Business Administration Articles

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Administrative functions in a business environment Administrative functions in a business environment

Administrative functions in a business environment are handled by services managers. They also have the responsibility to coordinate and direct the support services so that organizations can operate efficiently.

These administrative functions are performed by different types of managers according to their level of responsibility and authority. In a business environment, administrators are assigned common set of functions to meet the organization's goals which are:

Planning

The most important administrative function in a business environment is planning. Planning is defined by the decision made at the initiallevel at which the administrator has to decide what to do to fulfill a goal. What are the different ways and means to do it and who are the right person to perform that job. In planning, the first step is to arrange the functions, people or components involved into a proper working order. The next thing is to find out the specific steps the people involved must take to complete the job. The planning part should also include the details of the equipment, time and manpower needed for a particular job.

The planning administrator should identify the entire problem that can arise due to circumstances so that solutions can be provided immediately if the problem comes up. The resources and manpower, skill availability to complete a particular task is also checked in this part. The planning phase should clearly specify the order in which sub tasks have to be performed to complete a job successfully. Bydeciding the order in which the plans have to be carried out, a complete plan of action has to be decided before hand. Overall, a plan of action specifies the tasks in an order for a particular period of time.If the planning is done by taking certain steps in the right direction then it is possible to complete the task without interruptions so that it is possible to complete the given task most efficiently and effectively:

1. At first step, all the actions have to be identified along with the resources required so that all the problems are identified before starting the work.

2. A planned time line sheet to complete the tasks in an order.

3. Define the priorities for various tasks so that it helps in mapping the path from where the organization is to where it wants to be.

Depending upon the nature of the problem to be handled, the planning can be both short-range and long-range.Organization

Organizing means the administrator has to identify various jobs and the right person which can perform those jobs efficiently. The administrator has to identify which can take the responsibility and can manage a team of people to complete a job. Such responsible persons are further grouped together to create departments or divisions. Such different departments are combined together or inter related to each other to create a bigger division. Such departments interact with each other in an organized manner to complete various tasks. The organized divisions should coordinate with each other so that different tasks can be performed easily.

In organization, the administrator has to define the responsibilities and authority clearly so that there is no crossing of lines while working in coordination. The concept of delegation of authority is very importantin an organized department. It helps the people to perform better because it includes assigning responsibility to a person to complete a task. The delegated person has sufficient authority to manage the resources to do a particular task and also has the right to decide how that task will be completed with time.

Staffing

This administrative function is very important in a business environment because it deals with filling up of job positions in an organization. The job positions should be filled by taking care of the requirement, time and the type of man power required. The administrator should check the staffing needs from time to time so that number of employees are always sufficient and up to the mark. The staff requirements are identified by the staffing administrators andthen suitable job descriptions are designed. The recruitment process is also organized at different levels by these administrators to screen the candidates so that suitable candidates are recruited.

Directing

It is very important for organization because it deals with handling people in such a way so that they help in every possible way to achieve the goals of the organization. To make the direction efficient, it is important that the allocation of resources is done very carefully. It also helps the system to perform better by providing a complete and effective support and backup system at the backend. Such administrators look after the preparation, analysis, negotiation, and review of jobs related to the purchase or sale of equipment, materials, products and services. The administrators fulfilling the direction role should have strong communication skills and has the conviction to judge and convince people in a positive way. They have to keep a perfect balance between the requirements and financial status of the organization.

Controlling

Controlling is the function which deals with the continuous evaluation of the organization goals. If the goals are not achieved then controlling administrator has to detect potential or actual difference in the achieved and original plan of the organization. This helps in improving the system for betterment so that deviation in the goal achieved is minimum. By controlling information management it is possible to measure the performance of the system and to apply correctiveactions to increase the efficiency. There are many types of controlling functions which are associated with evaluations in organizations. Some of the examples are: evaluation of marketing efforts, evaluation of employee performance and program evaluations.

Budgeting

After the jobs are planned and resources are organized, the next important administrative function in business environment is tomanage the funds efficiently. Budgeting administrators are responsible for analyzing the requirements of funds for the resources and man power to achieve goals and tasks. All the financial statements are monitored and checked from time to time to avoid any financial problems. All types of financial statements like balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statements are prepared, checked and managed by the administrator.