The major functions of a modern office management

The major functions of a modern office management

Office management is an integral part of general management. Office management is the planning, organizing and controlling of office work and of their performing it so as to achieve the predetermined objectives.

The word 'manage' is derived from French word ‘manege’ which means managing a horse. The dictionary meaning of the word manage is to conduct, to control or to administer.

According to Leffingwell and Robinson, `Office management is that branch of the art and science of management which is concerned with the efficient performance of office work, whenever and whatever that work is to be done.’

From the above definition, it would be clear that office managements directs the office personnel and is concerned with the planning, organizing, co-ordination, motivation and central of office work.

Since the process of office management is similar to the general process of business management, thus the office management performs functions similar to those performed by management. They have been summarized as follows:

i) Planning: Planning is the basic function of office management. It is concerned with declining in advance what is to be done and how it is to be done. To plan is to produce a scheme future action.

ii) Organizing: The function of organizing office activities refers to the certain of a structure of duties and functions of the office personnel to achieve the objectives of the enterprise. Organization thusis concerned with activity-authority relationship.

iii) Staffing: Staffing is the executives function which involves the recruitment, selection, compensating, training, promotion and reference of sub-ordinate managers. Office management also involves this process.

iv) Directing: The process of direction refers to the way an executive issues instructions to his subordinates and otherwise indicates what it is that should bedone. Direction can thus be regarded as the process of guiding and supervising subordinates.

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v) Co-ordinating: It is also the function of office to establish co-ordination between employer and employee so that production may increase. Lack of co-ordination may have an adverse impact on the efficiency^• of management and may even prove to be cause of the failure of a business enterprise.

vi) Controlling: The managerial function of control is the measurement and correction of the performance of subordinates in order to make sure that enterprise objectives and the plans devised to attain them are accomplished.

vii) Motivating: Motivating is an extremely complex problem since it is linked with human beings. Motivation means inducing subordinates to work with zeal and gusto and cooperate for achieving the objectives of the organization.

In the above discussion it can be said that the function of office management is very wider and broader.

  Procedures for selecting office workers

The Employee selection Process takes place in following order-

1.     Preliminary Interviews- It is used to eliminate those candidates who do not meet the minimum eligiblity criteria laid down by the organization. The skills, academic and family background, competencies and interests of the candidate are examined during preliminary interview. Preliminary interviews are less formalized and planned than the final interviews. The candidates are given a brief up about the company and the job profile; and it is also examined how much the candidate knows about the company. Preliminary interviews are also called screening interviews.

2.     Application blanks- The candidates who clear the preliminary interview are required to fill application blank. It contains data record of the candidates such as details about age, qualifications, reason for leaving previous job, experience, etc.

3.     Written Tests- Various written tests conducted during selection procedure are aptitude test, intelligence test, reasoning test, personality test, etc. These tests are used to objectively assess the potential candidate. They should not be biased.

4.     Employment Interviews- It is a one to one interaction between the interviewer and the potential candidate. It is used to find whether the candidate is best suited for the required job or not. But such interviews consume time and money both. Moreover the competencies of the candidate cannot be judged. Such interviews may be biased at times. Such interviews should be conducted properly. No distractions should be there in room. There should be an honest communication between candidate and interviewer.

5.     Medical examination- Medical tests are conducted to ensure physical fitness of the potential employee. It will decrease chances of employee absenteeism.

6.     Appointment Letter- A reference check is made about the candidate selected and then finally he is appointed by giving a formal appointment letter.

7. Communication

 is the phenomenon of sharinginformation and meaning through non-verbal, verbal, and written media.

Communication requires a sender, a message, a medium and a recipient, although the receiver does not have to be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast distances in time and space. Communication requires that the communicating parties share an area of communicative commonality. The communication process is complete once the receiver understands the sender's message

 This material is collected from differnet web pages like wikipedia, other blogs etc...
composed by Pardeep Balani