The Future of Management

The four functions of management, planning, organizing, leading and controlling, have for years been the cornerstone of how organizations operate. Global and technology changes to name a few have changed the way organizations manage. In the future, rapid changes in technology and the expansion of the global community will continue to have a profound impact on how organizations are managed. In this paper I will discuss the four functions of management and how they will need to be adapted to the future.

In his book Management: Theory, Application and Practice, Gary Dessler defines planning as “setting goals and deciding on courses of action”. In setting these goals, managers of the future will have many things to consider. One thing they will have to consider is the fast pace at which technology is changing. In order to be competitive, organizations will have to know how to take advantage of and optimize technology in their business. Another thing organizations will have to consider in planning is the changing face of their customers. With the internet, businesses have the opportunity to reach millions more customer than before. In addition to technology and globalism, the face of America is changing as well. Just recently it has been reported that Hispanics have surpassed Blacks as the nation’s largest minority. It is apparent from this trend that the successful organizations will be the ones who are able capitalize on diversity. Diverse organizations will be able to attract and retain the best employees, clients and suppliers. This equation equals a successful business and a good corporate citizen.

The function of organizing will also see changes in the future. The traditional organizational structures will need to be adapted to the new strategic plan to take advantage of technology, the world market and diversity. Management will have to decide how to best incorporate these in their organizational structure. Regions, divisions, cost centers, etc. will need to be structured so as to maximize efficiency while working to achieve the goals of the organization. One thing management will have to do is to make sure they are structured to take advantage of the internet. Even the small Mom and Pop shop on the corner will have to have internet presences if they are going to be competitive and successful. Organizations will also have to develop creative ways to capitalize on their people. Correctly utilizing human capital will play a large role in how successful businesses of the future are.

In my opinion, the leadership function will be the most important management function for successful organizations of the future. As organizations change, it is the leaders who will pave the way. Their attitude and influence will be the difference between success and failure. Taborda explains that the leader’s role has become more complex and ambiguous. The people in an organization must stay motivated, be developed and have a willingness to learn. Developing leadership skills to accomplish this will require commitment and investment from management, but will result in organizational success by fostering teamwork and empowerment.

The final function of management, control is the process of setting targets, measuring performance and taking corrective action. In the future, traditional methods of control of will continue to give way to more employee empowerment so as not to provide a distraction. Taborda put it this way: “The role of the manager is now to be a facilitator and coach, not a controller or inspector”. This means that the days of the supervisor looking over his employees’ shoulder are over. The rapid pace of business today requires employees to be trained and developed to make decisions on their own. With this empowerment, management must ensure that the employees are held to accountability standards that will contribute to the success of the organization.

In conclusion, though there are many management theories and theories on what organizations need to do to be successful, the bottom line is that the successful businesses of the future will have the foresight and vision to adapt the management functions of planning, organizing, leading and controlling to new technology and globalism in order to compete and be successful.