The Four Functions of Management

The Four Functions of Management Paper Charles Schultz did for coffee what Henry Ford did for cars; these men took their product and made them available to the masses en mass and the masses embraced these products. Cars and coffee are an important part of everyday life for most of us living in America. Are there foundational elements of management that both Henry Ford used as well as Charles Schultz when building their empire’s even though a hundred year separates them? What are these foundations of management? This paper will look at four foundations/building blocks of management. It then will explore these building blocks in a real-world setting, at Starbucks, one of the greatest success stories of corporate America. There are four building blocks of successful management: planning, organizing, leading and controlling. All great management is built upon this foundation. The four building blocks of management are like Lego’s, one built upon one another causing each level to become stronger, building a firm foundation. If there is any weakness in any of these blocks, it could cause a crack in the foundation and a loss of profit for the company. The planning level is considered the first of the four building blocks of management. In the planning level the management of the company evaluates where the company is, where the company wants to go, and what the company can do to succeed with the goals set before them to be achieved. Once this level of management has been accomplished the company can plan out the company’s goals implementing the strategies to get there. Planning is not just an immediate outcome, planning looks at the current situation, the future goals, determines objectives, looks at the activities that the company will participate in, deciding strategies and determining specific resources to accomplish the set plan and goals. Within the planning level the management must be realistic in their processes or the company will end in failure.