1.1.

MANAGEMENT
Management means many things to many people. Economists regard it as a factor of production.
Socialists view it as a class or group of persons. While Management practitioners treat it is a process. The
trade unionists consider Management as an exploiting set of people. In simple term, Management is what
a manager does.
Managing is the art of getting things done through people in formally organised groups. Management can
thus be defined as the art or skill of directing human activities and physical resources in the attainment of
predetermined goals.
Management is a wide term. It carries different meanings depending on the context in which it is used.
It is described as an activity, a process, and a group of people vested with the authority to make
decisions.

Different people can mean different things and varies widely between organizations about the term
Management. Some may see it as simply a production factor. Others may see it as a set of individuals,
a method or making use of individuals. So, there is belief that management is what a manager does. It
means that management should be understood in terms of activities which a manager performs in his day
to day professional life

According to koontz, Management is an art of getting things done through and with the people in
formally organized groups. It is an art of creating an environment in which people can perform and
individuals and can co-operate towards attainment of group goals. It is an art of removing blocks to such
performance, a way of optimising efficiency in getting goals.

As we know, management is a broad expression, so it holds various senses regarding the situation applied.
It is a combination of an activity, a process and a group of people having the power of decision-making.

Functions of Management
Management is an activity consisting of a distinct process the management process which is primarily
concerned with the important task of goal achievement. Every business enterprise has certain pre-
determined objectives. Just as in a football or hockey team, howsoever expert the players might be, they
cannot defeat the rival team until and unless they make an integrated effort under the directions of an able
Captain. Similarly, no business enterprise can achieve its objectives until and unless all the members of
the unit make an integrated and planned effort under the directions of a central coordinating agency. In
management terminology, this central coordinating agency is technically known as M-A-N-A-G-E-M-E-
N-T and the methodology of getting things done is known as Management Process. The process, in
general, is defined as a series of actions or operations conducting to an end.

Management is mainly concerned with attainment of ambition in any organisation with the help of ideas,
things and people. Every time management has definite objectives to pursue and it employs all the
resource as it command men, money, materials, machines and methods in the pursuit of the objectives.
Whatever functions are performed by a manager and the sequence in which they are performed is called
Management processes. The logic of the management process is that particular functions are performed
in a sequence through time.
The main functions of management process are as follows:
1) Planning: Planning is the conscious determination of a future course of action to achieve the desired
results. Henry Fayol observes that management should chalk out a plan of action which is the result
envisaged, the line of action to be followed, the stages to go through and the methods to use. It is the
process of thinking before doing. It means the determination of what is to be done, how and where it
is to be done, who is to do it and how results are to be evaluated.

Planning is an important function of management. It is systemised pre-thinking for choosing future

course of action from the available alternatives for achieving desired results which are certain. Henry
Fayol observes the plan of action is, at one and the same time, the line of action to be followed, the stages
to go through and methods to use. Planning involves deciding in advance what is to be done, where, how
and by whom is to be done.

2) Organising: It is the process of dividing work into convenient tasks or duties, of grouping such
duties in the form of posts, of delegating authority to each so that work is carried out as planned.
Organisation contributes to the efficiency of the enterprise. Through this process, all the activities
necessary for goal achievement are performed and repetition and duplication of activities is avoided,
thereby reducing operation cost in the organisation. The second function of the management is getting
prepared, getting organised. Management must organise all its resources well before in hand to put
into practice the course of action to decide that has been planned in the base function.

Organization is the process of so combining the work which individuals or groups have to perform with
the faculties necessary for its execution that the duties, so framed, provide the best channels for the
efficient, systematic, and positive and co-ordinate application of the available effort. Organisation avoids
delay and duplication of activities and consequent confusion by ensuring well-defined responsibilities and
authority.

3) Staffing: It means manning the positions created by organisation process. This process includes the
selection of the candidates for positions, fixing financial compensation, training and development,
promotion, transfer, etc. After a manager discerns his areas needs, he may decide to beef up his
staffing by recruiting, selecting, training, and developing employees. A manager in a large
organisation often works with the companys human resources department to accomplish this goal.

Staffing function is the most important managerial act along with planning, organizing, directing and
controlling. The operations of these four functions depend upon the manpower which is available through
staffing function. The managerial function of staffing involves manning the organization structure through
proper and effective recruitment, selection, appraisal, training and development of the personnel to fill the
roles assigned to the employers/workforce. Staffing is an integral part of human resource management. It
facilitates procurement and placement of right people on the right jobs to accomplish goal.
4) Directing: Once subordinates are oriented, the superior has a continuous responsibility of guiding
and leading them for better work performance and motivating them to work with zeal, confidence,
and enthusiasm. Direction is the key to the achievement of the desired result. It is that part of
managerial function which actuates the organisational methods to work efficiently for achievement of
organisational purposes. It is considered life-spark of the enterprise which sets it in motion the action
of people because planning, organising and staffing are the mere preparations for doing the work.

Directing is said to be a process in which the managers instruct, guide and oversee the performance of the
workers to achieve predetermined goals. In field of management, it is said to be all those activities which
are designed to encourage the subordinates to work effectively and efficiently. A few philosophers call
Direction as Life spark of an enterprise. It is also called as on actuating function of management
because it is through direction that the operation of an enterprise actually starts. Planning, organizing,
staffing has got no importance if direction function does not take place.

5) Controlling: After the other elements are in place, a managers job is not finished. He needs to
continuously check results against goals and take any corrective actions necessary to make sure that
his areas plans remain on track. It involves the process of visualising whether the activities have been
or are being performed in the same way as contained in the plans because any deviation will result in
inefficiency in the organisation. The controlling function brings to light the deviations if any, and
assists the management in making the necessary changes in the plan or policies.

The controlling process is simply a set of steps a manager uses to determine whether organizational goals
have been met. Controlling consists of verifying whether everything occurs in conformities with the plans
adopted, instructions issued and principles established. Controlling ensures that there is effective and
efficient utilization of organizational resources so as to achieve the planned goals. It measures the
deviation of actual performance from the standard performance, discovers the causes of such deviations
and helps in taking corrective actions.