Functions of management

Dividing work into teams and fixing responsibilities is organising. It makes large work easier to handle.

Selection and preparation of suitable people are linked with staffing. Quality of human resources is strengthened by it.

The direct answer is B, Directing. In management, directing means guiding people and encouraging them to work toward a goal. The principal did not merely make a plan or create a structure; the principal motivated teachers and showed them the way to improve results. Step by step: teachers were the workers, better examination results were the goal, encouragement supplied motivation, and guidance supplied direction. Therefore this is directing. Option A, Organising, means dividing work, creating posts, and assigning authority; none of these is described. Option B, Directing, is correct because leadership, motivation, guidance, and communication are its main parts. Option C, Planning, means deciding goals and the future course of action; the question focuses on motivating and guiding people after or during work. Option D, Controlling, means comparing actual performance with standards and correcting deviations; no comparison or corrective measurement is mentioned. Memory cue: motivating or guiding people means directing; measuring results means controlling.

The direct answer is A, Controlling. Controlling follows a simple chain: set a standard, measure actual performance, compare actual performance with the standard, identify a deviation, find its cause and take corrective action. The expected examination level is the standard; the lower result is actual performance; starting corrective classes is the corrective action. Therefore option A is correct. Option B, Organising, arranges duties, resources and authority, but it does not primarily compare results with standards. Option C, Staffing, recruits, selects, places and develops employees. Option D, Directing, guides and motivates people; it may help classes run, but identifying below-standard results and correcting them is controlling. Exam cue: “below standard plus correction” strongly indicates controlling.

The correct answer is organising. Organising involves dividing work, creating departments and assigning duties and authority to individuals. Here, the goals have already been fixed, but it is unclear who will perform each task; therefore, organising is required. Planning sets objectives and the course of action, whereas directing guides employees while they perform their work. Exam tip: Clues such as ‘who will do what’ or ‘division of work’ usually indicate organising.

Putting suitable people on posts is the function of staffing. Vacant or wrong placement can reduce performance.

Direct answer: Option A, Directing. Training gives employees ability and knowledge, but ability alone does not guarantee willingness or enthusiasm. Directing supplies the continuing human support needed to convert ability into action through motivation, leadership, communication and supervision. The question says employees are trained but lack enthusiasm toward targets, so the missing element is motivation and the needed function is directing. Option A is correct. Option B, Planning, decides objectives and methods; it does not directly create employee enthusiasm. Option C, Organising, divides work and establishes authority relationships; it does not mainly motivate people. Option D, Staffing, recruits, selects, trains and places employees; training has already occurred, and the problem is willingness, not suitability. The reasoning is: trained means ‘can do’; unenthusiastic means ‘does not want to do enough’; motivation through directing addresses that gap. Exam cue: skill problem may suggest staffing or training; willingness problem suggests directing.

Actual production above the standard is a favourable or positive deviation. In controlling, actual performance is compared with the standard and the causes of such deviation are analysed so that effective practices can be understood and used. Stopping recruitment or removing the organisational structure is not a normal controlling action. Exam tip: In controlling, the causes of both positive and negative deviations are examined.

The correct answer is planning because it involves deciding in advance the requirements for future work, such as the quantity of raw materials, workers and the deadline. Organising deals with arranging resources and assigning work after planning, whereas this situation is about deciding requirements beforehand. Exam tip: phrases such as “in advance” and “future course of action” usually indicate planning.

Organising involves deciding the work relationships, authority and coordination arrangements among departments such as purchase, production and storage. It groups activities and establishes interdepartmental relationships. Planning determines objectives and courses of action, whereas this situation is about departmental structure and relationships. Exam tip: References to departments, authority and work relationships usually indicate organising.

The correct answer is Staffing because it includes recruitment, selection, training and development of employees. Recruiting machine operators and providing safety training prepares suitable employees for their jobs. Planning deals with setting objectives and deciding actions, whereas this situation concerns arranging and training employees. Exam tip: Situations involving recruitment or employee training usually indicate staffing.

The direct answer is B, Directing. Directing starts people moving in the right way through explanation, instructions, leadership, motivation, and communication. The supervisor explained why workers should follow safety rules, so the supervisor was guiding their behaviour toward safe work. The reasoning is simple: workers had a required behaviour, the supervisor communicated the requirement, and the explanation was intended to influence action. Option A, Organising, concerns grouping activities, assigning duties, and fixing authority relationships; it is not simply explaining a rule. Option B is correct because instruction and guidance are parts of directing. Option C, Planning, concerns deciding beforehand what is to be done and how; the question describes communication with workers, not preparation of a plan. Option D, Controlling, requires standards, measurement of actual performance, comparison, and correction; no inspection or comparison is stated. Exam cue: an instruction or explanation given to make employees act properly is generally directing, while checking whether they obeyed is controlling.

The manager is emphasising planning because planning involves deciding in advance what is to be achieved and how future action should proceed. Identifying the customer segment answers the question of whom the business will serve, while setting a sales target specifies the desired result. These decisions provide a clear basis for selecting products, allocating promotional resources and later measuring performance. Directing would motivate and guide employees during implementation, staffing would arrange the required personnel, and controlling would compare actual sales with the target after action begins. Since the decisions are made before the sales expansion, option A is correct. It reflects the forward-looking and goal-setting nature of planning.

Assigning responsibilities to sales-team members according to geographical areas is an organising function. Organising involves division of work, defining responsibilities and allocating authority so that accountability is clear. Planning concerns deciding objectives and action plans in advance, whereas this situation is about distributing responsibilities. Exam tip: Work division and assignment of responsibility usually indicate organising.

Motivating employees to speak politely with customers is a function of directing. Directing includes motivating, guiding, leading and communicating with employees so that they perform their work effectively. Planning involves deciding objectives and actions beforehand, whereas this case concerns motivating employees while performing their work. Exam tip: Words such as motivation, leadership, communication and guidance usually indicate directing.

Direct answer: Option A, Controlling. Control follows a clear sequence. First, the manager sets a standard, such as an acceptable number of customer complaints. Second, actual performance is measured. Third, actual performance is compared with the standard. Complaints above the standard show a deviation. Fourth, the manager takes corrective action, here by changing the sales process. Thus the situation is controlling. Option A is correct. Option B, Planning, may have set the standard earlier, but changing the process after discovering excess complaints is a control response. Option C, Staffing, concerns obtaining and placing employees; no recruitment or selection is described. Option D, Organising, concerns jobs, departments and authority; it does not explain comparison with a standard and correction. The fact chain is standard → measurement → comparison → deviation → correction. Memory cue: finding a gap and fixing it is controlling.

Clarifying reporting relationships is organising. Without clear relationships there is confusion in orders and accountability.

Without right human resources a plan cannot be implemented. Therefore staffing is necessary for success of planning.

Feedback and communication are parts of directing. Timely feedback keeps employees in the right direction.

Controlling involves setting standards, measuring actual performance, comparing results with the standards and taking corrective action when needed. Merely receiving results does not complete this process; the comparison step is essential for judging deviations. Organising arranges resources, staffing provides personnel and directing guides employees. Since standard comparison is missing, option A is correct.

Deciding target in advance is planning. Motivation is directing recruitment is staffing and comparison is controlling.

The direct answer is A, Selection of course of action. Planning is not complete when a manager only writes a goal. It includes deciding in advance what is to be done, how it will be done, when it will be done, and by whom. Here the goal was fixed, but the manager did not choose the route or method for achieving it. Thus the missing part is the selection of a course of action. Option A is correct because alternatives must be considered and a suitable action path must be selected. Option B, Assignment of authority, belongs mainly to organising, where duties and powers are distributed. Option C, Recruitment interview, belongs to staffing and concerns selecting employees, not deciding a business method. Option D, Performance comparison, belongs to controlling and involves comparing actual work with standards after execution. The exact chain is: goal decided, method not decided, therefore planning is incomplete because the course of action is missing. Memory cue: planning means goal plus route, not goal alone.

The direct answer is A, Organising. Organising means identifying work, dividing it among people, creating relationships, and giving the authority needed to perform assigned responsibility. Responsibility is the duty to complete a task, while authority is the power to take decisions and use resources for that task. If a manager gives responsibility but no authority, the employee may be held accountable without having the power to act. This shows that organising was not properly performed. Option A is correct because balancing authority with responsibility is an organising principle. Option B, Planning, deals with objectives and future actions, not mainly with the power attached to a duty. Option C, Recruitment interview, is a staffing activity concerned with finding and selecting employees. Option D, Controlling, involves standards, performance measurement, comparison, and correction; none of these is described. The reasoning is: duty assigned, power absent, work cannot be carried out effectively, so authority-responsibility balance in organising is defective. Exam cue: responsibility should be accompanied by matching authority.

The direct answer is A, Staffing. Staffing means finding, selecting, placing, training and developing people for jobs. After selection, giving an employee information about the work and practice is training or induction, so it belongs to staffing. Step by step: first a person is selected; next the person learns the job; then practice helps the person perform it correctly. Option A is correct because staffing prepares employees for their assigned work. Option B, planning, decides future objectives and actions; it does not mainly train a selected employee. Option C, organising, creates jobs, departments and authority relationships; it does not provide the employee’s practice. Option D, controlling, compares actual performance with standards and corrects deviations; it happens mainly after work is performed. A useful exam cue is: selecting, placing, training or developing employees means staffing.

Explaining the importance of work and motivating are parts of directing. This makes employees work with enthusiasm.