Foundations of Planning

of Planning
Chapter 7
Management


Stephen P. Robbins Mary Coulter


tenth edition

Outcomes Follow this Learning Outline as you read and study this

chapter.

7.1 The What And Why Of Planning
Define planning.
Describe the purposes of planning.
Explain what studies have shown about the relationship between planning and performance.
7.2 Goals And Plans
Define goals and plans.
Describe the types of goals organizations might have.
Describe each of the different types of plans.

Outcomes
7.3 Setting Goals and Developing Plans
Discuss how traditional goal setting

and MBO work.
Describe well written goals and explain hw to set them.
Discuss the contingency factors that affect planning.
Describe the approaches to planning.
7.4 Contemporary Issues in Planning
Explain the criticisms of planning.
Describe how managers can effectively plan in today’s dynamic environment.

Is Planning?
Planning
A primary managerial activity that involves:
Defining the organization’s goals
Establishing

an overall strategy for achieving those goals
Developing plans for organizational work activities

Formal planning
Specific goals covering a specific time period
Written and shared with organizational members

Do Managers Plan?
Purposes of Planning
Provides direction
Reduces uncertainty
Minimizes waste and redundancy
Sets

the standards for controlling

and Performance
The Relationship Between Planning and Performance
Formal planning is associated

with:
Higher profits and returns on assets.
Positive financial results.
The quality of planning and implementation affects performance more than the extent of planning.
The external environment can reduce the impact of planning on performance.
Formal planning must be used for several years before planning begins to affect performance.

Do Managers Plan?
Elements of Planning
Goals (also Objectives)
Desired outcomes for individuals,

groups, or entire organizations
Provide direction and evaluation performance criteria
Plans
Documents that outline how goals are to be accomplished
Describe how resources are to be allocated and establish activity schedules

of Goals
Financial Goals
Are related to the expected internal financial performance

of the organization.
Strategic Goals
Are related to the performance of the firm relative to factors in its external environment (e.g., competitors).
Stated Goals versus Real Goals
Broadly-worded official statements of the organization (intended for public consumption) that may be irrelevant to its real goals (what actually goes on in the organization).

7–1 Types of Plans

of Plans
Strategic Plans
Apply to the entire organization.
Establish the organization’s overall

goals.
Seek to position the organization in terms of its environment.
Cover extended periods of time.
Operational Plans
Specify the details of how the overall goals are to be achieved.
Cover a short time period.

of Plans
Long-Term Plans
Plans with time frames extending beyond three years
Short-Term

Plans
Plans with time frames of one year or less
Specific Plans
Plans that are clearly defined and leave no room for interpretation
Directional Plans
Flexible plans that set out general guidelines and provide focus, yet allow discretion in implementation

of Plans
Single-Use Plan
A one-time plan specifically designed to meet the

need of a unique situation.
Standing Plans
Ongoing plans that provide guidance for activities performed repeatedly.

Goals and Developing Plans
Traditional Goal Setting
Broad goals are set at

the top of the organization.
Goals are then broken into sub-goals for each organizational level.
Assumes that top management knows best because they can see the “big picture.”
Goals are intended to direct, guide, and constrain from above.
Goals lose clarity and focus as lower-level managers attempt to interpret and define the goals for their areas of responsibility.

7–2 The Downside of Traditional Goal Setting

the Hierarchy of Goals
Means–Ends Chain
The integrated network of goals that

results from establishing a clearly-defined hierarchy of organizational goals.
Achievement of lower-level goals is the means by which to reach higher-level goals (ends).

Setting Goals and Developing Plans

By Objectives (MBO)
Specific performance goals are jointly determined by employees

and managers.
Progress toward accomplishing goals is periodically reviewed.
Rewards are allocated on the basis of progress towards the goals.
Key elements of MBO:
Goal specificity, participative decision making, an explicit performance/evaluation period, feedback

Setting Goals and Developing Plans

7–3 Steps in a Typical MBO Program
The organization’s overall objectives

and strategies are formulated.
Major objectives are allocated among divisional and departmental units.
Unit managers collaboratively set specific objectives for their units with their managers.
Specific objectives are collaboratively set with all department members.
Action plans, defining how objectives are to be achieved, are specified and agreed upon by managers and employees.
The action plans are implemented.
Progress toward objectives is periodically reviewed, and feedback is provided.
Successful achievement of objectives is reinforced by performance-based rewards.

MBO Work?
Reason for MBO Success
Top management commitment and involvement
Potential Problems

with MBO Programs
Not as effective in dynamic environments that require constant resetting of goals.
Overemphasis on individual accomplishment may create problems with teamwork.
Allowing the MBO program to become an annual paperwork shuffle.

7–4 Well-Written Goals
Written in terms of outcomes, not actions
Focuses on

the ends, not the means.
Measurable and quantifiable
Specifically defines how the outcome is to be measured and how much is expected.
Clear as to time frame
How long before measuring accomplishment.

Challenging yet attainable
Low goals do not motivate.
High goals motivate if they can be achieved.
Written down
Focuses, defines, and makes goals visible.
Communicated to all necessary organizational members
Puts everybody “on the same page.”

in Goal Setting
Review the organization’s mission statement.
Do goals reflect the

mission?
Evaluate available resources.
Are resources sufficient to accomplish the mission?
Determine goals individually or with others.
Are goals specific, measurable, and timely?
Write down the goals and communicate them.
Is everybody on the same page?
Review results and whether goals are being met.
What changes are needed in mission, resources, or goals?

Plans
Contingency Factors in a Manager’s Planning
Manager’s level in the organization
Strategic

plans at higher levels
Operational plans at lower levels
Degree of environmental uncertainty
Stable environment: specific plans
Dynamic environment: specific but flexible plans
Length of future commitments
Commitment Concept: current plans affecting future commitments must be sufficiently long-term to meet those commitments.

7–5 Planning in the Hierarchy of Organizations

to Planning
Establishing a formal planning department
A group of planning specialists

who help managers write organizational plans.
Planning is a function of management; it should never become the sole responsibility of planners.
Involving organizational members in the process
Plans are developed by members of organizational units at various levels and then coordinated with other units across the organization.

Issues in Planning
Criticisms of Planning
Planning may create rigidity.
Plans cannot be

developed for dynamic environments.
Formal plans cannot replace intuition and creativity.
Planning focuses managers’ attention on today’s competition not tomorrow’s survival.
Formal planning reinforces today’s success, which may lead to tomorrow’s failure.
Just planning isn’t enough.

Issues in Planning (cont’d)
Effective Planning in Dynamic Environments
Develop plans that

are specific but flexible.
Understand that planning is an ongoing process.
Change plans when conditions warrant.
Persistence in planning eventually pay off.
Flatten the organizational hierarchy to foster the development of planning skills at all organizational levels.

to Know
planning
goals
plans
stated goals
real goals
framing
strategic plans
operational plans
long-term plans
short-term plans
specific plans
directional plans
single-use

plan
standing plans
traditional goal setting
means-ends chain
management by objectives (MBO)
mission
commitment concept
formal planning department

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