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Improving Management Styles and Their Function
In the article When the Problem is Management, author Lawrence Sawyer takes a look at
the different styles that managers have in their practice, how they can better perform their
functions and how they relate to the four basic functions of management. As an internal
auditor, Mr. Sawyer provides some insight to these managers in helping them and their
departments make better use of the tools they have and points out what basic function they
are violating. This article and its basic points relate directly to the assigned 1st week
reading in our Management 330 textbook and is an excellent example in how to relate the
reading to a real life example. Ways to improve one own organization or their specific
department in their own organization can be taken and applied as well, as this article is an
excellent review on the functions of management and how they put their practices into
effect.
In the article, Mr. Sawyer recalls many experiences he has had in dealing with managers of
different organizations and how he has found that whatever flaws was found could be
directly related to the four basic functions of management, which are planning, organizing,
directing and controlling.
Planning is described as the function preceding all other functions and allows a smooth
and proper flow through the remaining functions by establishing objectives and goals and
following procedures and rules that have been set. An excellent example was given of an
audit performed for a company where a manager practice in governing his engineer time
schedule was scrutinized. The manager was made to realize from his own work how he
had three years of planned backlog. This was seen and accepted by the
Management Functions 3
manager and corrective action was taken to regain control of the tasks at hand. Better
planning practices were implemented to establish priorities and cut completion time
expectations for his engineers.
Good organization practices are described more as a counter to failure than a guarantee for
success. Responsibility, authority, and accountability are the basic aspects of organization
that the author takes a look at. An example made was that of a purchasingdepartment
where the buyers were not required to obtain managerial approval for purchases under
$100. While supervision could not possibly take place on every single order, the advisory
was made to review random samples and make sure proper directives were maintained.
The function of directing is the process of moving resources toward objectives and goals.
