1. TOPIC: INTRODUCTION

Management is an integrating force or agency consisting of some basic functions for
accomplishing the objectives of an organization. Thus management is the dynamic life
giving element in every organization. So by bringing together factors of production,
management enables societies to get better and increase the supply of goods and services.
DEFINITIONS OF MANAGEMENT
1. According to McFarland
Management is a process by which managers create, direct, maintain and operate
purposive organizations through systematic coordinated and cooperative human efforts.
2. J.L. Londy
Management is principally the task of planning, coordinating, motivating, and controlling
the effort of others towards specific objectives.
3. George R Terry
Management is a distinct process consisting of activities of planning, organizing,
actuating, performed on the efforts of group members in order to utilize available
resources of the group human efforts, materials, machines and methods in order to attain
organization goals.
4. According to Mary Parker Follet, management is defined as the art of getting things
done through people in formally organized group.
NB. These definitions clearly identify four functions of management. However modern
management classifies managerial function into five.
CHARACTERISTICS/ FEATURES OF MANAGEMENT
Management has the following salient features.
➢ Management is a process. This refers to the process of getting thing done by
working with people to accomplish objectives.
➢ Management is goal oriented thus aims at achieving organizational
goals/objectives
➢ Management is a group activity. It’s concerned with group efforts and not
individual/efforts
➢ Management is a economic resource as it aims at reaping rich results in economic
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➢ Principles of management have universal application. Apply more or less in every
situation.
➢ Management is a system of authority. Managers at different levels have varying
degree of authority.
➢ Principles of management are dynamic and not static
➢ Management is integrative; the essence of management is to integrate human and
other resources to achieve desired goals.
➢ Management is both science and an art. Management has an organized body of
knowledge consisting of well-defined concepts, principles and techniques that
have a wide application and thus a science. The application of this concepts
principles and techniques requires skills thus management is also considered as an
art.
PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT
A principle is a fundamental statement of truth that provides a guide to thought and
action. It establishes a cause and effect relationship between two more variables.
The principles of management lay down guidelines for improving management practice.
Variable this is something that can change affect the results of something.
Principles of management are “diagnostic guides” each business situation is unique and
must be analyzed on its own merit. The exact application of these principles will depend
upon its social economic, political and cultural factors in a particular organization.
NEED/REASONS FOR PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT
a) To increase efficiency – it enable a manager to take more realistic view of
organizational problems and their solutions. It avoids the need for trial and error
methods and improves the quality of managerial practice.
b) To crystallize the nature of management job – it helps in analyzing the
management job and in defining the exact scope of management process. It
provides a framework for training and education in management.
c) To improve research in management – it serves as a focal point for useful
research in group dynamics, both to ascertain their validity and to improve their
applicability.
d) To attain social goals- it enables more efficient utilization of human and material
resources. In this way, management provides social satisfaction and improves the
quality of life of people.
Criticism of the principles of management
a) They are based on unrealistic premises
b) They represent common sense and are too obviousWilliamkamau14@gmail.com fb:William kamau
c) Many of them are contradicting e.g. the principle of unity of command suggest a
single boss for every employee while the principle of specialization advocates that
specialists should guide subordinates in their respective areas.
Nature/ characteristic of management principles
1. Universality of principles- they can be applied in different types of organization
e.g. business, government, educational, military etc
2. Dynamism – management principles are flexible guides rather than hard and fast
rules. They are dynamic rather than static, diagnostic rather than determinative.
Two management situations are seldom a like in all respects an therefore,
management principles have to be modified with changes in the environment of
the organization
3. Human limitation- management is an inexact social science because it deals with
human behavior which is a very complex and unpredictable and in order to
understand and influence it, various principles developed in other fields and
applied today in management.
4. Relativity- management principles are relative rather than absolute. Therefore
these should be applied according to the need of the organization and demands of
the situation.
MANAGEMENT AS A SCIENCE OR AN ART OR A PROFESSION
There are different viewpoints as to whether management should be regarded as a science
or an art or both. As a matter of fact, the management is an art as well as a science. This
is explained as follows:
A science may be defined as “representing knowledge gathered by observation and
experiment critically tested, systematized and brought under general principles”
It means that science is an organized or systematized body of theoretical knowledge
pertaining to a particular field of enquiry. Such systematized body of knowledge contains
concepts, principles and theories, which help to explain events and to predict the outcome
of specific actions. These principles are capable of universal application.
Management as a science refers to the application of scientific methods in making
decisions and evaluating different courses of actions. It involves obtaining of complete,
valid and reliable information in respect of the problem under consideration before
making a decision.Management is a science because of the following reasons:-
a) The principles of management have been developed through continuous
observation and empirical verification
b) There is a systematized body of knowledge in management principles are now
available in every function of management and these principles help to improve
managerial effectiveness.
c) The principles of management are capable of universal application
d) Management theory helps to examine and evaluate alternative courses of action to
resolve a given problem.
MANAGEMENT AS AN ART
An art may be defined as skills or knowledge in a particular field of activity or a method
of doing a thing. It means that art involves the practical application of theoretical
knowledge and skills to achieve desired results. It is concerned with creating of objects or
events.
Management is essentially an art because of the following reasons:-
a) The process of management involves the use of know how i.e. skills and
knowledge
b) Management seeks to achieve concrete practical results i.e. profit, growth etc
c) Like an art, management is creative it brings out new solutions and makes
resources productive. Management is creative since it involves molding and
welding the attitudes and behavior of people at work for the accomplishment of
specific goals in a changing environmental condition.
d) Good management is efficient and the success of a manager is measured by the
effective realization of organized goals.
CONCLUSIONS
Management is both an art as well as a science. Essentially managing is the art of doing
and management is the body of knowledge which underlies the art. It must however be
noted that science and art are complementary to each other. Science without art is sterile
and art without science is blind.
The art and science of management go hand in hand. The art of management is guided by
the science of management which in turn gets nourishment from the practice (art) of
management.
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MANAGEMENT AS A PROFESSION
A profession can be defined as:
It is a field where training is intellectual in nature a field in which one enters for the sake
of others and in which financial reward is not considered as a measure of success
A profession is afield which is supposed to possess a well defined body of knowledge
one which is leaned intellectual and organized one with entry restricted by examination
or education and one which is concerned primarily with service to others above self
reward
Management is a profession since it meets the first criteria the body of knowledge
requirement this is true from the vocational understanding of the function of business the
general can discipline found in typical schools of business, the graduate programs where
functions, organizations, social institutions social responsibilities and policy are
emphasized
However mgt falls the test of professionalism on another criteria. Anybody can label
himself a manager and apply it to the operation of business. Managers are never self
made instead they are the product of the classroom and research. Education and training
are regarded by socially as vital to managerial progression and success and typically the
educated managers are the ones to whom positions of power and real responsibility are
given
The question of whether mgt is a profession is complex because mgt is a broad subject
parts of the subject do have professional characteristics and others do not
The following criteria of a profession will help to identify those parts which may be
considered to be professional:
1
A profession is based on a proven systematic body of knowledge and thus
requires intellectual training
2
A profession maintains an experimental attitude towards information and
thus requires a search for new ideas
3
A profession emphasizes service to other and usually develops a code of
ethics that requires that financial return should not be the only motive.
4
Entrance into a profession is usually restricted by standards established by
an association that requires its members be accepted by a group composed
with people common training Williamkamau14@gmail.com fb:William kamau
CONCLUSION
Management is not an a straight profession but it is making stride in that direction every
enterprise presents possibilities for the application of the art and science of mgt and
virtually every business is a potential source of employment of professional managers
FUNCTIONAL AND ROLE OF MANAGEMENT
The process of management consists of several interrelated activities. These activities are
known as the functions of management. There is no universally acceptable classification
of managerial functions. However, the following are main functions of management