Most writers agree that all managers perform certain basic functions: these are planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling. In total, they represent the management process. Some of the specific activities involved in each function include: planning. Establishing goals and standards; developing rules and procedures; developing plans and forecasting.
Organizing. Giving each subordinate a specific task; establishing departments; delegating authority to subordinates; establishing channels of authority and communication; coordinating the work of subordinates.
Staffing. Determining what type of people should be hired; recruiting prospective employees; selecting employees; setting performance standards; compensating employees; evaluating performance; counseling employees; training and developing employees.
Leading. Getting others to get the job done; maintain morale; motivating subordinates.
Controlling. Setting standards such as sales quotas, quality standards, or production levels; checking to see how actual performance compares with these standards; taking corrective action as needed.
We are going to focus on one of these functions in this book-the staffing, personnel management, or human resource management (HRM)function. Human resource management is the process of acquiring, training, appraising, and fairness concerns. The topics we’ll discuss should therefore provide you with the concepts and techniques you need to carry out the “people” or personnel aspects of your management job. These include: