Meaning of planning

                                     Every human activity undertaken with a view to achieve something must be proceed by planning. For instance, a student desirous of securing a good grade in the examination has to plan his study. A person intending to set up a business cannot do so unless he has done a lot of previous thinking considering various aspects and taken many decisions if not all. He has to plan within the available resources, the location, the products to be sold, customers to be approached or the markets to be entered.
                                    Managerial operations must be based on suitable and sufficient planning. It has to plan not only in the beginning but throughout the operations.

Definitions:

   "Planning is deciding in advance what is to be done"

   "Planning bridges the gap between where we are to where we want to go."

   "Planning will involved deciding a course of action from amongst a number of alternative courses which would help the enterprise to achieve its objectives most expeditiously and economically" 

   "Planning ensures proper application of resources for the attainment of desired ends"

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Role and Responsibility of Lower level Management

                          Supervisory management (lower level management) consists of senior supervisor. Supervisor management is above the operatives but below the middle level management in the organisation. The executives at this level are in direct touch with the rank and file of workers and have to see that the work is properly carried out. The personnel employed at this level play an important role in the organisation. The effective implementation of the plans and polices, the quality of workmanship quality of output and over all success of the organisation very much depend on the hard labor, discipline and loyalty of the personnel at this level of management. Further, this level of management represents the workers before the higher management and the higher echelons of management to the workers.
                        As the supervisor is the immediate boss of the workers, the workers look to him for orders policies, instructions, guidance, encouragement, increased pay etc. The success of the supervisor depends on the preference of the workers, their co-operation, their ungrudging effort, their satisfaction and their loyality to him. The supervisor in turns looks to his superior in the middle management for orders, policy information, help and guidance.

Functions of Lower Level Management: 
                      The various functions of supervisor are as follows:
1) To issue orders and instructions to the workers and to supervise and control their work
2) To plan the activities of his section
3) To classify and assign jobs to the workers
4) To direct and guide the workers about work procedure
5) To arrange for the necessary tools, equipment, materials etc., for the workers
6) To arrange for providing on the-job training to the workers
7) To look after the proper maintenance of tools, machinery etc
8) To solve the problems of workers
9) To inform the management about the problems of workers which are not solved at this level.
10) To advise middle management about the working environment and to act as liaison between the middle management and the rank and file workers
11) To maintain discipline among the workers and to develop in them the right approach to work.
12) To maintain good human relations.
13)  To build a high group morale among the workers.

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Role and Responsibility of Middle Level Management

                     Middle management consists of departmental, divisional or sectional heads and other executive officers attached to the different departments. This level of management is responsible for implementing the polices and plans decided by the top management. Middle management comes between the top management and the supervisory management. According to Mary C.Niles, middle managers have pressures from the corners, viz., (a) from above by his chief in top management with whose idea, policies and attitudes he must agree (b) From below by the supervisors who press for counsel  guidelines, decisions etc. and (c) sideways by colleagues whose departments or functions are interrelated with its own.

Functions of Middle Level Management:
                     According to Mary C. Niles  middle management acts with and under the top management to accomplish who follows board objectives of administration.
1) To execute the various functions of organisations, so that the top management gets enough time to look after their responsibilities.
2) To co-operate among themselves, will the top management and the supervisors so that the organisations functions smoothly.
3) To understand the interlocking of departments in major polices.
4) To achieve co-ordination between the different parts of the organisation.
5) To develop and train employees in the organisation for better functioning and for filling up vacancies that may arise in future.
6) To build company spirit where all are working to provide a product or service wanted by the public.

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Role and Responsibilities of Top Level Management

                                           Top management is at the head of the organisation. It consists of the Board of Directors and its Chairman, the Chief Executive (Ex., Managing Director or General Manager) and the Senior Executive (viz, Deputy General manager). In the operation of the enterprise, top management is the ultimate level of authority. Further, these top level managers are primarily involved in board organisational matters such as policy formulation, long range planning, goal the top management of organisational strategies. In general, the top management effectively deals with all elements and forces that affet the survival, stability and growth of an organisation. 
                                           In other words of B.Yuill, the top management duty is to protect the integrity of the organisation, so that it can survive for ita own employees, the shareholders, suppliers and the customer`s interests and for the general good of the social and economic system within which it operates.

Functions of top level management:
 The main functions of top level management are as follows:
(a) Determine objectives for the organisation: Objectives may relate to profit, business growth, survival, prestige, competitive pricing, marketing method, widening the area of sales, relations with workers, customers, public etc.

(b) Frame the policy: To frame the policy and chalk out the plans to carry out the objectives and policies. Policies may relate to different aspects of the organisation. For example, production policy deals with the quality, product variety, scheduling of production to meet the market demand etc.
1) Market policy: this policy deals with such matters as advertising and sales promotion techniques, pricing product, channel of distribution, commission, discount, placements, training, remuneration promotion, appraisal of performance etc. of the personnel.
2)Financial policy: This relates to the procurement of funds, source of finance, management of earning, etc.

(c)Organisational Frame Work: Top management determines the organisational structure for the purpose of executing the plans that have been laid down. Execution of plans is necessary to carry out the objectives and policies.

(d)Assemble the Resources: For the purpose of executing the plans, the resources of men, machines, materials and money have to be assembled. This again is the task of top management.

(e)Control the operations through organisation: Controls the top management regarding operations through budgets, cost and statistics quality control and accounting devices.

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Goals and Objectives of Management

1) Planning for future: Every management thinks and plans about future. The current as well as future planning go together. The activities to be undertaken in future will be planned at present. No concern can survive if it does not plan for future. The likely business trends, future global trends, likely business laws, changing consumer preference, impact of social changes are the factors which wil be taken into account while planing for future.
2) Better Quality Goods: The consumer has become quality conscious now. He will go to for only those products which are of good quality and satisfy his needs. At present, the survival of a unit is linked to the quality products it produces. The objectives of the management is to bring out quality products so that they are accepted by the market. It will require introduction of quality standards in the business. Management should make efforts to plan production process in such a way that only quality products are produced and marketed.
3) Proper Utilisation of Resources: Every management aims to utilise enterprise resources properly and economically. The proper use of men, materials and machinary will ensure reasonable cost and adequate profits. It is not only the management which will look onward business profits but other interest groups such as employees, shareholders, customer, government will also be affected by its quantum. The efforts of the management should be to make optimum use of available resources in order to achieve better results.
4) Growth and development of business: Managerial efforts to be expand and diversity the business. It there is a scope to expand the existing business then efforts should be made to develop it but avenues to enter new avenues should also be explored. It will give stability and strength to the business.
5) Mobilising best talent: The management should try to employ proper persons in various fields so that better results are possible. The employment of specialists in various fields will be increasing the efficiency of various factors of production. There should be proper environment which should encourage good person`s to join the enterprise. Better pay, scales, proper amenities, future potentialities will attract more people in joining the concern.
6) Promotion of Research: The greatest drawback in India business is its lack luster approach towards research. Management give hardly any importance to research activities. It restrict their strength and capacity to complete in the market. There is a need to keep ourself aware of what is going on in the market and prepare to face it. The promotion of research is the only answer at present. Management should always try benefits of latest technological changes and ready to face the future with conference and zeal.
7)Minimising risk element: Every business at present is facing global competition. The product from developed countries are flooding markets in India. There is a need to improve overall working for staying in such a competition. The management should plan the activities in such a way that business is able to survive, under uncertain conditions. There is a need to minimising risk element and also to explore newer and better avenues.

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Essential Characters of business Organisation

1) Social Responsibility: The only and one aim of business undertaking is not to increase profits. They own some responsibilities to the society also. The society expects business undertaking to provide cheap and better quality goods of consumers.They are also expected to contribute towards social amenities by opening schools, hospitals, parks etc, not only for the employees but also for people lining in those facilities.
2) Profit Motives: All business undertakings are run to earn profits. An undertaking started for social service will not be able to called business undertaking because the aim is not to earn profit. The incentive of earning profit keeps undertaking going. The aim is to get back more than what has been invested.
3) Dealing in goods ans services: All business undertakings deal in goods and services. The goods, may be consumer goods or producer`s goods. The consumers goods are those which are purchased by them for consumption or day to day use.
4) Continuity of Transactions: The transactions in a business undertaking are continuous or regular. They are engaged in a series of successive transactions over time and space.
5) Risk and Uncertainty: Every business undertaking is exposed to risks and uncertainties. Business is influenced by further events and further is always uncertain. There are chances of price fluctuations, demand charges, consumer likings and dislikings etc. There may be fire, earthquake, strike by workers etc. All these factors make a business undertaking risky and uncertain.

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Concept of Business Organisation

                                     A business undertaking is an institutional arrangement to conduct any type old business activity. The undertaking may be run by one person or association of person. It may be based on formal or informal agreement among persons who undertake to run the concern. According to Wheeler, a business undertaking is a concern, company or enterprise which buys and sells, is owned by one person or a group of persons and is managed under specific set of operating policies. The person join to gather and pool their resources and conduct the activities of the undertaking for the benefit of all.

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