'Planning leads to rigidity' is a ______ of planning.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → limitation
Option (1) limitation — Correct. Rigidity is a limitation of planning, a problem that planning can cause. A fixed plan decides the future course, and managers may not be able to change it when conditions change.
Option (2) feature — Incorrect. Features describe what planning is like: it focuses on objectives and is pervasive, continuous and futuristic. Rigidity is not part of its nature. It is a problem that a fixed plan creates.
Option (3) benefit — Incorrect. Benefits are the ways planning helps, such as giving directions and reducing the risks of uncertainty. Rigidity makes it hard to cope with change, so it works against the organisation.
Option (4) step in the process — Incorrect. The steps of planning run from setting objectives to follow-up action, and each is something managers do. Rigidity is a result of a fixed plan, not a step taken to make one.
NCERT (2026-27 Edition): “Limitations of Planning … Unforeseen events and changes, rise in costs and prices, environmental changes, government interventions, legal regulations, all affect our business plans. Plans then need to be modified. If we cannot adhere to our plans, then why do we plan at all? This is what we need to analyse. The major limitations of planning are given below:” “(i) 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. Following a pre-decided plan, when circumstances have changed, may not turn out to be in the organisations interest.” |