MNG10247 Managing Organisations: Manager Interview on Planning Role

This report presents an executive summary of a manager interview conducted at Marks and Spencer, focusing on the planning function within managerial responsibilities. It discusses the application of managerial functions, activities carried out by the manager, and key challenges faced, such as managing time and setting clear goals. The report utilizes communicative theory to understand the manager's approach to planning and communication. It also provides recommendations for effective implementation of managerial functions, including developing a communication strategy and measuring change processes. The report concludes that managerial functions are crucial for business success and growth, emphasizing the importance of planning in achieving organizational goals. Desklib provides access to this and other solved assignments to support student learning.

Assignment 2-
Manager Interview
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Executive Summary
The managerial function helps in carrying out business activities and operations in an
effective and efficient manner so that goal and objectives are attained. There are different
managerial functions, but in this report, planning has been selected and role of manager has
discussed. The report contains information about application of managerial functions, activities
carried out by manager and key challenges faced by them. Communicative theory has used in
practice to make planning.
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................2
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Body.................................................................................................................................................4
Theory..........................................................................................................................................4
Observation..................................................................................................................................4
Evaluation/Interpretation.............................................................................................................5
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................6
Recommendation.............................................................................................................................6
References........................................................................................................................................7
Appendix..........................................................................................................................................8
Interviewee Details......................................................................................................................8
Interview Questions.....................................................................................................................8
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Introduction
Manager is defined as those people who are overall responsible for managing different
activities and operations at business (Chung and et. al., 2017). It is very important for manager to
perform different function of management at their workplace so that goal and objectives are
attained. This includes planning, leading, controlling and organising. The given report is based
Marks and Spencer organisation where manager is liable to perform their role and
responsibilities. Main function selected for manager is planning and application of such function
at workplace. It has discusses with help of theory.
Body
Theory
Managerial functions are defined as those which control workflow, view employees,
analysing performance against goals and lastly communicating with top management of business
(Jacobs, Johnson and Hassell, 2018). There are mainly five managerial functions such as
planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling. In this report, function selected for
business is planning which is regarded as blue print or roadmap of any organisation. This is
looking ahead as well as preparatory stage in which alternatives course are selected out of many
to attain set goal and objectives. This is the most crucial functions of organisation as each and
every thing is depended on planning made by manager to accomplish positive results. It takes
more time and cost to make proper planning for business to achieve their desired results
Observation
The organisation in which manager is working is Marks and Spencer which is retail
business dealing in clothes, food, home products. It is multinational organisation operating their
activities and function at marketplace (Moxen and Strachan, 2017). In order to work in retail
sector, manager has to perform various roles to gain positive outcomes. There are different role
of manager which are as follows:
Informational Role – Manager has to play role of monitor, spokes person and
disseminator for organisation (Veltri and Bronzetti, 2015). They have to provide all relevant
information which is important for employees to carry out work in positive manner.
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Decisional Role- Manager has to hand resource allocator, negotiator and so on. They are
liable to make decision for business so that there are no chances for conflict or issues among
employees.
Interpersonal Role- Manager has to play role of interpersonal with each and every
department of respective organisation for knowing about all elements that are required to be
modified (Perri and et. al., 2016).
Managers spend majority of time in creating goals, performance measurement, business
and communicating with their employees so that positive results are accomplished. The
managerial function selected is planning in which manager has to analyse market first and then
plan for business in terms of earning high profits, business goal and objectives and so on. They
have to make proper budget to be allocated in each and every department for carrying out
activities and operations to achieve positive results.
While carrying out role by manager, they have to face key challenges which are described
in terms of selected managerial function. They are as follows:
Managing Time- It is very difficult for manager to allocate time for each and every task.
Planning functions required more time than other functions as each and every activity are
required to be planned in proper way (Pick and et. al., 2015). This is challenging work for
manager.
Setting Clear Goals and Expectations- It is very difficult to set clear goal and
expectations by manager and make their employees to work as per decided one (Tsohou and et.
al., 2015). In case of planning, manager faces challenge to properly set goal and expectations for
business as well as employees and achieve positive results.
Evaluation/Interpretation
The managerial function such as planning has to be applied in business in an effective and
efficient manner for positive outcomes. Theory which is in practice of planning is
communicative theory that help manager into their actions, lived experiences, words,
communication styles in dealing with people in effective manner (How Planners Use Planning
Theory, 2020). This theory should be used at organisation for attainment of positive results as
communication plays an important role in transferring data and information from one to another.
The managerial function is effectively applied as planning is done first then other functions such
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as organising, staffing, controlling and directing are done. All factors are depended on planning
phase of functions to gain positive outcomes.
Conclusion
The report concluded that managerial function plays an important role in success and growth
of business. It includes planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling. Here, manager’s
has to perform role for their planning functions and spend more time in formulation of strategy,
plans, policies, goal and performance measurement. In carrying out role, they face challenges in
terms of managing time, clear goal and expectations and so on. Communicative theory is applied
in context of managerial functions to communicate with each other for goal attainment.
Recommendation
The recommendations for managerial functions to be effectively implemented are as
follows:
 It is recommended to develop proper communication strategy.
 This is recommended to measure change process at organisation and work accordingly.
 It is also recommended to include managerial functions in carrying activities and
operations of business in effective manner.
Therefore, these recommendations help in effectively implementation of managerial
functions at organisation.
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References
Books and Journals
Chung, A. Q., Andreev, P., Benyoucef, M., Duane, A. and O’Reilly, P., 2017. Managing an
organisation’s social media presence: An empirical stages of growth model. International
Journal of Information Management. 37(1). pp.1405-1417.
Jacobs, S., Johnson, S. and Hassell, K., 2018. Managing workplace stress in community
pharmacy organisations: lessons from a review of the wider stress management and prevention
literature. International Journal of Pharmacy Practice. 26(1). pp.28-38.
Moxen, J. and Strachan, P. eds., 2017. Managing green teams: environmental change in
organisations and networks. Routledge.
Perri, P., Goodwin, N., Peck, E. and Freeman, T., 2016. Managing networks of twenty-first
century organisations. Springer.
Pick, D., Weber, P., Connell, J., Geneste, L.A., Knight, E. and Harvey, W., 2015. Managing
exploration and exploitation paradoxes in creative organisations. Management Decision.
Tsohou, A., Karyda, M., Kokolakis, S. and Kiountouzis, E., 2015. Managing the introduction of
information security awareness programmes in organisations. European Journal of Information
Systems. 24(1). pp.38-58.
Veltri, S. and Bronzetti, G., 2015. A critical analysis of the intellectual capital measuring,
managing, and reporting practices in the non-profit sector: Lessons learnt from a case
study. Journal of Business Ethics. 131(2). pp.305-318.
Online
How Planners Use Planning Theory. 2020. [Online]. Available through: <
https://www.planetizen.com/node/73570/how-planners-use-planning-theory>.
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Appendix
Interviewee Details
Name Steve Rowe
Position Manager
Organisation Marks and Spencer
Work phone [phone]
Date of the interview 8th April, 2020
Interview Questions
 What do you think planning is important functions of management?
 How you make planning for your business?
 What are the important things to be considered while making planning?
 What are the advantages and disadvantages of planning?
 Do you think all manager and executive should be included in planning phase of
managerial functions?
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