ORGANIZING

Organizing – A Management Function

source: google

Organizing is the next important function of management after the planning. In case of planning the management decides what is to be done in future. In case of organizing, it decides on ways and means through which it becomes easier to achieve what has been planned. Hence, organizing refers to the following process.

• Identifying and grouping of the work to be performed.
• Defining and determining responsibility and authority for each job position.
• Establishing relationship among various job positions.
• Determining detailed rules and regulations of working for individuals and groups in organization.

Importance of organizing

Organizing function follows the planning function. Plans prepared under the function of planning govern all aspects of organizing function. Since the organizing follows planning it is closely related to it. The organizing begins after the plans are prepared and is governed by the prepared plans. While the plans state where the organization is to go, organizing helps the organization how to get there.  Organizing function shows the management how the organization is to be built or how the existing one is modified to ensure that the goals set in the plans are achieved.

source: google

Organizing facilitates development of the organizational structure which becomes a tool for the management to achieve plans. This organizational structure is to be responsive with the changes in the plan. The organization which has taken the time, energy, and money to develop quality plans needs management who understand the importance of organizing.

source: google

Process of organizing

Organizing, like planning, is a process which is to be carefully worked out and applied. This process involves determining what work is needed, assigning those tasks, and arranging them in a decision-making framework (organizational structure). If this process is not conducted well, the results may be confusion, frustration, loss of efficiency, and limited effectiveness. The process of organising consists of the following five steps. 

• Identification of activities – Each organization exists for fulfilling a specific purpose. This purpose identifies the activities which are performed by the organization. For example, in a manufacturing organization, production of the goods and their selling are the major activities in addition to the routine activities. And these activities are in variance with the activities of a service organization or an organization involved in the trading activities. Hence the identification of the various activities of the organization is an important step in the organizing function.
• Grouping of activities – Once the activities have been identified, then there is a necessity that they are grouped. The activities are grouped in various ways. The activities which are similar in nature can be grouped as one and a separate department can be created. For example, activities related to the purchasing, production, marketing, and accounting and finance can be grouped respectively under purchase, production, marketing, and finance departments etc. Further in each department the activities can be further subdivided into various specific jobs.
• Assignment of responsibilities – Having completed the exercise of identifying, grouping and classifying of all activities into specific jobs, the individual employees comes into picture since the employees are to be assign with the responsibilities to take care of activities related to the specific jobs.
• Granting authority – On the basis of specific responsibilities given to individual employees, they are to be provided with the necessary authority for the discharge of the assigned responsibilities in order to ensure their effective performance and in turn the performance of the organization.
• Establishing relationship – This is a very important part of the organizing function since each employee in the organisation is to know as to whom to report and which are the employee who are to work with him. This establishes a structure of relationships in the organization which helps to ensure that the organization has clear relationships. This structure of relationships also facilitates the delegation.

source: google

Benefits of organizing

The benefits of the organizing function are as follows.

• The end result of the organizing process is an organization which is whole consisting of unified parts (a system) acting in harmony to execute tasks to achieve goals, both effectively and efficiently.
• A properly implemented organizing process results in a clarified work environment. Everyone in the organization knows what to do. The tasks and responsibilities of all individuals, departments, and major divisions gets clarified. The type and limits of authority also gets determined.
• There is an environment of coordination and cooperation in the organization. The interrelationships of the various work units gets developed. The principle of unity of direction which calls for the establishment of one authority figure for each designated task of the organization is achieved. This person has the authority to coordinate all plans concerning that task.
• A formal decision-making structure gets established in the organization. This chain of command allows the orderly progression up and down the hierarchy for decision making and decision-making communications.