The Four Functions of Management within
Ginseg Regional Healthcare Systems
Henry Fayol, a 20th century mine owner, first coined term, “Four Functions of Management” to define a functional organization design, focused on essential skill sets. (“Four Functions of Management”, 1999) Since then, processes, projects, teams, systems, and different specialisms, like Marketing and Human Resources have manipulated, added to, and overlaid these concepts. However, these four basic concepts are still at the core of managerial thinking, they are Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Controlling.
Planning is concerned with the future impact of today’s decision. (Erven, n.d.) Planning, as a basic definition, is setting objectives, analyzing dependencies and scheduling activities and resources to ensure that objectives are met. It is an ongoing process of developing the business’ mission and objectives and determining how they will be accomplished. Planning includes both the broadest view of the organization, e.g., its mission, and the narrowest, e.g., a tactic for accomplishing a specific goal. Planning is the essential function from which the other three functions of management stem.
At GRHS, (GINSEG REGIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM), basic planning initiates the organization by determining the system’s vision, mission, objectives, and goals. Grasping the fundamental understanding of what GRHS is seeking to achieve is determined by planning. Every aspect of the hospital has to be planned for; nursing staff to meet patient needs, conference services to ensure continuing education classes can take place, as well as environmental services where sanitation is of the utmost importa ...