Direction

DIRECTION

Meaning

The functions of management like planning, organising, staffing deals with the preparation of work performance. But Direction stimulates the organisation and its staff to execute the plan. So direction is also called management-in-action.

Definition

According to Koontz and O’Donnell, “Direction is the impersonal aspect of managing by which subordinates are led to understand and contribute effectively and efficiently to the attainment of enterprise objectives”.

According to Haimann “ Directing consist of the process and technique utilised in issuing instructions and making certain that operations are carried on thus originally planned”.

Characteristics of Direction

1. It is concerned with issuing the orders and instructions to the subordinates.

2. Supervisor will give direction to subordinate.

3. Directing is pervasive, because it is performed at all levels of management. Therefore, direction is a universal acceptable concept.

4. It is a continuous and on-going process because it deals with the continuous guidance to be provided by the superiors to their subordinates.

5. It always follows a top down approach.

6. It provides linkage between other managerial functions such as planning, organising and staffing.