Characteristics of Management
Management is a goal-oriented process: An organization has a set of basic goals which are the basic reason for its existence. These should be simple and clearly stated. Different organizations have different goals.
Management is all pervasive: The activities involved in managing an enterprise are common to all organizations whether economic, social or political. A petrol pump needs to be managed as much as a hospital or a school.
Management is multidimensional: Management is a complex activity that has three main dimensions. These are:
- Management of work: All organizations exist for the performance of some work. In a factory, a product is manufactured, in a garment store a customer’s need is satisfied and in a hospital a patient is treated.
- Management of people: Human resources or people are an organization’s greatest asset. Despite all developments in technology “getting work done through people” is still a major task for the manager.
- Management of operations: No matter what the organization, it has some basic product or service to provide in order to survive.
Management is a continuous process: The process of management is a series of continuous, composite, but separate functions (planning, organizing, directing, staffing and controlling). These functions are simultaneously performed by all managers all the time.
Management is a group activity: An organization is a collection of diverse individuals with different needs. Every member of the group has a different purpose for joining the organization but as members of the organization they work towards fulfilling the common organizational goal.
