Chapter 8: Planning Work Activities Review

Classify the types of goals organizations might have and the plans they use.

Goals are desired outcomes. Plans are documents that outline how goals are going to be met. Goals might be strategic or financials, and they might be stated or real. Strategic plans apply to the entire organization, while operational plans encompass a particular functional area. Long-term plans are those with a time frame beyond three years. Short-term plans cover one year or less. Specific plans are clearly defined and leave no room for interpretation. Directional plans are flexible and set out general guidelines. A single use plan is a one-time pan designed to meet the needs of a unique situation. Standing plans are ongoing plans that provide guidance for activities performed repeatedly.

Compare and contrast approaches to goal-setting and planning.

In traditional goal-setting, goals are set at the top of the organizations and then becomes subgoals for each organizational area. Management by Objective(MBO) is a process of setting mutually agreed-upon goals and using those goals to evaluate employee performance. Well-written goals have 6 characteristics: 1) written in terms of outcomes, 2) measurable and quantifiable, 3) clear as to time frame, 4) challenging but attainable, 5) written down, and 6) communicated to all organizational members who need to know them. Goal setting involves: - review the organization's mission - evaluate available resources - determine the goals individually or w/ input from others - write down the goals and communicate them to all affected - review results and change goals as needed Factors that effect planning at a Managerial level: - level in the organization - degree of environmental uncertainty - length of future commitments Two Approaches to Planning: - Traditional Approach- has plans developed by top managers that flow down through other organizational levels and which may use a formal planning department. - Other Approach- involves more organizational members in the planning process.

Discuss contemporary issues in planning.

One contemporary planning issue is planning in dynamic environments, which usually means developing plans that are specific but flexible. Also, its important to continue planning, even when the environment is highly uncertain. Finally, because there's little time in a dynamic environment for goals and plans to flow down from the top, lower organizational levels should be allowed to set goals and develop plans. Another issue involves using environmental scanning to help do a better analysis of the external environment. Competitive intelligence can be helpful in finding out what competitors are doing.

Define the nature and purposes of planning

Planning involves defining the organization's goals, establishing an overall strategy for achieving those goals, and developing plans for organizational work activities. The four purposes of planning include providing direction, reducing uncertainty, minimizing waste and redundancy, and establishing the goals or standards used in controlling.