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## Management - Meaning, Characteristics and Functional Area According to the given outlook, management is an activity in which: * Right decisions are made at the right time * Managerial activities are performed to achieve predetermined goals * Effective control is maintained over the actions of hu...

## Management - Meaning, Characteristics and Functional Area According to the given outlook, management is an activity in which: * Right decisions are made at the right time * Managerial activities are performed to achieve predetermined goals * Effective control is maintained over the actions of human beings The father of scientific management, F.W. Taylor, agrees with this outlook. He defines management as: *"the art of knowing exactly what you want men to do and then seeing that they do it in the best and the cheapest way"* ## Management - As a Process Management as a process focuses on ideas, people and things. It can be defined as: *"a process by which managers create, direct and operate purposive organizations through systematic, coordinated and cooperative human efforts."* The management process involves the transformation of inputs into outputs. These inputs include: * Men * Materials * Machines * Money * Methods * Marketing * Management The inputs are transformed into outputs through the process of: * Planning * Organizing * Staffing * Directing * Controlling This process can also be considered a creative and innovative one. The determination of processes, procedures and techniques is known as management. **Dalton E. Me Farland** defines management as: *"the process by which managers create, direct, maintain and operate surprise organizations through systematic, coordinated and cooperative human efforts."* **George R. Terry** defines management as: *"a distinct process consisting of planning, organising, actuating and controlling, utilising is both science and art, and following in order to accomplish pre-determined objectives."* This idea of functional and procedural sense of management highlights the following elements: * **Management process is social and human** * **Management is a motivating process which provides direction to different resources to accomplish pre-determined objectives.** * **Management process is not rigid. It is a specific and continuing progress. This process converts the ideas into result.** * **Management is a process. By process we mean a systematic chain of related activities. It makes time, efforts and other resources optimum.** * **The activities to be performed by managers are performed by men with the help of machines, material, money, procedure etc.** * **Management process is a combination of different elements as shown below:** | Input | | | | Output | | --------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- | -------------------------------- | --------------------------------- | | Factors: Men, Machine, | Planning | Organization | Staffing | Direction | | Material, Money and | | | | Control | | Procedure | | | | Results Accomplishment of Objectives | ## Management - As a Discipline Generally, it is assumed that managers do not require any specialized technical knowledge and skill, and it is an inborn talent. But, nowadays, management has developed itself into a separate subject discipline. A discipline is a...