INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT

ERNEST KUMI (PhD)

Email: [email protected]
Contact: 0244852309
 INTRODUCTION TO MANAGEMENT
✓Imagine a football team without a coach, or a company without a manager. What
do they all have in common? Chaos, confusion, and lack of direction. This is
where management comes in.
✓ Management is a key driver of both economic and social progress.
▪ It plays a central role in shaping the lives of individuals, organizations, and
nations. Through coordinated group efforts, management ensures that human
and material resources are efficiently directed toward achieving defined
objectives.
✓Management is fundamentally a coordinated group activity.
▪ It involves the core functions of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.
These activities are carried out collectively to accomplish specific organizational
goals, making management essential in every type of enterprise.
 Introduction to Management
✓ Management transforms resources into results.
Organizations are equipped with productive resources such as materials,
labor, and capital. However, without managerial oversight, these resources
cannot be effectively converted into outputs. Management provides the
necessary leadership and administrative skill to make resources productive.
✓The success and sustainability of modern businesses depend on effective
management.
In today’s globalized and competitive economy, managerial competence
is a decisive factor in determining whether an organization survives,
grows, or fails. Managers must be capable of adapting to change, solving
problems, and guiding teams toward high performance
 Definition of Management
• Management may be defined in many different ways.
1. Mary Parker Follett: Management is the “art of getting things done
through other people”
2. Koontz and O’Donnell, “Management is the art of getting things done
through people in formally organized groups”.
3. George R. Terry, “Management is a distinct process consisting of planning,
organizing, leading and controlling that is performed to determine and
accomplish the objectives by the use of people and resources”.
4. Henry Fayol, “To manage is to forecast and to plan, to organize, to
command, to co-ordinate and to control”.
 Definition of Management
• All the definitions focus on achieving goals or getting things done.
Management is portrayed as a purposeful activity directed toward
accomplishing organizational objectives.
✓Follett: "getting things done"
✓Koontz and O'Donnell: "getting things done"
✓Terry: "to determine and accomplish the objectives"
✓Fayol: implicit in the functions of planning and control
 Nature of Management
• An analysis of the various definitions of management indicates that
management has certain characteristics. The following are the salient
characteristics of management:
1. Management aims at reaping rich results in economic terms: Manager’s
primary task is to secure productive performance through planning, direction,
and control. It is expected of the management to bring into being the desired
results. Rational utilization of available resources to maximize profit is the
economic function of a manager.
❖Professional managers can prove their administrative talent only by
economizing the resources and enhancing profit.
 Characteristics Of Management
2. Management also implies skill and experience in getting things done
through people: The economic function of earning profitable returns cannot
be performed without counting on co-operation and securing positive
responses from “people”. Getting the suitable type of people to execute the
operations is a significant aspect of management.
3. Management is a process: Management is a function, or an activity. This
process continues till the objectives set by administration are actually
achieved.
❖ “Management is a social process involving co-ordination of human and
material resources through the functions of planning, organizing, staffing,
leading and controlling in order to accomplish stated objectives”.
 Characteristics Of Management
4. Management is a universal activity: Management is not applicable to
business undertakings only. It is applicable to political, social, religious, and
educational institutions also.
❖ Management is necessary when group effort is required.
5. Management is a science as well as an art: It is considered as a science
because it has an organized body of knowledge which contains certain
universal truth. It is called an art because managing requires certain skills
which are personal possession of managers.
❖Science provides the knowledge and art deals with the application of
knowledge and skills.
 Characteristics Of Management
6. Management is a Profession
• Management is increasingly recognized as a profession because it is
based on established principles, requires specialized knowledge and
training, and adheres to ethical standards shaped by its responsibilities
to society.
Example:
• Consider the role of a hospital administrator. To manage a healthcare
facility effectively, the administrator must be trained in hospital
management, understand healthcare policies, handle human
resources, manage finances, and ensure patient safety—all of which
require formal education, professional experience, and adherence to
ethical standards.
 Characteristics Of Management
7. Management is an endeavour to achieve pre-determined objectives:
Management is concerned with directing and controlling the various activities
of the organization to attain the pre-determined objectives.
❖Every managerial activity has certain objectives.

8. Management is a group activity: Management comes into existence only

when there is a group activity towards a common objective. Management is
always concerned with group efforts and not individual efforts.
❖To achieve the goals of an organization management plans, organizes, co-
ordinates, directs and controls the group effort.
 Characteristics Of Management
9. Management is a system of authority: Authority means the power to
make others act in a programmed manner. Management formalizes a
standard set of rules and procedures to be followed by the subordinates and
ensures their compliance with the rules and regulations.

10. Management involves decision-making: Management implies making

decisions regarding the organization and operation of a business in its
different dimensions. The success or failure of an organization can be judged
by the quality of decisions taken by the managers.
❖Therefore, decisions are the key to the performance of a manager.
 IS MANAGEMENT A SCIENCE OR AN ART?
• A question often arises whether management is a science or an art. It is said that
“management is the oldest of arts and the youngest of sciences”.
What is Science?
• Science may be described, “as a systematic body of knowledge relating to an area of
study and contains some general truths explaining past events or phenomena”.
The above definition contains three important characteristics of science.
They are:
1. It is an organized body of knowledge and uses scientific methods for observation,
2. Its principles are developed on the basis of continued observation and experiment,
and
3. Its principles are exact and have universal applicability without any limitation.
 WHAT IS “ART”?
• ‘Art’ refers to “the way of doing specific things; it indicates how an objective
is to be achieved.”
• Management, like all operational disciplines, functions fundamentally
as an art. This is characterised by three universal principles:
1. Art is the application of science. It is putting principles into practice.
2. Proficiency requires repeated practice: After knowing a particular art,
practice is needed to reach the level of perfection.
3. Art is purposeful, goal-directed in nature: It is undertaken to
accomplish a goal through deliberate efforts.
 MANAGEMENT IS BOTH A SCIENCE AS WELL AS AN ART

❖Management is both a science and an art.

✓As a science, it offers established principles and methods that guide
managers in making informed decisions. These principles are based on
research, observation, and analysis.
✓As an art, management involves applying these principles creatively to
solve real-world problems. Every situation is different, so a manager must
use experience, intuition, and personal skills to handle challenges
effectively.
❖In reality, management needs both science and art to succeed. The science
provides the foundation, while the art brings flexibility and human
understanding.
 Management is both a Science as well as an Art…
Management is a Combination of Science and Art
• Management is often described as both a science and an art. This dual
nature can be understood through the following points:
1. Management as a Science
• Management qualifies as a science because it relies on established
principles, theories, and systematic knowledge.
• Example: Just like science, management uses observation, data collection,
analysis, and conclusions. For instance, concepts like division of labor,
motivation theories, and strategic planning are based on research and
evidence.
 Management is both a Science as well as an Art
2. Management as an Art
• The art of management lies in applying these scientific principles in a
practical, skillful, and situation-specific manner.
• Example: A manager may know the theory of team motivation, but
effectively motivating a diverse team requires creativity, judgment, and
personal experience.
 Management is both a Science as well as an Art
3. Interdependence of Science and Art in Management
• Science and art in management are not mutually exclusive but complement each
other. Scientific principles guide actions, while artistic judgment adapts them to
real-world scenarios.
Example: While planning might follow a formal process (science), making tough
decisions during a crisis requires intuition and leadership (art).
4. Balanced Approach
• Neither the science nor the art aspect should dominate completely. Effective
management arises when both are applied harmoniously.
 SCOPE OF MANAGEMENT
• Management is a broad field that influences many areas of organizations,
industries, and society. Despite its wide scope, Herbison and Myres grouped it
into three main categories to help organize and understand its functions.
✓1. Economic Resource, 2. System of Authority, 3. Social Class or Elite

1. ECONOMIC RESOURCE
• Management is considered one of the key factors of production alongside land,
labour, and capital.
• It ensures the efficient utilization of resources such as money, materials,
machinery, and manpower to maximize productivity.
• Effective management leads to higher growth rates in enterprises and economies.
 SCOPE OF MANAGEMENT
2. System of Authority
• Management operates within a structured hierarchy of authority, where roles and
responsibilities are clearly defined to ensure coordination, accountability, and effective
decision-making. Over time, the concept of authority in management has evolved
through various approaches:
1. Authoritarian Management – Power is centralized; top leaders make decisions with
little or no input from subordinates.
2. Paternalistic Management – Leaders maintain control but also show concern for
employees’ well-being, acting like “father figures.”
3. Constitutional Management – Decisions are guided by formal rules, policies, and
procedures that limit subjective authority.
4. Democratic Management – Emphasizes shared decision-making, encouraging
employee involvement and open communication.
✓Today, modern management often blends these models, combining clear authority
with employee engagement and ethical leadership to create a more adaptive and
inclusive organizational environment.
 Scope of Management
3. Management as a Social Class or Elite
• Management is often seen as a distinct social class that holds significant
influence and authority within organizations and across society.
In the modern era, access to managerial roles is largely determined by an
individual’s education, professional skills, and experience rather than by
family background, wealth, or political connections.
• This shift has led some scholars to speak of a "managerial revolution,"
where professional managers, rather than traditional owners, now shape
the direction of industries, drive innovation, and influence national
economies.
 MANAGEMENT – AN EMERGING PROFESSION
• Professionals enjoy high status in every society. Many individuals aspire to join
respected fields such as medicine, law, engineering, chartered accountancy, and
increasingly, purchasing and supply chain management.
• There has been a growing trend towards the professionalization of management,
mainly, because of the desire of business leaders for social status and
recognition.
❖A profession may be defined as an occupation backed by specialized knowledge
and training, whose code of conduct is regulated by a professional body, and
which is duly recognized by society.
• Chartered Institute of Administrators & Management Consultants – Ghana
(CIAMC). And Ghana Institute of Procurement & Supply (GIPS) – A local
institution dedicated to procurement and supply chain management.
 THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF A PROFESSION
1.Knowledge: A substantial and expanding body of knowledge and information in
the concerned field.
2.Competent Application: Skilled and judicious utilization of knowledge in the
solution of complex and important problems. This requires education and training
in the specified field.
3.Professional Body: Regulation of entry into the profession and conduct of
members by the representative body.
4.Self Control: An established code of conduct enforced by the profession’s
membership.
5.Social Responsibility: Primarily motivated by the desire to serve others and the
community.
6.Community Approval: Recognition of professional status by the society
 DOES MANAGEMENT SATISFY THE TESTS OF A
PROFESSION?
The application of the above tests or criteria to management is examined below:
1. Specialized Knowledge: There exists a rapidly expanding body of knowledge
underlying the field of management. Since the beginning of this century, many
thinkers on management have contributed to the field of management. Now we
have a systematic body of knowledge that can be used for the development of
managers. Management is widely taught in universities and other educational
institutions as a discipline.
2. Competent Application-Education and Training: MBAs are generally preferred
for managerial jobs, though an MBA degree is not compulsory to enter this
profession. Persons with degrees in psychology, engineering, etc., can also take up
managerial jobs.
➢Thus, there are no standard qualifications for managers.
 Does Management Satisfy The Tests Of A
Profession?..
3. Managerial Skills cannot be Learnt by Trial and Error Method: To be a
successful manager, it is essential to acquire management skills through
formal education and training. Many institutes of management have been
functioning in Ghana and other countries which offer MBA and other courses
in management.
4. Professional Body: For the regulation of any profession, the existence of a
representative body is a must.
❖Chartered Institute of Administrators & Management Consultants – Ghana
(CIAMC)
 Does Management Satisfy The Tests Of A
Profession?..
5. Social Responsibility: Managers of today recognize their social
responsibilities towards customers, workers, and other groups. Their actions
are influenced by social norms and values. That is why, managers enjoy a
respectable position in society as is the case with doctors, chartered
accountants, etc.
6. Society’s Approval: The managers of modern organizations enjoy respect
in society. There is typically a positive correlation between a manager’s rank
and his status in the organization where he is working.
• This status tends to affect the manager’s status outside the organization.
• Thus, the community approves management as a profession.
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