The concept of Modern Management

 

Setting any goal and achieving it are two sequential and common functions of every individual. For some these activities are very smooth and for some very difficult.  Knowledge and skills of management make these easy and absence of managerial skill and knowledge make difficult. Managerial knowledge and skill help to set goals and achieve them in the efficient manner. By efficient we mean in lower cost, lesser time, and with lesser effort, we make goals and achieve them.

So in modern management there lie three basic activities: planning, implementing and controlling.  Planning means the functions of deciding goals and fixing the achieving procedures of goals in advance. Implementing means doing what were decided. Thus implementing activities include arranging men, materials, money; leading and instructing men about doing works. Controlling refers to the process of evaluating the works of the people and group whether they are going according to progress or not and taking actions as per the needs.   

   

Figure 1: Gives information about management process and each process is subdivided in the Table 1.

Planning	Organizing	Leading	controlling
1.      Vision and mission 2.      Goals and objectives 3.      Strategizing	1.         Organization design 2.         Social network 3.         Culture	1.         Leadership 2.         Decision making 3.         Communications 4.         Groups and teams 5.         Motivations	1.      System/process 2.      Strategic human resources

  

History of management thought

 

If management is thought as use of resources for the achievement of goals then the history of management should be linked with the every efforts that human being made from the history of human civilizations. However, for the understanding of development of management we trace its development from the written records available on the earth.

Researches made so far indicated that present state of management has its foundation on different management thoughts began from 6th century B.C., when Sun Tzu wrote ‘The Art of War. Sun Tzu stated "The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected."  It was management strategy.

Another evidence can be taken  to Nicolò Machiavelli (1469-1527), who is called father of modern political philosophy, argues that a ruler should not care about these norms (or laws in general) and should only be concerned with authority and power, which are equal, and war. According to Machiavelli a prince should therefore have no other aim or thought, nor take up any other thing for his study but war and it organization and discipline, for that is the only art that is necessary to one who commands.

Third evidence of management in writing can be found in the writings of Adam Smith. Adam Smith (1723-1790) born in ‘Scotland’ is often described as the "founding father of economics". A great deal of what is now considered standard theory about the theory about markets was developed by Adam Smith. Two books, Theory of Moral Sentiments and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations are of great importance.

 Adam Smith, in The Wealth of Nations (1776), made an argument on the economic advantages that organizations and society would achieve from the division of labor, which is the breakdown of jobs into narrow, repetitive tasks. Smith concluded that division of labor increased productivity by increasing each worker's skill and dexterity, by saving time that is usually lost in changing tasks, and by the creation of labor- saving inventions and machinery.

Probably, the most important influence on management was the Industrial Revolution. It began in the late eighteenth century in Great Britain, where machine power was being substituted for human power.

John D. Rockefeller was putting together the Standard Oil monopoly, Andrew Carnegie was gaining control of two- thirds of the steel industry, and other people were creating new businesses that would require formalized management practices.

Emerging challenges for management

1.  Globalization: Managers need to think globally and act locally.

2.  Technology: The new economy will base on digital revolution. The development in information technology will provide greater access to management. Management will need to manage changing technology effectively.

3.  Quality: Quality assurance is getting important.

4.  Social responsibility: Management will pursue long-term goals that are good for society.

5.  Empowerment: To empower worker is a challenge to management.

6.  Human resource management: Management needs to deal with diversified work force, requires visionary leadership on the part of management.

7.  Organization design: Organization will be lean flat and less hierarchical

8.  Cultural sensitivity:  Cultural value will change cross-cultural influences. Organizations are emerging as cultural systems.

9.  Change management:  Manager will face the challenge of managing change. They will need to aware specific changes and their likely impact on the practice of management.

11. Learning organization: Management needs to create learning environment. Organization of future will be predominantly knowledge based.

---