Research and examine best management practices as well as evaluate how some companies fall short in their management practices.

Introduction

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the fundamentals and principles of management. This course is based on the P-O-L-C framework, which entails the management facets of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Throughout this course students will gain knowledge about each facet of the P-O-L-C framework and develop an understanding about how each facet allows a manager to achieve organizational goals. According to Carpenter, Bauer, Erdogan, and Short (2013, p. 36) the critical elements within each facet of the P-O-L-C framework are comprised of the following:

Planning Organizing Leading Controlling

As students progress through this course, it is important to keep these elements in mind. The P-O-L-C framework and these elements of management will serve as the foundation of this course.

While the course material revolves around the P-O-L-C framework, the assignments in this course will allow students to apply management concepts and techniques by immersing the student in management situations. Students will reflect on their own experiences dealing with management or reflect on their own experiences as managers. This course will also expose students to a variety of companies focused on the principles of management and the P-O-L-C framework. Students will have the opportunity to study a successful company as part of their summative assessment for the purpose of creating a management plan focused 2 OL 215 Module One on best management practices, and then apply those practices to a struggling company to develop a management improvement plan. The discussion topic, journal assignments, milestones, and module resources will scaffold throughout the course to enable students to submit a comprehensive summative assessment.

By the conclusion of this course, students will have a thorough understanding of the P-O-L-C framework with practical knowledge of how these concepts can be deployed by management to help achieve organizational goals. This course will provide students with a better appreciation for the role of management as the management concepts learned in this course can be applied to every organization.

What Is Management?

Almost everyone is familiar with the term management and has dealt with managers in one regard or another. While the term manager is widely used, what exactly do managers do and what responsibilities do they have? Within this module students will begin an examination of the role of a manager. According to Robbins and Decenzo (2001), management can be defined as “the process of getting things done, effectively and efficiently, through and with other people” (p. 5). In essence, management is about achieving organizational goals by motivating and empowering people to accomplish their tasks. In a traditional sense, the role of a manager referred to a person of authority who gave orders to employees who followed those orders with very little involvement. The boss was in charge, and the employee did what the boss said. Today’s complex, evolving, and competitive business landscape requires managers with different skillsets and methods of management. Just as organizations need to adapt to remain competitive, so do their management philosophies. While managers still have authoritative power, the modern manager must understand that empowerment creates a culture of ownership, responsibility, and accountability. Managers must understand how to properly motivate their employees because in today’s business world managers cannot do everything themselves. Understanding how to properly delegate and how to effectively communicate the organizational goals and objectives will allow today’s manager to be more successful.

As students continue to evaluate the role of a manager they must also recognize that the terms manager and leader are often used interchangeably, but it is important to understand the difference between the two. Management is about getting things done through others, while leadership is about influencing and inspiring people to work towards a common goal. This is important because managers are often called upon to be leaders within their organizations. While not all managers are effective leaders, and vice versa, this course will OL 215 Module One 3 provide the necessary tools and knowledge to allow students to understand how a manager can also be an effective leader. This module will also introduce students to the P-O-L-C framework, which will be the central concept throughout this course as students examine the fundamentals and principles of management. The P-O-L-C framework consists of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. This module will provide students with an overview of the P-O-L-C framework and each of the four fundamental facets while analyzing how these concepts can help management develop their employees and achieve organizational success. Take some additional time to get familiar with the P-O-L-C framework, as this will be the foundation of this course. The P-O-L-C framework and the principles of management are also the focus of the summative assessment, which will allow you to choose a successful company and a struggling company. The summative assessment will allow you to research and examine best management practices as well as evaluate how some companies fall short in their management practices. You should review the associated rubrics for the final project to make sure that the expectations are clear. If not, you should post your questions in the discussion topic. Also, review the course syllabus and all of the other rubrics for the discussion topic, journal assignments, milestones, and final project. It is also encouraged that you review the resources in Module One, as they provide additional valuable information related to leadership and ethical cultures in business. This information will be useful as you develop a summative assessment about a successful company and a struggling company.

References

Carpenter, M., Bauer, T., Erdogan, B. & Short, J. (2013). Principles of management (Version 2.0). Washington, DC: Flat World Knowledge, Inc.

Robbins, S. P., & DeCenzo, D. A. (2001). Fundamentals of management (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.