OEM 201 : EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP --- THE OPEN UNIVERSITY OF TANZANIA.

Q.  With  examples  in  educational  context   evaluate  each  of   the  following  functions  of  management {  planning, organizing , controlling , coordinating  and  staffing }.

ANSWER

Organizing: Arranging everything and persons (all resources) to be at the right place and at the right time so that the performance of tasks may proceed smoothly.

Coordinating: Ensuring that the activities and contributions of all those working in the enterprise are properly combined and aligned to form a balanced and harmonious effective unit.

Directing: Deciding who, when and how employees carry out the tasks allocated to them.

Controlling: Checking regularly to ensure that performance tallies with plans, and if not, find out why, then review and take appropriate actions.

Staffing: Making sure the enterprise has the work-force it requires, and that all the staff are properly trained and groomed for current and future challenges.

Motivating: Ensuring that the urges, drives, desires, aspirations, striving or needs of employees are observed and harnessed as a way of influencing them to perform at a level high enough for achievement of the goals of the enterprise.

Communicating: Making sure information flows freely downwards, up­wards and side-ways so that management and the workforce know sufficiently enough to take informed and productive decisions and, at the same time, ensuring healthy relationships among individuals and units of the enterprise. 

Marshaling Resources: Ensuring efficient allocation of resources - hu­man, money (financial), materials and machines, in the operation of the business.

Forecasting: Looking into the future, ascertaining likely developments and opportunities for the purpose of setting out plans to optimally exploit avail­able opportunities.

Planning: Deciding what shall be done, by whom, when, where and how.

Decision Making: Considering the various alternatives of doing things and deciding which way to go, i.e. making choices concerning resource application, business opportunities and problems.

Problem Solving: Properly defining problems or obstacles in the way of good performance and removing such obstacles.

Leading: Influencing and getting commitment from employees to contrib­ute voluntarily and enthusiastically in the performance of needed tasks.