MANAGEMENT:    VARIOUS DEFINITIONS OF MANAGEMENT.

Q.1. Describe the various definitions of Management?
Definition of Management
It is very difficult to give a precise definition of the term management. Different management authors have viewed management from their own angles moreover, during the evolutionary process of management different thinkers laid emphasis on different expects. For example, F.W. Taylor emphasized engineering aspects, Elton Mayo laid emphasis on human relations aspects, E.F.L, Brech, George R. Terry emphasis on, decision making aspect, Ralph Davis stresses leadership aspect and some other like Barry Richman etc. emphasized integration or coordination aspect.

Some Important Definition of Management
1. Harold Koontz
Management is the art of getting things done through and with people in formally organized groups.

2. George R. Terry
Management is a disconnect process consisting of planning organizing activating and controlling performed to determine and accomplish the objectives by the use of people and resources.

3. Donald J. Cough
Management is the art and science of decision making and leadership.

4. Mary Cushing Nile
Good Management, or scientific management, achieves a social objective with the best use of human and material energy and time, and with satisfaction for the participants and the public.

5. Henry Fayol
To manage is to forecast, to plan, to organize, to command, to coordinate, and to control.

6. Theo Haimann and William Scott
Management is a social and technical process which utilizes, resources, influences, human action and facilitates changes in order to accomplish organizatinal goals.

Thus, the above definitions bring out that
• Management us a social and technical process
• It consists of planning, organizing staffing, leading decision making coordinating and controlling.
• It is concerned with getting done i.e. accomplished pre-determined objective by the use of people and    resources.
• It helps in the creation, direction, maintenance and operation of organization.
• It secures maximum benefits for the employer, the employees, and the community.

Management
Management simply means a specific process of planning, organizing, staffing directing and controlling the efforts of the people who are engaged in activities in business organization in order to attain predetermined objective of such organizations.

Importance of Management in modern business organization
Q.1. What is Management? Discuss the importance of Management in modern business organization.
OR
"Management is the art of setting things done through and with the people in formally organized groups" Explain this statement.

Introduction
Modern age is an era of management resolution. There was a time when economic development depended mainly on scientific and mechanical inventions. However, in the modern world good management is necessary for efficient and effective working of organization, along with technological advancements.

Meaning of Management
Management is a wide term carrying several meanings, depending in the context in which it is used. Usually, the term management assumes three meanings, when it is used in three different senses as follows:

1. Management as a Noun
When used as a noun, management refers to managerial personnel, i.e. all those persons are concerned with getting things alone, through other people. Such persons are charged with some responsibility and are given some authority - responsibility of executing the policies and programmes of an organization, and authority in order to discharge their responsibilities. In this sense, management include the Board of Directions, Chairman and Managing Director, Functional Directors like Marketing Director and Finance Director, General Managers, and First Line Supervisors. The task of such business management is executory and supervisory in nature.

2. Management as a Process
When used as a process, management refers to what the management body or management committee or management council or managers do, or what a manager does. In other words, in this sense, management means the set of functions performed by the managers. These managerial functions broadly include - Planning organizing staffing, directing and controlling. Such functions are performed in order to get things done, through and with other people in an effective and efficient manner. This is why that management has been said to be the ordering and coordinating of functions and of the men fulfilling these functions in order to achieve a given purpose. Henry L. Sisk has also said. Management is the coordination of all resources through the process of planning, organizing, directing and controlling in order to attain stated objectives.

3. Management as a Discipline (i.e. Subject)
When used in the sense of a discipline or subject, it refers to a branch or body of knowledge and practice is other words, here management means the set of principles, concepts theories and practices as a subject of study for those who intend to be good managers in various areas. Here, the management also denotes a code of conduct for managers and does prescribe the techniques and methods of managing things.
It may be noted that management has also been analyses as an economic resource, a factor of production, a system of authority, a technique of leadership and a means of coordination or decision making.
Simply stated management means getting things done through and with the individuals and groups by effective and efficient use of available resources.

Different levels of Management
Q.3. What are the different levels of management? Also describe the functions of managers at different          levels.

Levels of Management
A level of management means the positions of managers in the organizational hierarchy. The number of level is question, which is related to several important elements, such as costs, status, working styles, etc. It depends on such factors as organization's size, technology and degree of diversity in its work activities.
Three levels have been generally recognized in organizational hierarchy as follows:

1. Top Management
It includes the top managers or management committees, such as board of directors, management council, chairman, general managers etc.

2. Middle Management
It includes departmental heads and sectional heads, which are below top managers, out above lower managers.

3. Supervisory Management
It is also known as lower management and includes managers, such as foreman, salesman, assistants, head clerk and supervisors.

Functions of Managers at Different Levels
At different levels in the management hierarchy, the managers perform different functions as follows.

1. Top Management
Top managers functions relate mainly to designing of plans, policies and organization structure. They deal with environmental process and provide leadership to the organization.

2. Middle Management
In many cases the job of the middle manager is that of intermediary between top management and supervisory or operating management. They coordinate inputs production and outputs. They are responsible for executing the plans and policies framed by the top managers.

3. Supervisory Management
At this level, managers get down to the most specific and detailed aspects of the organizational task. They are responsible for getting the technical guidance, help and solve the obstacles, doubts and inconveniences of the workers and remove their dissatisfaction. They make recommendations for providing proper working conditions etc.

Managerial Skills and Levels of Management
These are four types of managerial skills, which are required in different degrees of importance at various managerial levels as follows:

1. Technical Skill
It is the ability to use tools, procedures or techniques of a specialized field. It is relatively more important and required at supervisory level then its importance goes on reducing at middle and top levels. For example, a supervisor must have full knowledge as to how the plastic molding machine works. However, the President of a company does not need to know much of the technical details of drilling for oil or how to refine the oil.

2. Human Skill
It is the ability to work with understand and motivate other people. This skill is essential at every level of management because all managers whether at high or at low level have to deal with their subordinates.

3. Conceptual Unit
It is the mental ability to coordinate the organization's interests and activities and to see the organization in its enlarged form as one whole system. This type of skill is primarily required at the top level and then at the middle and lower levels, its importance keeps on diminishing.

4. Design of Problem Solving Skill
It is the ability to see a problem and then also to workout a solution to it. This skill is required at all levels because every manager without reference to this level makes decision strategic, or routine ones. However, its significance lies more at higher levels.

Nature and Characteristics of Management
Q.4. Discuss the nature and characteristics of management. Is management a science, an art or a           production?

Nature or Characteristics of Management
Management has a dynamic nature. It means that management is an organizing and unceasing element or concept. Management does not occur by rigid formula or fixed pattern. It is ever-present reality of organizational life. Management does not carry out the work himself, but the managers get the work done through other people by pioneering, leading, motivating and controlling their activities, efforts and behaviour. The following important characteristics of features of management clearly indicate toward its nature.

1. Management is a Complex and Continuous Social Process
Management deals with human phenomenon about which too little is known. The structure and behaviour of groups of people are very complex. It is a process because its comprises a series of actions that lead to achievement of objectives. It is a social process because these actions are primarily concerned with relations between people. It is a continuous process because new problems crop up as the old ones are solved.

2. Management is an Independent Skill
Management has emerged as an essential, a distinct and a leading independent institution, which is a central event in the social history. It is a new basic and dominant institution or social group.

3. Management is a Science
Science is a systemized knowledge about a phenomenon ascertained by observation and experiment. It means that under science, general truths are discovered and critically tested, and then underlying principles are established. As science, management has developed and provides a body of principles, theories, laws, techniques and practices, which are capable of universal application. It has developed certain generalizations, which are applicable to any group activity.

Management is growing as science due to the following reasons:
(a) Quantitative Tools under the name and style of Operations Research have been introduced in the field of managerial decision-making.

(b) Researches have been conducted which have provided better insight into the nature and behaviour of man.

(c) Certain Principles theories and practices have been identified to the name and style of International Management or Contemporary Management or Global Management.

(d) Different Case Studies undertaken in various countries unfold the correct and the same results. Thus, the degree of predictability is being properly identified and ascertained.

4. Management is an Art
Art is the answer to the query how it tells about the way to accomplish the desired results. It is behavioral knowledge. Art is the applied science i.e. application of knowledge for the solution of organizational problems. The meaning of art is the bringing about of a desired result through the application of skill. Management, in this sense is an art. It provides to the enterprise the ability to compromise with the least of undesired consequences - which is the essence of art. Management leads, motivates and influences the people to be on the right, desired track by effecting various kinds of adjustments and how compromises through artful handling of conflicts and dissentions. It tells as to how to solve various problems in the field of production marketing, finances, personal technology, research and development, human resource development, competition etc.

5. Management is a System of Authority
Management is the system of authority which is represented by vertical and horizontal dispersal of authority positions resulting in what is properly known as management hierarchy or chain of command. Under the authority system well defined lines of command and delegation of suitable positional powers along with specified responsibilities at all levels, are established. System of authority creates discipline and order and avoids chaos.

6. Management is Universal
Managers perform the same functions regardless of their place in the organization, structure of the type of enterprise in which they are engaged. Acting in their managerial capacity, presidents / chairmen, directors, department heads, supervisors/foremen, college principles, bishops and heads of governmental agencies all do the same thing i.e. perform the same functions. They are all engaged in setting things done through and with people. As managers each must at one time or another perform all the duties. Characteristics of managers irrespective of their level in the organization or their place or ratio of working, this is the principle of universality of managerial functions or management.

7. Managerial knowledge and experience are transferable
By implication of the principle of universality of management, managerial knowledge and experience are transferable from department to department, from enterprise to enterprise, and from nation to nation. Executives can employ their skill as well in one occupation as in another, to the extent that their tasks are managerial and not technical, and with the proper motivation and orientation to environment of managing.

8. Management is a Profession
Profession is defined in many ways. Any occupation by which a person earns livelihood is called profession. It is also in restricted sense, and then it includes certain specified occupation only. All occupations are not included in professions. Thus, clear definition of profession is not possible.

9. Management is an Integrating Force
Management is a force that is well recognized the integrating human and physical resources through its proper direction, designing of organization structure, job positions, delegation and decentralization of authority and responsibility, consultative and participative processes and influencing. It establishes congruence (i.e., balance) between organizational interests and goals on one hand and the individual interest and goals on the other hand.

10. Management is Intangible
Managements intangible in that
The process of management cannot be seen, and
The principles, theories, techniques, concepts and practices of management are also invisible. Management is said to be good or bad on the basis of results. However, when management is referred to manageerial personnel, it can be seen.

11. Management Utilities Multi-Disciplinary Approach
Management relies for its vast body of knowledge on various other fields, such as economics, anthropology, sociology, psychology, mathematics, engineering etc.