Introduction to Management Concepts

Management is utilizing scientifically-derived principles to improve collective efforts and production; it applies to all organizations and levels, and is crucial for a business' survival, increasing resource value.

Achieving organizational goals through planning, organizing, leading, staffing, and controlling.

A person in charge making decisions to use resources for organizational goals.

A group of people working together to achieve common goals.

Making current decisions about future actions, selecting missions/objectives, and choosing from alternatives.

A plan emerges after a decision (commitment of resources) is made; a study or proposal is not yet a plan.

Basic functions performed by all managers (planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling).

Managing your own time, energy, and talents.

Planning identifies goals and alternatives, mapping out courses of action to commit individuals, departments, and the entire organization for the future.

Organizing assembles resources (human and non-human) to achieve objectives and sets up activity/authority relationships for successful plan execution.

Staffing fills job positions within the organization's structure, including locating, recruiting, selecting, and training employees.

Goals of a company or organization.

Distributing resources (human and non-human) based on company goals.

Defining who reports to whom and who has authority within an organization.

Specific roles within an organisation with assigned duties and responsibilities.

Motivating, influencing, and guiding individuals within an organization to achieve its objectives.

Influencing people to contribute to organizational and group goals through desirable work behaviors.

Monitoring and correcting subordinate activities to ensure alignment with plans.

Crucial for personal and organizational success, influencing social, economic, and political goals.

Leading is complex due to human behavior; most organizational problems stem from people's desires and actions.

Establishing benchmarks, measuring performance against them, and handling deviations from the benchmarks.

Ensuring activities align with planned activities.

Management impacts personal life, organizations, and social goals; managers drive these.

Managers at the operating level who supervise non-managerial employees and coordinate their work on daily tasks.

Managers who establish overall strategies and policies for the organization.

The act of carrying out the strategies and plans set by top managers.

The structured different levels of management within an organization, from top to bottom

First-Level managers responsible for overseeing daily operations and motivating their subordinates.

Directing day-to-day activities to achieve short-term goals.

Managers that bridge the gap between top and first-line management, translating higher-level goals into actionable plans for lower levels of managers.

Time devoted to creating organizational plans; tends to increase from first-level managers to top managers.

A manager acting as the representative for their department during key negotiations like union contracts, sales, purchases, and budget allocations.

Technical, Human Relations, and Conceptual skills

The ability to use knowledge and proficiency in performing specific tasks or using tools and techniques in a particular field.

The ability to work effectively with people, understanding their needs, building relationships, and inspiring teamwork.

The ability to understand abstract concepts and think strategically, envisioning the big picture and how different parts of an organization fit together.

Technical skills are most important for entry-level managers who need to directly perform tasks and supervise specific jobs.

As managers move up, they delegate tasks and focus more on leadership, strategy, and overall direction, relying less on specific technical expertise.

The ability to work effectively with people, communicate clearly, and build relationships. These are important at all managerial levels.

Management combines both scientific principles and artistic approaches. While scientific methods provide structure and data-driven decisions, art involves intuition, creativity, and judgment.

Refers to applying systematic methods, data analysis, and established principles to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Involves using intuition, creativity, and adaptability to handle complex situations and make decisions with limited information.

Successful management requires a balance between scientific methods and artistic approaches.

Science and art are not opposing forces in management; they complement each other to achieve organizational goals.