In business, administration consists of the performance or management of business operations and thus the making or implementing of a major decision.

Administration can be defined as the universal process of organizing people and resources efficiently so as to direct activities toward common goals and objectives. Administrators engage in a common set of functions to meet the organization's goals.

ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS

"5 Elements of

Administration"

Planning

Organizing

Staffing

Directing

Controlling

These "functions" of the administrator were described by Henri Fayol as "the 5 elements of administration" .

PLANNING

Is deciding in advance what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and who should do it. It maps the path from where the organization is to where it wants to be.

The planning function involves establishing goals and arranging them in a logical order. Administrators engage in both short-range and long-range planning.

ORGANIZING

Involves identifying responsibilities to be performed, grouping responsibilities into departments or divisions, and specifying organizational relationships.

The purpose is to achieve coordinated effort among all the elements in the organization (Coordinating).

Organizing must take into account delegation of authority and responsibility and span of control within supervisory units.

STAFFING

Means filling job positions with the right people at the right time.

It involves determining staffing needs, writing job descriptions, recruiting and screening people to fill the positions.

DIRECTING

Is leading people in a manner that achieves the goals of the organization. This involves proper allocation of resources and providing an effective support system.

Directing requires exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to motivate people.

One of the crucial issues in directing is to find the correct balance between emphasis on staff needs and emphasis on economic production.

CONTROLLING

Is a function that evaluates quality in all areas and detects potential or actual deviations from the organization's plan.

This ensures high-quality performance and satisfactory results while maintaining an orderly and problem-free environment.

Controlling includes information management, measurement of performance, and institution of corrective actions.

PLANNING

ORGANIZING

STAFFING

DIRECTING

CONTROLLING

A Management Assistant must know and practice all these functions in order to obtain the best results at work. They all work together and anyone is better than the others, each one needs from others to complete its duties.

REFERENCES

• http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Administrative-Management-Theory/62799

• http://www.analytictech.com/mb021/fayol.htm

• http://bizcovering.com/management/fayol-theory-of-administrative-management/