Introduction

Just like any other organization, a school organization will not be able to function properly
without administrator and effective administration process. In the case of school system,
administrator would be the superintendent of the school. As administrator, the superintendent
plays rolls as both leader and manager of the school.

In order to be a successful and efficient administrator, the superintendent should focus on four
areas planning, organizing, directing and controlling. In the case of planning, the administrator
must be able to pinpoint the appropriate goals for the school system. After planning the goals and
ways to its achievement, the administrator must be able to put those plans into action. Organizing
is as important as the plan itself.

An administrator must also be able to direct from students to teachers and bind the school
community to move forward toward achieving goals that been set for the school. Making every
section of the school to stay focus is part of the directing roles of administrator. Lastly, after
ensuring the plans, the set-up and people for action, an administrator should be able to control
the school. The purpose of this paper is to explain and discuss the model of PODC and it
application in school setting.

Explanation of PODC Model

The primary challenge faced by school and administrator today is to creatively solve school
problems. The principles of management are guidelines using which administrator can tackle
school operation challenges.

The principles of management have been categorized into the four major functions of planning,
organizing, Directing, and controlling popularly known as the P-O-L-C framework.
The four common functions of management include planning, organizing, leading and
controlling (McDonald, 2010). Leung and Kleiner (2004) suggest that these four functions are
necessary.

Planning

Planning means setting an organizations goal and deciding how best to achieve them. Planning
is decision making, regarding the goals and setting the future course of action from a set of
alternatives to reach them. The plan helps to maintain the managerial effectiveness as it works as
a guide to the personnel for the future activities. Selecting goals as well as the paths to achieve
them is what planning involves.

Planning involves selecting missions and objectives and the actions to achieve them, it requires
decision-making or choosing future courses of action from among alternatives. In short, planning
means determining what the organizations position and the situation should be at some time in
the future and decide how best to bring about that situation. Planning helps maintain managerial
effectiveness by guiding future activities.

For school administrator, planning and decision-making require an ability to foresee, to

visualize, and to look ahead purposefully.

Organizing: Coordinating Activities and Resources

Organizing can be defined as the process by which the established plans are moved closer to
realization.

Once school administrator set goals and develops plans, his next managerial function is
organizing human and other resources that are identified as necessary by the plan to reach the
goal. Organizing involves determining how activities and resources are to be assembled and
coordinated.

Organizing produces a structure of relationships in an organization and it is through these

structured relationships that future plans are pursued. Organizing, then, is that part of managing
which involves: establishing an intentional structure of roles for people to fill in the organization.

It is intentional in the sense of making sure that all the tasks necessary to accomplish goals are
assigned to people who can do then best. The purpose of an organization structure is to create an
environment for best human performance. The structure must define the task to be done. The
rules so established must also be designed in the light of the abilities and motivations of the
people available.

Staffing is related to organizing and it involves filling and keeping filled, the positions in the
organization structure. This can be done by determining the positions to be filled, identifying the
requirement of manpower, filling the vacancies and training employees so that the assigned tasks
are accomplished effectively and efficiently.

The managerial functions of promotion, demotion, discharge, dismissal, transfer, etc. Are also
included with the broad task staffing. staffing ensures the placement of the right person at the
right position.
Basically organizing is deciding where decisions will be made, who will do what jobs and tasks,
who will work for whom, and how resources will assemble.

Directing/Leading: Managing and Motivating People

The third basic managerial function is leading. The skills of influencing people for a particular
purpose or reason are called leading. Leading is considered to be the most important and
challenging of all managerial activities.

Leading is influencing or prompting the member of the organization to work together with the
interest of the organization.

Creating a positive attitude towards the work and goals in among the members of the
organization is called leading. It is required as it helps to serve the objective of effectiveness and
efficiency by changing the behavior of the employees.

Leading involves a number of deferment processes and activates. The functions of direction,
motivation, communication, and coordination are considered a part of leading process or system.

Coordinating is also essential in leading. Most authors do not consider it a separate function of
management. Rather they regard coordinating as the essence of principalship for achieving
harmony among individual efforts towards accomplishing group targets.

Motivating is an essential quality for leading. Motivating is the function of management process
of influencing peoples behavior based on the knowledge of what cause and channel sustain
human behavior in a particularly committed direction. Efficient school administrator need to be
effective leaders.

Since leadership implies fellowship and people tend to follow those who offer a means of
satisfying their own needs, hopes and aspirations it is understandable that leading involves
motivation leadership styles and approaches and communication.
Controlling: Monitoring and Evaluating activities

Monitoring the school progress toward goal fulfillment is called controlling. Monitoring the
progress is essential to ensure the achievement of organizational goal.

Controlling is measuring, comparing, finding deviation and correcting the organizational

activities which are performed for achieving the goals or objectives.

Controlling consist of activities, like; measuring the performance, comparing with the existing
standard and finding the deviations, and correcting the deviations. Control activities generally
relate to the measurement of achievement or results of actions which were taken to attain the
goal.

Some means of controlling, like the budget for expenses, inspection records, and the record of
labor hours lost, are generally familiar. Each measure also shows whether plans are working out.

If deviations persist, correction is indicated. Whenever results are found to differ from the
planned action, persons responsible are to be identified and necessary actions are to be taken to
improve performance.

Thus outcomes are controlled by controlling what people do. Controlling is the last but not the
least important management function process.

All the management functions of its process are inter-related and cannot be skipped. The
management process designs and maintains an environment in which personnels, working
together in groups, accomplish efficiently selected aims.

All school administrators carry out the main functions of management; planning, organizing,
staffing, leading and controlling.
Application of PODC in School

Planning in School

The first of the managerial functions is planning. In this step, the school administrator will create
a detailed action plan aimed at some organizational goal.

For example, a school principal has a goal of increasing percentage of passed in the SPM result
for 2018. The principal needs to first spend time mapping out the necessary steps must be taken
so that school SPM result increases next year. These steps might include things like increasing
examination orientated exercises for students, increasing the amount of contact hour with the
students, required parents interest in their children academic progress or familiarizing students
with past year paper. The steps are then organized into a logical pattern so that the principal,
teachers and students can follow them.

Planning is an ongoing step, and can be highly specialized based on organizational goals,
division goals, departmental goals, and students goals. It is up to the principal to recognize
which goals need to be planned within his or her individual area.

Organizing in School

This step requires the principal to determine how she will distribute resources and organize
her/his staffs according to the plan. The principal will need to identify different roles and ensure
that she assigns the right person to carry out the plan. The principal will also need to delegate
authority, assign work, and provide direction so that the school can work towards improving
SPM result without having barriers in their way.

Leading in School

In this step, the principal spends time connecting with the school staffs on an interpersonal level.
This goes beyond simply managing tasks; rather, it involves communicating, motivating,
inspiring, and encouraging employees towards a higher level of productivity. Not all principal
are leaders. Staffs/teachers will follow the directions of a principal because they have to, but
teachers and staffs will voluntarily follow the directions of the school leader because they believe
in who he or she is as a person, what he or she stands for, and for the manner in which they are
inspired by the principal.

Controlling in School

Controlling is the final function of management. Once a plan has been carried out, the principal
evaluates the results against the goals. If a goal is not being met, the principal must also take any
necessary corrective actions to continue to work towards that goal.

______________________________________________________________________________

TASK 2

Introduction

This assignment explores on the application of PODC (Planning, Organizing, Directing/Leading

and Controlling) in a selected school. The task was to identify a major change effort undertaken
over duration of time and critically assess the strategies adopted regarding planning, organizing,
directing/Leading and controlling. Data from the school were collected through interview of two
senior staffs and collection of relevant document supporting PODC implementation in school
administration.

Major Change Effort Adopted by the Chosen School

The school which the researcher selected in this mini research has stated adopting a major
change since 2017. The school administrator has decided to improve teachers teaching approach
to students. In the previous years the school has been applying teaching strategies based on
International school syllabus. But since the beginning of 2017, the school principal with approval
from the school management board has decided to synchronize the school curriculum with the
public school curriculum. Application has been approved by the ministry of education and
license of operation has been obtained.

The next challenges faced by the school were getting staffs and teachers to adjust with the new
system and teaching strategies based on the 21st century teaching and learning approach which
was more on students oriented learning.

For the purpose of this assignment, the research had focused on the effort of the
school/administration in adopting 21st century learning and teaching strategies and how the
principal/administrator implemented PODC management in the school.

Management strategies
The term management is often associated with four important activities known by POLC
abbreviations. These four components are designing (P - Planning), Managing (Organizing - O),
Leading (L) and Controlling - C. While the strategy can be linked to a plan that is organized
neatly in order to achieve the goal or success of an organization (Dictionaries Dictionary, 2007).
In other words, strategic management is the planning, managing, managing and controlling
activities organized and organized in order to achieve the goal of an organization. The strategic
management concept is very important to be known, understood and applied (Bryson 2004;
Haberberg and Rieple 2001; Thompson 1997) by principals or administrators in a school. In
carrying out any activity, strategic management is seen as a basic necessity in ensuring the
effectiveness and success of a school. In the context of this writing, strategic management is seen
as one of the most important elements of each individual as a leader or manager in a school.
Strategic management is also identified as a platform for managers or administrators to manage
programs implemented in the school. All the knowledge and skills learned theoretically, can be
applied through programs based on this strategic management concept (Institut Aminuddin Baki,
1999).
Selection of Respondents

This mini research study occurred at a rural secondary school in district of Kota Marudu. The
site was chosen because the school principal has served in the school administrator position for
more than 5 years. The school offered classes from Form 1 to Form 5 where 250 students
studied in those classes served by 20 experienced teachers which had served the school range
between 5 to 25 years in their areas of curricular expertise.

The researcher selected two senior teachers from this school as respondents for this mini research
assignment. Teacher 1 was a female of 45 years old, serving the school since 1998 and holding a
first degree in education. She had been in the school under different principal and had experience
teaching various secondary school subjects. The second respondent was Teacher 2 a female
teacher of 47 years old. He had served the school for 25 years. She is holding a Bachelor degree
in education from local university. Both of them came from a middle class family and a local to
Kota Marudu.

Selection of Sample and the Interview Conducted

The participants were chosen by using a purposive sampling method a non-probability sample
that is selected based on characteristics of a population and the objective of the study. Purposive
sampling is also known as judgmental, selective, or subjective sampling (Crossman, 2017). This
sampling method was may well be sufficient for understanding the influence of principal
distributed leadership toward teacher leadership and organizational learning.
This sampling technique was utilized to target sample quickly and to find common view from
sample with common characteristics. The respondents were selected based on their seniority in
the school. They were the most senior according to school service records.

Data were collected by using the repertory grid technique, which is a constructed interview
method. This technique can best be characterized as a semi-structured interview such as face-to-
face. In this study, the data were collected by using the following procedure.
Firstly, letter of consent has been sent to the school principal requesting consent from the school
management to conduct this research. After getting consent from the school management to
conduct this mini research, teachers service record was requested from the school registrar
office. The registrar provided two names of the most senior teachers in the school. For the
purpose of research, these teachers were given pseudo name as Teacher 1 (T1) and Teacher 2
(T2).

Secondly, these teachers were invited for a pre-interview appointment. During the pre-interview
appointment, teachers who were invited to take part in the research consented after being assured
of the confidentiality of the data to be gathered from them. Also, it was promised that their
identities would be kept in secret and their names would not be mentioned in any part of the
study or shared with anyone else. Second, an interview was planned on an agreed-upon day, and
the participants were visited on that date. The interviews were both recorded and noted with their
permission and each took approximately 30 to 50 minutes.

Document and Report supporting PODC implementation

According to Giacomini (2000), one of the essential aspects of qualitative research is the analysis
of documents analysis, Documents are important as a supporting evidence of qualitative
research. Document has to be analyzed to increase validity of data collected from respondent.

In this mini research, the following data has been collected from the school as supporting
evidence to the practice of planning, organizing, directing/leading and controlling (PODC).
a) Strategic plan strategic plan is a document of declaring where the school should go in a
given period and the steps involved in heading toward the desired objectives, Steiner, G.
A. (2010).
b) Organization chart - An Organizational Chart shows the internal structure of an
organization or company. ... This creates a clear visual depiction of the hierarchy and
ranks of different people, jobs and departments that make up the organization.
c) Teachers and staffs handbook A handbook is a type of reference work, or other
collection of instructions, that is intended to provide ready reference. ... Handbooks may
 deal with any topic, and are generally compendiums of information in a particular field or
about a particular technique.
d) Staffs and teacher meeting minutes - Minutes, also known as protocols or, informally,
notes, are the instant written record of a meeting or hearing. They typically describe the
events of the meeting and may include a list of attendees, a statement of the issues
considered by the participants, and related responses or decisions for the issues.

Evaluation of the Principal Management Strategies

Planning
The principal was able to produced strategy plan document which give direction of the school in
the next five years. The content of the strategic plan documents were (1) Vision, mission and
objectives of the school. (2) Strategies, action plan and success criteria.

The best practice of the making strategic plan is by including all the managerial personnel in the
organization, Groves, (2007).

the principal conducted several meeting with the vice-principals and department head of the
school before drafting the strategic plan documents.

The above comment by one of the senior teacher supported that the school principal has done
planning and confirmed to POLC management.

Organizing

This step requires the principal to determine how she will distribute resources and organize
her/his staffs according to the plan. The principal will also need to delegate authority, assign
work, and provide direction so that the school can work toward school objectives and
materialized the school vision.

In the respondent interview, Teacher 2 stated,

Subject Head teacher gives me materials and guideline which are related to 21st learning and
teaching...

This statement indicated that the principal assigned authority and task to department head in
ensuring information and expectation carried down to everyone in the organization. Another
indication of organizing practice in the school was the availability of organization chart in the
school staffroom and school administration office. I believed the organization chart function as
visual representation of administration flow in the school.

Leading and Directing

Evidences of leading or directing were found in the school management practice. Workshop
about 21st century teaching and learning had been conducted several time within 2017. This
workshop could be taken as foundation of transformation to students based learning.

Commendation and recommendation from the principal were seen in the teachers lesson plan
records. These small actions encouraged and motivated teachers to improve their performance in
the school as students facilitators. The interview respondent stated, I feel happy to see the
principal comment on my lesson plan record, it keep me motivated to give more to the
students

Controlling

Controlling is another important aspect in management where every administrator or principal

master. For Sloman (1994), Edaris (2004) and Rushami Zien (2005), each activity should be
evaluated to determine its effectiveness on achieving organizational goals. Controlling part of
management is parallel to assessment of the action plan done in school whether the current
activities is heading toward desired goal or not.

From the interview, respondents mentioned Jadual Pemantauan Keberkesanan , refering to a

scheduled meeting involving all staff and teachers. In this meeting, the principal discussed with
subject head and all teachers the effectiveness of their teaching and learning in classroom. This
meeting was seen as very important as bases to realign the school curriculum. Adjust of strategy
is done during this meeting.

Conclusion

The school management strategies comprised of planning, organizing, directing/leading and

controlling. In the strategic implementation, programs, budgets and procedures will help the
organization act in the direction as intended by the organization. While strategic assessment and
controlling is a must in measuring the extent to which the organization is able to achieve a
defined goal.

POLC or PODC is crucial aspect of educational organizations such as school. Application of

POLC or PODC in school management setting will ensure that school are still relevant and
needed by the public. The knowledge, skills and commitment that is high and wholeheartedly
towards POLC or PODC is a matter of demand. This is in line with efforts to propel education
organizations to be a useful organization for citizens and their customers. And this is not
something that's impossible to do.
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