Functions of management

The governing concept is organising through a clear chain of command and authority relationships. A team receiving conflicting orders from two managers may not know whose instructions have priority, whom to report to or who is accountable for the final result. This indicates that reporting lines and authority have not been defined properly, so option A is correct. Planning alternatives concern possible courses of action, staffing selection concerns choosing employees, and controlling standards concern benchmarks for performance. Those matters may be important elsewhere, but they do not directly resolve overlapping authority and contradictory instructions.

The governing concept is directing employees through motivation and leadership. Understanding an order provides cognitive clarity, but it does not automatically create commitment, enthusiasm or willingness to make sustained effort toward an organisational goal. Motivation connects personal needs and incentives with the goal, while leadership provides direction, example, influence and emotional commitment. Therefore option A is correct. Departmentalisation belongs to organising, standard comparison belongs to controlling, and candidate selection belongs to staffing. Those activities can support performance, but they do not address the missing emotional connection after employees have already understood the instructions.

Setting targets is planning but fixing responsibility is organising. In hard questions identify targets and responsibility separately.

Both are false because planning reduces uncertainty but does not remove it completely. The future is not fully certain.

Selecting suitable people is part of staffing. A good plan cannot succeed without the right people.

Explaining goals clearly and motivating are parts of directing. Directing is needed to convert ability into performance.

Comparing actual position with the fixed limit and correcting is controlling. Number of complaints can also be a control standard.

Two departments are moving in different directions so coordination is weak. Coordination links departmental efforts with one goal.

Both are true because authority and accountability are clarified in organising. This makes work effective.

Setting a target is planning and identifying training needs is linked with staffing. Human resource clues indicate staffing.

Fixing roles and responsibilities is organising. Buying a machine is not enough unless work is arranged.

Directing means guiding, supervising, motivating and leading employees toward organisational objectives. Even when employees work hard, a lack of leadership can make their efforts inconsistent and unfocused; this is a direct failure of directing. Planning sets objectives in advance, organising arranges resources and staffing fills positions, but none addresses the immediate leadership gap as directly as option B.

Both are true because staffing makes people fit for work. Training along with recruitment is important.

Guidance during work is directing and checking results later is controlling. Identify the answer through time clues.

Adequate authority with responsibility is necessary in organising. Responsibility without authority is not effective.

Option D is the incorrect match. Correcting deviations belongs to controlling, not organising. In controlling, actual performance is measured, compared with predetermined standards, the causes of deviations are analysed, and corrective action is taken. Organising, in contrast, establishes the structure of the enterprise, divides work, groups activities, assigns duties, and defines authority relationships. Employee selection is correctly associated with staffing, while motivation is a major part of directing. Setting standards is closely connected with planning because standards express expected performance and are usually derived from objectives and plans; once set, they also become the basis for control. Therefore, D is the only mismatched pair, whereas the other activities have reasonable functional relationships.

Both are false because unity of efforts is needed in organisations of every size. Coordination is necessary in all functions.

Information from controlling improves future planning. Rising cost demands review of plan and standards.

Forming a team may be organising but placing the right people is staffing. Wrong placement may reduce service quality.

Opposite instructions show lack of coordination and communication. Without clarity work becomes confusing.

Direct answer: Option A is correct. The assertion is true, and the reason is also true and explains it. Directing is the management function through which managers guide, instruct, motivate and supervise employees so that planned work is actually done. People do not automatically work in the desired direction merely because a plan exists. Leadership gives guidance and influence, motivation encourages people to make effort, communication conveys instructions and feedback, and supervision checks whether work is proceeding properly. Thus these activities show how directing gets work done through people. Option A correctly says both statements are true and that the reason explains the assertion. Option B is wrong because the reason is not false; leadership, motivation, communication and supervision are recognised elements of directing. Option C is wrong because the assertion is not false. Option D is wrong because neither statement is false. A useful exam cue is: directing means guiding people into action, and its main elements include leadership, motivation, communication and supervision.

Measurement of actual performance is necessary in controlling. If measurement method is unclear comparison becomes weak.

Placing people in wrong roles is an error in the placement part of staffing. Right person must be placed at the right post.

Planning decides future action. Directing guides and motivates employees while work is being done.

Reporting relationships are part of organisational structure. Confused relationships weaken work and accountability.