The process of coordinating and allocating a firm's resources in order to carry out its plans is known as which management function?

• A. Organizing
• B. Leading
• C. Planning
• D. Staffing

Answer: (A)

Organizing is the function that takes a plan and puts structure around it by arranging and linking a firm’s resources—people, money, information, and technology—so they can work together to carry out that plan. It involves deciding what tasks need to be done, grouping those tasks into departments or teams, assigning roles and responsibilities, and establishing lines of authority and communication. By designing this structure, you coordinate activities and allocate resources where they’re needed to achieve objectives.

Planning, in contrast, is about setting goals and deciding what actions will reach them; leading focuses on guiding and motivating people to do the work; staffing is about attracting, placing, and developing the right people for roles. But the act of coordinating and allocating resources to implement the plan is the essence of organizing.