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Mintzberg's Management Roles

Identifying the roles managers play.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

As a manager, you probably fulfill many different roles every day.

For instance, as well as leading your team, you might find yourself resolving a conflict, negotiating new contracts, representing your department at a board meeting, or approving a request for a new computer system.

Put simply, you're constantly switching roles as tasks, situations, and expectations change. Management expert and professor Henry Mintzberg recognized this, and he argued that there are ten primary roles or behaviors that can be used to categorize a manager's different functions.

In this article and video, we'll examine these roles and see how you can use your understanding of them to improve your management skills.

Click here to read a transcript of our management roles video.

What Are Mintzberg's Management Roles?

Mintzberg published his Ten Management Roles in his book, "Mintzberg on Management: Inside our Strange World of Organizations," in 1990.

The ten management roles are:

• Figurehead.
• Disseminator.
• Spokesperson.
• Entrepreneur.
• Disturbance Handler.
• Resource Allocator.
• Negotiator.

From MINTZBERG ON MANAGEMENT by Henry Mintzberg. Copyright © 1989 by Henry Mintzberg. Reprinted by permission of Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

The 10 roles are then divided up into three categories, as follows:

Let's look at each of the ten managerial roles in greater detail.

Interpersonal Management Roles

The managerial roles in this category involve providing information and ideas.

• Figurehead – As a manager, you have social, ceremonial and legal responsibilities. You're expected to be a source of inspiration. People look up to you as a person with authority, and as a figurehead.
• Leader – This is where you provide leadership for your team, your department or perhaps your entire organization; and it's where you manage the performance and responsibilities of everyone in the group.
• Liaison – Managers must communicate with internal and external contacts. You need to be able to network effectively on behalf of your organization.

Informational Management Roles

The managerial roles in this category involve processing information.

• Monitor – In this role, you regularly seek out information related to your organization and industry, looking for relevant changes in the environment. You also monitor your team, in terms of both their productivity, and their well-being.
• Disseminator – This is where you communicate potentially useful information to your colleagues and your team.
• Spokesperson – Managers represent and speak for their organization. In this role, you're responsible for transmitting information about your organization and its goals to the people outside it.

Decisional Management Roles

The managerial roles in this category involve using information.

• Entrepreneur – As a manager, you create and control change within the organization. This means solving problems, generating new ideas, and implementing them.
• Disturbance Handler – When an organization or team hits an unexpected roadblock, it's the manager who must take charge. You also need to help mediate disputes within it.
• Resource Allocator – You'll also need to determine where organizational resources are best applied. This involves allocating funding, as well as assigning staff and other organizational resources.
• Negotiator – You may be needed to take part in, and direct, important negotiations within your team, department, or organization.

Applying Mintzberg's Management Roles

You can use Mintzberg's 10 Management Roles model as a frame of reference when you're thinking about developing your own skills and knowledge. (This includes developing yourself in areas that you consciously or unconsciously shy away from.)

First, examine how much time you currently spend on each managerial role. Do you spend most of your day leading? Managing conflict? Disseminating information? This will help you decide which areas to work on first.

Next, get a piece of paper and write out all ten roles. Score yourself from 1-5 on each one, with 1 being "Very skilled" to 5 being "Not skilled at all."

Once you've identified your weak areas, use the following resources to start improving your abilities in each role.

Figureheads represent their teams. If you need to improve or build confidence in this area, start with your image, behavior, and reputation . Cultivate humility and empathy , learn how to set a good example at work , and think about how to be a good role model .

This is the role you probably spend most of your time fulfilling. To improve here, start by taking our quiz, How Good Are Your Leadership Skills? This will give you a thorough understanding of your current abilities.

Next, learn how to be an authentic leader , so your team will respect you. Also, focus on improving your emotional intelligence – this is an important skill for being an effective leader.

To improve your liaison skills, work on your professional networking techniques. You may also like to take our Skillbook course on Networking Skills .

To improve here, learn how to gather information effectively and overcome information overload . Also, use effective reading strategies , so that you can process material quickly and thoroughly, and learn how to keep up-to-date with industry news .

Disseminator

To be a good disseminator you need to know how to share information and outside views effectively, which means that good communication skills are vital.

Learn how to share organizational information with Team Briefings . Next, focus on improving your writing skills . You might also want to take our communication skills quiz , to find out where else you can improve.

Spokesperson

To be effective in this role, make sure that you know how to represent your organization at a conference . You may also want to read our articles on delivering great presentations and working with the media (if applicable to your role).

Entrepreneur

To improve here, build on your change management skills, and learn what not to do when implementing change in your organization. You'll also need to work on your problem solving and creativity skills , so that you can come up with new ideas, and implement them successfully.

Disturbance Handler

In this role, you need to excel at conflict resolution and know how to handle team conflict . It's also helpful to be able to manage emotion in your team .

Resource Allocator

To improve as a resource allocator, learn how to manage a budget , cut costs , and prioritize , so that you can make the best use of your resources. You can also use VRIO Analysis to learn how to get the best results from the resources available to you.

Improve your negotiation skills by learning about Win-Win Negotiation and Distributive Bargaining .

You might also want to read our article on role-playing – this technique can help you prepare for difficult negotiations.

Mintzberg's 10 Management Roles model sets out the essential roles that managers play. These are:

You can apply Mintzberg's 10 Management Roles model by using it as a frame of reference when you want to develop your management skills. Work on the roles that you fulfill most often as a priority, but remember that you won't necessarily fulfill every role as part of your job.

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• April 18, 2023

What is Management? Definition, Functions, Levels, and Objectives

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Management plays a crucial role within every organization as it encompasses the orchestration of resources to realize specific objectives. In simpler terms, management is the systematic procedure of strategizing, structuring, guiding, and overseeing the endeavors of individuals striving to meet the goals of the organization. This pivotal function is instrumental in enabling organizations to achieve efficiency and effectiveness in their operations.

The concept of management has evolved over time, and today, it encompasses a range of activities that are designed to help organizations achieve their objectives. In this article, we will explore what management is, its functions, the different levels of management, and the skills required to be an effective manager.

Functions of Management

The functions of management are the fundamental activities that managers perform to ensure that an organization achieves its goals. These functions are essential to the success of an organization, regardless of its size, structure, or industry. The four primary functions of management are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.

• Planning : Planning involves the formulation of objectives, the crafting of strategies to achieve those objectives, and the development of plans that harmonize and coordinate activities. This process enables managers to anticipate potential challenges and opportunities, allocate resources with precision, and align organizational efforts with the mission, vision, and values of the organization.
• Organizing : Organizing encompasses the structuring of people, resources, and tasks in pursuit of the organization’s goals. It entails creating a formal framework that defines the roles and responsibilities of individuals and groups, establishing transparent channels for communication and authority, and implementing systems and procedures that promote the efficient and effective utilization of resources.
• Leading : Leading is the art of inspiring and motivating individuals to work collaboratively towards the organization’s objectives. This process entails creating a compelling vision, setting a clear direction, empowering and encouraging employees, and nurturing relationships with stakeholders to secure their support and dedication to the organization’s goals.
• Controlling : Controlling entails the meticulous observation and assessment of organizational performance and the implementation of corrective actions when needed. This involves establishing performance benchmarks, evaluating actual results against planned outcomes, pinpointing variances and their underlying causes, and taking measures to ensure the organization attains its objectives.

Each of these functions is interrelated and interdependent. Planning provides the foundation for organizing, leading, and controlling, and each function helps ensure that the others are carried out effectively. For example, organizing provides the structure and resources that support leading and controlling, while leading provides the motivation and guidance that support organizing and controlling.

Effective management requires a balance of all four functions, with each function contributing to the achievement of organizational goals. Skilled managers understand the importance of each function and are able to apply them in a way that is tailored to the needs of their organization. By performing these functions effectively, managers can create a culture of success, in which employees are motivated, productive, and committed to the organization’s mission and values.

Levels of Management

Levels of management refer to the hierarchical arrangement of positions and roles in an organization. There are typically three levels of management in most organizations: top-level, middle-level, and lower-level. Each level of management is responsible for specific tasks and decision-making processes within the organization.

• Top-level management : Top-level management consists of executives and senior-level managers who are responsible for setting the overall direction and strategy for the organization. These managers make high-level decisions regarding the organization’s goals, policies, and procedures. They are responsible for managing the organization’s relationships with external stakeholders, such as investors, regulators, and customers. Top-level managers also oversee the work of middle and lower-level managers.
• Middle-level management : Middle-level management consists of managers who are responsible for implementing the strategies and policies developed by top-level management. These managers oversee the work of lower-level managers and employees. They are responsible for ensuring that the organization’s goals are achieved through effective planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Middle-level managers also serve as a link between top-level management and lower-level managers and employees.
• Lower-level management : Lower-level management consists of supervisors, team leaders, and other managers who are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization. These managers oversee the work of front-line employees and are responsible for ensuring that the organization’s goals are achieved at the operational level. They are responsible for implementing the policies and procedures developed by top-level and middle-level management and for providing feedback to higher-level managers on the effectiveness of those policies and procedures.

Each level of management plays a critical role in the success of the organization. Effective communication and collaboration between these levels are essential to ensure that the organization’s goals are achieved. Top-level management sets the overall direction and strategy for the organization, middle-level management implements those strategies, and lower-level management ensures that the strategies are executed effectively. By working together, these levels of management can create a culture of success and achieve the organization’s goals.

Objectives of Management

The objectives of management are the goals that managers aim to achieve through their actions and decisions. These objectives are critical for the success of an organization, as they provide a clear direction for managers and employees to follow. The primary objectives of management include:

• Maximizing profits : One of the primary objectives of management is to maximize profits. This involves managing the organization’s resources effectively to generate revenue and reduce costs, thus increasing the organization’s profits.
• Increasing market share : Another important objective of management is to increase the organization’s market share. This involves developing strategies to expand the organization’s customer base and increase its share of the market.
• Improving product quality : Management also aims to improve the quality of the organization’s products or services. This involves developing and implementing quality control processes to ensure that products or services meet or exceed customer expectations.
• Enhancing customer satisfaction : Management also aims to enhance customer satisfaction. This involves understanding customer needs and expectations, and developing strategies to meet those needs and exceed customer expectations.
• Developing employee skills : Management also aims to develop the skills and abilities of employees. This involves providing training and development programs to enhance employee performance and productivity.
• Promoting innovation : Management also aims to promote innovation. This involves encouraging employees to generate new ideas and develop new products or services that can provide a competitive advantage for the organization.
• Ensuring organizational sustainability : Management also aims to ensure the long-term sustainability of the organization. This involves developing and implementing strategies to ensure the organization’s viability over the long term, including ensuring financial stability and sustainability.

Overall, the objectives of management are closely tied to the organization’s overall mission, vision, and values. Effective management requires a clear understanding of these objectives and the ability to develop and implement strategies to achieve them. By focusing on these objectives, managers can create a culture of success in which the organization thrives and grows over the long term.

Skills Required for Effective Management

Effective management requires a combination of skills, knowledge, and experience. Managers need to possess a wide range of skills to be able to manage people, resources, and processes effectively. Here are some of the key skills required for effective management:

• Leadership Skills : Managers need to have strong leadership skills to inspire and motivate their team. They should be able to provide direction, delegate responsibilities, and communicate effectively to their team. A good leader is also able to build trust, resolve conflicts, and make tough decisions when required.
• Communication Skills : Effective communication is essential for management. Managers need to be able to communicate their vision, goals, and expectations clearly to their team. They should also be able to listen actively to their team and provide feedback to help them improve their performance.
• Planning and Organizational Skills : Managers should have strong planning and organizational skills to ensure that projects and tasks are completed on time and within budget. This involves setting goals, creating schedules, and allocating resources effectively.
• Problem-Solving Skills : Managers need to be able to identify problems and find solutions to resolve them. This requires the ability to analyze data, think critically, and make decisions based on sound reasoning.
• Interpersonal Skills : Managers need to have strong interpersonal skills to build relationships with their team, customers, and stakeholders. This involves the ability to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds, resolve conflicts, and build trust.
• Financial Management Skills : Managers should have a basic understanding of financial management to ensure that the organization’s financial resources are being used effectively. This includes budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
• Time Management Skills : Effective managers need to be able to manage their time effectively. This involves prioritizing tasks, delegating responsibilities, and being able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Technical Skills : Managers need to have a basic understanding of the technical aspects of their industry to be able to manage processes and make informed decisions. This includes knowledge of technology, production processes, and quality control.

Management stands as a pivotal cornerstone for the triumph of any organization. It encompasses the vital activities of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling resources to accomplish the organization’s overarching goals and objectives. The pursuit of effective management demands a blend of skills, knowledge, and experience distributed across various echelons within the organization.

These primary management functions include planning, organizing, leading, and controlling, while the core objectives encompass profit maximization, market share expansion, product quality enhancement, heightened customer satisfaction, employee skill development, innovation cultivation, and the promotion of organizational sustainability. By grasping the essence of management’s definition, its multifaceted functions, hierarchical significance, and overarching goals, individuals can cultivate the essential proficiencies and insights needed to become adept managers, thereby contributing to their organizations’ triumphant journeys.

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Business Jargons

A Business Encyclopedia

Definition : Management can be defined as the process of administering and controlling the affairs of the organization , irrespective of its nature, type, structure and size. It is an act of creating and maintaining such a business environment wherein the members of the organization can work together, and achieve business objectives efficiently and effectively.

Management acts as a guide to a group of people working in the organization and coordinating their efforts, towards the attainment of the common objective.

In other words, it is concerned with optimally using 5M’s, i.e. men, machine, material, money and methods and, this is possible only when there proper direction, coordination and integration of the processes and activities, to achieve the desired results.

Characteristics of Management

• Universal : All the organizations, whether it is profit-making or not, they require management, for managing their activities. Hence it is universal in nature.
• Goal-Oriented : Every organization is set up with a predetermined objective and management helps in reaching those goals timely, and smoothly.
• Continuous Process : It is an ongoing process which tends to persist as long as the organization exists. It is required in every sphere of the organization whether it is production, human resource, finance or marketing.
• Multi-dimensional : Management is not confined to the administration of people only, but it also manages work, processes and operations, which makes it a multi-disciplinary activity.
• Group activity : An organization consists of various members who have different needs, expectations and beliefs. Every person joins the organization with a different motive, but after becoming a part of the organization they work for achieving the same goal. It requires supervision, teamwork and coordination, and in this way, management comes into the picture.
• Dynamic function : An organization exists in a business environment that has various factors like social, political, legal, technological and economic. A slight change in any of these factors will affect the organization’s growth and performance. So, to overcome these changes management formulates strategies and implements them.
• Intangible force : Management can neither be seen nor touched but one can feel its existence, in the way the organization functions.

Precisely, all the functions, activities and processes of the organization are interconnected to one another. And it is the task of the management to bring them together in such a way that they help in reaching the intended result.

Levels of Management

• Top-Level Management : This is the highest level in the organizational hierarchy, which includes Board of Directors and Chief Executives . They are responsible for defining the objectives, formulating plans, strategies and policies.
• Middle-Level Management : It is the second and most important level in the corporate ladder, as it creates a link between the top and lower-level management. It includes departmental and division heads and managers who are responsible for implementing and controlling plans and strategies which are formulated by the top executives.
• Lower Level Management : Otherwise called as functional or operational level management. It includes first-line managers, foreman, supervisors . As lower-level management directly interacts with the workers, it plays a crucial role in the organization because it helps in reducing wastage and idle time of the workers, improving the quality and quantity of output.

The three management levels form the management hierarchy, that represents the position and rank of executives and managers in the chart.

Functions of Management

• Planning : It is the first and foremost function of management, i.e. to decide beforehand what is to be done in future. It encompasses formulating policies, establishing targets, scheduling actions and so forth.
• Organizing : Once the plans are formulated, the next step is to organise the activities and resources, as in identifying the tasks, classifying them, assigning duties to subordinates and allocating the resources.
• Staffing : It involves hiring personnel for carrying out various activities of the organization. It is to ensure that the right person is appointed to the right job.
• Directing : It is the task of the manager to guide, supervise, lead and motivate the subordinates, to ensure that they work in the right direction, so far as the objectives of the organization are concerned.
• Controlling : The controlling function of management involves a number of steps to be taken to make sure that the performance of the employees is as per the plans. It involves establishing performance standards and comparing them with the actual performance. In case of any variations, necessary steps are to be taken for its correction.

Coordination is an important feature of management which means the integration of the activities, processes and operations of the organization and synchronisation of efforts, to ensure that every element of the organization contributes to its success.

Related terms:

• Coordination
• Management by Objectives (MBO)
• Controlling
• Management Accounting

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January 22, 2020 at 9:44 am

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February 25, 2020 at 8:17 pm

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abiti francis says

March 13, 2020 at 4:16 pm

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Student says

March 19, 2020 at 5:03 pm

how to cite?

June 3, 2020 at 10:38 am

“Management” Businessjargons.com. 3 Jun 2020. https://businessjargons.com/management.html >

May 21, 2020 at 8:55 pm

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Pallavi says

May 23, 2020 at 10:26 pm

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May 25, 2020 at 11:45 am

The article is written by Surbhi S. on 9 June 2018

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May 24, 2020 at 7:58 pm

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May 29, 2020 at 12:42 am

Well explained so how do I reference this article in my assignment Harvard style ?

Sagar Kumar says

June 1, 2020 at 7:46 pm

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kiran Shyamnani says

June 4, 2020 at 9:50 pm

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January 26, 2021 at 10:22 pm

Very nice contributions. Please who is the author? I need this for easy referencing.

January 28, 2021 at 9:55 am

silashi says

February 17, 2021 at 7:21 pm

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March 7, 2021 at 11:10 am

Very helpful article about management

March 9, 2021 at 2:45 pm

It’s precise and understandable. Thanks

Origa Kezekia says

March 13, 2021 at 8:50 pm

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Kikile says

March 25, 2021 at 1:49 am

Splendidly.

Jameson says

May 21, 2021 at 8:28 pm

Very good article.

Victor says

September 14, 2021 at 9:22 pm

Very helpful and easy to understand

Ashraf Shaikh says

October 8, 2021 at 10:49 am

Easy understand and remember… Thank a lot to author.

Abdul Aziz says

November 10, 2021 at 2:23 am

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December 19, 2021 at 10:47 pm

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owen silas says

April 1, 2022 at 6:31 am

When was this article published

CLETUS ONYEMACHI says

April 19, 2022 at 12:56 am

Well defined, easy to understand.

Tegene Admasu says

April 21, 2022 at 5:43 pm

Shamla says

May 3, 2023 at 7:52 pm

so useful, expecting more articles related to business law in a summarised way 🙂 Thank you 😊

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What Is Management? Definition, Types, Skills, and Careers

Find out what managers do within organizations and discover different management styles, job titles, and more.

Management is how businesses organize and direct workflow, operations, and employees to meet company goals. The primary goal of management is to create an environment that empowers employees to work efficiently and productively. A solid organizational structure guides employees and establishes the tone and focus of their work.

Managers are involved in implementing and evaluating these structures. As a manager, you may be responsible for doing any of the following tasks:

Create goals and objectives

Create schedules

Develop strategies to increase performance, productivity, and efficiency

Ensure compliance with company policies and industry regulations

Mentor employees

Monitor budgets, productivity levels, and performance

Resolve customer problems

Train staff

In this article, you'll learn more about management, its different styles, what managers do, and the jobs you can expect to encounter in the field. If you're ready to start taking steps toward a management career, consider enrolling in the University of London's free course, The Manager's Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Managing People at Work .

Key functions of a manager

Managers have several functions within an organization. You'll usually see these functions divided into four interconnected groups. Understanding them can help you identify your strengths and areas of need so that you can choose the proper training to improve your skills.

The first function of a manager is to set goals. These goals may be for individual employees, departments, or the entire organization, depending on the manager's level of responsibility. In addition to setting goals, managers often develop action items along with strategies and resources to complete tasks and meet goals. 

Meeting organizational goals requires putting the right people in the right places. Managers can play an important role in choosing workers for positions and projects. Knowing how to group people and help them build relationships often significantly affects how well the group works together. Sometimes managers need to train employees for specific tasks to ensure they have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.

Managers help motivate employees to show up and stay productive. This includes sharing a common vision, encouraging them to develop their strengths, and inspiring them to do their best work at all times. Having effective communication skills is essential for filling this role. 

Managers typically spend time measuring the success of their teams and how well they meet goals. The more they understand what works and doesn't work, the better prepared they are to make decisions in the future. Managers must understand and adjust strategies to meet company goals.

Watch this video on the process of performance management, an important part of helping employees reach their potential:

Read more: What Is Management Science? + How to Enter This Field

Levels of management

In many organizations, management falls into one of three levels: top, middle, and low. Managers in smaller companies may fill roles at more than one level, while larger organizations may have several managers within each level.

Top: Top-level management typically has an administrative role, and their decisions affect the entire organization even though they sometimes aren’t involved in the day-to-day operations. They may have the title of chief executive officer (CEO) or serve on the board of directors.

Middle: You find people with executive roles at the middle management level. They work with both top-level management and supervisors to help workers meet objectives and boost the company's productivity. At this level, they may be called regional managers or general managers.

Low: The final level of management often has a supervisory role. These managers have titles like shift supervisor, branch manager, or team leader. They work with individuals and teams to meet goals determined by upper management. They typically have less influence over company policy compared to the other management levels, but the most interaction with direct reports .

Read more: 11 Key Project Management Skills

Management styles

The way you choose to manage your team or department can have a direct effect on how they're able to meet their goals. What you say and do may send powerful messages to employees about how you value their contributions and your level of trust in them. Understanding different management styles and when they're most and least useful may be helpful. The list below highlights some of the more common styles used by managers.

Authoritative

Authoritative leaders tend to make decisions without feedback from others. This approach works well when you need to respond quickly to a situation and don't have time for debate. If you rely on this approach too much, you may see high levels of turnover within the organization and stalled innovation.

Some managers view their role as that of a coach who sees the potential in employees and wants to help them grow. This can effectively build strong teams and create an environment where employees feel comfortable experimenting. Employees typically have a sense of autonomy under this style, but those needing more direction may feel neglected.

Democratic managers value the input of employees in the decision-making process and usually believe having more ideas is better than having a few. This management style may help empower and motivate employees to work toward common goals. However, sorting through all of the voices and finding a consensus to make a decision can take time.

Transformational

In a transformational management style, managers prioritize innovation and growth. These managers encourage employees to discover just what they're capable of achieving. Workers with transformational leaders tend to be happy and dedicated to their work, but they must be able to adapt to sudden changes.

A visionary leader knows how to ensure every team member understands the company's vision and is working toward a common goal. These leaders tend to be excellent communicators and typically give workers plenty of autonomy as long as they effectively execute the vision.

Careers in management

Managers work in almost every type of company and industry. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects management positions to grow faster than average by 2032 as entrepreneurs start new companies and existing organizations expand their operations [ 1 ]. The following management job titles show how varied these positions can be.

Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers

Median annual salary (US): $138,730 [ 2 ]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 6 percent 

As an advertising, promotions, or marketing manager, you help companies promote their products and services through strategic campaigns. You'll typically need a bachelor's degree in marketing , communications, or advertising to qualify for this type of position. Before becoming a manager, you may build work experience as a sales representative , buyer, or public relations specialist.

Construction managers

Median annual salary (US) : $101,480 [ 3 ]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 5 percent 

Construction managers typically divide their time between the office and a construction site. In this role, you may set budgets, hire sub-contractors or crew members, oversee their work, and adjust plans to meet deadlines. Depending on your employer, you may need a bachelor's degree in construction , business, or engineering, along with experience as a skilled worker or intern in the construction field.

Read more: How to Become a Construction Manager: Your Guide

Financial managers

Median annual salary (US): $139,790 [ 4 ]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 16% 

As a financial manager, you may work in various environments where you analyze data, create financial reports, and help individuals or companies set and meet financial goals. Before pursuing this career, you'll need a bachelor's degree in accounting , finance, business, or economics. In some cases, you may want to earn industry certification as well. You can work your way up into this role through experience as a loan officer, an accountant, or similar positions within a company.

Read more: What Is Finance Management?

Food service managers

Median annual salary (US): $61,310 [ 5 ]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): little or no change 

Food service managers work in restaurants, cafeterias, and hotels, overseeing kitchen and wait staff. In this position, you may create schedules, order supplies, and ensure employees follow food safety guidelines. Although you can usually enter this field with a high school diploma or equivalent, you may find it helpful to earn a degree in hospitality management or culinary studies. You’ll likely need some experience working in a restaurant as a cook, waiter, or food prep supervisor.

Read more: What Is Hospitality Management? Careers, Skills, Salaries, and More

Medical and health services managers

Median annual salary (US): $104,830 [ 6 ]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 28 percent 

As a medical or health services manager, you may work in a doctor's office, hospital, rehab facility, or similar environment where you may supervise and coordinate health care providers and support staff’s work. You'll need at least a bachelor's degree in health care administration or nursing, and many people in this role also have a master's degree . In addition to the degree, you may consider working in a variety of related positions like administrative assistant, billing clerk, or medical records specialist to gain work experience.

Sales manager

Median annual salary (US): $130,600 [ 7 ]

Job outlook (projected growth from 2022 to 2032): 4 percent

Sales managers supervise the team of sales professionals in an organization. As a sales manager, you can expect to set goals and quotas for individual sales representatives and teams and track their progress. You may be called upon to speak with customers and handle complaints. You may need a bachelor's degree to qualify for this type of position, but sometimes having experience as a sales representative or buyer can be just as important.

Read more: 4 Questions to Ask Before Pursuing a Sales Manager Career

Explore management with Coursera

Building and expanding your management skills can be helpful no matter where you are in your career. Coursera offers a variety of courses from top companies and educational institutions to meet your needs.

To explore what managers do and build foundational skills, consider the University of London's free course, The Manager's Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Managing People at Work . This program covers decision making, leadereship, performance management, and more.

Learn ways to motivate and influence people in the Leading People and Teams Specialization from the University of Michigan. This program covers recruiting and onboarding talent, improving teamwork and collaboration, resolving conflict, and more.

Delve into project management and earn a credential in the Google Project Management: Professional Certificate . This program covers Agile and Scrum practices, documenting projects, communicating with stakeholders, and more.

Article sources

US Bureau of Labor Statistics. " Occupational Outlook Handbook Management Occupations , https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/home.htm." Accessed March 14, 2024.

US Bureau of Labor Statistics. " Occupational Outlook Handbook Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers , https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/advertising-promotions-and-marketing-managers.htm." Accessed March 14, 2024.

US Bureau of Labor Statistics. " Occupational Outlook Handbook Construction Managers , https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/construction-managers.htm." Accessed March 14, 2024.

US Bureau of Labor Statistics. " Occupational Outlook Handbook Financial Managers , https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/financial-managers.htm." Accessed March 14, 2024.

US Bureau of Labor Statistics. " Occupational Outlook Handbook Food Service Managers , https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/food-service-managers.htm." Accessed March 14, 2024.

US Bureau of Labor Statistics. " Occupational Outlook Handbook Medical and Health Services Managers , https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm." Accessed March 14, 2024.

US Bureau of Labor Statistics. " Occupational Outlook Handbook Sales Managers , https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/sales-managers.htm." Accessed March 14, 2024.

Keep reading

Coursera staff.

Editorial Team

Coursera’s editorial team is comprised of highly experienced professional editors, writers, and fact...

This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

Module 1: Introduction to Management

Assignment: primary functions of management, preparation.

Our text describes the four important and dynamic primary functions of management as planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.  In this assignment you will identify, describe, and differentiate the four functions. The following steps will help you prepare for your written assignment:

• Thoroughly read the Introduction to Management module.
• Carefully consider the four primary functions of management in the context of a business you know. This could be your workplace, Nokia or ThyssenKrupp introduced to you earlier, or another selected business you are familiar with.
• Select one of the four functions of management that your reading and consideration leads you to believe is the most important. If you believe no single function stands out, then you may select the interoperability of all four.

Write a three-paragraph essay describing your chosen function, and why you rank its importance so highly. Your essay must include three properly referenced and defined terms from the module reading. For example, if you select Controlling, you could include the definition of feedback loop . Answer and address these questions:

• What is the primary function you selected?
• How does it interact with the other functions?
• What would happen to “management” without your selected function?
• What factors cause you to rank its importance above the others?

In addition to the text, you are encouraged to research your topic using reliable and properly cited Internet resources.

Your written assignment will be graded using the Written Assignment Rubric . Please review and keep it in mind as you prepare your assignment. Each component is weighted as follows:

10% Organization and Format

Adequate: Writing is coherent and logically organized, using a format suitable for the material presented. Transitions used between ideas and paragraphs create coherence. Overall unity of ideas is supported by the format and organization of the material presented.

40% Content

Adequate: All required questions are addressed with thoughtful consideration reflecting both proper use of content terminology and additional original thought. Some additional concepts are presented from properly cited sources, or originated by the author following logic and reasoning they’ve clearly presented throughout the writing.

40% Development – Critical Thinking

Adequate: Content indicates original thinking, cohesive conclusions, and developed ideas with sufficient and firm evidence. Ideas presented are not merely the opinion of the writer, and clearly address all of the questions or requirements asked with evidence presented to support conclusions drawn.

10% Grammar, Mechanics, Style

Adequate: Writing is free of spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors, allowing the reader to follow ideas clearly. There are no sentence fragments and run-ons. The style of writing, tone, and use of rhetorical devices is presented in a cohesive style that enhances the content of the message.

• Assignment: Primary Functions of Management. Authored by : Betty Fitte and Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution

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1 Introduction to Management

Learning Objectives

The purpose of this chapter is to:

1)  Give you a basic understanding of management and its importance

2)  Provide a foundation of the managerial functions of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling

Introduction to Management

Management is not a hard science.  Unlike chemistry or algebra where a right answer (often) exists, management is fluid, and subjective, and there are divergent perspectives on how to employ its principles.  But what exactly is management?  Most scholars have variations of the same definition that include a utilization of resources to achieve a goal.  Lussier (2021) defines a manager as “the individual responsible for achieving organizational objectives through efficient and effective utilization of resources” (p. 3).   The problem with this definition is that it implies that a manager has to be both efficient and effective, which eliminates the possibility of having a bad manager.  Each of us can probably contradict this definition by providing an example from our personal past.  However, this definition contains the basic elements of using resources to pursue goals.

An early management scholar, Mary P. Follett characterized management as “the art of getting things done through the efforts of other people” (Graham, 1995).   This definition implies both pursuing goals (getting things done) and utilizing resources (predominantly through people).  However, this too is missing an element, that of the organizational context.  An important consideration for understanding management is that the term organization simply refers to “a collection of people working together to achieve a common purpose” (Shermerhorn, 2013, p. 11).  This means an organization could be anything from your high school volleyball team to church or a corporation.  Including the term “organization” in the definition leaves open the possibility that management can be practiced in each of these settings, and broadens our use of the term management.  A comprehensive definition for management then, would be the pursuit of organizational goals through the use of organizational resources (Bateman & Snell, 2013).  Pursuit implies a chance of failure and organizational gives us a context.  This begs the question – how can we become effective at the pursuit of goals, or become more efficient in our use of organizational resources?  Being good at management requires an immense focus on both of these ends, and we can achieve this through the process of the planning, organizing, leading, and controlling functions of management.   These functions serve as the basis for the rest of the textbook because they are the essential tools we use to manage organizations.  Most of the context and examples for this book focus on the corporate use of management.  However, you should meet the concepts where you are in your professional or academic career – apply the principles to the context of your life, master the four functions for what you are doing now so that you can scale them to much bigger managerial endeavors later.

Management is not New

A broad understanding of management as resource utilization focused on a goal gives us a wide scope of situations and contexts in which to practice it.  For example, the Crow Indians employed a complex strategy to harvest an entire herd of buffalo by driving them off a cliff.  To funnel the herd to the lane leading up to the cliff they used a decoy (a hunter donned in a buffalo calf robe imitating a lost calf), incense to smoke them towards the lane, or rock piles to guide them to the lane (Nathan, 2018).  If we apply the basic principles of management in this context we can see these hunters used resources (rocks, incense, knowledge and tradition) to pursue a goal (procurement of food, tools, and clothing the bison afforded them).

At its core, this imperial supply chain used the same approach to achieve success th at a teenager might use in a playing video games.  If he rallys his friends after school in a game of Call of Duty to defeat their online opponents, he might also be considered a manager.  He uses his experience and knowledge of gameplay as well as weaponry within the game to pursue his goal of competitive domination.

These examples demonstrate that management is multifarious, and not at all a recent phenomenon.    Yet, when we hear the term management , most of us probably conjure an image something like that of a corporate vice president implementing a marketing strategy to meet quarterly sales goals.  The irony is that the corporate manager is utilizing the same tools as those of the native hunter, Spanish fleet admiral, and sophomore gamer.   Management is both universal and ubiquitous in that we all use variations of its elements.

The Four Functions of Management

The management process by which we pursue goals includes planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.  These are “ the how ” a manager pursues organizational goals, and are universally known as the four functions of management.  They stem from the work of a French mining administrator, Henri Fayol, who first identified management as a practice that could be improved through the use of five functions – planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating, and controlling.  Since he published his work in 1916, we have decided that leading people through motivation and incentivization works much better than telling them what to do (e.g. commanding and coordinating).  We use the term leading instead of these practices.  Chapter 2 on the history of management will provide some insights regarding this change.  Nonetheless, he gave us a place from which to start.

Even if you have never stepped foot in a corporate office, or held the title of manager at your local Dairy Queen, you have no less used the functions of management in your personal pursuits.  A relevant example would be the process by which you manage your personal budget.

Reflection:  Are you already a manager?

Think about your personal or family budget for a moment, and answer the following questions:

1) Do you have your budget written down somewhere, or in an excel spreadsheet?

2) What are your financial goals?

3) How much do you put in savings, charity, and monthly expenses?

4) Where does your money come from (a job, your parents, a hobby, your spouse)?

5) If you have a budget shortfall during the month, what do you do?

6) How do you keep track of expenses to ensure your bank account remains in the black?

If you answered yes to question #1, then you are already engaged in the management function of planning.  You know where your money is being spent.  The same holds true for your financial goals.  If you want to leave college debt free, save for a down payment on a house, or go on an unforgettable spring break trip, you have defined your organizational objective!  Where you put your money is a function of how you manage your resources.  This organizing function is presumably in line with your financial goals.  For example, if you want to save for a down payment, you need to actually allocate your resources (income) to a savings account.  Moreover, where your money comes from is also the source of your organizational resources.   A budget shortfall might require you to employ the leading function of management.  The essence of leading is motivating other people to align with your plan.  What do you do if you need to pay bills, but don’t have the money?  Perhaps you ask your parents for a loan (need to sell this idea to them), or you might need to negotiate with a co-worker to let you take on extra shifts (show them what’s in it for them in return), or it might be the reality that you need to sell something to make ends meet by selling something (in which case selling requires you to inspire someone else to see value in what you are selling).   Leading might also entail convincing someone else in your circle to get on board with your gameplan (like a spouse, or sibling).  Finally, keeping track of your expenses to ensure solvency and pace with your goals is the core of the controlling function.  Do you keep receipts and check them against your online account expenses?  Do you update your spreadsheet after your bill automatically debits from your account?  Do you get an email notifying you have a low balance and are in risk of overdraft charges?  Each of these methods are ways to monitor your progress and decide if you need to make a change (short term or long term).

If you reflect on this example of your personal budget, or you worked to achieve a personal or team goal, you will likely conclude that you are already a manager.  This wide application of managerial thinking means that if you can master its principles on your personal scale, you can then amplify its use when you need to use it on a large scale.  Get good at leading your class project, organizing your club fundraiser, or helping your team win a conference championship, and you will later be able to magnify the scale to lead a marketing department, or corporate merger, and even diplomatic negotiations as a prime minister.

Mastering the four functions will allow you to apply the function of planning on a more complex stage such as evaluating the internal and external environments of your organization.  Using this analysis you can create an effective game plan to formulate a sustainable competitive advantage.  Developing an organizing skillset will allow you to propose a structure for your team that incorporates cross functional members and ways of thinking.  It will allow you to identify and recommend resources needed to pursue your plan.  Honing your leading skillset will afford you the capability to motivate your organizational stakeholders to partake in your strategy, and force you to consider the ethical implications of your actions.   Finally, implementing effective controlling allows you to check progress towards your goals and to recommend changes if you need to get on track.

Planning is the systematic process of making decisions about goals and activities the organization will pursue (Bateman & Snell, 2013).  To make a decision about the direction of an organization, the planning phase must begin with analyzing the environment.  Without a solid understanding of the context, the manager would have no basis to provide future direction.  The context gives a manager a point of reference for improvement, opportunity, and learning from past mistakes.  For this reason, the planning function should begin with analysis.  This analysis should consider both the internal factors such as culture, values, and performance of team members as well as the external factors such as competitive environment, legal regulations, economy, technology, social values, and demographics.

The second component of planning is to use this analysis of the environment to build goals, activities, and objectives.  For a major organization this might be the vision and mission statement of the organization.  For a smaller organization this could be a year end, or season end goal.  Some consider planning that point in your day or month that you step away from your desk, and think about the direction of your organization.  This requires you to reflect on your organization’s past, and determine how that impacts the direction going forward.

            Organizing is the process of assembling and assigning the human, financial, physical, informational, and other resources needed to achieve goals (Bateman & Snell, 2013).   The core of the organizing function is leveraging the resources to align with the determined goals.  Organizing human resources means first of all attracting a labor force that can help you pursue your goal.  Within the organization, managing the human element means assigning tasks, delegating authority, determining a structure and hierarchy.  Organizing the financial resources equates to making sure your capital is being utilized to meet goals.  If an organization decides they want to have a best-in-class customer service team, they better being willing to spend the money to attract people with the disposition towards serving others, and spend money on training, or a retreat to teach the agents the skillsets they need.  Marshalling physical resources focuses on the effectiveness of where you place and how you use physical assets.  An executive chef might re-arrange a kitchen to improve process flow, food quality, or mitigate safety risks for example.  Informational resources implies a leveraging and disseminating the organization’s knowledge in meaningful ways to achieve goals.  Connecting employees to how they contribute to the financial bottom line is a way of leveraging informational resources, as is using your company’s proprietary algorithm to predict stock prices or develop new products.

Leading is stimulating high performance by members of the organization (Bateman and Snell, 2013).  This function is getting members of the organization on board with your plan.

Normally, this means connecting with direct reports or teammates on a personal level.  Understanding what drives individuals within the team allows a manager to design strategies around motivating, incentivizing, mobilizing, and arousing a desire to contribute.

Imagine for a minute, that you analyzed the conditions of the organization, you determined a game plan to pursue and even directed resources to step in that direction.  You have successfully implemented the planning and organizing functions.  In this scenario, however, you did not give consideration to how your team or organization would be involved.  Do they agree with your direction?  Did they have input in the process?  Do they feel valued as a team member?  Do they understand their role in a successful outcome?   All of these questions are answered by the degree to which a manager is engaged in the leading function.

Having personal conversations, designing a bonus structure, or giving a rousing speech might all be considered leading the organization.

Controlling

Control is installing processes to guide the team towards goals and monitoring performance towards goals and making changes to the plan as needed (Batemen & Snell, 2013).  Control does not always mean limited what the organization can do by having a hand in everything.  We might call this micro-managing, which is control in its extreme form.  Healthy control processes involve putting systems in place to make sure your organization is on track to meet the goals you established in the planning process.  Planning sets standards to compare against, and the control process is the dashboard that tells whether or not you are meeting the standard.  For example, a grocery store might set a goal of reducing shrink (that’s product lost to shoplifting, damage).  They decide that they want to reduce their shrink loss by 50%.  To achieve this plan, they will have to dedicate resources (more employees to monitor, rearrange loading dock).  You already recognize that step as the organizing function.  We then incentivize our employees by designing a bonus structure – i.e. if we collectively meet the goal, each employee shares in the savings.  If we stop there, we would have no way of knowing if we met the goal.  The control process solves this for us.  The last step in the grocery store manager’s managerial approach is to have each department head report their shrink loss at the end of the shift, and aggregate those in an excel spreadsheet.  In this way, the manager can see if the rearrangement of the loading dock has reduced the number of damaged canned goods that was happening under the old arrangement.  The manager can make changes if they see that shrink is not improving even after hiring a greeter at the entrance.

Monitoring performance is the first step in control.  After see the progress towards goals, the next step is to make changes.  In this way, the control process always leads a manager back to the planning phase of management.  There are only two outcomes to the control process.  You are making progress towards your goal, or you are digressing in your performance.  If you reach your goal, you will need to set new goals, which is the planning function.  If you are not progressing towards your goal, you need to analyze the environment and determine why not.  In this way the management functions are related and highly dependent upon each other, especially control and planning.

            To illustrate the application of the four functions of manager, consider the various contexts in Figure 1.1.   Under the personal budget, an engaged couple has decided to save for a house after getting married.  The softball coach must determine how to win a conference championship, and the corporate manager is working on a strategy to improve waning sales figures.

Figure 1.1 – The Functions of Management Applied

On the Importance of Studying Management

The purpose of this textbook is to provide you with firstly, a broad exploration of what management is – its elements and origins.  Secondly, the purpose of this textbook is to provide you with a managerial framework you can utilize to practice management at any level of complexity.  This framework emphasizes the four basic functions – planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.  Most management textbooks include a wide variety of academic terms and concepts that take focus away from these four functions.  Other textbooks will inundate the reader with descriptions of heuristics, focus on layers of management, or extraneous terms like the Shamrock organization that do not advance a practical understanding of management.  We have designed this textbook with the four functions of management at the forefront because these elements are so critical to the foundation of everything you will do in the managerial context.  This textbook provides a history of management and a chapter on ethics, but then focuses exclusively on the functions of management as the subject matter.  At the completion of this textbook, you should be able to understand, recognize, and apply these four functions of management.

The four functions of management (plan, organize, lead, and control) serve as the foundation for everything else you will study in your business education.  Mastering these tools at the most basic level, as well as the more sophisticated levels in classes you will take later, will best prepare you as a business professional (Dolechek et al, 2019).

Figure 1.2 – Management as the Foundation

Upon completion of a management principles course, you will progress towards the applications of the four functions of management in the upper level courses.  For this reason, management principles serves as a pre-requisite for most other management courses.   In marketing principles you will develop an understanding of how to analyze external conditions, and a course in information systems will help you design ways to collect more information to analyze.  This is the core of the planning function.  In human resources and organizational behavior, you will learn the dynamics of your ever-important resource of human labor, the organizing function.  In business ethics and applied management skills you work on understanding what drives people, and by association how to lead them based on that understanding.  Grasping business law and production operations will give you a deeper understanding of how to monitor progress (to meet legal compliance and to test production quality for example).  The entire discipline of accounting is a managerial function of control.  Constructing financial statements is done for the sole purpose of determining the performance of you organization so that you can make future decisions.  The capstone course of a business program is the business strategy class.  In this course, students are given an opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the four functions by including all of the functional areas of business in their decision making.

A Whale of an Example

You are the city manager of a coastal Oregon city.  On a quiet, rainy Tuesday, you walk into your office and put the coffee on.  As you take your first sip, your administrative assistant forwards you a phone call from the parks and rec manager.  “We’ve got a problem down here on the beach.  The tide just left a dead humpback whale on our beach.”  What do you do?  What. Do. You. Do??   Now, there are several options to dealing with the dead whale.  Consider the following questions:

• 1) What is your strategy for dealing with this problem? ( Plan )
• 2) What resources do you need to follow your strategy? ( Organize )
• 3) What stakeholders do you need to get on-board? ( Lead )
• 4) What steps can you take to make sure your plan is proceeding as you planned it? ( Contro l)

There are a handful of strategies we might naturally gravitate towards.  The feasibility of each strategy depends on how well you employ the functions of management.

Tow the whale back to sea – A crane, tug boat, and tow cable are needed.  Who might you need to include in this gameplan?  The coast guard might need to be involved to discuss any pertinent regulations.  A marine captain that can tell you about tides so that you can time your extraction, and insights about currents to indicate how far out you need to haul the whale once its buoyant.  Should you allow a marine biologist to provide advice on what sort of ecological impact this might have (like bring in unwanted sharks or seals).  How can you be sure the tow cable has enough tinsel strength to haul a bloated whale on a high friction surface like wet sand?   Does the crane have the capacity to move the carcass into position to be hauled?  If the whale is decaying, will the tow cable just pull through the rotten flesh?

Cut the whale up, haul it to the dump –  You will need a forklift, semi-truck, and chainsaw.  The first consideration here would be the logistics of pursuing this strategy.  You will need to find a truck with the towing capacity to haul large chunks of the carcass off the beach.  Can you ensure the weight of a loaded semi would not sink into the wet sand?  How much does a semi-loaded with a whale carcass weight?  You may also need to contact the county roads manager to determine if there are any bridges between the beach and the dump that have weight restrictions.   What sort of protective equipment would you need for the men slicing through the whale with chainsaws?  There are a few control processes that need to be put in place for this strategy to work.

Celebrate the whale – The objective of the city manager is to “deal with” the dead whale.  For most, this would mean remove it somehow.  For others, this might be a chance to celebrate the occasion, and establishing the experience in the culture and history of the town.  To celebrate the whale, the city manager can hold a competition like car dealers do to promote their cars – have contestants place their hand on the whale and the last person to withstand touching the grotesque, slimy, and malodorous creature, somehow wins a major prize.  This would require a sponsor to donate a prize (a car, a vacation) and the town can celebrate the occasion annually.  If the goal is to appease the community from the existence of the whale and its stench, celebration is one strategy to pursue that end.  You would need to include a biologist to determine if leaving the whale to decay after the festival would attract scavengers, and a water chemist to determine if a decaying whale creates toxicity problems for beach goers.

Blow it up! – The kid in most of us choose this option.  Definitely.  You might need to check with state officials to see what the protocols are on this approach.  The biggest question would be how much dynamite do you need to blow up a whale, or blow it into the ocean?  In Oregon, one stakeholder group you might contact is a mining company or the Oregon national guard.  Both of those groups have a lot of experience calculating explosive requirements.   What are the safety protocols you need in place to make sure that no one is injured?  Where will you be able to source enough explosives to achieve this goal?

Use of the four functions

Each of these scenarios contain some far-fetched elements.  But asking the right questions is paramount to turning any of these into a feasible strategy.  You first need to decide a path, then determine your resources before getting stakeholder groups on board.  For a high-risk situation like most of these solutions call for, you need to put control mechanisms in place to mitigate your risks.  If you type “Oregon’s exploding whale” you can see what has become the most-watching news broadcast of all time.  It shows you what happens when a city manager does not successfully navigate the situation using all four functions of management.

Critical Thinking Questions

How are the four functions of management related?

Which is the most important function of management?

Choose a historical event prior to the year 2000.  Analyze the leader’s use of the four functions of management during that event.

How to Answer the Critical Thinking Questions

For each of these answers you should provide three elements.

• General Answer.  Give a general response to what the question is asking, or make your argument to what the question is asking.
• Outside Resource.  Provide a quotation from a source outside of this textbook.  This can be an academic article, news story, or popular press.  This should be something that supports your argument.  Use the sandwich technique explained below and cite your source in APA in text and then a list of full text citations at the end of the homework assignment of all three sources used.
• Personal Story.  Provide a personal story that illustrates the point as well.  This should be a personal experience you had, and not a hypothetical.  Talk about a time from your personal, professional, family, or school life.   Use the sandwich technique for this as well, which is explained below.

Use the sandwich technique:

For the outside resource and the personal story you should use the sandwich technique.  Good writing is not just about how to include these materials, but about how to make them flow into what you are saying and really support your argument.  The sandwich technique allows us to do that.  It goes like this:

Step 1:  Provide a sentence that sets up your outside resource by answering who, what, when, or where this source is referring to.

Step 2:  Provide the quoted material or story.

Step 3:  Tell the reader why this is relevant to the argument you are making.

EXAMPLE :  Let me provide an example of homework expectations using the type of question you might see in a critical thinking question at the end of the chapter.  Each of the answers you provide should be this thorough.

Question:  Explain why it is important to study management.

Management is important to study because it serves as the foundation for all other areas of business.  The four functions can be used in other business areas such as accounting, marketing, operations management and human resources.   All of the areas of business need people who know how to make a plan and allocate resources.  All of the areas of business need people who know how to motivate others, and to make sure they are on track for their organization’s goals.   For this reason, improving our mastery of management will make us more effective at whichever role we are in.   A good example of this foundation comes from research conducted on accounting firms in Romania.  Wang and Huynh (2014) found that accounting managers who embraced both managerial best practices and had the technical skills needed for accounting improved the organizational outcomes of their firms.  These findings suggest that business professionals need managerial skills to supplement the day-to-day roles they have.

As I reflect on management as a foundational discipline, I remember how my high school baseball coach approached our team after a losing season.  We were not a good team because we did not have fundamentals of how to grip a baseball, how to stand in the batter’s box, or how to field a ground ball.   That next year, he taught us all of these fundamentals and we won a lot of games.  It seems to me that learning fundamentals of management can have the same impact.  Being able to execute the four functions of management allows us to get better at how we approach marketing a new product, or improving operations processes.

Wang, D., & Huynh, Q. (2014). Linkages among corporate governance, management accounting practice and organizational performance: Evidence from a Southeast Asian country. Romanian Economic and Business Review, 9(1), 63-81.

Chapter References

Aho O.W., Lloyd R.A. (2019) The Origins of Robust Supply Chain Management and Logistics in the Caribbean: Spanish Silver and Gold in the New World (1492–1700). In:

Bowden B., McMurray A. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Management History . Palgrave Macmillan: London, UK.

Bateman, T., & Snell, S. (2013).  M: Management (3rd ed) .  McGraw Hill / Irwin: New York, NY

Dolechek, R., Lippert, T., Vengrouskie, E. F., & Lloyd, R. A. (2019).  Solving a whale of a problem: Introducing the four functions of management in a management principles course .  International Forum of Teaching Studies, 15 (2), 29-35.

Fayol, H. (1949).  General and Industrial Management . Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons Ltd:  London, U.K.

Graham, P. (1995).  Mary Parker Follett: Prophet of Management.  Harvard Business School Press: Boston, MA.

Lussier, R. (2021).  Management Fundamentals: Concepts, Applications, Skill Development.  (9th Ed).   Sage Publications: Thousand Oaks, CA.

Nathan, R. (2018). The Grapevine Creek Buffalo Jump Complex: Interdisciplinary Research on the Crow Reservation, Montana (Doctor of Anthropology, dissertation).  Indiana University.

Shermerhorn, J. (2013).  Management (12th Ed) . Wiley and Sons: Hoboken, NJ

The Four Functions of Management Copyright © 2020 by Dr. Robert Lloyd and Dr. Wayne Aho is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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• Meaning and Definition of Management

Table of Contents

In the ever-evolving world of business, understanding the fundamentals of management is akin to wielding a compass in uncharted territory. Whether you’re an MBA student or a budding entrepreneur, grasping the meaning and definition of management is your first step towards navigating the complex organizational landscape.

Unpacking the Meaning of Management

Management , in its simplest form, is the art and science of achieving organizational goals efficiently and effectively through the coordinated efforts of people and resources. It’s the glue that holds businesses together, ensuring that all the cogs in the wheel move harmoniously towards a common objective.

At its core, management involves:

1. Planning

Planning is about setting objectives and outlining the path to reach them. It’s like charting a course on a map before embarking on a journey. Without a plan, you’re sailing aimlessly, hoping to reach your destination by chance.

2. Organizing

Organizing entails arranging resources, tasks, and people in a structured way. Think of it as assembling a team and giving each member a specific role to play in the grand scheme of things.

3. Staffing

Staffing involves recruiting, training, and retaining the right people for the right job. After all, a well-oiled machine can’t function without skilled operators.

4. Directing

Directing is the art of guiding and supervising employees to ensure they’re aligned with the organization’s goals. It’s like conducting an orchestra, where the conductor ensures that every instrument plays in harmony.

5. Controlling

Controlling means monitoring progress and making necessary adjustments. Imagine you’re driving a car; controlling is like constantly checking your speed, adjusting the steering, and applying brakes when needed to stay on course.

Defining Management: A Multifaceted Concept

Now that we’ve dissected the components of management, let’s put a comprehensive definition together. Management can be defined as:

“Management is the process of planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling resources, including people, to achieve organizational goals efficiently and effectively.”

This definition encapsulates the essence of management, emphasizing its dynamic and multifaceted nature. It’s not a one-size-fits-all concept but rather a versatile tool that adapts to the specific needs and goals of any organization.

The Significance of Management

Understanding the meaning and definition of management is pivotal for several reasons:

1. Foundation of Success

Management provides the foundation upon which successful businesses are built. It ensures that every action and decision aligns with the organization’s objectives.

2. Problem Solving

In a world filled with challenges and uncertainties, effective management equips you with problem-solving skills. It helps you navigate obstacles and turn them into opportunities.

3. Resource Optimization

Through proper management, organizations can make the most of their resources – be it time, money, or human capital. This efficiency is key to staying competitive.

4. Adaptability

Management isn’t static. It evolves to meet the changing needs of businesses and industries. Understanding its core principles allows you to adapt to new challenges and opportunities.

5. Leadership Development

For those aspiring to be leaders, management is the cornerstone of leadership. It teaches you how to inspire and guide others toward shared goals.

In the world of business and beyond, management is the linchpin that holds everything together. It’s the art of turning dreams into reality, chaos into order, and uncertainty into opportunity. By grasping the meaning and definition of management, you’re not just learning a subject – you’re gaining a powerful tool for shaping the future of organizations and, ultimately, your own success.

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Management Functions and Organisational Processes

1 Management: An Overview

• Nature of Management
• Characteristics of Management
• Administration and Management
• The Importance of Management
• Functions of Management
• Challenges of Management

2 Management and its Evolution

• Perspectives of Management

3 Roles of Managers

• Management process
• Managerial roles
• Management skills
• Management levels
• Characteristics of a good manager
• How do managers know whether they are good or not?
• Changing role of a manager in the current context
• The Changing role of a manager – Perspective from managers
• Meaning of Planning
• Nature of planning
• Steps of the planning function
• Why planning is necessary
• Types of planning

5 Organising

• The concept of organizing and analyzing work
• Different approaches to organizing and analyzing work
• Work improvement and measurement
• Time and motion study
• Workspace and architectural ergonomics
• Impact of information technology on organising work

6 Staffing and Directing

• Characteristics of staffing
• Training and Development

7 Controlling

• Meaning of Control
• Importance of Control
• Features of Control
• The Control process
• Essentials of a good control system
• Types of control
• Techniques of Control

8 Leading and Motivating

• Leadership Styles
• Leadership Theories
• Modern Theories of Leadership
• Successful Vs. Effective Leader
• Motivation: Meaning and Definition
• Motivating Factors
• Importance of Motivation
• Motivating Steps
• Types of Motivation
• Theories of Motivation

9 Decision Making

• Three Phases in Decision Making Process
• Types of Managerial Decisions
• Decision Making under Different States of Nature
• Models of Decision Making Process
• Techniques Used in Different Steps of Decision Making
• Individual Versus Group Decision Making
• Overcoming Barriers to Effective Decision Making

10 Organisation Structure and Design

• Organisation Structure and Chart
• Formal and Informal Organisations
• Factors Influencing the Choice of Structure
• Degree of Decentralisation
• Line and Staff Relationships
• Specialisation of Work
• Span of Control and Levels of Management
• Differentiation of Tasks and Activities within an Organisation
• Matrix Structure
• Network Structure
• Integration of Organisational Tasks and Activities
• Designing Structure for a Service Organisation

11 Organisation Communication Processes

• Communication: Meaning and Purpose
• Importance of Communication
• Communication Process
• Verbal and Non-verbal Communication
• Channels of Communication
• Barriers to Communication
• Making Communication Effective

12 Organisational Culture

• Concept of Organisational Culture
• Key Terms Used
• Meaning of Organisational Culture
• Role of Culture
• Developing Organisational Culture
• Types of Organisational Culture
• Traits of a great Organizational Culture
• Towards building a sustainable organizational culture
• Culture by choice V/s Culture by chance
• Creation of Ethical Culture
• Changing Organisational Culture
• Spirituality and Organisational Culture

13 Managing Change

• The concept of change
• The key drivers of change
• Nature of change
• Process of change
• Models of change
• Resistance to change
• Strategies to overcome resistance
• Forms of Organizational Change
• Evaluation of Change
• Role of Change Agent
• Organization Development (OD)
• OD Interventions

14 Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethics

• Meaning and Evolution of CSR
• Evolution of CSR Legislation in India
• Benefits and Drivers of CSR
• Ethics in the Context of CSR
• Ethical Views or Theories
• Case Study: Tata Motors Limited and CSR

Transform teamwork with Confluence. See why Confluence is the content collaboration hub for all teams.  Get it free

• The Workstream
• Project management
• Project manager

What is a project manager? Responsibilities and best practices explained

Browse topics.

A project manager, or PM, coordinates the elements of a project, aiming for timely completion within budget and with high standards. They're the central figure connecting project goals with the collective efforts of their team and help navigate obstacles to guide projects to their goals. 

This guide explores the role of PMs, highlighting their critical responsibilities, key skills, and best strategies. It also examines how platforms like Confluence can help PMs enhance team collaboration and communication across the project life cycle .

What is a project manager?

A PM is a leader who guides projects from the drawing board to the finish line. They make sure everything runs smoothly and stays on schedule. They gather necessary resources, unite team members, and work on continuous improvement .

PMs connect the day-to-day work with the bigger picture. They support the broader objectives of the company and satisfy stakeholder needs.

Project manager responsibilities

PMs juggle a variety of core responsibilities to lead a project through hurdles and changes. Mastery in each of these areas contributes to a smoother experience from the perspective of both team members and stakeholders: 

• Project planning : PMs initiate the planning process, clearly defining the project's scope, goals, and objectives. They develop detailed plans outlining tasks, resources, timelines, and deliverables, creating a solid foundation for project execution.
• Team coordination : Project managers assemble and direct project teams, assigning tasks based on members' skills and experience. PMs focus and unify team efforts by promoting collaboration, resolving conflicts, and leading effective team meetings . 
• Risk management : PMs identify potential risks early, analyze their possible impact, and develop mitigation strategies. This proactive approach minimizes disruptions to the project’s schedule, quality, and budget.
• Budget oversight : PMs estimate costs, establish budgets, track spending, and adjust as necessary to keep the project within financial boundaries while achieving fiscal efficiency.
• Client communication : They maintain open and transparent communication with clients and stakeholders. PMs provide updates, respond to inquiries, and use feedback to adapt project scope to meet or exceed client expectations.
• Maintaining quality standards : PMs implement quality control processes to ensure deliverables meet agreed-upon standards and satisfy client requirements. This helps maintain project integrity.

Project manager skills

The success of any project depends heavily on the unique blend of soft and hard skills possessed by the PM. Here are some of the critical soft skills that PMs need to excel in their role:

• Communication : PMs must master verbal and written communication to convey project objectives, updates, and feedback to all stakeholders. This fosters alignment and collaboration throughout the project life cycle.
• Adaptability : PMs need to respond to project shifts and unforeseen challenges with flexibility. They must be able to adjust strategies and plans to keep projects moving forward.
• Problem-solving : PMs must approach issues decisively. They use critical thinking to analyze problems, devise solutions, and apply them effectively. This minimizes the impact on project progress and outcomes.
• Leadership : PMs provide team leadership to inspire and motivate. They guide team members, support their development, and cultivate a collaborative environment.
• Organizational skills : Exceptional organizational abilities allow PMs to balance multiple tasks and priorities. They skillfully map out schedules, allocate resources, and monitor project timelines to guide their team toward success.

Best practices for project managers

Great PMs commit to applying best practices consistently across projects. They understand that good project management comes from a blend of skill, strategy, and continuous refinement. Here are some key best practices:

Prioritize clear communication

Clear communication keeps everyone moving in the same direction and places transparency and efficiency at the heart of the team's workflow . Encouraging open exchanges of ideas, progress updates, and concerns helps the team tackle obstacles head-on and propels the project forward. 

Create effective project plans

Well-structured project plans contain the following key elements:

• Scope : Define the project scope clearly. This helps prevent scope creep and ensures everyone understands the project boundaries.
• Goals and objectives : Establish what the project aims to achieve. Objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
• Milestones and timeline : Identify crucial milestones and create a timeline that outlines when each project phase should be completed.
• Resources : Detail necessary resources (people, budget, technology) and allocate them effectively. This includes identifying roles and responsibilities.
• Risk management : Anticipate potential risks and strategize how to address them. This fosters a proactive approach to uncertainty management.
• Communication plan: Outline how you will handle communication within the project team and with stakeholders. This includes frequency, methods, and key points.

Use project management tools

Using specialized project management software empowers PMs to excel in their roles. 

Project manager software is a centralized hub for everything project-related, including plans, tasks, and resources. This simplifies outlining projects, distributing tasks, and tracking deadlines. Everyone stays in the loop, reducing mix-ups and enhancing teamwork .

Project management software also improves how teams communicate. Tools facilitate smoother updates, collaborative problem-solving, and efficient coordination. This includes commenting, file sharing, and simultaneous editing.

Confluence is the premier project management solution for PMs seeking to overcome the common PgM challenge of fragmented communication and scattered data and documents. The platform serves as a central repository for all project-related documents and knowledge. Information is readily accessible to anyone who needs it, allowing PMs more time to focus on strategic tasks.

Empower your team

An inspired and empowered team not only boosts productivity but also becomes a driving force behind project success. Effective PMs cultivate a positive work environment through various team management strategies , such as:

• Ensure each team member knows their role, expectations, and how their work contributes to the project's success.
• Give team members the freedom to make decisions about their work. This builds trust and encourages innovation.
• Provide opportunities for team members to develop their skills and grow professionally. This can include training, workshops, or taking on new challenges within the project.
• Regularly acknowledge and celebrate achievements, both individually and as a team. 
• Create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas, concerns, and feedback.

Effective project management with Confluence

Confluence transforms project management through centralized collaboration and efficiency. It serves as a dynamic platform where teams unite. They can share and update project plans in real-time, keeping everyone aligned and informed. Confluence offers many features for effective project management, including:

• Simultaneous editing : Say goodbye to endless email chains. Edit documents together.
• Ready-made templates : Jumpstart your projects with templates for everything from meeting notes to project plans .
• Task management : Assign and track tasks right in your documents, keeping everyone accountable.
• Effortless organization : With powerful search and sorting capabilities, finding what you need is a breeze.
• Seamless integration : Jira works with other third-party apps, putting all your tools in one place.

Confluence is more than a tool—it's a game-changer for teams dedicated to improving how they manage projects and collaborate. It also supports versatile content types – think pages for detailed documentation, whiteboards for brainstorming, Loom videos for walkthroughs, and databases for structured information. AI capabilities further expand Confluence’s feature set by summarizing text, highlighting action items, and even adjusting the tone of specific communication.

Try Confluence today and experience a unified workspace that propels projects forward.

Project manager: Frequently asked questions

What does a project manager do on a daily basis.

PMs juggle various tasks daily, including monitoring project progress, talking things through with stakeholders, tackling issues that arise, and tweaking plans to keep everything on track with the project's goals.

What are project management methodologies?

Project management methodologies act as blueprints for navigating a project's life cycle. Agile and Scrum are great for fast-paced, iterative projects. Waterfall and Lean work better for projects with a defined sequence or a focus on minimizing waste.

Why is a project manager important?

A project manager is vital because they act as the bridge between a project's plan and its execution. A PM's core role is to ensure that projects meet deadlines, stay within budget, and adhere to quality standards. Their expertise in managing timelines and resources prevents miscommunication and scope creep. 

What is the difference between a program manager and a project manager?

A program manager oversees a group of related projects, focusing on long-term objectives and the overall impact on the company's goals. A project manager is responsible for the daily operations of a single project. They concentrate on meeting specific deadlines, budgets, and scope. 

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Project poster template.

A collaborative one-pager that keeps your project team and stakeholders aligned.

Project Plan Template

Define, scope, and plan milestones for your next project.

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• Accountancy
• Business Studies
• Commercial Law
• Organisational Behaviour
• Human Resource Management
• Entrepreneurship
• CBSE Class 12 Business Studies Notes

Chapter 1: Nature and Significance of Management

Management : meaning, characteristics, objectives, and importance.

• Difference between Efficiency and Effectiveness
• Nature of Management as a Science, Art and Profession
• Levels of Management - Top, Middle and Lower
• Functions of Management - Planning, Organising, Staffing, Directing and Controlling
• Coordination in Management : Concept, Features & Importance
• Difference between Coordination and Cooperation

Chapter 2: Principles of Management

• Nature and Significance of Principles of Management
• 14 Principles of Management by Henri Fayol
• Difference between Unity of Command and Unity of Direction
• Principles of Scientific Management
• Techniques of Scientific Management
• Difference between Time Study and Motion Study
• Difference between Fayol and Taylor Theories of Management

Chapter 3: Business Environment

• Importance of Business Environment
• Dimensions of Business Environment
• Economic Environment in India
• New Industrial Policy : Features & Impact
• Concept and Features of Demonetization

Chapter 4: Planning

• Features, Importance and Limitations of Planning
• Planning Process: Concept and Steps
• Types of Plans: Standing Plan and Single-use Plan
• Difference between Standing Plans and Single-Use Plans
• Difference between Policies and Objectives
• Difference between Policies and Strategy
• Difference between Policies and Procedures
• Difference between Procedures and Methods
• Difference between Procedures and Rules
• Difference between Policies and Rules
• Difference between Rules and Methods

Chapter 5: Organising

• Organising : Meaning, Importance and Process
• Types of Organisation Structure
• Difference between Functional Structure and Divisional Structure
• Formal and Informal Organisation
• Difference between Formal and Informal Organisation
• Elements and Importance of Delegation
• Difference between Authority, Responsibility and Accountability
• Centralization and Decentralization
• Difference between Centralization and Decentralization
• Difference between Delegation and Decentralization

Chapter 6: Staffing

• Staffing : Meaning, Definition, Features and Importance
• Staffing and Human Resource Management
• Staffing Process
• Sources of Recruitment (Internal and External: Meaning, Merits and Demerits)
• Difference between Internal Recruitment and External Recruitment
• Steps in Selection Process
• Difference between Recruitment and Selection
• Importance of Training and Development to Organisation and Employees
• Methods of Training: On-the-Job Methods and Off-the-Job Methods
• Difference between On-the-Job Training Methods and Off-the-Job Training Methods
• Difference between Training and Development
• Difference between Training, Development and Education

Chapter 7: Directing

• Directing: Meaning, Characteristics and Importance
• Principles and Elements of Directing
• Importance of Supervision
• Features and Importance of Motivation
• Process of Motivation
• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory
• Financial and Non-Financial Incentives
• Difference between Financial and Non-financial Incentives
• Features and Importance of Leadership
• Types of Leadership Styles
• 10 Qualities of a Good Leader
• Which is more effective Push or Pull marketing ?
• Communication: Meaning, Definition, Features and Importance
• Elements of Communication Process
• Communication Channels | Formal and Informal
• Formal Communication: Meaning, Types, Merits and Demerits
• Informal Communication: Meaning, Networks, Merits and Demerits
• Barriers to Effective Communication
• Measures to improve Communication Effectiveness

Chapter 8: Controlling

• Controlling: Nature, Importance, and Limitations
• Relationship between Planning and Controlling
• Process of Controlling

Chapter 9: Financial Management

• Role and Objectives of Financial Management
• Types of Financial Decisions
• Investment Decision: Meaning and Factors affecting Investment Decision
• Financing Decision: Meaning and Factors affecting Financing Decision
• Dividend Decision: Meaning and Factors affecting Dividend Decision
• Financial Planning: Objectives and Importance
• What is Capital Structure?
• Factors affecting the choice of Capital Structure
• What is Fixed Capital and Working Capital?
• Factors Affecting the Fixed Capital
• Factors Affecting the Working Capital

Chapter 10: Financial Markets

• Financial Market : Meaning, Functions, and Classification
• Instruments of Money Market
• What is Capital Market?
• Difference between Money Market and Capital Market
• What are the different Methods of Floatation of Securities in Primary Market?
• Difference between Primary Market and Secondary Market
• What is Stock Exchange?
• Trading Procedure on a Stock Exchange
• Basic Stock Market Terms | Common Terms in Stock Exchange
• Depository System: Meaning, Services and Constituents
• Demat Account: Types, Importance & How to Open
• What is National Stock Exchange of India (NSEI)?
• What is Over the Counter Exchange of India (OTCEI)?
• Difference between NSEI and OTCEI
• Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI): Objectives and Functions

Chapter 11: Marketing

• Marketing: Features and Functions
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Commercial Paper
• Marketing Management Philosophies
• Elements of Marketing Mix : 4Ps
• What is Product Mix?
• Classification of Products
• Difference between Convenience Products, Shopping Products and Speciality Products
• Difference between Consumer Products and Industrial Products
• What is Branding?
• Packaging: Levels, Importance and Functions
• What is Labelling?
• Price Mix: Meaning and Factors Affecting Price Determination
• What is Place/Physical Distribution Mix?
• Types of Distribution Channels
• Factors Determining Choice of Channels of Distribution
• Components of Physical Distribution
• What is Promotion Mix?
• Advertising : Features, Merits and Demerits
• Objections to Advertising
• Personal Selling: Features, Merits and Role
• Qualities of a Good Salesman
• Difference between Advertising and Personal Selling
• Sales Promotion: Merits, Demerits and Activities/ Techniques
• Public Relations (PR) : Meaning, Importance, Roles and Tools

Chapter 12: Consumer Protection

• Consumer Protection: Meaning, Importance and Means
• Consumer Rights and Responsibilities
• Who is a Consumer?
• Consumer Protection Act 1986 v/s Consumer Protection Act 2019
• Redressal Agencies under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019
• Remedies available to Consumers under Consumer Protection Act 2019

What is Management?

A universal concept that is needed in every organisation whether it is a business organisation or a non-business organisation such as hospital school, etc., is known as Management. An organisation’s success depends on the successful functioning of its management and is always required whenever human and non-human resources of an organisation work together for the accomplishment of any objective. In present times, with an increase in the size and complexities of modern organisations. the concept of management has gained immense importance. 

The definition of Management varies with the context in which it is used. In a broader sense, Management can be defined as per Traditional Approach and Modern Approach.

Traditional Definitions of Management “Management consists of getting things done through others. A manager is one who accomplishes objectives by directing efforts of others.” – C.S. George “Management is the art of getting things done through others.” – Follett

The traditional definitions of Management were vague as they were unable to identify the functions, a manager has to perform to get things done through others. Besides, these definitions gave an impression of the manipulative practice of management and ignored the needs of workers and treated them as a means for getting results in any way. 

Modern Definitions of Management “Management is the creation of an internal environment where individuals working in a group can perform effectively and efficiently for the achievement of organisational goals.” – Koontz and Donnell “Management is defined as the process of planning, organising, actuating, and controlling of an organisation’s operations in order to achieve coordination of the human and material resources essential in the effective and efficient attainment of objectives.” – Trewelly and Newport “Management is the process of working with and through others to effectively achieve organisational objectives by efficiently using limited resources in the changing environment.” – Kreitner

Table of Content

Modern Concept of Management

Characteristics of management, objectives of management, importance of management.

Management is a process through which an organisation designs and maintains an environment in which individuals work together with the motive of achieving organisational goals effectively and efficiently. The three essential elements that come under the modern concept of Management are as follows:

1. Management is a ‘Process’: Management involves a series of int-related functions like planning, organising, staffing, directing, and controlling, which makes it a process. Every manager performs these functions to achieve goals.

2. Management requires Effective Performance: Effectiveness in Management means achieving goals on time. In simple terms, it aims at end result. For example, if an organisation achieves its sales target within time, it is said to be effective. 

3. Management needs Efficiency: Efficiency in Management means doing tasks correctly and with minimum cost. It is not enough to just complete the task on time, it should be accurate also. Besides, management also aims at using its resources efficiently as it reduces the cost of the firm ultimately resulting in higher profits. 

1. Continuous Process: Management is a continuous process. It means that the process of business management goes on until the company exists, as it helps in achieving the organisational goals. Every manager of an organisation has to perform the different functions of management in a series ( planning, organising, staffing, directing, and controlling ).

2. Goal-oriented: Every organisation has a set of predetermined goals or objectives that it aims to accomplish during its existence. Every organisation has different goals. Hence, management helps these organisations in fulfilling their goals by utilising the given limited resources in the best optimum manner. For example, If the objective of Airtel is to add a billion Airtel Xtreme customers in a year, then all of its managerial activities will be directed toward the achievement of this objective.

3. All Pervasive: The process of business management is universal in nature. Every organisation, whether small scale, large scale, economic, social, etc., uses the process of management at every level or stage. Besides, the activities involved in the management of an organisation are common for all whether it is a social, political, or economic enterprise. 

4. Multidimensional: Management is a multidimensional process as it does not involve only one activity. The three main activities involved in management are Management of Work, Management of People, and Management of Operations.

• Management of Work: Every organisation is set up to perform some work or goal, and the management aims at achieving these goals or tasks. The work of an organisation depends upon the nature of Business; for example, work to be fulfilled in a hospital is treating patients, in a university is educating students, etc. 
• Management of People: People are the most essential assets of an organisation and refer to human resources. It is the duty of the management to get the work completed through human resources/people by making their strengths effective and weaknesses irrelevant. Managing people have two dimensions; viz., Taking care of a group of people and Taking care of employees’ individual needs.
• Management of Operations: Operations are the activities of an organisation’s production cycle, like purchasing inputs, converting them into semi-finished goods, and finished goods. Simply put, Management of operations consists of a mix of Management of Work and Management of People, and decides what work has to be done, how it has to be done, and who will do it. 

5. Dynamic Function: There are different internal and external factors that affect the working of an organisation. An organisation has to change and adapt itself on the basis of changing environment to accomplish the organisational goals and objectives. Hence, management is a dynamic function.

6. Management is a Group Activity: Management involves a group of people performing managerial activities. The functions of management can be executed only when every individual performs his/her role their respective status and department. And as the result of management affects every individual and every department of an organisation, it always refers to a group effort. 

7. Management is an Intangible Force: Management is a function that cannot be physically seen but its presence can be felt by watching the orderliness and coordination in work environment and happy faces of the employees when the task is completed. 

Coordination is the essence of management. It helps in synchronizing the different activities of all departments and functions of management. The managers at each level of the organisation have to ensure proper coordination for better results and accomplishment of organisational goals. 

1. Social Objectives: These refer to the objectives which are desired to be achieved for the benefit of society. Every organisation has a social responsibility to fulfill during its existence. Some of the social obligations of an organisation include implementing environment friendly practices in the production process, providing basic amenities to employees such as healthcare, education, etc., and providing the unprivileged sections of society with employment opportunities.

2. Organisational Objectives: With the help of management, every organisation sets and achieves organisational goals. The three major organisational objectives are survival, profit, and growth. 

• Survival: One of the basic objectives of every organisation is survival. It does so by making positive decisions for the organisation with the help of the business management process.
• Profit: Survival is not enough for an organisation; it has to earn profits to grow and expand in the future. Hence, every organisation has to ensure its profit so that it can cover its costs and risks.
• Growth: Besides earning a profit, an organisation has to grow in order to remain in the industry. For this purpose, the management of an organisation has to exploit its resources effectively and efficiently.

3. Personal or Individual Objectives: As discussed earlier, people are the main asset of an organisation having different goals, backgrounds and personalities. It is the duty of the managers to ensure that the personnel objectives are aligned with the organisational objectives. Individual or Personal Objectives of an organisation consist of satisfying needs like Social Needs, Financial Needs, Good and Healthy Working Conditions, and Higher Level Needs. 

1. Increases Efficiency: The management process of an organisation increases its efficiency by reducing cost and increasing productivity by utilisation of the available resources in the best possible and optimum way.

2. Helps in Achieving Group Goals: Effective management process creates teamwork and builds coordination among the members of an organisation. The managers provide a common path or direction to their employees for the accomplishment of the overall objectives of the organisation.

3. Creates a Dynamic Organisation: Every organisation works in a changing environment. The managers of an organisation have to help their members adapt to the changing environment, which ultimately helps them ensure the survival and growth of the organisation. Besides, the management convinces the employees that the changes brought in the organisation will benefit their future prospects. 

4. Development of Society: Every organisation has various objectives toward different groups of society. Along with the development of the organisation, its management has to develop the society too. To do so, the management helps the organisation produce good quality products, adopt new technologies, and provide employment opportunities to the weaker sections of society. 

5. Helps in Achieving Personal Objectives: Every individual or employee of an organisation has different objectives or goals they wish to accomplish while doing their jobs. Management helps these employees in fulfilling their personal objectives along with the organisational objectives.

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Definition of assignment

task , duty , job , chore , stint , assignment mean a piece of work to be done.

task implies work imposed by a person in authority or an employer or by circumstance.

duty implies an obligation to perform or responsibility for performance.

job applies to a piece of work voluntarily performed; it may sometimes suggest difficulty or importance.

chore implies a minor routine activity necessary for maintaining a household or farm.

stint implies a carefully allotted or measured quantity of assigned work or service.

assignment implies a definite limited task assigned by one in authority.

Examples of assignment in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assignment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

see assign entry 1

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing assignment

• self - assignment

Dictionary Entries Near assignment

Cite this entry.

“Assignment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assignment. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.

Legal Definition

Legal definition of assignment, more from merriam-webster on assignment.

Nglish: Translation of assignment for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of assignment for Arabic Speakers

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Global Assignment - Definition, Importance, Steps & Example

What is global assignment.

Global assignments are business projects which are allotted to some employees outside the home country. Global assignments are employers assigning their employees on projects which are globally implemented. Global assignments are mostly taken place in multinational companies and may involve employees to relocate from their current country to a different country where the assignment is assigned.

Since globalization has taken place rapidly and the world has become more connected, it has become a very common phenomenon. Many countries face skill shortage or require an expert for a particular assignment so they would hire the person with the requisite skills or knowledge from other countries and pay the person a hefty compensation as demanded by the person.

Steps in Managing Global Assignment

Some steps in managing global assignments & international projects are:

1. Evaluating objectives of the international project

2. Identifying team members & giving pre-requisite training

3. Pre-departure preparation of activities & work to be done

4. On job activities on global assignment at international location

5. Project completion

6. Evaluation & reassignment if required

Importance of Global Assignment

Global assignments as identified by experts in international human resource management are of three types

1. Technical assignments: Employees may be assigned global assignments if they have the technical skills that are required by the MNC for a particular assignment and the MNC is not able to find anyone as capable as that person internally and in that particular country, if a person is located within the MNC in another country then that person is sent on a technical assignment.

2. Developmental assignments: Developmental assignments are typically used to develop a project or concept that is new to a different location or develop skills in a different location which is not implemented in that location, it is also used by institutes to bring in faculties from different parts of the globe to give the students an exposure to different perspectives and cultures and their thoughts on the scenario of the subject.

3. Strategic Assignments are global assignments in which a key partner is sent to launch a product in a key location, develop the market or get necessary changes in the business strategy or even sign Memorandum of Understandings and Joint Venture deals.

Advantages of Global Assignments

Some advantages of global assignments are

1. Skills and knowledge which are not available in a country can be brought from other countries.

2. MNC’s are able to get their projects done more effectively and not having the problem of talent not being available.

3. Employees may be motivated to join an MNC which assigns global assignments to its employees regularly.

Example of Global Assignment

Here is an example of global assignment for a hypothetical organization Company A. Company A could not find a person who could communicate in French, German and Hindi in their main headquarters in USA as they felt that there would be a gap in understanding if the language is translated to English, and then to either of these languages. So, since they did not find the any person who had proficiency in these three languages in their headquarters and started finding for a person with the language skills throughout all their office. Company A found a person in their international office in India with the knowledge in these three languages. So, they assigned her the project under a global assignment and she was asked to relocate to the main headquarters located in the United States for the duration of the project.

Hence, this concludes the definition of Global Assignment along with its overview.

This article has been researched & authored by the Business Concepts Team . It has been reviewed & published by the MBA Skool Team. The content on MBA Skool has been created for educational & academic purpose only.

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Assignment Problem: Meaning, Methods and Variations | Operations Research

After reading this article you will learn about:- 1. Meaning of Assignment Problem 2. Definition of Assignment Problem 3. Mathematical Formulation 4. Hungarian Method 5. Variations.

Meaning of Assignment Problem:

An assignment problem is a particular case of transportation problem where the objective is to assign a number of resources to an equal number of activities so as to minimise total cost or maximize total profit of allocation.

The problem of assignment arises because available resources such as men, machines etc. have varying degrees of efficiency for performing different activities, therefore, cost, profit or loss of performing the different activities is different.

Thus, the problem is “How should the assignments be made so as to optimize the given objective”. Some of the problem where the assignment technique may be useful are assignment of workers to machines, salesman to different sales areas.

Definition of Assignment Problem:

ADVERTISEMENTS:

Suppose there are n jobs to be performed and n persons are available for doing these jobs. Assume that each person can do each job at a term, though with varying degree of efficiency, let c ij be the cost if the i-th person is assigned to the j-th job. The problem is to find an assignment (which job should be assigned to which person one on-one basis) So that the total cost of performing all jobs is minimum, problem of this kind are known as assignment problem.

The assignment problem can be stated in the form of n x n cost matrix C real members as given in the following table:

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Aaron Hicks was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels on Monday after batting .140 in 18 games.

Hicks was 8-for-57 with the Angels and had only one hit in his last 19 at-bats.

"We just thought we needed to start making some changes," manager Ron Washington said before Monday night's game against the Philadelphia Phillies . "I love Aaron Hicks and I appreciate what he did during the time he was here, but it was time to move on."

Hicks signed a one-year deal with the Angels in late January. He started only two of the past six games after Jo Adell took over as the starting right fielder.

The 34-year-old Hicks spent last season with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles . He joined the Orioles last May after he was released by the Yankees, where he spent parts of eight seasons.

Hicks appeared to revive his career with Baltimore, batting .275 in 65 games for the American League East champions.

The Angels have lost five straight and are 3-9 at home.

"We're not trying to give a message to anyone that if you don't do this and if you don't do that, you won't be here. But if they don't do this and they don't do that, then they won't," said Washington, who is in his first season leading the Angels and celebrated his 72nd birthday Monday.

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Consultancy assignment: exposure visit facilitation and management.

Terms of Reference (ToR)

Terms of Reference for Consultancy Assignment: Exposure visit facilitation and management

Under “Building the Palestinian Agricultural Insurance Systems and Services” Project”

Ref: 24/009/OPTI/JRM

• Palestinian Agricultural Sector

The relevance of agricultural insurance derives from the importance of the agricultural sector itself in social and economic development in Palestine. The country is rich in agricultural biodiversity, enjoys a variety of climatic and geographical variations that enable diversity in agricultural production, and benefits from its ability to keep abreast of agricultural technological development. The Israeli occupation, however, proliferates drivers and vulnerabilities, including the confiscation of land, fragmentation of Palestinian territory, control over water and resources, especially in Area C, limited access to international and national markets, and military and settler violence. Despite manifold Israeli restrictions on Palestinian access to resources, movement, and trade, which have led to an overall decline of the sector, agriculture remains an important source of food security, livelihoods, and export revenues. Although impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic and operating under Israeli restrictions, which have resulted in continuous loss of land and water, the percentage contribution of agricultural activity value added of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is estimated to reach 7.6% according to 2021 forecasts. Further, agriculture provided jobs for 6.2% of the employed in the third quarter of 2021 and a secondary source of income for many more households in the occupied Palestinian territory, where farming widely depends on family labour. Women play a critically important but often unrecognised role in the sector, supplying 87% of the labour input in livestock production and 54% in rain-fed crop production (Food and Agriculture Organisation, 2020).

However, agriculture's overall economic importance is broader than just the sector itself. It has forward and backward linkages with sectors such as industry, retail and wholesale trade, transport, tourism, and hospitality services, which rely on it as a source of inputs or as a market that absorbs their outputs.

Over and above its economic roles, agriculture is an intrinsic component of the Palestinian cultural and social fabric. It plays a crucial part in the national narrative and is privileged in literature, songs, and other artistic expressions. It has come to symbolize Palestinian resilience and perseverance in the face of ongoing land loss due to prolonged occupation and the expansion of Israeli settlements. Within the context of political volatility, one of the world’s fastest-growing populations, and increased climatic variability exacerbated by environmental degradation, the risks faced by farmers, producers, and other agricultural value chain actors are expected to increase unless adequate measures are taken to protect the agriculture sector better.

Within the context of political volatility, one of the world’s fastest-growing populations, and increased climatic variability exacerbated by environmental degradation, the risks faced by farmers, producers, and other agricultural value chain actors are expected to increase unless effective measures are taken to protect the agriculture sector better. As described by climate change experts, climatic risks will potentially increase with future climate scenarios for Palestine projecting a temperature rise and a decrease in average annual rainfall, translating into an increase in the risk of drought and flood risk, with the wettest days becoming more frequent. While currently, farmers and producers who have incurred such risks are partially supported through direct loss compensation, a more optimal system of professional risk transfer – insurance – is necessary, especially with the increased vulnerability of farmers and producers to risks.

A 2018 demand survey, administered on a sample survey representing small-scale producers, conducted by the Palestinian Agricultural Disaster Risk Reduction and Insurance Fund (PADRRIF) to assess farmers' and producers' attitudes towards agricultural insurance, revealed that 83% of the respondents expressed the need and willingness to participate in an agricultural insurance scheme when it is available and ready. This indicates that PADRRIF should move forward with activating an agricultural insurance programme.

• Project Background

The ‘Building the Palestinian Agricultural Insurance Systems and Services’ project is a 36-month action led by Oxfam and the Economic and Social Development Centre of Palestine (ESDC) and funded by the EU. The action aims to increase the resilience of Palestinian farmers and producers against shocks resulting from production risks, including climate change and infrastructural risks, with the specific objective of putting in place an operational and sustainable agricultural insurance system and services through the Palestinian Agricultural Disaster Risk Reduction and Insurance Fund (PADRRIF), with the participation of the private sector.

This project and its two predecessors stem from the Palestinian Agricultural Disaster Risk Reduction and Insurance Fund (PADRRIF) strategy adopted for 2017-2022. The strategy included three significant programs, one of which was the Agricultural Risk Management Programme. This programme's key output was to develop "a market for agricultural insurance and partnerships to mitigate agricultural risks." The Agricultural Risk Management Programme drives the ‘Building the Palestinian Agricultural Insurance System and Services’ project, ensuring its continuity and alignment with PADRRIF's objectives.

The current project builds upon a previous EU-funded technical assistance project called "Developing the Agricultural Insurance System in Palestine: Pre-Development Phase." As part of this project, a group of experts was recruited to assess the current environment in oPt and prepare a ‘Roadmap on Agricultural Insurance Development.’ The roadmap in March 2018 outlines the technical, policy, legal, financial, market, and organizational requirements for establishing agricultural insurance in Palestine. Importantly, the roadmap was developed closely with PADRRIF and key stakeholders. Additionally, the project builds on the achievements and lessons learned from the 'Developing the Agricultural Insurance System in Palestine' pilot project, funded by the Government of Sweden and led by Oxfam in partnership with PADRRIF, concluding in 2019.

• Assignment Objectives and Expected Results

The Agricultural Insurance project is focused on building the insurance system with and through the different stakeholders to increase the resilience of Palestinian farmers and producers against production and market risks in the agricultural sector arising from climate change and other infrastructural risks. The project’s direct capacity-building objective aims to understand better and gain more knowledge of agricultural insurance's main functions and operations, so a focused technical capacity-building programme for stakeholders, mainly in the public sector, will be developed (as part of the project).

As part of the strategic development of the agro-insurance system and the capacity building of related stakeholders, Oxfam is planning to conduct an exposure visit to Spain. The project’s technical committee recognized it as a country with extensive experience in risk management in agriculture, particularly through insurance. The expertise and knowledge acquired by the dedicated staff at Spanish institutes and cooperatives serve as important reference points for the operational steps and market development of agricultural insurance in Palestine.

We hope to benefit from the experiences of institutions such as i) The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, ii) ENESA - Spanish National Agency for Agricultural Insurance, iii) Agroseguro, which is the manager of agricultural insurance in the name and on behalf of insurance companies that are part of the co-insurance pool, iv) insurance and reinsurance companies, as well as v) related agricultural cooperatives)

From this visit, Oxfam aims to provide the partners and stakeholders with an experience and in-depth understanding of Spain's agricultural insurance system and its operation. Through this visit, partners and stakeholders will have the opportunity to:

• Learn from Spain's extensive experience: Gain insights into Spain's risk management practices in agriculture, particularly in agricultural insurance. Understand the challenges faced and the solutions implemented by Spain to enhance farmers’ resilience against climate and infrastructural risks.
• Explore best practices: Observe and learn about the best practices employed by Spanish institutes and cooperatives (such as the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, ENESA, Agroseguro, insurance, and reinsurance companies, as well as related agricultural cooperatives, etc.) in the operationalization of agricultural insurance. Understand how these practices can be adjusted and implemented in the context of Palestine's agricultural sector. Understand the prerequisites and success drivers in the operationalisation process and partnerships.
• Gain market development insights and strategies: Learn about Spain's strategies and approaches to develop and expand its agricultural insurance market. Explore innovative approaches and effective methods for promoting agricultural insurance products and services and the role of insurance aggregators and the government in this context.
• Obtain practical knowledge and guidance: Interact with the specialized staff to gain useful knowledge and guidance on implementing an agricultural insurance system and its public-private partnership. Learn about Spain's processes, procedures, and tools for effectively managing agricultural risks and providing farmers’ insurance services.

As a result of this exposure visit, Oxfam anticipates the following outcomes:

• Enhanced knowledge: Oxfam partners will acquire a deeper understanding of Spain's agricultural insurance system, including its operational aspects, market development strategies, and risk management practices. This knowledge will provide a solid foundation for implementing the agricultural insurance system in Palestine.
• Improved capacity: Exposure to Spain's expertise and experiences in agricultural insurance will enhance our partners' capacity to design and implement effective risk management solutions for small-scale farmers in Palestine. They will have the necessary skills and knowledge to adapt and customize best practices to the local context.
• Strengthened partnerships: The visit will foster closer collaboration and partnerships between Oxfam and relevant stakeholders in Spain, particularly ENESA and Agroseguro. This will create avenues for future knowledge exchange, technical assistance, and potential collaboration opportunities in agricultural insurance.
• Actionable insights: Oxfam partners will gain actionable insights and practical guidance that can be applied to the ongoing project of building an agricultural insurance system in Palestine. These insights will contribute to the successful implementation and sustainability of the project, ultimately benefiting small-scale farmers and enhancing their resilience against climate and infrastructural risks.
• Assignment Scope of Work

Oxfam seeks to contract a service provider to coordinate and facilitate this exposure visit to Spain for staff from relevant stakeholders, including PADRRIF, PCMA, Farmer’s Representatives, Insurance Industry Representatives, and Oxfam’s staff. This service provider will help in:

Preparatory Phase:

• Coordinate with Spanish institutes and cooperatives (such as the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, ENESA, Agroseguro, insurance, reinsurance companies, and related agricultural cooperatives) to schedule meetings, presentations, and site visits. Such meetings and visits can be done in more than one location/Spanish district. Thus, internal transportation and time schedules should consider such diversity in those locations.
• Provide necessary pre-departure information and guidance to the participants regarding the visit.

Exposure Visit:

• Facilitate the travel arrangements for the participants from inside Spain. Another travel agency will be responsible for booking the hotels and tickets in Spain.
• Arrange meetings, field visits(optional), and interactions with relevant experts, officials, and staff members at Spanish institutes and cooperatives (mentioned above)
• Organize workshops to familiarize the participants with Spain's agricultural insurance system, best practices, market development strategies, and operationalization steps through one or more Spanish institutes (mentioned above).
• Facilitate visits to agricultural sites, farms, and insurance service centres to observe and learn from practical examples; as part of the meetings mentioned in point 5 above.
• Provide a professional translator fluent in both Spanish and Arabic to ensure effective communication and comprehension between the participants and Spanish-speaking counterparts.
• Service Provider’s Responsibilities & Deliverables:

The service provider is expected to manage the full administration and implementation of the requested service, including, considering that the service provider will be responsible for the whole visit (inside Spain) and arrangements:

• During the visit, provide a detailed translation of verbal discussions, presentations, and written materials.
• Connect with a focal point from Spain/Europe who can support the coordination and the arrangements efforts and guide the process- the focal point must have a good understanding of the agricultural insurance systems and operations, with a good understanding and familiarity with agricultural and insurance terms/terminologies.
• Submit a final report summarizing the activities, insights gained, main takeaways, and recommendations based on the exposure visit; this should be the responsibility of the focal point in Spain.
• Share any relevant documentation, handouts, or materials gathered during the visit with Oxfam for further reference and knowledge sharing.

The contracted service provider is responsible for fulfilling these responsibilities and delivering the agreed-upon services to ensure the smooth implementation of the exposure visit. The accurate translation services and logistical support will contribute to the visit's success and the effective transfer of knowledge and experiences from Spain to Palestine.

• Detailed approach & timeframe

To ensure a successful exposure visit to Spain in ________ (Departure date: _____________________) for Oxfam staff and partner organizations, the contracted company has to develop a detailed approach and timeframe, considering the summer holiday season for the Spanish potential institutions. The main objective of this visit is to gain insights into Spain's agricultural insurance system and learn from their experiences. Here is an overview of our anticipated approach:

Preparatory Phase (May and June 2024):

• Connect with a focal point from Spain or Europe who can support the coordination and arrangements efforts and guide the process. The CV of the proposed person should be annexed to the proposal, and he/she should have a good understanding of the agricultural insurance industry, preferably in Spain.
• Coordinate with Spanish institutes and cooperatives, such as the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, ENESA, Agroseguro, and other proposed institutions, to schedule meetings, presentations, and site visits.
• Provide the visit's agenda and the final schedule to Oxfam for approval.
• Provide the necessary pre-departure information and guidance to the participants regarding the visit.
• The contracted company will manage the full administration and implementation of the visit, ensuring the smooth coordination of all activities. Their accurate translation services and logistical support are vital for the visit's success and the effective transfer of knowledge and experiences from Spain to Palestine.

Exposure Visit (June or July “4 days only”):

• Facilitate the travel arrangements for the participants upon their arrival at Madrid (or any related) Airport.
• Arrange meetings, field visits (optional), and interactions with relevant experts, officials, and staff members at Spanish institutes and cooperatives.
• Facilitate visits to agricultural sites, farms, and insurance service centres to observe and learn from practical examples (based on the agreed-upon type of visits).
• Provide a professional translator/interpreter fluent in Spanish and Arabic to ensure effective communication and comprehension.

Post-Visit Phase (August):

• Submit a final report summarizing the activities, insights gained, main takeaways, and recommendations based on the exposure visit.

The interested companies/service providers should include a detailed approach and timeframe in their proposal. They should also include the names of the Spanish institutes that we will visit, the CV of the focal point, and the translator/interpreter.

• Desired Qualifications, Specialised Knowledge, and Expertise

The service provider to be selected for the proposed assignment should have the following:

• Experience in coordinating and facilitating international exposure visits and B-to-B meetings, preferably in agriculture or agricultural insurance.
• A focal point with a strong understanding of agricultural insurance systems, including best practices and operationalization steps.
• Familiarity with the Spanish agricultural insurance market and its key institutions.
• Proficiency in Spanish and Arabic to ensure accurate and effective communication between participants and Spanish-speaking counterparts.
• Excellent organizational and logistical skills to handle travel arrangements, transportation, meetings, and site visits.
• Ability to provide detailed translations of verbal discussions, presentations, and written materials during the visit.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to establish relationships with relevant stakeholders in Spain and Palestine.
• Capacity to deliver a comprehensive final report summarizing the visit's activities, insights gained, and recommendations.
• Ability to share relevant documentation, handouts, or materials gathered during the visit for further reference and knowledge sharing with Oxfam.
• Evaluation of proposals and selection process

Oxfam expects to receive clear technical and financial proposals to select the company/service provider responsible for providing the services.

Evaluation of the proposals will be as follows: 70% of the weight will be given to the technical proposal, and 30% will be given to the financial proposal. All proposals will be evaluated based on internally agreed criteria as follows:

• The understanding of the assignment by the applicant and the alignment of the proposal submitted with the ToR (15%)
• Range and depth of consultant/service provider experience with similar services, mainly specific and extensive experience in designing & implementing exposure visits (25%)
• Expertise in focal point in insurance systems and practice and insurance and agricultural teams (10%)
• Proposed approach, methodology, and work/implementation plan (20%)
• Financial proposal (30%)

Potential and interested firms are required to submit a comprehensive proposal describing/articulating the work requirements outlined in this ToR. The proposed personnel's professional, management ability, and interpersonal skills are important to indicate in the proposal. The applicant should score at least 50% of the technical total score to be eligible for financial evaluation.

• Terms and conditions
• The company/service provider should follow Oxfam’s Branding policies and ensure Oxfam logos are presented as per the guidelines. The company and the team in the assignment must abide by Oxfam's child protection policy, code of conduct, sexual harassment policy, and other relevant policies. All insurance requirements, including professional indemnity, worker’s compensation, public liability, superannuation, and taxation, where applicable, will remain, at all times, the responsibility of the consultant/service provider.
• All proposal documents are requested in English.
• Oxfam reserves the right to negotiate, accept, or reject any or all proposals and quotations at its sole discretion and to pursue or act further on any responses it considers advantageous.
• Service providers may alter or withdraw their proposals by written notification before the deadline for submission of tenders.
• Each proposal must remain the same after this deadline. Proposals received after the closing date will only be considered if, in Oxfam's sole opinion, exceptional circumstances have caused the delay.
• Withdrawals must be unconditional and will end all participation in the competitive bid procedure.
• Any requests for clarification may be submitted by email to: [email protected]
• FINANCIAL PROPOSAL

The Financial proposal should contain the following information:

• Budget breakdown.
• The submitted offers should be in Euro, Not including VAT . The tenderer should be able to issue an official invoice in addition to a valid deduction at the source certificate or will deduct a percentage from the final payment (according to the Palestinian Taxation department & laws.
• Prices include all expenses, such as transportation per diem, calls, … etc.
• Financial offer:

The service provider is required to provide Oxfam with one price offer, including the travel management fees for the whole exposure visit inside Spain for up to 6-8 persons.

The service provider should include the following services in the cost breakdown:

• Transportation fees within Spain (e.g., metro, buses, taxis).
• Translation fees for a translator who will accompany the group.
• Hall rental and coffee break fees in case workshops or meetings need to be organized (in case it was not offered by the intended institution for the meeting).
• Consulting fees are charged to the consultant/expert experienced in agricultural insurance to support the service providers in contacting Spanish institutes, arranging visits, and leading the group.
• Costs/expenses of any other services that may be required for the exposure visit to Spain.

The service provider must break down all the above costs and any additional costs they deem relevant.

• Confidentiality and Copyrights

Oxfam retains the copyright of all data, information, and content created. The consultant/Service provider is obliged to sign a copyright and non-disclosure statement, confidentiality agreement, and code of conduct. Oxfam retains the full right to use the content created, for example, in local and international media, Oxfam websites, and social media pages, as well as to build on it for future studies and programmes

How to apply

• SUBMISSION PROCESS

Interested consultants/service providers should submit a letter of interest, separate technical proposal, and separate financial offer by May 20,2024, to the attention of [email protected] with the subject: Exposure visit facilitation and management - Ref: 24/009/OPTI/JRM

https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:864ac43a-0d76-4cdb-bcd3-2c6774d2689a

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State of palestine annual country report 2023 - country strategic plan 2018 - 2028, state of palestine annual country report 2022 - country strategic plan 2018 - 2023, fao in the 2019 humanitarian appeal: palestine - humanitarian response plan 2019, the west bank and gaza strip - humanitarian response plan 2018.

Alex Cora explains why Red Sox cut ties with…

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Alex Cora explains why Red Sox cut ties with struggling lefty

Alex Cora understands there were many out there who second guessed his decision to go with Joely Rodriguez instead of Brennan Bernardino as the lone left-hander on the Opening Day roster. That choice was largely roster-driven — Bernardino had minor league options remaining and Rodriguez had an opt out — but Cora also felt Rodriguez was a proven big leaguer who could help the big league club.

Cora still believes Rodriguez can be that guy, but Sunday he acknowledged it wasn’t going to happen in Boston.

To clear space on the roster for Naoyuki Uwasawa, the Red Sox designated the 32-year-old lefty for assignment, likely ending his two-year tenure in Boston. Prior to Sunday’s game Cora explained why they made the move.

“Strike throwing, the stuff looked down and we needed help here,” Cora said. “We’ve got two lefties that are throwing the ball well, and like I said in Seattle, Bernie was sent down, was it the right move? It is what it is. Joely has been a big leaguer throughout his career, he’s been good at what he does and it just didn’t happen.

“Obviously disappointed yesterday that happened,” Cora continued. “I believe there’s something there still, but for us right now, this is what we have to do.”

Rodriguez pitched 11 games for the Red Sox this season, allowing eight earned runs over 11 innings (6.55 ERA) while giving up three home runs.

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Veteran OF and Longtime Defensive Standout Elects Free Agency

After being designated for assignment by the Chicago White Sox last week, longtime outfielder Kevin Pillar has elected free agency.

• Author: brady farkas

In this story:

After being designated for assignment by the Chicago White Sox over the weekend, veteran outfielder Kevin Pillar has officially elected free agency.

Per Vinnie Duber of ALLCHGO.com on social media:

Sox inform that the recently DFA’d Kevin Pillar cleared waivers and elected free agency instead of accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Charlotte.

Sox inform that the recently DFA’d Kevin Pillar cleared waivers and elected free agency instead of accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Charlotte. — Vinnie Duber (@VinnieDuber) April 29, 2024

Given that Pillar is 35-years-old and a 12-year veteran, it makes sense why he didn't want to go to the minor leagues. Now, he'll wait for another opportunity. He could be a fit for a roster in need of a late-game defensive specialist or a pinch runner.

Over the 12 years in his career, Pillar has played with the Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, Coloardo Rockies, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves and White Sox. He is most notable for his seven-year tenure with the Jays in which he was one of the top defensive outfielders in the league. He started 140 games or more in four consecutive years for Toronto and was part of two ALCS teams North of the Border (2015-2016).

Lifetime, Pillar is a .257 hitter with 107 homers. He's also close to multiple career milestones as he is 17 hits shy of 1,000 and two stolen bases shy of 100.

Off to a slow start this year, he was hitting just .160 for the White Sox with a homer and four RBI. He had a career-high 21 homers back in 2019. He also had 88 RBI that year and received MVP votes.

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