Management – Functions, Roles, Skills & Foundations

Meaning & Definitions of Management

  • Traditional concept:

    • Mary Parker Follett: “Management is the art of getting things done through others.”

    • Harold Koontz: “Getting things done through and with people in formally organised groups.”

  • Modern thinkers:

    • Henri Fayol: “To manage is to forecast and plan, to organise, to command, to coordinate and to control.”

    • George R. Terry: Planning, organising, activating & controlling to accomplish objectives with human and other resources.

    • John F. Mee: Maximum prosperity with minimum effort ➜ prosperity & happiness for employer, employees, public.

    • F. W. Taylor: Coordination of all resources through planning, organising, directing & controlling.

    • Marry & Douglas: Directing actions of others toward common goals.

  • Management as a word

    • Noun → people who manage

    • Process → continuous set of activities

    • Activity, Group, Discipline

  • Essence: “Art of getting things done through people” – like an orchestra conductor who doesn’t play every instrument but ensures harmony.

Nature / Features of Management (mnemonic: “FUNDS DYNAMIC”)

  • Factor of Production (F)

  • Universal Application (U)

  • Needed at All Levels (N)

  • Distinct Process (D)

  • Social Process (S)

  • System of Authority (D)

  • Dynamic & Adaptive Function (Y)

  • Environment-Shaping Role (N – Nature shaping)

  • Art & Science (A)

  • Management as an Inexact but evolving discipline (M)

Importance / Purpose of Management

  • Optimal utilisation of resources – e.g. JIT in Toyota.

  • Goal-orientation – sales targets broken into weekly goals.

  • Improves efficiency – nurse supervisor redesigns shifts.

  • Achieves personal objectives – career development

  • Develops society – sustainable sourcing, CSR.

  • Creates a dynamic organisation – quick response to social-media trends.

  • Brings harmony at work – inclusive multicultural teams.

  • Corporate illustrations: Toyota (JIT), Intel (MBO), Amazon (logistics), Google (20 % time), Adidas (empowerment), Tesla (innovation culture), Salesforce (inclusive culture).

Management as Science, Art & Profession

  • Science

    • Systematised body of knowledge.

    • Cause–effect relationships.

    • Observation & experimentation.

    • Universal validity.

    • Replication possible (limited in management due to human variability).

  • Art

    • Theoretical foundation + personal skill.

    • Creativity & imagination.

    • Perfection through practice.

  • Profession

    • Specialised knowledge.

    • Formal education & training.

    • Service motive.

    • Statutory body & code of conduct.

Henri Fayol – Historical Nuggets

  • Pioneer of administrative theory; contrasted with Taylor’s shop-floor focus.

  • Initially proposed five functions: Planning, Organising, Commanding, Coordinating, Controlling ➜ evolved into four.

  • Mining-engineer background; rose to Managing Director.

  • Argued universality: business, military, government, religion.

  • Under-recognised during life; 1916 book translated after 1940s.

Core Managerial Functions (Fayol → modern P-O-L-C)

  • Planning

    • Sets future direction & objectives; chooses among alternatives.

  • Organising

    • Develops formal structure of authority & responsibility.

    • Task division, grouping, assignment, time frames, leadership allocation.

  • Leading (Directing, Commanding, Coordinating)

    • Directing: issuing instructions & guidance.

    • Communication: open two-way information flow.

    • Motivation: positive incentives to boost performance; negative motivation ↓ output.

  • Controlling

    • Measures performance vs goals, detects deviations, takes corrective action.

    • Ensures events occur as planned.

Mintzberg’s 10 Managerial Roles

Interpersonal Roles

  • Figurehead – ceremonial duties (greeting visitors, signing documents).

  • Leader – motivates & coordinates subordinates.

  • Liaison – builds internal & external networks; attends meetings, conferences.

Informational Roles

  • Monitor – scans environment, reads reports.

  • Disseminator – shares information with staff to influence attitudes & behaviour.

  • Spokesperson – represents organisation to stakeholders & public.

Decisional Roles

  • Entrepreneur – seeks improvement, selects projects.

  • Disturbance Handler – resolves crises & conflicts.

  • Resource Allocator – assigns budget, personnel, assets, sets priorities.

  • Negotiator – bargains with stakeholders for beneficial deals.

Managerial Skills

  • Conceptual

    • Diagnose complex problems, analyse data, understand inter-relationships, big-picture thinking.

  • Human / Interpersonal

    • Build trust, empathy, listen, resolve grievances; necessary for motivation & delegation.

  • Technical

    • Expertise in procedures, methods, machinery; gained via education/training.

  • Communication

    • Clear verbal & non-verbal transmission to avoid misunderstanding; foundation of all roles.

  • Diagnostic

    • Apply scientific & logical methods to pinpoint root causes, identify opportunities, craft solutions.

Levels of Management & Key Positions

Top / Strategic

  • Board, CEO, President, CFO, COO, CMO, CTO, MD, Vice Presidents.

  • Functions: set objectives, create policies, allocate resources, overall leadership, organisation’s survival & welfare.

Middle / Tactical

  • General, Regional, Divisional, Department, Project, Operations Managers.

  • Bridge between strategy & execution; interpret policies, organise departments, select staff, motivate, cooperate inter-departmentally.

Lower / Operational (First-line)

  • Supervisors, Team Leaders, Shift Managers, Foremen, Section Heads.

  • Ensure daily task completion, quality, minimal waste, worker grievances, feedback to higher levels.

Administration vs Management vs Organisation

  • Focus:

    • Administration → policy-making, long-term objectives.

    • Management → execution, goal achievement.

    • Organisation → structure of roles & resources.

  • Level:

    • Administration at top;

    • Management at middle & lower;

    • Organisation spans all.

  • Nature: strategic vs dynamic vs structural.

  • Analogy: Brain (administration), Hands (management), Skeleton (organisation).

  • Comparative table (see transcript) – differences in function, skills, time horizon.

Efficiency vs Effectiveness

  • Efficiency: Output/Input\text{Output} / \text{Input} – minimum resources (Man, Materials, Machine, Minute, Money, Method, Information) for maximum output.

  • Effectiveness: accomplishment of appropriate goals; “doing the right things.”

  • Managers pursue both for organisational productivity.

Applied Examples

  • Planning example: launching new mobile phone – features, resources, schedules.

  • Organising: construction project hierarchy.

  • Leading: articulating vision → motivated workforce.

  • Controlling: KPIs, variance analysis, corrective actions.

  • Coordinating resources effectively to ensure streamlined processes and mitigate risks.

  • Administration: founders decide eco-friendly portfolio & strategic partnerships.

  • Management: operations schedule, marketing campaigns, team coordination.

  • Organisation: HR defines IoT Engineer, Sustainability Consultant roles; reporting structures.

  • Simplified body metaphor repeated: brain, hands, skeleton.

Determinants of Organisational Performance

  • Quality of Planning, Organising, Leading & Controlling directly affects efficiency & effectiveness.

  • Managers must adapt to rapid changes in social, economic, political & technological factors (globalisation, competition, productivity pressure).

Quick Reference Formulas & Acronyms

  • P-O-L-C (Planning, Organising, Leading, Controlling).

  • FUNDS DYNAMIC – 10 features.

  • M6IM_6I – key resource categories for efficiency.

Ethical & Societal Implications

  • Universal applicability across business, military, government, religious institutions (Fayol).

  • Service motive in professions – responsibility beyond profit (doctors, managers alike).

  • Environment shaping – Tesla influencing green laws & consumer behaviour.

  • CSR & sustainability highlighted in Adidas, GlowLite, SmartNova examples.

Philosophical Takeaways

  • Management blends science (data, analytics) with art (creativity, intuition).

  • It remains an inexact, evolving discipline due to human complexity; continual learning via seminars & conferences mandated for managers.

  • If Fayol were alive today, he’d be “dropping management wisdom on LinkedIn.”