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What is the meaning and definition of management and describe its characteristics

Management is a daily practice for everyone, whether at home or work, aimed at achieving goals effectively. It involves coordinating with others to accomplish tasks, as emphasized by Mary Parker Follett’s idea of “getting things done through others.”

Herald Koontz and O’Donnell expanded on this by highlighting the role of organized group efforts in achieving goals, while Harold Koontz emphasized skillful handling of people. F.W. Taylor focused on efficiency, defining management as optimizing processes economically.

Despite varied definitions, management is dynamic and evolving, centered on coordinating people and resources to meet organizational objectives. Understanding management means recognizing its many facets and how its definition has adapted over time.

In short, Management is the process of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling an organization’s resources (human, financial, material, and information) to achieve specific goals effectively and efficiently.

Meaning and Definition of Management

Management can be defined as the following –

  1. Process: It involves a series of interrelated functions and activities that work together to achieve organizational goals.
  2. Goal-oriented: Management is aimed at achieving specific objectives or goals within an organization.
  3. Resource utilization: It involves the efficient and effective use of organizational resources, including human resources, financial resources, technology, and information.
  4. Coordination: Management coordinates the efforts of people and resources to achieve organizational goals.
  5. Decision-making: Management involves making decisions about how resources will be allocated and utilized to achieve organizational objectives.
  6. Adaptive: It adapts to changes in the internal and external environment of the organization to ensure continued success.

Characteristics of Management

Management is characterized by a few elements. They are –

  1. Management is a Group Activity: Management involves integrating individual efforts through organized group activity. This reflects the social dimension of organizations where collaboration among individuals is essential for achieving collective goals.
  2. Management is Universal in its Application: Management principles apply universally across various sectors such as government, business enterprises, education institutions, military, medical, and non-governmental organizations. These principles, like those proposed by Henry Fayol, provide guidance adaptable to specific organizational contexts.
  3. Management is a Continuous Activity: Management is dynamic and continuous, adapting to the ever-changing organizational environment. It involves ongoing processes and functions that sustain organizational operations over time.
  4. Management as an Integrated Effort: Management integrates human and other resources to align individual and organizational goals. This alignment enhances organizational effectiveness and efficiency.
  5. Management as a Well-Defined Process: Management follows a well-defined and structured process involving functions such as planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating, controlling, and budgeting. This systematic approach ensures clarity and efficiency in achieving organizational objectives.
  6. Management is Objective-Driven and Result-Oriented: Management systematically drives towards achieving organizational objectives and goals. It focuses on achieving results through efficient utilization of resources and strategic decision-making.
  7. Management as a Set of Roles and Skills: Managers play crucial roles in organizations, responsible for learning and applying managerial skills effectively. They perform roles such as planning, organizing, leading, and controlling to ensure organizational success.
  8. Management as a Function: Management functions encompass planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating, controlling, and budgeting. These functions collectively enable managers to achieve organizational goals and ensure operational efficiency.
  9. Management as a Discipline: Management is considered a discipline with its own body of knowledge and principles taught in educational institutions. It encompasses theories, concepts, and practices aimed at preparing individuals to effectively manage organizations.

These characteristics collectively define the scope, nature, and importance of management in organizational contexts, illustrating its broad applicability, structured approach, continuous adaptation, and pivotal role in achieving organizational goals.

Understanding these characteristics helps in comprehending the complexity and importance of management in achieving organizational success and sustainability.

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