मराठी

Overview of Planning

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CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Meaning of Planning

  • Planning is the first function: It is the first and most important managerial function; all other functions (organising, staffing, directing, controlling) depend on it.
  • Why planning is needed: Organisational objectives cannot be achieved well without planning; unplanned actions may give bad/undesirable results.
  • Meaning of a plan: A plan is a pre-decided future course of action.
  • Meaning of planning: Planning means deciding objectives for a time period, creating alternative ways, and selecting the best course of action.
  • Nature of planning: Planning is a mental exercise—thinking before doing, using facts and experience, and choosing among alternatives.
CISCE: Class 12

Definition: Planning

  • Planning is fundamentally a mental predisposition to do things in an orderly way, to think before acting and to act in the light of the facts rather than of guesses.  -L.F. Urwick
  • Planning is the thinking process, the organised foresight, the vision based on facts and experience that is required for intelligent action. -Alfred and Beatty
  • Planning is deciding in advance what is to be done. It involves the selection of objectives, policies, procedures and programmes from among alternatives. -M.E. Hurley 
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Features of Planning

  • Goal-oriented: Planning is done to achieve organisational objectives; without goals, planning is useless.
  • Future-oriented: It is looking ahead and preparing for future; forecasting is the base of planning.
  • Mental/Intellectual process: Planning needs thinking, judgement, foresight, creativity and analysis (not guesswork).
  • Primary + pervasive: It is the basic function on which others depend, and it is done in all organisations and at all levels.
  • Continuous + choice + efficiency: Planning is ongoing, involves choosing the best alternative (decision-making), and aims to achieve results at minimum cost with best use of resources.
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Importance of Planning

  • Focus on objectives: Planning makes goals clear and directs efforts/resources towards them.
  • Makes work meaningful: Everyone understands how their work connects to goals, so motivation increases.
  • Brings order: Planning gives clear direction, avoids confusion, and reduces ad-hoc actions.
  • Reduces risk/uncertainty: Helps forecast future and prepare for changes and dangers in business.
  • Improves efficiency/economy: Chooses the best method, reduces waste, and ensures best use of resources at minimum cost.
  • Basis of control: Plans set standards to compare actual performance and take corrective action (control is blind without planning).
  • Helps decisions + coordination + future: Planning improves decision-making, supports coordination among departments, and bridges the gap between present position and future goals.
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Limitations of Planning

  • Costly: Planning needs money, time, effort, data collection and sometimes experts—so cost should not exceed benefits.
  • Time-consuming: Takes long for analysis, so it is not suitable in emergencies and may delay decisions/opportunities.
  • Rigidity: People may follow plans blindly even when conditions change, which can reduce flexibility, initiative and creativity.
  • Inaccuracy & false security: Plans depend on forecasts; wrong forecasts make plans misleading and may create a false feeling that everything is safe/complete.
  • Other limits: Resistance to change (psychological barrier), external factors (technology, government policies, unrest), and human misuse (self-interest, useless reports); planning is only an aid, action and judgement are still needed.
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Steps in the Process of Planning

  • Set objectives: Clearly define organisation and department goals (clear, specific, and broken into targets).
  • Develop planning premises: Decide assumptions about the future using forecasting (tangible/intangible, internal/external, controllable/uncontrollable).
  • Identify alternatives: Find possible ways to reach goals using reliable, up-to-date information (focus on key options—limiting factor).
  • Evaluate & choose best: Compare alternatives by cost, benefit, risk, and suitability; select the best one scientifically.
  • Form derivative plans: Make detailed plans like policies, procedures, rules, programmes, schedules, budgets for implementation.
  • Secure cooperation: Communicate plans to employees, take suggestions, and motivate them for full support.
  • Follow-up & revise: Review plans regularly and update them based on results, new facts, and changing environment.
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Types of Plans > Objectives

  • Types of plans: Plans are of two types—Standing plans (repeat-use: objectives, policies, procedures, rules) and Single-use plans (one-time: programmes, budgets).
  • Hierarchy of plans: Plans follow a hierarchy—higher level plans guide and create lower level plans (e.g., objectives → policies → procedures/rules → programmes → budgets).
  • Meaning of objectives: Objectives are the ends/results an organisation wants to achieve; planning starts with setting objectives.
  • Multiple & changing priorities: Businesses have many objectives (survival, profit, growth, social service, etc.) and priority can change with time.
  • Hierarchy of objectives (ends–means chain): Objectives exist at all levels—corporate → divisional → departmental → sectional → work group; lower-level objectives help achieve higher ones.
  • Importance of objectives: Objectives give legitimacy, direction, unified planning, motivation, coordination, and basis for control.
  • Essentials of good objectives: They should be clear, specific, measurable, time-bound, supportive, challenging but achievable, acceptable, flexible, and set for key result areas (KRAs).
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Types of Plans > Strategy

  • Meaning: Strategy is a comprehensive, integrated plan that shows the organisation’s future direction and destination.
  • What it answers: It clarifies where the organisation is now, where it wants to go, and what it must do to reach there.
  • Nature: Strategy is mainly long-term (but has short-term effects), action-oriented, and more specific than objectives.
  • Formulation: It is usually made by top management, based on organisational objectives, and helps handle competition and environmental pressures.
  • Key features: Strategy is flexible and dynamic, based on SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats), and ensures best use of key resources with proper timing and sequence of major actions.
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Types of Plans > Policies

  • Meaning: A policy is a general guideline that directs decision-making within limits to achieve objectives (allows discretion).
  • Key features: Policy is a standing plan for recurring problems, gives broad routes to reach objectives, guides executive behaviour, and exists at all levels (company/department/minor).
  • Types of policies: Originated (made by management), Appealed (on request of subordinates), Imposed (forced by outside agencies), Written, and Implied (unwritten but followed).
  • Operationalises objectives: Policies convert objectives into practical actions (give “how to achieve” goals).
  • Speeds decisions & delegation: Saves time by avoiding repeated analysis and helps delegate authority safely within set limits.
  • Coordination, training & control: Ensures consistent decisions, supports coordination, helps training/orientation, and strengthens administrative control.
  • Limits + essentials: Policies are not answers for every situation and need judgement; good policies must be clear, written (preferably), reasonable, fair, fact-based, flexible, and reviewed regularly.
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Distinction between Policies and Strategies

Basis Policies Strategies
1. Meaning Guide thinking & actions for decisions Give direction for using resources
2. Type of decisions For repetitive decisions For contingent/unique decisions
3. Situation Used when facts are mostly known Used when alternatives can’t be pre-analysed
4. Delegation Can be delegated Usually not delegated (needs top/last-minute decision)
5. Nature & competition Standing/long-term, not based mainly on competitors Non-repetitive, revised often, made considering competitors
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Distinction between Objectives and Policies

Basis Objectives Policies
Meaning Goals (ends) Guidelines (means)
What vs How What to do How to do
Planning Destination Route
Level Mostly top/owners All levels
Link One needs many policies Each policy for one objective
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Types of Plans > Procedures

  • Meaning: A procedure is a step-by-step (chronological) sequence showing the exact way an activity is done.
  • Purpose: Procedures execute policies and help in achieving objectives (they are guides to action).
  • Scope: A procedure is narrower and less flexible than a policy; usually every policy has a procedure.
  • Procedure vs method: Procedure = series of steps; Method = specific way of doing one step (more detailed).
  • Cross-department: Procedures often involve many departments (e.g., purchase procedure includes production, purchase, stores, finance).
  • Importance: Saves manager’s time, makes work routine, improves efficiency, ensures uniformity, supports delegation, training, and becomes a basis of control.
  • Limits + essentials: Can cause rigidity, reduce initiative, and become outdated; good procedures must be fact-based, objective/policy-focused, standardised, balanced (stable + flexible), and reviewed regularly.
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Distinction between Policies and Procedures

Basis Policies Procedures
1. Guide Guide thinking & decisions Guide actions/operations
2. Nature General attitude on issues Systematic steps for routine work
3. Flexibility Flexible (allows discretion) Rigid (little deviation)
4. Detail level Broad & general Specific & detailed (step-by-step)
5. Role Link purpose → performance Link activities → outcomes
6. Level made Mainly top management Mostly middle & lower levels
7. Source/form From objectives; general statements From policies; chronological sequence
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Types of Plans > Methods

  • Meaning: Methods are standardised ways of doing routine and repetitive jobs (e.g., straight line or diminishing balance method for depreciation).
  • Purpose: They keep work on planned lines, avoid confusion/ad-hocism, and ensure economy and efficiency.
  • Nature: Methods give detailed, specific guidance for day-to-day work and act as uniform norms to guide and control performance.
  • Benefit: They help in simplification, standardisation and systematisation of work; standard methods represent the best way of doing a job.
  • Relation with procedure: A method is narrower than a procedure—it is one step within a procedure and helps complete it with minimum time, money and effort.
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Types of Plans > Rules

  • Meaning: Rules are specific statements of what must or must not be done in a particular situation (e.g., No smoking in the factory).
  • Nature: Rules are standing plans and are usually strictly enforced with very few exceptions.
  • Rules vs procedures: Rules handle one specific situation, while procedures deal with a sequence of related steps.
  • Importance: Rules set limits of acceptable behaviour, help maintain discipline, improve efficiency, and make employee behaviour predictable towards objectives.
  • Good rule-making: Rules should be valid and necessary, their purpose must be explained, and they should not stifle initiative/creativity while ensuring smooth work flow.
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Distinction between Policies and Rules

Basis Policies Rules
Type General Specific
Guide Decisions Behaviour
Focus Attitude/direction Do/Don’t
Flexibility Flexible Rigid
Discretion Allowed Not allowed
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Distinction between Procedures and Rules

Basis Procedures Rules
1. Steps Chronological sequence of steps No sequence (single instruction)
2. Scope Relatively broad/general Very specific
3. Nature Flexible Rigid
4. Violation Usually no fixed penalty Penalty prescribed
5.Character May be personal Impersonal
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Distinction between Rules and Methods

Basis Rules Methods
1. Guide Guide behaviour (do/don’t) Best way to do a task
2. Purpose Ensure discipline & order Ensure efficiency & economy
3. Nature Strict adherence + control needed Standardised/simplified way
4. Basis From objectives, values, common sense From research & analysis
5. Penalty Penalty for violation Usually no penalty
6. Link with procedure May or may not be part of a procedure Usually part of a procedure
7. Focus People’s behaviour Work method/task
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Types of Plans > Budgets

  • Meaning: A budget is a numerical plan for a future period showing expected results in money/time/physical units.
  • What it shows: It estimates costs, results and resource allocation (e.g., cash flows, capital outlay, production and sales targets).
  • Planning + control tool: Budget makes goals clear in numbers and acts as a standard to evaluate performance.
  • Time period: Budgets are generally prepared for one year.
  • Master budget: A summary of all functional budgets, showing the overall plan of the organisation; approved by top management.
  • Functional (operating) budgets: Prepared department-wise, e.g., Sales, Production, Materials, Labour, Cash budgets.
  • Other budgets: Overheads budgets (production, distribution, administrative) and Capital vs Revenue budgets (fixed assets spending vs routine income/expenses).
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Types of Plans > Programmes

  • Meaning: A programme is a detailed plan to implement policies and achieve a specific objective.
  • What it includes: It combines goals, policies, tasks, resources, time period, and tells who will do what and how.
  • Use: Used for activities like new product development, training, advertising, expansion, etc.
  • Types: Major programme = main/basic plan; Minor programme = supporting/derivative plan (one major may need many minor programmes).
  • Features: It is a single-use, action-based, time-bound plan that supports smooth working and motivation, but must be stable + flexible because environmental changes can cause failure.
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