Q.The manager of ‘Fashion Point’ decided to increase sales by 20% in the next six months. He analysed the market, developed strategies for online marketing and allocated a budget for advertising. He also assigned duties to staff and fixed deadlines for each task.

The planning process in management follows a logical sequence, and understanding where you are in that sequence is crucial. This newspaper company has already completed two foundational steps: it has set an objective (increase market share by 10%) and developed premises—the assumptions and forecasts about the future environment in which the plan will operate. It has then moved to the third step: identifying alternative courses of action. Four distinct strategies now lie on the table, from eco-friendly newspapers to international news coverage.

But identifying alternatives is not the same as choosing one. The company now faces a critical juncture. It has options, but which option is best? Which will actually deliver that 10% market share increase? Which is financially viable? Which aligns with the company's resources and brand identity? These questions cannot be answered by simply listing alternatives—they require systematic evaluation.

This is where the board meeting comes in. The directors must now weigh each alternative against a set of criteria. They will likely consider:

• Feasibility: Can the company realistically implement eco-friendly printing? Does it have the technology, suppliers, and expertise?
• Cost-benefit analysis: Will a children's section attract enough new readers to justify the editorial and design investment?
• Risk: How will competitors respond? What if the competitive exam column fails to resonate?
• Alignment with objectives: Which alternative most directly contributes to market share growth?

This systematic comparison of alternatives is the evaluation step. It precedes selection because you cannot rationally choose without first assessing. The NCERT textbook on Business Studies makes this sequence explicit: after identifying alternatives, management must evaluate them to determine their relative merits and demerits. Only then can an informed choice be made. …

The planning process typically includes: setting objectives, developing premises/assumptions about the future, identifying alternative courses of action, evaluating those alternatives in the light of the objectives (option B), selecting the best alternative, implementing the plan, and follow-up action (which includes monitoring whether activities proceed as per schedule, option D — so this remains a legitimate planning-related step). Making assumptions about the future (option A, i.e. "premising") is also a core planning step. "Allocation of jobs to members of each department," …