The Concept of Management

CONCEPT OF MANAGEMENT

By dr.v.s.p.rao

It is not easy to define the term management. Many reasons can be stated in support of this argument:

* First management is a vast subject. It is very extensive. It is not possible to express all the essential features of management through a simplistic formula.

* Second, management is concerned with human beings, whose behaviour often defies logic and understanding. People in an organisation—especially where they work in a group--behave in widely differing and complicated ways. Their reactions to promise, praise or criticism for example can be quite different. Their behaviour is neither consistent nor predictable.

* Third, management is a young developing discipline whose concepts are continuously changing. It is a small wonder, writers like Allen remarked, that ‘the manager is one of the great unknowns in the business’

* Fourth, a human being himself determines what he contributes. He can make or break a company. If motivated, he will give his best to the company and take it to commanding heights. If not, he will spoil the show and do everything possible to tarnish the image of an organisation.

* Finally, to complicate matters further, there are as many definitions of management as there are books on the subject. The variety of approaches to management have compelled Prof. Koontz to describe the situation as a ‘management theory jungle’

Most definitions of the word ‘management’ emphasise one common idea: it is concerned with the accomplishment of objectives through the efforts of the people performing certain functions. Let’s look into these definitions:

WHAT IS MANAGEMENT? THREE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF EXPERTS’

Results through people using authority and force * Management is an art of knowing what to do, when to do and see that it is done in the best and cheapest way (Taylor) * Management is the accomplishment of results through the efforts of other people (Lawrence A....