The four primary functions of management are which of the following?

• A. Planning; Directing; Coordinating; Controlling
• B. Budgeting; Staffing; Leading; Evaluating
• C. Planning; Organizing and staffing; Leading; Controlling
• D. Planning; Organizing; Controlling; Coordinating

Answer: (C)

The main idea this question tests is the classic four management tasks that guide how managers run organizations: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. The best answer pairs planning with organizing (and staffing as part of organizing), leading, and controlling. Planning sets goals and the steps needed to reach them. Organizing arranges resources and structure, and staffing fits here because getting the right people in the right roles is part of organizing. Leading is about guiding and motivating people to carry out the plan. Controlling involves measuring performance, comparing it to the plan, and making adjustments to stay on track. Together, these form a continuous cycle: plan, arrange and staff, lead the team to execute, and monitor performance to correct course.

The other options don’t fit the standard four. One uses Directing and Coordinating instead of Leading and treats Coordinating as a separate function, which isn’t the traditional four. Another relies on budgeting and evaluating rather than organizing and leading. The last omits Leading entirely, which breaks the full set of core functions.