Complete 6 pages APA formatted article: The Benefits of Planning in a Business Environment.

Complete 6 pages APA formatted article: The Benefits of Planning in a Business Environment. The four functions of management include planning, organizing, directing and controlling. The management needs to be equipped with all four functions but any situation needs planning ahead of implementation after which control can be exercised. Planning has been described as assessing the future, setting goals and devising means to achieve these goals (Dooris, Kelley and Trainer, 2002). Mintzberg and Quinn think of strategy as a plan and specify that it should be made in advance and it should be developed consciously and purposefully (cited in Dooris, Kelly and Trainer, 2002). Planning is thus an ability to improve the condition, which could include increasing market share or enhancing profits. It thus suggests that planning is a primary management function aimed at achieving organizational goals and objectives. Every business, regardless of size, must develop a comprehensive plan which would force the management to think of the realities to be faced in the business world (French, Kelly and Harrison, 2004). This should have a well-defined format and parts. This conforms to Valdehueza’s (2009) definition that goals are a desired future state that the organization focuses on while plans are the blueprint that specifies the resource allocation, schedules, and actions necessary to achieve the intended goals. Organizational goals, mission, and objectives symbolize legitimacy to the external stakeholders while plans motivate the employees to perform an action, thereby reducing uncertainty. The benefits of planning range from economic benefits to adaptive thinking and can also include integration and control (Appiah-Adu, Morgan and Katsikeas, 1996). Planning benefits could either be utilitarian or psychological in nature. The Utilitarian benefits are the planning capabilities that manifest in enhanced organizational processes, acquisition of knowledge-based skills and coordination of strategic activities (Appiah-Adu, Morgan and Katsikeas, 1996). Psychological benefits demonstrate the values and perceptions of management. The psychological benefits include enhanced morale, motivation and commitment by the employees to the strategic plans drawn up by the management. This is especially perceived in change management when the management planned the change process before the actual change takes place. Mergers and acquisitions can have a demoralizing effect on employees but with the right planning the objectives of change can be met and resistance overcome. Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries plc (W&DB) the UK took over two breweries within twelve months which resulted in considerable downsizing and closing down of some units (Pollitt, 2006). This can lead to demoralizing of staff resulting in reduced productivity. However, W&DB had strategically planned the change process and could overcome the resistance within a short period of time. The goal of the organization was to avoid imbalance, which is generally expected in any change, with the right organizational strategy. Through transparency, effective communication, removal of management trappings and employee involvement they could achieve the desired goal. They could achieve this because the change process was planned much before the actual change took place. As uncertainty manifest in the modern business enterprise, formal strategic planning took shape in organizations.