Question:

Explain the following features of planning :

(i) Planning is a primary function of management

(ii) Planning is continuous

(iii) Planning is a mental exercise

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Planning comes first and other functions depend on it, new plans are made again and again, and the work needs foresight, imagination and sound judgment.
Updated On: Oct 26, 2026
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Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the question:
The question asks for three features of planning: it is a primary function, it is continuous, and it is a mental exercise.

Step 2: Feature 1 - planning is a primary function (meaning):
Planning comes first among the functions of management.
Organising, staffing, directing and controlling can start only after the plans are made.

Step 3: Feature 1 - illustration:
A firm cannot hire staff or arrange the machines before it decides what to produce and how much.
Controlling too needs the targets that the plan provides. So planning is the base of the other functions.

Step 4: Feature 2 - planning is continuous (meaning):
A plan is made for a certain period, such as a month or a year.
When that period ends, a new plan has to be made for the next one.

Step 5: Feature 2 - illustration:
Plans also have to be revised in between, if the conditions change.
A firm prepares the annual budget every year, and the process keeps going on as long as the firm is in business.

Step 6: Feature 3 - planning is a mental exercise (meaning):
Planning is a thinking activity and not a physical one.
It needs foresight, imagination, intelligence and sound judgment.

Step 7: Feature 3 - illustration:
A manager has to think about what may happen, compare options and choose the best, which are all mental steps.
Planning is not guesswork or wishful thinking, but is based on logic and facts.

Final Answer:
Planning comes before every other function, goes on without a break, and rests on logical thinking and imagination of the manager.
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