Management definition
The term “management seems familiar to each one of us and we all know the essence of the word and the processes. Still, it is tricky at times when it comes to defining it. When we talk of management definition, there are many definitions of management. Some scholars say management is a process, some other scholars say management is an art of getting things done, a faction says management is science, other says it is about productivity.
If we look close enough, all these points are valid. All of us must have read the story of an elephant and 6 blind men. Each one of them got to touch different parts of the elephant’s body and described in the elephant’s shape based on that. The person who got tusk thinks differently about the elephant than the person who got to touch the legs. Each one of them is right. So in order to understand management in a better way, we need to get all the viewpoints and build our view based on collective wisdom.
Definitions:
Below are the popular definitions of management. Have a thorough look to get a better understanding.
Art of Getting Things Done:
Harold Koontz
“Management is the art of getting things done through and with people in formally organized groups.”
J.D. Mooney and A.C. Railey
“Management is the art of directing and inspiring people.”
Mary Parker Follett
“Management is the art of getting things done through others.”
Management as a Process:
Some scholars consider management as a process. Management involves many functions which can be combined as well as systematized to form a process which can, in turn, boost the productivity of the overall system.
George R. Terry
“Management is a distinct process consisting of activities of planning, organizing, actuating and controlling, performed to determine and accomplish stated objectives with the use of human beings and other resources.”
Henry Fayol
“To manage is to forecast and plan, to organize, to command, to co-ordinate, and to control.”
James L. Lundy
“Management is principally the task of planning, coordinating, motivating and controlling the efforts of others towards a specific objective.”
Louis Allen
“Management is what a manager does.”
Management as a Discipline
Some scholars tend to define management as a body of knowledge. They consider it as both art and science and think that management is a discipline of study. Management suffices the needs of a subject to science as well as art. It is a specialized branch of knowledge which is driven heavily by psychology and sociology.
Art and Science of Decision-Making and Leadership
Making decisions and leading people is a part of most workflows in organizations.
Donald J. Clough
“Management is the art and science of decision-making and leadership.”
Rose Moore
“Management means decision-making.”
Stanley Vance
“Management is simply the process of decision-making and control over the action of human beings for the express purpose of attaining predetermined goals.”
An Art of Increasing Productivity
F.W. Taylor
“Management is the art of knowing what you want to do in the best and cheapest way.”
John F. Mee
“Management may be defined as the art of securing maximum prosperity with a minimum of effort so as to secure maximum prosperity and happiness for both employees and employer and give public the best possible service.”
Integration of Efforts
Barry M. Richman
“Management entails the coordination of human and material resources towards the achievement of organizational objectives as well as the organization of the productive functions essential for achieving stated or accepted economic goals.”
Keith and Gubellini
“Management is the force that factors integrate men and physical plant into an effective operating unit.”