Chapter 1 Teaching Note
Chapter 1 Teaching Note
Definitions of Management
“Management is the art of getting things done through and with people in formally organized groups. It
is the art of creating the environment in which people can perform and individuals could cooperate
towards attaining of group goals. It is the art of removing blocks to such performance, a way of
optimizing efficiency in reaching goals.” - Harold Koontz
“Management is principally the task of planning, coordinating, motivating and controlling the efforts of
others towards a specific objective.”- James L Lundy
The term ‘management ‘applies to any organization irrespective of the size or nature of operations.
However, the key word to success is ‘Skilled Management’ which is highly essential to any kind of
organizations: Wherever there are groups of people working together to achieve some common
objective, it becomes essential to guide, organize and control them. Be it a CEO of a multinational
company or the president in a college-the prime concern is to manage their people and resources
effectively. The attention of any member of the above category is pivoted towards certain targets. These
targets attained only through skilled management of an entire team.
Functions of Management
Planning
Defining goals, establishing strategies & developing sub plans to coordinate activities
Organizing
Staffing
Analyzing and fulfilling manpower requirement of the organization. It includes three activities
a) Recruitment
b) Selection
c) Induction & Orientation
Leading
Levels of Management
Managerial Skills
To perform the desired function discussed in earlier part, a manager needs to possess skills. This can be
divided into three categories as follows:
Management Skills- A manager can excel in his profession only if he possesses a blend of three
skills- conceptual, human and technical skills.
Technical Skills - Technical skills is an imperative skill for managers at the lower levels of
management. Unless managers at lower level are adept in technical matters, they would not be
in a position to direct the operations of their subordinates in the best manner possible and
thereby lead them towards optimal performance- both quantitatively and qualitatively.
Human Skills- Human skills or interpersonal skills refer to the ability of a person to work well
with other people in a group.
Conceptual Skills- This is imperative for the top management, necessary for the middle and
desirable at the lower level. Conceptual skills refer to the ability of a person to think and
conceptualize abstract situations.
Managerial Roles
The concept of ‘managerial role’ was first introduced into the analysis of management work by
Henry Mintzberg in 1973.
Interpersonal Roles
Informational roles
Decisional Roles
Management is the process of designing and maintaining the environment for efficiently accomplishing
the selected aims. Managers carry out the functions of planning, organizing, staffing, leading and
controlling Managing is an essential activity at all organizational levels; however, the managerial skills
required vary at each organizational levels. The goal of all managers is to create a surplus. Excellent
companies exploit the innovative trends of information technology in vogue in the 21 st Century’s to their
dynamic and are able to apply in apt time. He should possess the qualities of a great leader and be able
to build strong value system. Manager should be able to practice team work and meritocracy. He should
be a person with epithetical in nature whereby he is able to feel the pulse of his team members.