What is "the management"?

Management is a very common activity in all aspects of
human life including business, government, religion, and social institutions. Yet, there
is no precise or universally accepted definition of management. Management comprises of
a very wide variety of activities and techniques aimed at improving the efficiency and
effectiveness of any type of work performed. Thus in business the management function
aims to improve the profit, while in an organization like a public hospital, it is aimed
at improving the quality and quantity of medical services provided. An individual also
manages his or her own time, money, or other resources to maximise a variety of personal
objectives like, earnings, professional advancement, or
enjoyment.

Koontz and Weihrich (2004) define management
as:

The
process of designing and maintaining an environment in which individuals, working
together in groups, efficiently accomplish selected
aims.

The management function
is useful for individuals also. However, as implied in the above definition, formal
management function is required only when the work to be performed requires more than
one person to work as a group for achievement of the objectives. For all such formal
management, we can identify the following four main function or tasks within the overall
management functions.

1. Planning and decision
   making. This consists of finalizing the appropriate aims and objectives to be pursued
   and the means and methods to be adopted for achieving the chosen
   objectives.


2. Organizing and staffing. Dividing the total
   work to be performed as decided or planned in jobs to be performed by different people
   in the organization, and designing the relationship between different members of the
   organization. It also includes finding the people to performed the
   job.


3. Motivating or leading. This refers to ensuring that
   the people in the organization work as envisaged by the earlier two steps of planning
   and organizing.


4. Monitoring and controlling. This is a
   function that is meant to ensure that all the other three functions of management are
   effective. It involves monitoring the work being performed, the results achieved, and
   the environment within which the work is performed. The information collected is then
   analysed to determine if the Work is progressing satisfactorily. In case the results
   obtained are not satisfactory, appropriate control action to improve the effectiveness
   of action in the other three functions is taken.
   

References:

Koontz,
H. and Weihrich H., 2004, Essentials of Management, Sixth Edition,
Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi.