Which management activity involves ensuring the efficient use of resources?

The management activity that involves ensuring the efficient use of resources is controlling. This is because controlling is focused on measuring and monitoring organizational performance against set goals and objectives. It involves tracking the use of resources and making adjustments as necessary to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. Through controlling, managers can identify variances from the planned performance and take corrective actions to ensure that resources, such as time, money, and personnel, are being utilized optimally.

In the context of management functions, planning is about setting objectives and determining the best course of action to achieve them. Leading focuses on motivating and guiding employees towards achieving organizational goals. Organizing involves arranging resources and tasks to implement the plans. While all these functions are important in management, controlling specifically targets the monitoring and optimization of resource use, thereby emphasizing its critical role in ensuring efficiency.