is a special form of control, denoted by the concept strategic control. Its essence is as follows. To have a complete picture of the state of affairs in the organization, you do not need to control everything. It is enough to control only certain - strategic points. The network of such points results, gives information about many other - more local types of work in the organization. It should, therefore, become the basis for the development of a system of control measures. By controlling these strategic points, the leader will simultaneously (albeit indirectly, but effectively) control all other aspects of the organization's activities. There are such points in every - even the largest, most complex system, including, for example, the country's economy as a whole. Here they will be, for example, the volume of cargo turnover by rail and other modes of transport, the volume of energy consumed. The fall in their indicators is an objective sign of the economy's troubles.
Further, according to systematic stands out selective ("random" and, as a rule, unexpected for the person being checked) and planned control. The latter is provided for by a pre-developed plan of control measures and inspections, which is brought to the attention of subordinates. The behavior of the controlled, their attitude to control and, naturally, the results of control in these two cases differ significantly. By sign volume control can be either individual, or group, or corporate. By focus control is divided into efficient and procedural. In the first case, the measure of achieving the set goals is determined, and in the second, the process of achieving them is also controlled. By degree severity There are also two types of control - quantitative And qualitative (expert). If the work presupposes the existence of quantifiable standards, then they should be used as benchmarks and control takes the form of a quantitative assessment. If the work is such that its effectiveness is difficult or impossible to "change", a qualitative assessment is made through the export method.
The characterization of the control function requires, further, the introduction of the concept overall control process. It fixes the presence of three mandatory components (and at the same time stages) in any control process:
- – system development standards And criteria ;
- - comparison with them of real results of work;
- – implementation of the results of this comparison corrective events.
These components form an invariant sequence of control procedures, regardless of their varieties.
The stage of developing performance standards and defining evaluation criteria is a continuation and completion of the planning phase. It establishes two types of evaluation criteria - content guidelines (quality, performance) and time references. Main requirements this stage are: the consistency of the criteria with the corporate goals, their realism and familiarization of the executors with them. The next stage - comparison of real results with standards (criteria) is the core of control as a whole. The apparent simplicity of this stage is deceptive. It comes with a significant difficulty. The fact is that the complete coincidence of results and standards is a rarity and is more the exception than the rule. Deviations almost always exist, but they can either be acceptable or not. Therefore, the problem arises of developing not so much standards as such, but certain boundaries of their permissible variations ("range of standards", tolerances). In this regard, in control theory formulated "principle of exclusion": the control system should work when it detects not all, but only unacceptable deviations from the standards. The presence of a range of standards creates the preconditions for one of the most frequent and typical mistakes of a manager. She has her reasons psychological factors- for example, a positive attitude towards the performer, and sometimes - and fear of him. This is an unjustified extension of the acceptable range of standards for performers. Control in such cases loses its meaning. In the same connection, it is necessary to note the mistake of "double standards" for "favorites" and "outcasts". As a consequence of this, either protectionism or hyper-demanding (“nitpicking politics”) arises.
- 1. If there are no deviations or they are within the acceptable range, there is no need for any additional corrective actions. However, even their very absence is very important for the performer, being an indicator of the effectiveness of his work, an incentive for it and a factor of implicit encouragement.
- 2. Actions aimed at elimination of deviations: they are aimed at bringing the parameters of activity in line with previously established standards. In this case, the following rule is common: the earlier deviations are noticed, the less time-consuming these actions will be and the higher their efficiency. This implies another important requirement for control - it must be timely, and even better - operational.
- 3. Actions aimed at revision of standards and evaluation criteria. They are implemented in the event that the obvious unrealistic standards are revealed, the impossibility of their mass implementation by the "average worker". This situation is not rare; it is due to errors in planning and rationing. There is a psychological difficulty here. It consists in the fact that to take this kind of action means for the leader to admit his mistakes, since he is responsible for the existing system of standards. The ability to do this is one of the important traits of a leader, and his inertia in this respect gives rise to numerous conflicts both in his relations with his subordinates and between them.
- 4. Actions that form the basis of a specific "corrective behavior". They are not aimed at correcting a mistake, but at the person who made it. At the same time, the leader must rely on psychological and, mainly, on individual characteristics performers.
- 5. Assessment actions can be of two types: current and final assessment. The range of evaluation actions is very wide and is determined by the manager's system of opportunities for material and moral incentives, as well as his authority to implement certain sanctions.
The control and correction function is usually interpreted as the final one in the overall management process, as the "last" from the list of classical administrative functions. However, this does not mean that the entire system of managerial functions is thus exhausted. Equally traditional is the allocation of another large group of management functions - personnel. In order to better understand the role and place of personnel functions in the activities of the manager, to determine their specificity in relation to all other functions, it is advisable to formulate the following initial provisions.
Firstly, the entire system of personnel functions is differentiated in the activities of the head in a different way than the system of administrative functions, criterion. Administrative functions correlate with the actual activity "dimension" - with the main tasks of the organization of managerial activity. Personnel functions correspond to the second main "dimension" of managerial activity, associated with the impact on its main subject - people, the organization's personnel.
Secondly, the set of basic personnel functions is relatively independent of the specific characteristics of organizations and includes invariant set permanent tasks and duties of the head (recruitment, selection, selection of personnel, placement of personnel, professional orientation and adaptation, professional training and retraining, evaluation and certification of personnel, management professional career, stabilization of personnel, reduction, dismissal, etc.). Such constancy and relative independence from the type of organizations gives the system of personnel functions stability and certainty; allows us to consider it as an independent and peculiar category of management functions.
Thirdly, the implementation of each of the personnel functions is subject to an interesting pattern, which can be described as the "rule of a holistic management cycle." This means that the implementation of each of the personnel functions requires the implementation of all the "classic" functions already considered, their integral cycle.
For example, the solution of such an important personnel task as the staffing of an organization begins with goal setting. A certain goal is always formulated, which consists in understanding the need for personnel of one or another professional level of qualification. Further planned work on its implementation, including, among other things, forecast staff dynamics. The solution of this problem is also associated with the function execution organization, since the set itself is carried out on the basis of existing structure organization or based on ideas about the structure being created. Staff recruitment is inextricably linked with the creation motivation, as well as providing the communicative space of the organization. Finally, the final stage of its solution is control real picking results. According to a similar "scenario", including the deployment of the entire system of administrative functions, other tasks of a personnel nature are also being solved.
Fourthly, the solution of the entire spectrum of personnel problems is not identical to the system of personnel functions of the head. Volume personnel work is so great that its implementation is entrusted to a number of specialized departments and services of the organization, and consideration of their activities goes far beyond the activities of the leader himself. However, all this activity is carried out (or, at least, should be carried out) under the coordinating influence of the head, which is the content of his personnel functions. The specificity of personnel functions, their special role in the work of organizations, as well as their close and organic relationship with each other were the reasons that by now their system has taken shape in independent direction theory and practice of management - personnel management, personnel management.
Along with the system of personnel functions, the system of production and technological functions. The activity of any organization is ultimately aimed at creating certain products. By their nature, they are extremely diverse and, accordingly, the content of the activity for their creation is different. This is the actual creation of any product ( production organizations), and education and training ( educational organizations), and provision of services (service organizations), and construction ( construction organizations), and rendering medical care(health care organizations), etc. However, in any case, each organization includes as its most important component operating system. It represents the actions that are aimed directly on production, on the creation of its final product, which has real value for its external environment. The operating system is considered the main component of organizations: it is their "foundation". All other aspects of the organization's activities, including management functions, serve the tasks of providing the operating subsystem - the tasks of producing goods, services, knowledge, etc. Its coordination is the direct practice of management, its daily content. To designate this area of activity of the manager, a number of related concepts have developed: the production function, technological functions, the function of operational production management, the function of providing the operating system, etc.
Since any production implies the need for its development and modification, this group also includes innovative function. Finally, since any production is inseparable from the need to sell products, it is also considered in the same connection. marketing function.
Due to the fact that the production and technological functions are directly aimed at the implementation of actions and the creation of the final product, they all correlate with the third main "dimension" of managerial activity. This is the third "dimension" of managerial activity, supplementing the two already considered (administrative and personnel), and as a result forms a common "space" of managerial activity. It gives administrative and personnel functions a direct practical focus and further complicates the structure of management activities. Very often, a leader (especially one who is not familiar with the existence of management theory) may not be aware of the existence of any functions other than production and technological ones: he "just works", i.e. busy with them. The seeming self-evidence of this provision, by the way, was one of the main obstacles to separating the theory of management as an independent scientific discipline from management practice. However, by fulfilling them, he objectively implements all other managerial functions. Moreover, to the extent that these functions stand out from the "daily routine" as independent tasks, the success of the implementation of the tasks themselves depends. production functions. At the same time, it is the latter that retain their primacy and act for the leader as the direct content of his activity.
This system of functions in management theory is given relatively less attention than the "classical" - administrative, organizational and personnel functions. The reason for this is that production functions are determined to a much greater extent by the specific content of the activities of organizations, and not by the general laws of management. At the same time, there are a number of general aspects in the implementation of the system of production and technological functions. They are not related to the content of the activity, but characterize its basic organizational principles, as well as its psychological characteristics. One of the main among them is the following regularity. Measure of representation in the activities of the head of the system of production functions very strongly and clearly depends on his hierarchical position in the organization and, in fact, is determined by him. The higher this position is, the less the manager is occupied with the direct implementation of production functions. On the contrary, the lower the level of management, the greater (and at the lowest levels - and the main) role in management activities these functions play. In other words, the expression of this function inversely proportional hierarchical position of the manager in the general continuum of management. This provision is at the same time a kind of imperative - a requirement for the organization of management activities at different levels. The higher the level of the manager, the less must engage in operational work and vice versa. Failure to comply with this requirement leads to the fact that the head begins to perform functions unusual for him to the detriment of the main ones. He "gets bogged down in the routine", "sprayed over trifles", etc.
In organizational and psychological terms, the essence of production and technological functions is as follows. Any production is characterized by a certain sequence of repetitive and largely standardized production cycles. They are denoted by the concepts of the so-called product cycles, production cycles. Each of them requires operational regulation, management of its process. Therefore, in relation to each of them, a complete management cycle is also implemented. For example, any production task associated with the manufacture of a product, as the first stage of its solution, requires the formulation of an appropriate goals and its communication to performers. The next stage is just as objective. planning, as well as all other stages following it - decision making about the ways and possibilities of achieving the goal; ensure motivation performance, organization of execution (for example, providing raw materials); control for execution, corrections.
Consequently, no matter what the "scale" of this or that production cycle, the basic regularity is always preserved. It consists in the fact that in relation to all the main production tasks, the entire system of managerial functions (goal-setting, planning, decision-making, motivation, organization, control) that we have already considered is implemented. They are, however, not carried out macrointervals time and do not correlate with the organization of management as a whole, but are implemented in temporary microintervals, limited to a specific production task. Production functions are, therefore, complex, integrating other management functions. The latter, however, are presented in production functions not in their full form, but, as it were, in an abbreviated, reduced form - only to the extent that it is necessary and sufficient for solving actual production problems. All production functions, especially operational ones, have another important feature that determines their complexity and inconsistency. With all the repetition, standardization of the main production operations, their stereotyping, and often "routine", their implementation is carried out in constantly changing external and internal conditions. As a rule, they are negative in nature and thus make it difficult normative activity. These are the lack of raw materials, and poor working conditions, and lack of planning, and the lack of executors, and much more. All this is very well known and constitutes the essence of the difficulties faced by operational management. The production activity itself and each of its individual cycles is, therefore, a typical example of "repetition without repetition." As a result, there is a contradictory combination of constancy and variability of conditions, regulatory requirements and specific tasks. The removal of this contradiction, bringing the goals and objectives of production into line with constantly, and often unpredictably changing conditions, determine the content of operational management.
All the considered types and categories of managerial functions form the basis of the manager's activity and thus give a general idea of it. At the same time, another category of functions is objectively represented in the structure of the manager's activity. This - integration, strategic, representative And stabilization functions. The peculiarity of these functions lies in the fact that they do not directly correspond to any of the main aspects (dimensions) of management activity - administrative, personnel, production and technological, but include components of all these three dimensions at the same time. In their content, they are derived from all other groups of functions, they are built on their basis and, therefore, presuppose their co-organization. Such a complex and derivative nature requires their understanding as "secondary" but in relation to the three groups considered.
All these features of derivative functions are most clearly manifested in the control function, which is denoted by the concept integration function (in some cases it is also referred to as coordinating). Its content is as follows. The process of organizational functioning has its own internal logic, the laws of the organization, and its main components should be agreed between themselves. The more fully this is achieved, the higher the efficiency of organizational functioning. However, for this, the very activity of the leader must also be internally organized; all its main components - functions should not contradict each other, but, on the contrary, should be interconnected and coordinated. Therefore, it is necessary to harmonize the main functions.
The implementation of this function imposes the most complex psychological requirements on the manager: to see the organization as a whole; distinguish and highlight its main and key "points"; comprehensively take into account the consequences of any, even local, managerial impact. All this, in turn, presupposes the presence of a specific intellectual quality - systematic thinking leader.
The integration function is closely related to another function − strategic. The boundary between them is rather conditional, since they include a number of common elements. However, there are also differences between them. The essence of the strategic function is determined by its two main features.
The first is that the strategic function from the content side is the implementation of the process strategic planning considered. It synthesizes all the main strategic functions, starting with goal setting (defining the mission of the organization) and ending with the organization of a system for monitoring the implementation strategic plans. By including them, the strategic function ensures their integrity and coherence.
The second feature is that it is usually differentiated from the functions hierarchically subordinated to it - tactical and operational. As we move along the continuum of management - from its base to the top - in management activity, the specific gravity tactical and especially operational tasks and functions. At the same time, the share of common tasks and functions of a global - strategic nature is increasing. Therefore, the most characteristic of top managers is that they manage not the execution as such, but the management of this performance by other managers of their subordinate levels.
representative function usually treated as independent and does not belong to any of the main groups of functions. In exercising this role, the leader represents the interests of the organization and (or) group he leads at various levels of the intra-organizational vertical, as well as in various interactions of the organization with the external environment. For example, the head of a department represents his interests at the level of the directorate (intraorganizational representation). The director of the organization, participating in the work of higher authorities, represents the interests of the entire organization (interorganizational representation).
This function is based on a peculiar mechanism - the mechanism personifications leader of corporate interests and goals, positions of members of the organization, features and traditions inherent in it. Representation - "personification" by the head of the organization will be the more effective, the more his position reflects the main characteristics of the organization he leads, all aspects of its life and activities.
Concluding the consideration of derivative functions, we also note a number of aspects of managerial activity, which are usually denoted by the concept of "function", although they have a fairly broad, and therefore not quite definite content. These are administrative, stabilization, disciplinary functions. Their breadth and, in part, their lack of certainty are related to their complex nature. So, administrative function (from lat. administration - manage) represents, in essence, the entire set of organizational and activity functions, and the process of administration itself acts as the deployment of their system. Further, stabilization function is also based on many other areas of work of the head and the functions of his activities. All of them are integrated at the same time with a specific goal - to maintain the stability of intra-organizational functioning and ensure the "survival" of the organization in a dynamically changing external environment. The importance of this task determines the complexity of the ways and forms of solution. It assumes reliance not only on administrative functions, but also requires measures to stabilize the staff ( personnel functions), as well as the improvement and updating of technology (production and technological functions). Finally, disciplinary function - in its broad and adequate sense - is not limited to special measures to maintain discipline as such. It provides a wide range of tasks and functions for creating a high organizational culture, which is the most effective means of ensuring a positive internal organizational environment.
So, the integration, strategic, representative functions, as well as other functions similar to them in terms of the complexity of their structure - administrative, stabilization and disciplinary - form the final - fourth group in the general system of management functions. Together with three other groups, they reveal the content and structure of management activities in general.
One of the main laws of the effectiveness of human activity is the need for the division and specialization of labor, since they determine the reason for the appearance of the category “function” in management.
The emergence of management functions is associated with the horizontal division of managerial labor, as well as with the professional specialization of management workers.
The function is the content of management activity, which is characterized by 2 main features:
- Temporary logical sequence of execution of managerial work, objectively arising from the essence of the relevant activity.
- The specifics of the control object, which determines its nature and industry affiliation.
Management functions are specialized in the temporary logical sequence of management work. The sequence in time is fixed in the first type of functions, which are called general.
General and specific management functions
The division into general (universal, basic) and specific management functions is due to the emergence of a process approach in the field of building management technology.
The process approach was originally proposed by adherents of the school of administrative management, who tried to define the functions of management. The followers of this direction considered managerial functions independently of each other. The process approach considered management functions as interrelated functions.
Composition of control functions
The five functions of management were identified by Henri Fayol, who defined management as prediction, planning, organizing, disposing, coordinating and controlling.
When reviewing the current literature, several similar features can be identified:
- planning,
- organization and administration,
- motivation,
- leadership and control
- coordination and regulation,
- communication,
- research, evaluation and decision making.
Most often, the management process is presented as consisting of the main functions: planning, organization, motivation and control. These management functions are combined through the linking processes of communication and decision making. At the same time, management is considered as an independent activity, suggesting the possibility of influencing individual employees and the team in such a way that they carry out work towards achieving goals.
Planning and organizing as management functions
Planning as a management function characterizes the development and adoption of a specific resolution (in written or oral form), in which a specific task or goal is set for the management object. Planning is considered to provide a unified direction for the efforts of all members of the organization to achieve its common goals. This function starts the management process, so the success of operations depends on its quality.
Organization as a function implies a certain set of specialized management activities that are aimed at bringing people together to carry out joint activities. The function of organizing the implementation of the decisions made includes ensuring the implementation of decisions from the organizational side, that is, the creation of managerial relations that are able to provide the most effective communications of all elements of the managed system.
Motivation and control
The motivating function consists in the performance of work by the personnel of the enterprise, depending on the rights and obligations delegated to it, while they must comply with the adopted management decisions. Motivation is the process of motivating oneself and others to act.
With the help of the control function, you can prevent the occurrence of crisis situations. Control is a characteristic of management that allows you to identify problems and adjust the company's activities until the transformation of these problems into a crisis.
Any enterprise must have the ability to timely fix its mistakes, correcting them before they can damage the achievement of goals. At the same time, control contributes to the fight against uncertain situations of an internal and external nature (changes in legislation, social values, the emergence of new competitors, etc.).
It is important to understand how functions differ from tasks. A task is an activity aimed at achieving the required results at a certain time. A function is a repeating activity of an organization. The complex of management tasks is a management function.
As a rule, one function is performed by one division, however, some functions may be performed jointly by different divisions or one division may perform several functions.
Figure 1 shows the factors on which the composition of functions depends.
Figure 1 - Factors affecting the composition of management functions
Management functions are needed in order to provide leadership, management and maintenance of production activities in the organization.
All functions have the following main characteristics:
- appointment;
- repeatability;
- homogeneity of content;
- performance specifics.
Management functions are distinguished by the presence of an objective nature, which is determined by the need for the management process itself in the conditions of joint labor activity.
The main functions of the organization management are:
- organization - a set of methods and techniques for combining all parts of the management system;
- rationing - the process of developing scientifically based calculated values that establish the quantity and quality of the assessment of the developed elements used in the production and management process;
- planning is a function that occupies a central place in organizational structure and is aimed at regulating the behavior of the control object;
- coordination - the impact on a team of people in order to manage various but interconnected units;
- motivation is a function that stimulates labor activity;
- control - analysis and accounting of possible errors and deviations from the planned plans;
- regulation is a function closely related to the functions of control and coordination.
Management functions are the basis of the administrative apparatus, determining its size and structure. The main task of the administrative apparatus is to combine different, but related functions.
There are several options for classifying the management function, but the simplest and most understandable divides them into two groups:
- are common;
- special.
General control functions
General Functions formulated by Ani Fayol at the beginning of the 20th century. They exist in the management of any organization in any business area.
Among all the general functions of management, titration is considered the main one - a method of mass quantitative and qualitative analysis. In performing this function, a manager, usually a senior manager, performs the following:
- formulates goals and objectives for the future;
- carries out strategic planning;
- draws up operational plans.
The implementation of all plans depends on the organizational function. It is aimed at creating an organization, forming its structure, distributing tasks among staff, and coordinating their work.
The motivational function is responsible for stimulating the labor activity of the staff. It is based on the analysis and identification of people's needs, the choice of how to meet them, in order to stimulate the productivity of workers as much as possible.
The control function is aimed at identifying possible risks, dangers, errors and deviations, and thus it helps to improve the work.
Special Features
Functions for managing individual objects occupy a special place in the organization. How control objects can be distinguished:
- production activities;
- logistics;
- innovation;
- marketing and sales activities;
- recruitment;
- financial activities;
- accounting and analysis.
The management of these objects is the content of special management functions. Table 1 shows examples of the content of some functions.
Table 1 - Content of special control functions
Currently, any production activity at the enterprise is based on specialization and division of labor. Management is no exception. It specializes in the form of management functions.
Control function - these are certain types of managerial activity that have emerged in the process of specialization of managerial work.
The main functions of management were formulated as early as 1916 by A. Fayol in his work "Essential Features of Industrial Administration". In it, he showed that to manage is to predict and plan, organize, coordinate and control.
IN modern science management distinguish the following main management functions:
- planning;
- organization;
- coordination;
- control;
- motivation.
Let's consider the specifics of each of them in more detail.
Planning
A. Fayol believed that planning is the main form of management. He wrote: "The most the best program not able to foresee all the extraordinary confluences of circumstances that could happen, but it partly takes them into account - it prepares the tool that will have to be resorted to under unexpected circumstances. Therefore, planning is pre-decision-making before action is taken.
Planning is to anticipate the goals of the organization, the resources needed to achieve them, and the results of activities.
Planning helps answer four important issues:
- What should an organization be?
- Where is the organization currently located?
- Where is she going to go?
- How, with what resources can the goals of the organization be achieved?
Thus, planning includes:
- 1. Setting the goals of the organization and concretizing them in the form of tasks.
- 2. Determination of the source and methods of distribution of the resources necessary for solving problems.
- 3. Development of the organization's management structure.
- 4. Creation of coordination mechanisms for coordinating the actions of performers.
American management theorist R. Ackoff, in the 1980s. who developed the interactive planning methodology, singled out several approaches to planning that have developed in management practice:
1. reactive approach.
The essence of this approach is to identify problems that arise in the lower levels of the organization, and plan to solve these problems. Departmental plans representing ways to eliminate deficiencies and threats are transferred to a higher level of management, and so on to the highest level, at which the corporate plan is created. This approach, therefore, is tactical and does not lead to fundamental changes in the organization, rather contributing to the conservation of the existing situation.
R. Ackoff sees another drawback of reactive planning in the fact that such planning is carried out by various parts of the organization independently of each other and thereby ignores the fact that the organization is a system. Many of the shortcomings of the organization manifest themselves as a result of interactions its parts, rather than the actions of each part separately.
2. Preactive approach.
Such planning is strategically oriented. It includes two aspects: foresight and preparation. Strategic planning is carried out at the highest level of management (foresight), and tactical issues related to the implementation general plan, are administered by middle and lower managers (training). The latter form action programs that are sent to a higher level, where they are adjusted and coordinated with the overall development program of the organization.
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