ESSAY.

25-26. Define management

Management is an art; although simply defined as the process of dealing with people and
getting things done through these people, proper management is a crucial part of an
organization. Hence, there exist the 14 principles for successful management by Mr. Henri
Fayol. The key point here is that it is the people in these organizations that get the work done.
Therefore, to ensure that their assigned tasks are done properly and efficiently, these people
also have to be managed properly.

Basically, management is a function that oversees, handles and coordinates the efforts of the
people in a business, company, or other organizations. This is done by using the available
resources efficiently and effectively to accomplish and achieve the goals and objectives of the
organization. As a whole, management is the act of running an organization, or a business, by
simultaneously managing managers and supervising workers and their work.

27-28. What are the functions of management?

The functions of management are actually more than just what meets the eye and minds of
people in general. It is more than just being the boss and in command of everybody else. The
functions of management are to plan, to direct, to coordinate, to organize, to lead, to
command, and to control, but essentially, the functions of management may be categorized
into four functions, namely planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.

Planning is the creation of a detailed action plan aimed at some particular organizational
goal. After that a plan is in place, organizing people, allocating resources, and defining how the
activities of a group or individuals will be coordinated are the next step. This organizing function
primarily involves deciding how the organization will be structured. The third function of
management is leading. A manager may have the best plan and have organized it very well, but
the people he is managing are not robots; rather, they are individuals with different minds,
character, personality, and outlooks. So that the people in the organization will support the
plan and work efficiently and in unity towards a common objective, managers must be leaders
as well. They must lead, and leading involves motivating, communicating, guiding, and
encouraging. Now after all these things are all set, the managerial function of controlling is the
next step. This is the process of continuously monitoring activities, measuring performance,
checking results and comparing to goals, and making modifications and corrections when
needed.

These key functions mentioned above are always connected in the management process, and
though they may appear like a linear process, it does not always start with planning and
continue through each step until organizational goals are achieved. This is because it is not
possible to plan for every problem the organization will face. The functions of management are
to be the backdrop of the whole management process to which a manager may reflect on and
refer to every now and then.


29-30 Differentiate centralization and decentralization

Centralization is the tendency to concentrate decision making at a single point in the
organization, while decentralization is the tendency to disperse and distribute decision making
authority in an organized structure. Centralization of authority is the degree of the
concentration of decision making at one point in an organization. On the other hand,
decentralization refers to the dissemination of power and authority to the lower level of
management and is the process by which the activities of an organization, such as planning and
decision making, are delegated away from a central, authoritative location or group.
Dictatorship, for example, is a centralized authority, the internet, on the other hand, is
somehow an example of decentralization. It is important to be noted, however, that an
absolute centralization or an absolute decentralization results in no structured organization.
Hence, a good mix of both exists in all organizations.

31-32. Explain the roles and responsibilities of a manager

A manager is a position dreamt of by many. It is such a great position that it demands great
burdens and liabilities. The roles and responsibilities of a manager is as the saying goes, “with
great power comes great responsibility.”

First and foremost, a manager is the one who oversees everything and in his hands are the
functions of management. Thus, he does all the planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.
The primary role of a manager is to ensure the daily functioning of a department or group of
employees. Managers are also expected to interview, hire, and train new staff. Aside from
making plans and setting goals, managers also liaise between their boss and other important
parties.

As further elaboration on the responsibilities of a manager, we see that effective managers
know which employee is capable and trustworthy enough to have confidence in them, and as a
result, delegate tasks according to the department’s needs. One role of managers also is to
enforce the company policy. This is to cultivate an environment that makes employees hold one
another accountable for their actions. A manager must also become more than just a manager;
rather, he must be a leader and should lead by motivating the employees and uniting them
towards their common organizational goal.

Lastly, managers make changes and modifications when unforeseen events arise during the
management process. Managers make sure that the necessary changes are implemented and
that the unity and integrity of the entire process is maintained.


33-35. You are assisting in the small restaurant business of your father. As it is located in the
university belt, sales was brisk and pretty good. Your 10 employees consisting of a cook,
dishwater, waiters/waitresses were paid properly in accordance with the Minimum Wage Law.
You complied with all Labor Standard such as SSS, Philhealth, Pag-IBIG, Medicare, etc. Your
business permit was renewal yearly. As they were handling foods, your employees were duly
certified as healthy by the Department of Health. One day, 10 of your customers suffered
nausea, vomited. and were hospitalized. Suddenly, health inspectors swooped down on your
restaurant. Knocking the inside portions of your refrigerators, a swarm of cockroaches jumped
out of them. Rats were found running in your kitchen. Your restaurant was instantly closed.
What part of GEMS Cycle you have failed to comply with?

The restaurant business seems to be following all the stages of the GEMS Cycle at first.
In fact, the small business seemed to be booming at first glance. However, some things got
overlooked in the long run.

Now, I realized that we have failed to comply with the third stage of the GEMS cycle,
and that is measuring results. My father and I have failed to properly evaluate the cleanliness of
the kitchen until it got worse to the point that customers already got sick. We have failed to
detect deviations from the plan in time to take corrective action. We overlooked the qualitative
aspect of cleanliness in our kitchen, and thus we ultimately failed to make it to the stage four of
the GEMS cycle which is sustaining growth.

With the lessons from the closure of the restaurant business in mind, I have now clearly
understood that the GEMS are really the fundamental blocks to success of a business venture.
Each step is equally important and must never be forgotten and always fulfilled over the whole
course of the business endeavor and management process. Goals, Execution, Measurement,
and Sustenance are, indeed, the four pillars that propel organizations to survive, grow, and
reach greater heights.