Microsoft’s Management Planning

Microsoft’s Management Planning Paper Within this paper Microsoft’s organization will be assessed with the planning functions of management. Along with a brief analysis of Microsoft’s history and the impact that legal issues, ethics and corporate social responsibility have on the planning functions of management. It will also analyze the factors that influence the Microsoft’s strategic, operational, and contingency planning. The Microsoft corporation is one of the most prevalent and powerful companies in the private computer business.

Established in 1975 by Paul Allen and Bill Gates, Microsoft has the strongest presence in just about all areas of computer software, from applications to programming tools. Bill Gates wanted to create a healthy, productive work environment that maintained its employees values and commitment of excellence. In building a corporation based on the principles of diversity and respect of one another’s individuality, Bill wanted to bring in the right people to manage his corporation that had the same common goals to achieve the main goal of having a thriving corporation.

Planning is important at all levels of management within Microsoft. However, its distinctiveness differs by level of management. Within Microsoft the key terms of planning management functions are vision, mission, objectives and goals. Planning requires a organized approach and an establishment of objectives. It starts with setting goals and objectives that can be achieved. Those objectives provide a underlying principle for a variety of tasks as well as designate course of efforts.

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Additionally those objectives also focus the attention of the managers on the final results wanted to be achieved. Objectives are the core to the planning process. Consequently, objectives should be stated in a obvious, accurate and unequivocal manner. Otherwise the tasks to be carried out are sure to be inadequate. The establishment of planning principles are the hypothesis about the profile of prospective events. They serve as a basis of planning. It assists in finding out the obstacles in the way of business throughout the course of the process.

Planning principles may be or external or internal. Internal consist of asset investment plans, executive labor affairs, beliefs of management. While external includes political, social, and economical transformation. Internal principles are controllable while external are not controllable. To facilitate the management of Microsoft the company is run by a Board of Directors. This is a strategic form of planning that impacts the legal issues, ethics and corporate and social responsibility of the company.

The committees include the Compensation Committee, which grants compensation for the CEO and supplementary employees of the corporation; the Governance and Nominating Committee, which takes care of an assortment of corporate matters as well as nomination of the board; the Finance Committee, which takes care of financial matters such as recommended unifications and acquirements; the Audit Committee, which takes care of accounting issues with the corporation together with reports and audits; and the Antitrust Compliance Committee, which puts forth efforts to put a stop to company practice from violating antitrust laws.

Other aspects to the corporate configuration are there is a Executive Team, comprised of sixteen corporate officers around the world, which is in charge of a variety of duties including making sure staff understand Microsoft's traditions of business. That team handles the worldwide matters. With planning being the primary function of management and what the other functions of management develop from, a manager can only organize and staff after strategies to obtain goals are in place.

Microsoft management is accountable for and are evaluated on how they meet the organizational goals through the functional and competent use of their resources. They are evaluated by their performance in getting the goals obtained proficiently and successfully through their staff. Management is also evaluated on their decision-making abilities to put to use the four functions of management to achieve the organizational goals. There are different stages of management and within all of them the first function of management, the planning function, is involved.

The three factors that influence Microsoft’s strategic, operational, and contingency planning are external and internal factors and environment. Strategic planning is one particular style of planning. Strategies are the result of strategic planning. Microsoft’s strategies classify its business, the criterion for entering the business, and the fundamental events that Microsoft will pursue in carrying out its business. Strategies are key plans that assign huge amounts of the company’s capital to projected events, intended to attain the main goals and objectives.

Operational Planning views future as something that needs to be implemented now. This style of planning focuses on setting interim objectives. Takes on a larger amount of comprehensive planning regarding the way in which activities are to be achieved Now a solid contingency plan has a massive value for the organization and it responds to major changes in the environment. The development of a all-inclusive contingency plan completes an external and internal environmental study, evaluates vision, mission and objectives, and establishes strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Microsoft’s mission statement is clear as stated (2008) on the website, “As a company, and as individuals, we value integrity, honesty, openness, personal excellence, constructive self-criticism, continual self-improvement, and mutual respect. We are committed to our customers and partners and have a passion for technology. We take on big challenges, and pride ourselves on seeing them through. We hold ourselves accountable to our customers, shareholders, partners, and employees by honoring our commitments, providing results, and striving for the highest quality. Microsoft promotes a diverse, supportive, and dynamic work environment. Within the frame work of the relationships build amongst each other they strive to be open, honest and respectful with everyone’s ideas and thoughts and input. Microsoft encourages a diverse workforce at all levels of the corporation. It is in that belief system that creating a work environment that enables people to fully appreciate the diverse talents that others have to offer leads to improved modernization and creativeness within the products and services that the corporation provides to the public.

Microsoft also encourages a cooperative and fruitful work environment by supporting the cultural and ethnic diversity of its workforce. They are dedicated to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants that are qualified. Planning is a decision making function that involves innovative thinking and imagination that eventually leads to advance methods and function for growth and wealth of an organization. Microsoft’s planning begins with purpose of objectives.

Microsoft has big corporations resources with a small corporations suppleness and heart. Every flourishing corporation has the ability to use its resources and power to make a positive impact on the world and its people and with the Microsoft corporation being one of the most prevalent and powerful companies in the private computer industry, it has proven without a shadow of a doubt that it has done just that. They draw attention to the purposes for which various activities are to be carried out.

With this the planning help in focusing the attention of staff on the objectives or goals of the organization. Without planning Microsoft has no direction. It requires manager to prepare a outline of the course of action that are to be followed for all completion of objectives and consequently bringing organization and level-headedness into the company. The duty and principles to help people and realize the true potential is what sets the Microsoft corporation apart from the rest.

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