In XYZ Ltd., Top management undertakes planning for the organisation as a whole, Middle management does the departmental planning and at the lowest level day to day operational planning is done by Supervisors.

Which feature of planning is indicated by the above explanation?

Planning is pervasive

The correct answer is Option (2) → Planning is pervasive.

The feature of planning indicated is Planning is pervasive.

Planning is carried out at all levels of management within the organization. Top management is responsible for overall organizational planning, middle management handles departmental planning, and supervisors handle day-to-day operational planning. This demonstrates how planning is done across different levels and is involved in all parts of the organization.

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.

OTHER OPTIONS

• 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.

• Planning as a continuous process- Plans are prepared for a specific period of time, may be for a month, a quarter, or a year. At the end of that period there is need for a new plan to be drawn on the basis of new requirements and future conditions. Hence, planning is a continuous process. Continuity of planning is related with the planning cycle. It means that a plan is framed, it is implemented, and is followed by another plan, and so on.

• 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.