What is Management? | Concept of Management with Definitions
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What is Management?
Experts from different area of study view and interpret management in their own way. The basic definition of management can be given as:
“Management is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resource efficiently and effectively.”
Management comprises planning, organizing, directing, controlling and staffing la group one or more people or entities for the purpose of accomplishing a goal. Management brings together all 6 M’s viz, men, money, machines, materials, methods and markets.
Management is a continuous, lively and fast developing silence. It has been defined by different authors in a number of ways. Some call it as a process of managing, some call it as a coordination of resources, and some call it as a body of personal engaged in the task of managing while some people call it as an organized distinct discipline (a body of knowledge).
The following are some of the leading definitions belong to each group:-
A. Management as a Process
Stanley Vance, Theo Haimann, F.C. Hooper and E.F.L. Breach, Kimball, Koontz and O’Donnell, Newmann and Summer – they all call it as a process. It is clear from the following definitions also:-
(i) According to Kimball “Management may be broadly defined as the art of applying economic principles that underlie the control of men and material in the enterprise under consideration.”
(ii) According to Knootz “Management is an art of getting things done through and with the people in formally organized groups.”
(iii) According to S. Vance. “Management is simply the process of decision making and control over the action of human being for the express purpose of attaining predetermined goals.”
(iv) According to Theo Haimann- “Management is the function of getting things done through people and directing the efforts of individuals towards a common objective.”
B. Management as a Co-ordination of Resources
(v) According to Dr. Henry L. Sisk “Management is the co-ordination of all resources through the process of planning organizing, directing, and controlling in order to attain stated objectives.”
C. Management as a Body of Personnel
Prof. Theo Haimann has used the term ‘Management’ as a synonymous of managerial personnel also. It is a fact that in practice, the term ‘ Management’ is frequently used to denote managerial personnel or individuals managing an enterprise. Management has also come to be recognized as a body of knowledge and practice.
Thus, we see that management is so complex that our mind cannot catch all its facets at the same moment. In the nutshell, it is such a social and technical process that comprises a series of action that leads to the accomplishment of objectives. It is such a function of an enterprise which concerns itself with the direction and control of the various activities to attain the business objectives. It is the dynamic life-giving element in every business, without his leadership ‘the resources of the production’ remain resources and never become production. Let us discuss the characteristics of management. It will help us in understanding the real sense of this world.
Important Definitions of Management
In order to answer the question what is management, some of the most important definitions of management expressed by leading thinkers, experts and practitioners are mentioned as under:-
Peter Drucker defined management in his book “The Principles of Management “Management is multi-purpose organ that manages business and manages managers and manages workers and work”.
Mary Parker Follet “Management is the art of getting things done through people”.
Koontz defined management in his book “The Management Theory Jungle” Management is the art of getting things done through and with people in formally organized groups.
FW Taylor Management is the art of knowing what you want to do and then seeing that it is done in the best possible and cheapest way.
Henry Fayol gave the following definition of management in his book, “Industrial and General Administration”. “To manage is to forecast and to plan, to organize, to command, to coordinate and to control.”
Henry L Sisk “Management is the coordination of all resources through the process of planning, organizing, directing and controlling in order to stated objectives.”
James L Lundy “Management is principally the task of planning, coordinating, motivating and controlling the efforts of others towards a specific objective.”
Harold Knootz and O’Donnell “Management is the creation and maintenance of an internal environment in an enterprise where individuals working in groups, can perform efficiently and effectively towards the attainment of group goals.”
Lawrence A Appley “Management consists in guiding human and physical resources into dynamic, hard hitting organization unit that attains its objectives to the satisfaction of those served and with a high degree of morale and sense of attainment on the part of those rendering the service.”
