Functions Of Management

Winston Churchill has been one of the most celebrated and influential leader during the most critical moment in the 20th century history, namely onslaught of fascism and Word War II. Sir Winston Spencer Churchill was born an aristocrat and attended Britain’s famed Sandhurst military academy. Though Churchill had an eventful military career, his natural tendency was leaning towards politics and he identified himself with the Conservative party. In 1900 Churchill became a member of the parliament  and held various high level posts during the first three decades of the 20th century. He served as First Lord of Admiralty during the outbreak of First World War and played an important role in naval policy. Churchill was again appointed as First Lord of Admiralty with the onset of Second World War and replaced Neville Chamberlain in 1940 as Prime Minister of Britain. As a wartime Prime Minister during the crucial phase of Second World War Churchill played a pivotal and inspirational leadership role which ultimately resulted in victory over Axis forces. For his far reaching contributions Churchill has been accorded various honors including honorary citizenship of United States.

Churchill’s inspiring leadership has been the subject of many studies and his leadership & management skills necessitate a deeper analysis. The onset of Second World War threatened existing world order in terms of ideology and sought to engulf democracies and make them subservient to fascist and totalitarian regimes. Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement has wreaked havoc in the British foreign policy and impacted war preparedness of Britain. At this critical juncture in history Churchill exhibited leadership traits akin to the ones demonstrated by business leaders. War has an interesting analogy to business i.e. its unpredictability presents a great challenges to the leaders ( Sandys 2005). A war seen at the scale of Second World War presents manifold obstacles in terms of planning, coordination and seamless execution and Churchill overcame these obstacles under daunting circumstances.

Churchill cogently demonstrated the four main principles of management, namely planning, organizing, leading and controlling, in his quest to conquer the enemies of Britain. Planning is the core skill of management and requires an analysis of current state and forecasts desired future state. The strategy development and decision making are the direct result of planning. Churchill anticipated the planning required to emerge victorious and consequently framed his political actions based on the requirements. During the early stage of World War United States practiced a policy of neutrality and Churchill predicted that Allies needed industrial might of United States to swing the war in their favor. Churchill then engaged with the political leadership, especially with President Roosevelt, to negotiate Lend-Lease Act, which has proved immensely beneficial to the beleaguered Allied Forces during the early stages of the war. Churchill cleverly planned and swung the policy makers in the United States by emphasizing the need for American assistance to support democracy (Wrigley 2002). Churchill also anticipated the impact of the unrestricted submarine warfare on British dependence on overseas imports and planned the existing resources cleverly minimizing the risk to the British population. Churchill has also been successful in his analysis of internal and external factors that may influence the outcome and adroitly steered Soviet Union towards Allied Forces, although Soviet Union was a world apart ideologically.

Getting and being organized is the second important aspect of management. Organizational ability is of paramount importance to implement the actions envisioned during the planning stage. Churchill demonstrated his skills admirably in this area as well. As discussed above he identified the threat U-boats presented to the security and subsequently organized and set up an unit to break the enigma code employed by the Germans. Identifying and allocating right resources constitutes an important aspect of organizational ability and Churchill clearly demarcated his priorities and carried out an optimal resource allocation. Unlike political leadership in Germany, Churchill placed a premium on building relationships and forged alliances. This resulted in the freeing up British resources to concentrate on their spheres of influence. Under Churchill Britain organized and fought battles only on two fronts i.e. Western and African theater. Churchill very successfully meshed military, political and industrial objectives towards a common goal (Sandys 2005).

Leading from the front and implementing the strategies from leadership position is the third most important aspect of management. Churchill has provided dauntless leadership to the war effort. The defining traits of Churchill’s leadership skill was his ability to motivate and inspire people to perform beyond the call of duty. Churchill’s gifted oratorical skills was the central aspect around which his leadership skills were organized. His skills as a great communicator has been crucial driver in his success as a leader (Wreden 2002). Churchill motivated the British populace in their darkest hours through his speeches and his willingness to lead from the front (Urwick 1965). This trait can be discerned from the fact that he actively engaged with the population during the Blitzkrieg and visited ruined streets of London. Tactical flexibility is another leadership skills that Churchill exhibited to a greater extent. Departing from the existing structure of strict hierarchy and top down instructions Churchill appointed Montgomery to take over African theater and provided him with a relatively free rein. Churchill also demonstrated his superior leadership skills by appointing appropriate persons for the jobs that a wartime nation demanded.

Controlling involves establishing performance standards and identification of potential problems and preventive measures. Controlling is the fourth most important management skill and Churchill had this ability to a reasonable degree. Though he has been criticized for his overbearing personality and his ideas on colonialism, he nevertheless showed appreciable amount of controlling skills during this tenure as war time Prime Minister. Churchill’s contributions towards the overall coordination of the war effort, his ability to forge strategic alliances, his willingness to show ideological flexibility are ample evidences that Churchill possessed controlling abilities of leader towards a successful goal completion.

In conclusion it can be said that Churchill visibly demonstrated all the four skills of management. Though he may not have been strong in all the skills, the synergy of fusing all these skills together has played an important role in his development as a leader. Undoubtedly his primary management asset has been his ability to lead from the front complemented by other three skills to varying degrees.

References

1. Sandys, Celia. “We shall not fail” Leadership Excellence  22.3 (2005): 7-8.
2. Wreden, Nick. “Language: Churchill’s Key to Leadership” Harvard Management Communication Letter 5.6 (2002): 3-4.
3. Lyndall, Urwick. “Comment: Leadership and Language” Academy of Management Journal 8.2 (1965): 146-149.
4. Wrigley, Chris. Winston Churchill: A Biographical Companion.  England: ABC-Clio, 2002.
5. Rane, Sanjay. “The Four Functions of Management: Foundation for All Management Concepts.” Associatedcontent.com. 08 April 2009 http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/373994/the_four_functions_of_management_foundation.html?cat=3.

Impact of External and Internal Factors on the Four Functions of Management External and internal factors such as globalization, technology, innovation, diversity and ethics can greatly impact the four functions of management. Functions such as planning, organizing, leading, and controlling can be influenced by these different internal and external factors since organizations need to ensure that they are addressed properly for business success. In addition, knowing the external and internal factors help organizations in identifying the business risks that exist in the environment in which they operate.

This paper will focus on United Way, a non-profit community-based organization that was initially found in communities, large and small, across the United States. Globalization Globalization has invoked extensive debate over its impact and credibility, giving rise to a number of perspectives. Indeed increased globalization has prompted remarkable economic growth around the world. It has led to job opportunities in making the products that are exchanged with different countries. This has produced specialization and comparative advantage.

The power of foreign competition has encouraged domestic industries to innovate and it has allowed resources to flow to their highest use as well. Further, globalization is the process that increased the link and interdependence of the world markets and businesses. It is a route of interaction and integration of the people, companies, and governments of different nations, a process motivated by international trade and investment and aided by information technology. The volume of world trade has increased due to globalization.

Consequently, more jobs are being available to people and consumers all over the world are enjoying a wider selection of products made from different countries. Today, United Way does not only serve in strengthening families, helping children and youth, and building stronger communities locally. Aside from its 1300 local organizations in America, it has also 3000 organizations in 47 countries. Due to globalization, United Way is able to tap not only the local communities but the international communities as well.

The organization is able to help other nations through United Way International. As of 2008, United Way International started new United Ways in some parts of India, Brazil, Peru, France, Argentina and Johannesburg, South East Asia, Latin America and South Africa. (United Way International, 2008). United Way raises sources through donations to be able to help people in need in different countries. Globalization has indeed impacted the four functions of United Way management since the organization now needs to consider developing the budget and business plans for a global organization.

United Way’s Founding Committee discusses challenges of what may come up during this process. The committee chooses members that will oversee the board and hires the director and the first management team who will spearhead during the changes due to globalization. Planning, organizing, leading, and controlling an organization that serves a bigger area need to implement changes in its conventional way of doing things to ensure that the same quality services are provided in all the countries that it serves. Technology Technology impacts management and business decisions on multiple levels.

During the December 1999 Conference of the Alliance for Nonprofit Management, Executive Director Roni Posner states: Technology is the backbone of management and organizational effectiveness. It equips people with data and information that can be then synthesized into learning and knowledge; and, this knowledge is what gives organizations more powerful voices in, and greater impact on, community change–the ultimate goal of nonprofit capacity building. (Osten, 2001, para. 1). The United Way implements technological plans to remain competitive with fundraising and accounting, volunteer management and community services.

To improve management of accounting and fundraising practices, nearly 200 United Way organizations are opting to use Sage Software’s MIP Fund Accounting application (Sage Software, 2005). MIP Fund Accounting is designed to ease reporting and transaction management for nonprofits. With this system, chart of accounts are easily created with transaction tracking capabilities. Reports are generated within the program and reporting cycles are significantly shortened by hours or even days. MIP Fund Accounting is user-friendly and easy-to-learn, with grouped tasks according to accounting functions (“Sage MIP fund accounting,” n. . ). In addition to incorporating technology to manage multiple account funds, United Way is developing new technologies to garner donor contributions. Donations are the economic capital United Way relies on to provide quality services in their respective communities. Thus, United Way must be creative in its pursuits to compete with other nonprofits for this income stream. One viable solution was the creation of the United eWay Consortium. The consortium, founded by Phoenix’s Valley of the Sun United Way, allows participating United Way agencies to create customized Web sites for online pledging.

This system eliminates the use of paper pledges and makes donation tracking effortless for both United Way organizations and gifting firms (Wallace, 2001). Cash donations are not the only gifts needed by United Way to meet its organizational goals. Human resource donations or volunteers are a significant portion of the United Way workforce. Technology was again utilized by the nonprofit to meet managerial needs. A local United Way agency in Indiana launched an online matchmaking site to connect volunteers with giving opportunities.

Volunteer Solutions is a medium used by area helping agencies to post their volunteer openings on the site. Potential volunteers register on the site and search for possible positions by their zip code, area of interest or agency name. When a match is found, volunteers are then notified. During the first week of its inception, Volunteer Solutions matched approximately 40 volunteers to local nonprofits (Davis, 2003). Not only does the United Way use technology to enhance business operations, the nonprofit also employs technology to better serve its constituents. United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta and its partners…piloted an electronic benefits calculator, a tool that streamlines the eligibility and enrollment process for federal, state and community benefits” (United Way of America, n. d. , pg. 11). Over a two-year period, awards for benefits increased by $453,000. Technology is an essential tool used by United Way to increase efficiency and allocation of resources, generate donor contributions and expand community services. Without the use of technology, United Way and its benefactors would not reap the benefits of its continued success as a dominant nonprofit organization.

Innovation Innovation is important for an organization to succeed in its endeavor. For a non-profit organization like United Way, innovation is significant in order to find more ways to help and serve communities in need better. Innovation can greatly impact the four functions of management since innovation needs to be considered in all functions of management to improve and advance the ways and means of United Way in serving people. Diversity Diversity is “variety of something, such as opinion, race, color, style and or gender” (“Diversity,” 2008, n. . ) In order for a company or organization to be diverse it needs to value diversity by respecting and appreciating all aspects of an individual, including race, gender, religion, skin color, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical abilities, age, parental status to name a few. That is what The United Way of America stands on and strives for. United Way is built up of all different walks of life and in order for the non-profit organization to be able to strive everyone must be able to get along and work well with each other.

To make sure the organization stays diverse, United Way of America has formed a Diversity Cabinet to eliminate discrimination. United Way is made up of all types of individuals from every walk of life to form their cabinets, their volunteers and their customers. United Way’s Core Value statement is “Diversity and Inclusion are core values for United Way. We aspire every segment of the community in every aspect of our work and to demonstrate our commitment to and accountability for an inclusive environment in which differences are recognized, respected, valued and celebrated” (United Way, 2008, n. . ). United Way also feels that its inclusive and diverse organization gives the organization the opportunity to actively live and achieve its mission and values to attract, develop and return more diverse talent. It also helps the organization to grow and broaden its base of support from volunteers, donors and other stakeholders. Diversity also helps the United Way to model, facilitate and lead the collaborative efforts needed to make changes in community conditions. It is also a way to become innovative and develop better solutions leading to better performance and results.

In addition, diversity enhances the organization’s reputation and brand in the philanthropic community and global market place (Live United, 2008, n. p. ). United Way does not care if an individual is someone who wants to be a volunteer or one of the organization boards/committees or someone who needs the help. United Way is here to help. Ethics Code of Ethics in any organization is extremely important. Code of ethics deals with organizational values and principles and behaviors on what is and is not acceptable.

It helps to ensure people are treated equally and justly in all matters. United Way does have Code of ethics and it may differ according to each location. However all communities in which the organization is located is governed by the overall America Code of ethics that United Way has set forth (“United Way of America Code of Ethics Guide, 2004). United Way code of ethics was created and discussed amongst the employees and volunteers and believe these codes will help the organization through the work that is encompassed each day.

United Way code of ethics is based on core values which are: integrity, impact, volunteerism, inclusiveness and catalytic leadership In addition, the organization believes that the staff will be able to make great decisions that are legal and binding when ethical codes are set forth. Code of Ethics from United Way Association (UWA) (United Way of America Code, 2004) also ensures personal and professional integrity. UWA is motivated in performance to meet the mission. In addition, UWA believes communication is a powerful source when used effectively. Equal Opportunity is another important factor governed under the Code of Ethics.

UWA believes conflict of interest could degrade the organization and should refrain from personal gain to include gifts that does not relate to the mission. To include, UWA no one should be family affiliated or dating within the organization because it is believed that it affects the appearance of impartiality. Confidentiality and privacy is believed to be handled at a professional level in the UWA organization by respecting the privacy rights of individuals and to make sure information is not disclosed. United Way is committed to the highest ethical standards. It has an obligation to everyone to act ethically at all times.

United Way believes that its continued success comes from everyone affiliated with the organization who lives by the code of ethics. United Way came up with their code of ethics by collaborating with their employees, volunteers and anyone else with interest (United Way of America Code, 2004). Holding an organization to a high ethical standard will always set the organization apart from other organizations. The United Way is such a highly reputable organization due to the implementation of its code of ethics. Delegation in Managing the Impacts of External and Internal Factors

Managers can use delegation to manage the impact that the factors have on the four functions of management by ensuring that the process of delegation is done well. One person can not run the show all on his/her own. Delegation plays a huge role in getting the job done successfully. In order to make this happen there must be a clear plan of action. All parties have to be informed as to what duties they are responsible for and how those duties must be carried out. There must be clarity that supports how the responsibilities will be completed and if support from other team members is needed for that completion.

These things must be discussed in the planning and or organization stages. There has to be contingency plans and structure to any project in which a manager is delegating responsibilities. Delegation of responsibilities, projects, duties or tasks can be a double-edged sword. In order for a manager to manage effectively it has to be used with finesse. The parties that a manager delegates tasks should be responsible and trustworthy. While it is not always possible to do so, it is important to implement accountability to each team responsible for every task.

Delegation will only work if the manager who is delegating also does his/her job properly. Follow-up and constructive feedback is important for the delegation process to be effective. Conclusion The external and internal factors can indeed impact the four functions of management. As observed in the United Way organization, globalization, technology, innovation, diversity and ethics can affect planning, organizing, leading, and controlling of its organization. While globalization has helped United Way in serving other countries in need it has also impacted the four functions of management. Considerations now need to be done in a larger scale.

The four functions of management have to be done in a global scale with the same standards as the organization has locally. Technology impacts the four functions of management on multiple levels. Proper planning on what technology to use, organizing the people who needs to spearhead the use of new technologies, leading and controlling the people who will be involved in the use of different technologies need to be considered. If these are not done, the effectiveness of the technologies that the organization uses may not be fully maximized. Innovation impacts the four functions of management since innovation needs to be considered in ll functions of management to improve and advance the ways and means of United Way in serving people. Diversity can also impact the functions of management since most organizations like United Way has diverse employees that can affect the decisions that are involved in planning, organizing, leading, and controlling of its organization. Ethics can also impact the four functions of management since an organization cannot create good credibility without acceptable code of ethics. Thus, it is essential that internal and external factors are considered when using the four functions of management.

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Retrieved September 14, 2008, from http://news. gilbert. org/features/featureReader$3842? print-friendly=true Sage MIP fund accounting. (n. d. ) In Sage Software. Retrieved September, 14, 2008, from http://www. sagenonprofit. com/products/fundaccount/ Sage Software continues to attract United Way organizations. (2005, August-September). The National Public Accountant, 4(4), 19. Retrieved September 14, 2008, from Gale PowerSearch database. United Way International. 2008. Official website of United Way International. Retrieved September 14, 2008 from http://uwint. org/devfinal/ United Way of America. n. d. ). Goals for the common good: The United Way challenge to America. Retrieved September 14, 2008, from http://www. liveunited. org/goals/upload/UW_Common_Good. pdf United Way of America Code of Ethics Guide. (2004). In United Way. Retrieved September 14, 2008 from United Way: United Way of Greater Los Angeles: Creating Pathways Out of Poverty. (2008). In United Way Los Angeles. Retrieved September 14, 2008 from Wallace, N. (2001, April 5). Technology: New online option for United Ways. Chronicle of Philanthropy, 13(12), 36. Retrieved September 13, 2008, from EBSCOhost database.