Match List-I (statements about planning) with List-II (the point of planning they describe):
| List-I | List-II | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| (A) | Top management plans for the organisation as a whole, while middle management does the departmental planning. | (I) | Planning provides directions |
| (B) | Planning is purposeful; it has no meaning unless it serves the predetermined goals of the organisation. | (II) | Planning is futuristic |
| (C) | Employees know what the organisation has to do and what they must do, so departments work in coordination. | (III) | Planning is pervasive |
| (D) | A firm prepares its annual plan for production and sales on the basis of its sales forecast. | (IV) | Planning focuses on achieving objectives |
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → (A)-(III), (B)-(IV), (C)-(I), (D)-(II)
| List-I | List-II | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| (A) Top management plans for the organisation as a whole, while middle management does the departmental planning. | (III) Planning is pervasive | Planning is done at every level; only its scope changes. |
| (B) Planning is purposeful; it has no meaning unless it serves the predetermined goals of the organisation. | (IV) Planning focuses on achieving objectives | Plans exist to reach the goals of the organisation. |
| (C) Employees know what the organisation has to do and what they must do, so departments work in coordination. | (I) Planning provides directions | Clear goals guide everyone in the same direction. |
| (D) A firm prepares its annual plan for production and sales on the basis of its sales forecast. | (II) Planning is futuristic | Planning looks ahead through forecasting. |
NCERT (2026-27 Edition): “(i) Planning provides directions: By stating in advance how work is to be done planning provides direction for action. Planning ensures that the goals or objectives are clearly stated so that they act as a guide for deciding what action should be taken and in which direction. If goals are well defined, employees are aware of what the organisation has to do and what they must do to achieve those goals. Departments and individuals in the organisation are able to work in coordination. If there was no planning, employees would be working in different directions and the organisation would not be able to achieve its desired goals.” “(i) Planning focuses on achieving objectives: Organisations are set up with a general purpose in view. Specific goals are set out in the plans along with the activities to be undertaken to achieve the goals. Thus, planning is purposeful. Planning has no meaning unless it contributes to the achievement of predetermined organisational goals.” “(iii) Planning is pervasive: Planning is required at all levels of management as well as in all departments of the organisation. It is not an exclusive function of top management nor of any particular department. But the scope of planning differs at different levels and among different departments. For example, the top management undertakes planning for the organisation as a whole. Middle management does the departmental planning. At the lowest level, day-to-day operational planning is done by supervisors.” “(v) Planning is futuristic: Planning essentially involves looking ahead and preparing for the future. The purpose of planning is to meet future events effectively to the best advantage of an organisation. It implies peeping into the future, analysing it and predicting it. Planning is, therefore, regarded as a forward looking function based on forecasting. Through forecasting, future events and conditions are anticipated and plans are drawn accordingly. Thus, for example, sales forecasting is the basis on which a business firm prepares its annual plan for production and sales.” |