All management Topic

1. What is the Definitation of Direction?
Direction consists of the process and techniques
utilized in issuing instructions and making certain
that operations are carried as originally planned.
“Directing involves determining the course, giving
order and instruction and providing dynamic
leadership” – Marshall
“Activating means and moving into action-
supplying simulative power to the group”- G.R Terry

2. What are the Features/Characteristics of
Directing Function ?
1. Directing Initiates Action: Other functionspreparea base or setting of
action, i. e., how action has to be carried on the directing initiate or start
action.By giving directionsor instructionsthe managers get the work started
in the organisation.
2. Continuing Function: Directingis a continuousprocess. A manager cannot
just rest after issuing ordersand instructions. He has to continuously guide,
superviseand motivatehis subordinates. He must continuously takesteps to
make surethat ordersand instructionsare carried out properly.
3. Directing takes place at every level: Directing is a pervasivefunction as it
is performed by managersat all levels and in all locations. Every manager has
to supervise, guide, motivate and communicatewith his subordinateto get
things done. However, the time spentin directing is comparatively moreat
operationallevel of management. Directing takes place wherever superior
subordinaterelation exists.
4. Directing flows From Top to Bottom: Directions are given by managers to
their subordinates. Every manager can direct his immediatesubordinateand
take directions from immediate boss. Directing starts from top level and flows
to lower level.
5. Performance Oriented:Directingis a performanceoriented function. The
main motive of directing is bringing efficiency in performance. Directing
convertsplansinto performance. Performanceisthe essence of directing.
Directing functionsdirect the performanceof individualstowards
achievement of organisational goal.
6. HumanElement: Directingfunction involvesstudy and moldingof human
behaviour. It improvesinterpersonaland intergroup relationship. Itmotivates
employeesto work with their best ability.
7. Pervasive Function- Directing is required at all levels of organization.
Every manager providesguidanceand inspiration to his subordinates.

3. 8.Continuous Activity - Direction is a continuousactivity as it continuous
throughout the life of organization.
9. HumanFactor - Directing function is related to subordinatesand therefore
it is related to human factor. Since human factor is complex and behaviour is
unpredictable, direction function becomes important.
10. Creative Activity - Direction function helpsin convertingplansinto
performance. Withoutthis function, peoplebecomeinactive and physical
resourcesare meaningless.
11. Executive Function - Direction function is carried out by all managers
and executives at all levels throughout the workingof an enterprise, a
subordinatereceives instructionsfrom his superior only.
12. Delegate Function - Direction is supposed to be a function dealingwith
human beings. Human behaviour is unpredictableby nature and conditioning
the people’sbehaviour towardsthe goals of the enterprise is what the
executive doesin this function. Therefore, it is termed as havingdelicacy in it
to tackle human behaviour.

4. What is the Directing Function of Management?
DIRECTING is said to be a process in which the managers instruct, guide and
overseethe performanceof the workers to achieve predetermined goals.
Directing is said to be the heart of management process. Planning, organizing,
staffing have got no importance if direction function does not take place.
1. Pervasive Function - Directing is required at all levels of organization. Every
manager provides guidance and inspiration to his subordinates.
2. Continuous Activity - Direction is a continuous activity as it continuous
throughoutthe life of organization.
3. Human Factor - Directing function is related to subordinates and therefore
it is related to human factor. Since human factor is complex and behaviour
is unpredictable, direction function becomes important.
4. Creative Activity - Direction function helps in converting plans into
performance. Without this function, people become inactive and physical
resources aremeaningless.
5. Executive Function - Direction function is carried out by all managers and
executives at all levels throughoutthe working of an enterprise, a
subordinatereceives instructions fromhis superior only.
6. Delegate Function - Direction is supposed to be a function dealing with
human beings. Human behaviour is unpredictable by nature and
conditioning the people’s behaviour towards the goals of the enterpriseis
what the executive does in this function. Therefore, it is termed as having
delicacy in it to tackle human behaviour.

5. What are the Elements of Directing?
The essential elements of directing are:
1. Issuing orders and instructions: Every instruction given by the
manager in the processof directing his subordinates should be reasonable,
complete and clear. It must be in writing, so that the possibilityof
misunderstanding can be avoided.
2. Guiding,counselling and teaching the subordinates: The manager
should guide, counsel and teach the subordinates with regard to the proper
way of doing the job in order to enable them to carry out their job-effectively
and efficiently.
3. Supervising the work of subordinates: Every work of subordinates
should be supervised by the manager to ensure that their performance
conforms to the plan.
4. Motivatingthe subordinates:Motivating the subordinates to meetthe
expectations of the superiors is another element of directing.
5. Maintaining Discipline: Another element of directing is maintaining
discipline and rewarding efficientperformance.
6. Consultative Direction: Before the issue of any order, the people
responsible forexecuting order will be consulted with regard to its
feasibility, workability and the best way of accomplishing the results.

6. What is the Importance of Direction?
Directing or Direction function is said to be the heart of management of process
and therefore, is the central point around which accomplishment of goals take
place. A few philosophers call Direction as “Life spark of an enterprise”. Itis also
called as on actuating function of management because it is through direction
that the operation of an enterpriseactually starts. Being the central character of
enterprise, it provides many benefits to a concern which are as follows:-
1. It Initiates Actions - Directions is the function which is the starting pointof
the work performanceof subordinates. It is from this function the action takes
place, subordinatesunderstand their jobs and do according to the instructions
laid.
2. It Ingrates Efforts - Through direction, the superiorsareable to guide,
inspireand instruct the subordinatesto work. For this, efforts of every
individualtowardsaccomplishmentof goals are required.
3. Means of Motivation- Direction function helpsin achievement of goals. A
manager makes use of the element of motivation here to improvethe
performancesof subordinates
4. It Provides Stability -Stability and balance in concern becomes very
importantfor long term sun survivalin the market. This can be brought upon
by the managerswith the help of four tools or elements of direction function -
judiciousblend of persuasiveleadership, effectivecommunication, strict
supervision and efficientmotivation
5. Coping up with the changes - It is a human behaviour that human beings
show resistance to change. Adaptability with changing environmenthelpsin
sustainingplanned growthand becoming a marketleader
6. Efficient Utilizationof Resources -Direction financehelps in clarifying
the role of every subordinatetowardshis work. The resources can be utilized
properly only when less of wastages, duplication of efforts, overlappingof
performances, etc
7. Integrative force: direction integrates the activities of employees. Itis mainly
concentrated about what, when, where and who to do the work. Without

7. integration none of the activities can be fulfilled. Effective operation can be
achieved only when the efforts of all employees are integrated
8. Improves efficiency: direction consists of motivation, leadership and
communication. When all these managerial tools are implemented the
potentiality of employees is fully utilized fromwhich they performhigh
performance
9. Facilitates change: changealways comes in an organization. Healthy changeis
important. Somepeople do not want the condition of change. But change is
inevitable. Direction is an important function of management that gives the
orders and motivates the personnelfor change
10. Helps instability andgrowth: direction is an integrated activity of
motivation, leadership and communication. These activities help in stability of the
organization. When these activities are used, the capabilities are utilized which
helps in flexibility and growth of the organization
11. Helps toachieve the organizational goals: the manager gives the direction to
do work and it gives knowledge, information and goals of the organization. When
all people know about the goals it helps on achieving the organizationalgoals
effectively
From the above discussion, one canjustify that direction, surely, is the heart of
management process. Heart plays an important role ina human body as it
serves the functionpumping blood toall parts of body which makes the parts
function.

8. What are Role of a Supervisor?
Supervisor has gotan important role to play in factory management. Supervision
means overseeing the subordinates at work at the factory level. The supervisor is
a part of the management team and he holds the designation of firstline
managers. He is a person who has to performmany functions which helps in
achieving productivity. Therefore, supervisor can becalled as the only manager
who has an important role at execution level. A supervisor plays multiplinary role
at one time like -
1. As a Planner - A supervisor has to plan the daily work schedules in the
factory. At the same time he has to divide the work to various workers
according to their abilities.
2. As a Manager - Itis righty said that a supervisor is a part of the
management team of an enterprise. He is, in fact, an operative manager.
3. As a Guide and Leader - A factory supervisor leads theworkers by guiding
them the way of performtheir daily tasks. In fact, he plays a role of an
inspirer by telling them.
4. As a Mediator - A Supervisor is called a linking pin between management
and workers. Heis the spokesperson of managementas well as worker.
5. As an Inspector - An important role of supervisor is to enforcediscipline in
the factory. For this, the work includes checking progress of work against
the time schedule, recording the work performances atregular intervals
and reporting the deviations if any fromthose. He can also frame rules and
regulations which haveto be followed by workers during their work.
6. As a Counselor - A supervisor plays therole of a counselor to the worker’s
problem. He has to performthis role in order to build good relations and
co-operation fromworkers. This can be done not only by listening to the
grievances but also handling the grievances and satisfying the workers.
Therefore, we can say that effective and efficient supervision helps in serving
better work performance, building good human relations, creating a congenial
and co-operativeenvironment. This all helps in increasing productivity.

9. What are the Functions of a Supervisor?
Supervisor, being the manager in a direct contact with the operatives, has got
multifarious function to perform. The objective behind performanceof these
functions is to bring stability and soundness in the organization which can be
secured through increase in profits which is an end result of higher productivity.
Therefore, a supervisor should beconcerned with performing the following
functions -
1. Planning and Organizing - Supervisor’s basic roleis to plan the daily work
schedule of the workers by guiding them the nature of their work and also
dividing the work amongstthe workers according to their interests,
aptitudes, skills and interests.
2. Provisionof working conditions - A supervisor plays an importantrole in
the physicalsetting of the factory and in arranging the physicalresources at
right place. This involves providing proper sitting place, ventilation, lighting,
water facilities etc. to workers. His main responsibility is here to provide
healthy and hygienic condition to the workers.
3. LeadershipandGuidance - A supervisor is theleader of workers under him.
He leads the workers and influences them to work their best. He also
guides the workers by fixing production targets and by providing them
instruction and guidelines to achieve those targets.
4. Motivation - A supervisor plays an importantrole by providing different
incentives to workers to performbetter. There are different monetary and
non-monetary incentives which can inspirethe workers to work better.
5. Controlling - Controlling is an importantfunction performed by supervisor.
This will involve Recording the actual performanceagainst the time
schedule.Checking of progress of work.Finding outdeviations if any and
making solution If not independently solved, reporting it to top
management.
6. Linking Pin - A supervisor proves to bea linking pin between management
and workers. Hecommunicates the policies of management to workers also
passes instructions to them on behalf of management. On the other hand,

10. he has a close contact with the workers and thereforecan interact the
problems, complaints, suggestions, etc to the management. In this way, he
communicates workers problems and brings it to the notice of
management.
7. Grievance Handling - The supervisor can handlethe grievances of the
workers effectively for this he has to do the ,He can be in direct touch with
workers.By winning theconfidence of the workers by solving their
problems.By taking worker problems on humanitarian grounds.If hecannot
tackle it independently, he can take the help and advice of management to
solveit.
8. Reporting - A supervisor has gotan important role to reportabout the cost,
quality and any such output which can be responsiblefor increasing
productivity. Factors like cost, output, performance, quality, etc can be
reported continually to the management.
9. Introducing newwork methods - The supervisor herehas to be conscious
about the environment of marketand competition present. Therefore he
can innovate the techniques of production. He can shiftthe workers into
fresh schedules whenever possible. He can also try this best to keep on
changing and improving to the physicalenvironment around the workers.
10.Enforcing Discipline - A supervisor can undertakemany steps to maintain
discipline in the concern by regulating checks and measures, strictness in
orders and instructions, keeping an accountof general discipline of factory,
implementing penalties and punishments for the indiscipline workers. All
these above steps help in improving the overall discipline of the factory.