Functions and tools of management
Gulick and Urwick summed up a manager's work as POSDCORB; the tools of management are the organisation chart, job description, job specification and work schedule.
POSDCORB: the functions of management
| Letter | Function | Meaning | In a hospital food service |
|---|---|---|---|
| P | Planning | Deciding in advance what, how, when and by whom | Cycle menus, diet plans, purchase plan |
| O | Organising | Dividing and grouping work; fixing authority | Sections for vegetable preparation, cooking, diet kitchen, tray service |
| S | Staffing | Recruiting, selecting, training and placing people | Hiring cooks; hygiene training for helpers |
| D | Directing | Guiding, instructing, leading and motivating | Morning briefing; written diet orders |
| Co | Co-ordinating | Making all parts work together on time | Kitchen, ward staff and dietitian agree meal times |
| R | Reporting | Keeping superiors informed by records and inspection | Daily patient diet census; food cost report |
| B | Budgeting | Financial planning, accounting and control | Monthly food budget per patient |
The management process as a cycle
- back to Planning
POSDCORB was coined by Luther Gulick, with Lyndall Urwick, in Papers on the Science of Administration (1937). Fayol named five elements (plan, organise, command, co-ordinate, control); Koontz and O'Donnell used the five shown here. Co-ordination runs through all of them.
Tools of management
| Tool | What it is | Use in a food service unit |
|---|---|---|
| Organisation chart | A diagram of the formal structure: positions, lines of authority and communication | Shows who reports to whom, from manager to helper |
| Job description | A written statement of the title, duties, responsibilities, working conditions and reporting line of a job | Tells a cook exactly what the job involves |
| Job specification | A written statement of the minimum qualifications, skills, experience and personal qualities a person needs for the job | Used to recruit and select the right cook |
| Work schedule | An outline of the tasks of one worker or post in a shift, with times and methods | Guides a helper from 6 a.m. vegetable cutting to 2 p.m. cleaning |
| Job analysis (the base) | A study of a job to collect the facts used to write the job description and specification | Observing and interviewing the cook to learn the job |
Types of organisation chart
Some books also count the menu, standardised recipes, production schedules, duty rosters, budgets and records as management tools.
A simple line chart for a hospital kitchen
Draw it as boxes from top to bottom. Each box reports to the one above: unity of command and scalar chain in one picture.
In a hospital, a clear organisation chart and a written work schedule decide whether the diabetic tray reaches the right bed on time. Writing them down removes guesswork during the rush.
2 marks: “Expand POSDCORB.” Planning, Organising, Staffing, Directing, Co-ordinating, Reporting, Budgeting (Gulick and Urwick, 1937).
5 marks: “What are the tools of management? Explain any two.” List organisation chart, job description, job specification, work schedule (job analysis as base); explain two with a food service example each.
10 marks: “Explain the functions of management with examples from a food service institution.” Define management; credit POSDCORB to Gulick and Urwick; explain each of the seven with a hospital or hostel example; draw the cycle; mention Fayol's five; conclude.
POSDCORB reads like a word: Please Organise Staff, Direct, CO-ordinate, Report and Budget.