2.3 Management

2026 Syllabus Objectives

By the end of this topic, you should be able to:

  1. Explain the four traditional management functions: planning, organising, directing, and controlling
  2. Describe the roles of managers according to Fayol and Mintzberg
  3. Explain how managers contribute to business performance
  4. Describe and evaluate four management styles: autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire, and paternalistic
  5. Explain McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y and how they affect management

1. Traditional Management Functions

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A manager is someone in a business who is responsible for looking after a team or a specific area of work — for example, the marketing manager or finance manager.

Large businesses often have several layers of management:

  • Directors or owners — set the big-picture goals and long-term targets for the whole business
  • Senior managers — work to achieve those targets, usually in charge of one area (e.g. sales or finance)
  • Supervisors and team leaders — support senior managers day to day, pass on instructions, and make smaller decisions like organising staff tasks

The Four Traditional Functions

These are the four main things managers do in every organisation:

🔹 Planning

Planning means thinking about the future and deciding what the business needs to do to get there.

  • Managers set objectives (goals) for their team or department
  • They decide on strategies — the steps needed to reach those goals
  • They think about what resources will be needed and set timescales (deadlines)

Example: A sales manager plans to increase sales by 10% over the next six months and decides to launch a new advertising campaign to do it.

🔹 Organising

Organising means making sure everything and everyone needed to carry out the plan is in the right place.

  • Managers make sure the right equipment, workers, and materials are available
  • They assign roles — making it clear who is responsible for what
  • They also manage things like staff schedules and the flow of supplies

Example: A restaurant manager organises the kitchen team, ensures enough ingredients are stocked, and assigns each chef their specific role during a busy dinner service.

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