Functional Areas of Business Paper
XXXXX
MGT/521
June 8, 2015
Professor XXXX

Functional Areas of Business Paper Understanding the importance of managers in today’s corporate world is crucial for an individual with a special interest in business management practices, especially if pursuing a Masters of Business Administration. According to Robbins and Coulter (2012), managers are important for three main reasons: organizations need their skills, they get things done, and they do matter. The responsibility of a manager is to coordinate and oversee that others are doing their work so that the goals of an organization can be accomplished (Robbins and Coulter, 2012), and to “ensure business success” (University of Phoenix, 2012). The manager’s efficiency and effectiveness when leading and overseeing the tasks needed to accomplish the organization’s goals will reflect in the functional areas of business.
Functions of Management There are four functions of management: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. This functions approach is the most popular used today, and managers address them “regardless of the order in which these functions are performed” (Robbins and Coulter, 2012, p. 10). Managers use their leadership to influence and inspire employees, participate in strategic planning to create plans, and ensure the objectives are completed (University of Phoenix, 2012).
Manager’s Role
The management of an organization is divided into different areas, depending on the nature of the business. Although managers’ roles vary, the primary function is to coordinate that department and oversee that employee’s actions lead to accomplishing the set goals. A human resource manager oversees the “process of attracting, developing, and maintaining a talented and energetic workforce to support organizational mission, objectives, and strategies” (Schermerhorn, 2001, p. 240). A marketing manager’s role is to interest the consumer in products or good (University of Phoenix, 2012), to advertise and create an edge over competitors, and to create a good image that will sustain or bring more business to the organization. The operations manager’s role is to oversee the management process pertaining to the supply chain, such as raw materials, suppliers, manufacturing, and distribution. Other managerial roles address other areas within an organization, which could be research and statistics, business law, finance, accounting, and economics, as presented in the MBA Overview Module (University of Phoenix, 2012).
Learning as a key role. There is an aspect of a manager that is sometimes overlooked. The reality of today’s world is that companies dedicate tremendous emphasis to professional development and training of their personnel. The influence exercised by managers over employees could be effectively used as “informal learning in the workplace” (“Informal learning in the workplace: The key role of managers,” 2014). This article explores how regardless of different management styles, the goal of a manager should aim toward teaching, educating, and developing their employees. According to the article, managers can use their skills and knowledge to become influential role models, and to create a learning culture that exposes employees to a variety of experiences and challenges.
Engagement as a key role. There is another aspect of a manager which portraits its role as “an expert engager of others” (Sparrow, 2013, p. 83). The author states that human resource management can help build engagement within