Basic Functions of Administration: Planning,

Organizing, Directing and Controlling

After reading this chapter, you will be conversant with:

 Planning
 Organization
 Direction
 Control

PLANNING

By planning is meant to predetermine who will do which task at

what place and how. The administrators have to take due steps for
the successful execution of the functions of the school from time to
time. Planning means choosing the best out of various alternative
objectives, processes, policies and programmes. The significance of
planning lies in arranging specialist training programmes and
different roles of different personnel as attached to the educational
institution and also the functions that are undertaken in realizing
such objectives and aims. In fact, the educational planning is a
progressive process. It does not only keep in view the present
requirements, but also looks into the future for different needs that
are likely to arise in future due to the change in perception,
scientific development, technological improvements and new
inventions besides social thinking and political changes. The
judicious process of planning is a process which keeps in view the
past experiences and guidance and hopes for future progress by
keeping in tune with the present. While taking the level of planning
into consideration, it is necessary to know the objectives that have
to be accomplished. It should also be made clear what processes,
techniques and methods would be adopted in realizing those
objectives. It is also necessary to classify the aids and systems to be
used in it. The administrator must keep in mind an important
point, that is, to make the planning process quite flexible so that
they are able to change with the dynamic changes in the
environment and overcome hindrances in realizing the objectives
due to one or the other reason. However, it must be known that
excessive flexibility on the part of the administrator shows their
weakness.
Various activities and functions of an administration are done
under proper planning. Different kinds of problems arise before
the administration in the day-to-day functioning of the school
where the administrator has to take decisions. It is also necessary
for a proficient administrator to take such decisions with justice
and without prejudice. They should take into consideration the
various aspects of a situation including the objective which would
be served by taking a particular kind of decision. They should also
collect and collate all related information and statistics for analysis
and evaluate the available alternatives before taking the final
decision.

According to M. E. Hurley, ‘Planning is deciding in advance what is

to be done. It involves selection of objectives, policies, procedures
and programmes from among alternatives’.

According to Koontz and O'Donnel, ‘Planning is a mental activity,

is a conscious determination of doing a work in a particular way. It
is to base the decision on the basis of objectives, facts and pre-
conceived thoughts’.

According to William H. Newman, ‘Planning is predetermination

of what is to be done in the future generally. In this view, it is to
include extensive and expansive form of human conduct in it.’

According to the opinion of James L. Lundy, ‘The meaning of

planning is to determine what is to be done, where is to be done,
how is to be done, who is to do it and how the results are to be
evaluated.’

According to Haynes and Messy, ‘Planning is that function of

administrator in which he decides in advance what he will do. It is
decision-making process of a special kind… it is an intellectual
process in which creative thinking and imagination are essential.’

Objectives of Planning

The chief objectives of planning are as follows:

1. Economy in management: When the planning of future events has

been finalized, the attention of the administration is diverted towards
its execution, thereby bringing about economy in execution.
 2. Accurate forecasting: The objective of planning is to forecast the
future needs correctly. Hence, forecasting is considered as the
essence of planning.
3. Certainty in work: Attempts are made in administration to bring
about certainty in future works so that the objectives of the
organization are met.
4. Establishment of coordination and equality: Planning helps in
establishing coordination and equality in various activities of the
organization.
5. Providing appropriate direction: Having made the future planning,
appropriate direction is given to the future course of events of the
organization. Thus, great difficulty is averted with planning.
6. Proper knowledge of main and sub-objectives: One of the chief
objectives of planning is to inform the workers and other concerned
personnel about the goals and sub-objectives of the organization.
Planning not only informs them about the goals and aims of the
organization, but also about how to achieve them.
7. Achievement of objectives: The final and the most important
objective of planning is to continuously proceed and try for
achievement of the objectives of the organization, so that the final
ends can be attained while working in the right direction.

Nature of Planning

The following points are included in the nature of planning:

1. Inseparable part of an organization.

2. Foremost function of administration.
3. Intellectual and continuous process.
4. Basis of proficiency in administration.
5. Universal process.
6. Futuristic.
7. Selective process.
8. Based on forecasting.

Harold Koontz and O'Donell have described the following five

elements of planning:

1. Contribution in achievement of objectives.

2. Universality of planning.
3. Supremacy of arrangement.
4. Proficiency of plans.
5. Continuous process.
 Functions Related to Planning

Functions related to planning can be described as follows:

1. Increase in managerial efficiency: The complete planning of the

processes of an organization directs the functions of the organization
towards clear objectives which makes the organization's and
administration's job easy. Coordination and control of different
functions is completed by the planning process which helps in
cooperation of administrative functions.
2. Establishment of effective control: Having decided the
measurements of forms and execution of various functions, planning
makes evaluation of the actual achievements possible. The process of
reformation can be initiated on finding a difference between the
planning and actual achievement. It helps the administration
exercise control over the situation.
3. Economy: Planning helps achieve targets reasonably and orderly
with best use of the resources available. As a result, optimal economy
of expenditure is achieved.
4. Minimizing uncertainty and risk: The fundamental basis of planning
is forecasting and not merely guesses and conjectures. It is based on
the available facts and statistics and also on the analysis of situations
and facts. As such, it makes the risks and uncertainties reducible to
almost nil, if proper planning has been made. Thus, planning means
the preparation for the future events which results in benefits.
5. Elimination of ambiguity: Lack of planning means absence of
objectives, policies, programmes, processes, etc. In the absence of all
these, the functions of the administration would become aimless,
disorderly and uncertain. It would result in losses and end of their
profession. Planning helps inspire the organization to achieve their
goals in an orderly and scientific manner. It helps replace
disorderliness with orderliness and management.
6. Focusing towards the achievement of objectives: Planning helps
centralize the administrators towards the achievement of goals
proficiently, and every department focuses on the achievement of
goals of the organization while coordinating with one another,
making the efforts of different departments complementary and not
competitive. Thus, planning helps the administrators focus on the
achievement of objectives.
7. Benefit of future possibilities: Future originates in the present and is
the source of possibilities for further development. Planning helps in
finding out the future possibilities and takes benefits from them.
According to Koontz and O'Donell, “Planning is such selected and
 chosen path which co-ordinates the collective works of
administration into one effort”.
8. Knowledge of duties and responsibilities of officers: Planning
produces organizational power and energy. Planning helps the
workers and executives to realize their duties and responsibilities
easily.
9. Control on irrational decisions: The greatest advantage of planning
is that the decisions are taken prudently and after due consideration.
Thus, it prevents from taking imprudent and hasty decisions.

ORGANIZATION

Definitions of Organization

The term organization is quite extensive and does not admit a

definite and universal definition. Various scholars have therefore
defined the term differently. The chief ones are as follows:

An identifiable group of people contributing their efforts toward

the attainment of goals is called organization.
—Me Jarland

Organization is an art of establishing coordination and

cooperation between various elements of production for the
attainment of definite goals.
—Dr.S. P. Singh

Organization is a harmonious adjustment of specialised part for

the accomplishment of some common purpose or purposes.
—Prof.L. H. Harvey

Organization is that part of management which is concerned with

the definition of the structure of (a) the responsibilities by means
of which the activities of the enterprise are distributed among the
personnel employed in its service, and (b) the forms of
interrelations established among the personnel by virtue of such
responsibilities.
—E. F. L. Brich

Functions of Organization in Administration

The following are the functions of organization in administration:

1. Increase in managerial and administrative efficiency: Proficient,

effective and able organization enables the functioning of the
administration easy and comfortable. It increases the management
and capacity of administration. An able organization takes advantage
of the proficiencies of the workers according to their abilities.
Besides, it delegates and distributes duties according to the capacities
of the workers to make the administration work efficiently. In
contrast, an inefficient organization keeps itself busy in aimless
works and wastes its time, due to which hardly any time is left for
undertaking fruitful activities.
2. Moral restriction on corruption: A good organization makes the
workers work hard, be honest and devoted, and makes them realize
the needs of the organization and their own duties. It helps curtail
corruption with moral implications. When the organization is
inactive, the workers do not want to work, thereby resulting in less
production and inefficiency. An organization should always remain
young and energetic, else its young workers too will become old and
unenergetic. An efficient organization makes its workers possess high
values and moral character.
3. Motivation for specialization and classification: The role of an
organization at present is all the more vital as it inspires
specialization and classification. Under modern organizations, every
employee is allotted the duty which they can efficiently and ably do
while keeping their interests alive.
4. Motivation for creative work: The functions are distributed and
arranged on the basis of priority in an organization. Alternatively, the
functions can also be arranged on the basis of their importance. It
enables the workers to do the work creatively and also encourages
creative work in the organization.
5. Increase in the speed of development: A healthy organization makes
such a structure by which self-development of tile organization takes
place naturally. It is necessary at present to develop its activities and
expand them so that progress can be made rapidly.
6. Helpful for the development of administration: A healthy
organization arranges for the training of its employees. Trained
manpower is utilized in various posts in the administration. Besides,
their proficiency and ability is used for the development of their skill
and ability.
7. Easiness in coordination: Coordination among various departments
of an organization is established with the help of the organization.
The general objectives of different departments are borne in mind
 and coordinated with the objectives of other departments and of the
whole organization.
8. Easy delegation: Some administrators keep themselves busy doing
such things, which in fact should have been done by their juniors. It
reduces the time available to them for performing other important
functions which only they should do. It puts them under unnecessary
burden. An able organization makes such a person free to work on
other projects by defining the work of the administrators clearly, and
marks their boundaries under which they have to work while
allotting the work to all employees according to their efficiency and
ability. It also provides for the allotment and delegation of duties
which can be done by the junior staff, thus keeping the seniors free to
plan and do other more important functions.
9. Optimum use of resources: A healthy organization arranges for
training of its employees. The trained manpower is suitably
employed on the posts and tasks which they have been trained to
perform, thus increasing their efficiency. Besides, their ability can be
measured by delegating them authority and to ascertain whether
such employees can be promoted to shoulder bigger responsibilities.
10. Optimum use of technical improvements: An able organization
makes it possible to make use of the latest technical and scientific
achievements as a result of research and technological advancement.
The objective of every organization should be to achieve maximum
production with minimum effort, which is only possible if latest
technologies are used.
11. Other advantages: In addition to the above-mentioned points, the
following can form the causes of importance of an organization:

i. Easiness in control
ii. Easiness in communication
iii. Enhancement of moral character
iv. Helpful in national security

Thus, one can see that the importance of an organization is

enormous. The opinion of Lanvary Fish is very important.
According to him, ‘Organization is far more than a simple chart. It
is such a process by the medium of which administration directs,
co-ordinates and controls the business. In fact, it is the foundation
of the administration.’

DIRECTION

The term direction means to take work from others. In other

words, direction is to guide or direct a function towards the desired
direction. It is also known by the terms operation, guidance, etc.
The chief definitions of direction can be described as follows:

The heart of administration is the directing function which

involves determining the course of giving orders and instructions,
providing the dynamic leadership.
—Marshall E. Demock

Direction is a complex function that includes all those actions

which are designed to encourage subordinates to work effectively
and efficiently in both the short and long run.
—Koontz and O'Donell

Directing consists of the processes and the techniques utilised in

issuing instruction and making certain that operations are
carried on as originally planned.
—Theo Haimann

Characteristics of Good Direction

The characteristics of a good and effective direction can be

described as follows:

1. Direction inspires and stimulates the employees towards fulfilment

and achievement of the objectives of the organization.
2. The need of direction is felt at every level of administration.
3. Direction is a necessary and important function of administration.
4. Direction helps make inspection, supervision and evaluation of the
subordinates effective.
5. There are two chief objectives of direction: to make the employees
work, and to prepare the administrators to take responsibility.
6. Direction is a continuous process.

The following are used in the field of direction:

1. Delegation of authority
2. Communication
3. Order
4. Leadership and supervision
5. Motivation.

Work of Direction in Administration

Direction has an important place in the administration because in
the absence of it, the administrative works of different nature fail
to achieve targets and objectives, besides lacking control and
coordination. As a boat cannot be steered without an oar, an army
cannot fight without a leader, a vehicle cannot be driven without a
driver, so an administration cannot function without direction.
According to John Seymour, ‘Direction in administration is akin to
strategy in war. This function concerns itself with the disposition of
resources, the points at which special efforts are to be
concentrated, and survival among the stresses and strains of
practical life of the administration.’

Functions of Direction

The following functions are performed under the process of

direction:

1. Inspect the works of the subordinates.

2. Order the subordinates.
3. Establish coordination among various functions.
4. Guide and train the subordinates from time to time.
5. Make control effective.
6. Effectuate the administrative policies.
7. Raise the moral of the subordinates.
8. Make communication effective.
9. Provide able leadership to the subordinates and motivate them.

CONTROL

Meaning and Definitions of Control

Control is an important function of administration. The

administration exercises it to know whether the tasks of the
organization are being executed according to plan or not, and if
not, what are the causes behind it. Besides, control helps increase
productivity, decrease costs, control over quality and develop the
employees. Various scholars have defined the term ‘control’ in
different ways. Some of them are as follows:

Control is to make balance toward directed activities of the

organization toward a definite aim or a group of them.
—Marrycushing Niles
The managerial function of control is the measurement and
correction of the performance of subordinates in order to make
sure that the objectives and plan devised to attain them are
accomplished.
—Koontz and O'Donell

Functions of Control in Administration

The following are the functions of control in an organization:

1. Discipline in organization: Control is important in bringing about

discipline in business and institution. Control can be exercised to
reduce the instances of dishonesty, idleness, improper conduct, etc.,
and their possibilities to a great extent. It cultivates an atmosphere of
discipline.
2. Basis of future plans: Control is the basis of future planning. It helps
the organization beget such information and facts on the basis of
which suitable and proper planning for implementing future
strategies can be made.
3. Source of motivation: A successful control mechanism helps the
organization in finding out proficient and unproficient employees.
The proficient employees can be motivated to increase their
production further, whereas the unproficient employees can be
suitably admonished or punished or motivated to enhance their
proficiency to attain the standards set by the organization.
4. Helpful in coordination: Control helps establish coordination in
various activities of the departments of the organization and ends the
friction occurring between them. It also helps the organization to
achieve their objectives successfully.
5. Helpful in delegation: An organization is made when suitable
delegation of authority is effected. The duties and responsibilities of
the personnel are determined according to them. It is possible by the
control process whether those duties and responsibilities are being
executed properly or not.
6. Safety from risk: Every function of the organization is fully checked
under the process of control and the risky and fallacious points are
found out to reform and correct them for future control of risk.

EXERCISE

I. Answer the following questions in detail

1. Enumerate the functions related to planning.

 2. Define organization. What are the functions of an organization?
Enumerate its characteristics too.
3. Define direction. Discuss its functions in due detail.
4. What do you mean by control? What are its functions in
administration?

II. Answer the following questions in brief

1. Write the objectives of planning.

2. What do you mean by the nature of planning?
3. Give any four characteristics of organization.
4. What is the role of direction in administration?

III. Tick out (T) for true and (F) for false answers

1. Planning is that function of the administrator in which they decide in

advance what they will do.   T   F
2. Planning is an inseparable part of an organization.   T   F
3. An identifiable group of people contributing their efforts towards the
attainment of goals is called an organization.   T   F
4. Direction is a continuous process.   T   F
5. Control is helpful in coordination.   T   F

Guide:

1. (T)
2. (T)
3. (T)
4. (T)
5. (T)

IV. Fill in the blanks

1. By ___________ is meant to predetermine who will do which task,

at what place and how.
2. An able ________ makes it possible to make use of the latest
technical and scientific achievements as a result of research and
inventions.
3. Planning is deciding in ______ what is to be done.
4. A good _______makes the workers hard-working, honest and
devoted.

Guide:

1. planning
 2. organization
3. advance
4. organization

V. Tick the most suitable alternatives

1. Basic functions of the administration are

a. Planning
b. Organization
c. Control
d. All of the above

2. Planning is a

a. Selective process
b. Universal process
c. Continuous process
d. All of the above

2. Whose definition is ‘Organization is a harmonious adjustment of

specialised part for the accomplishment of some common purpose or
purposes’.

a. Dr S. P. Singh
b. Prof L. H. Haney
c. Mefarland
d. None of the above

Guide:

1. (d)
2. (d)
3. (b)