Planning is sometimes considered rigid because:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → It is difficult to change once implemented
Option (1) It focuses only on creativity — Incorrect. Planning is blamed for the opposite. Because the plan is made by top management, the middle managers only carry it out, so planning reduces creativity.
Option (2) It is always long-term — Incorrect. Plans can be short-term or long-term. Length has nothing to do with rigidity.
Option (3) It is difficult to change once implemented — Correct. A plan fixes specific goals to be reached within a specific time. Once it is in force, it decides the future course of action, and managers may not be in a position to change it even when conditions change. This loss of flexibility is called rigidity, one of the limitations of planning.
Option (4) It does not involve employees’ opinions — Incorrect. This is a complaint about who makes the plan, not about why a plan cannot be changed.
NCERT (2026-27 Edition): “Planning leads to rigidity: In an organisation, a well-defined plan is drawn up with specific goals to be achieved within a specific time frame. These plans then decide the future course of action and managers may not be in a position to change it. This kind of rigidity in plans may create difficulty. Managers need to be given some flexibility to be able to cope with the changed circumstances. …” |