responsibility of making resources productive.

Every scientific and technological

development is result of organization. The achievements of organizations are
obviously, the achievements of their managers.

1.3 Managerial Functions an overview

Regardless of the type, size and objective of the firm, all managers have certain
basic functions. These are planning, organizing, staffing, leading/directing/, and
controlling. The nature and scope of these functions differ from manager to
manager and from firm to firm.

Planning
It is a decision making process which involves selection of missions and objectives
and choose the best course of action to achieve them from among alternatives. It is
an intellectual task, which bridges the gap between the present and future
conditions of the organization (From where we are to where we want to be in a
desired future). Planning is a decision making process that determines what to be
done, how it is to be done, why it is done, when it is to be done, and by whom it is
to be done.

The first step in planning is determination of the objective of an organization. And

then objectives are established for the sub units of the organization- its
departments, divisions, etc. Once the objectives are determined, programs are
established for achieving them in a systematic manner.

Top level managers set plans for the entire company; while lower level managers
prepare plans for their immediate areas of responsibility. Planning doesn't occur in
a vacuum. It is done in light of budgetary constraints, personnel requirements,
competition, and other factors.

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Planning, as a managerial function, is the process of integrating the future activities
of an organization, and requires the ability to foresee, visualize, and look ahead
purpose fully.

Organizing:
It is a managerial activity that involves establishing an intentional structure of roles
for people to fill in an organization. In other words, it is the process of creating an
environment for human performance depending on the objectives set. In short,
organizing is the process of determining the role by which an individual plays and
the individual roles are related and integrated to achieve the common
organizational goal. Organizing, thus involves:
 identification of activities to achieve the predetermined objective;
 grouping these activities into working units;
 assignment of responsibility to each unit with corresponding authority; and
 the creation of intentional organizational relationship so as to enhance
coordination.

Staffing:
It is the process of filling and keeping filled the positions in the organization
structure. This is done by identifying work force requirements, inventorying the
people available, recruiting, selecting, placing, promoting, compensating, training
and developing both candidates and current job holders to accomplish their tasks
effectively and efficiently.

Leading:
It is influencing, motivating and directing people so that they will contribute to
organization and group goals; it has to do predominantly with the interpersonal
aspect of managing. To be effective leaders/managers need to understand
individual and group behavior, techniques of motivation, and effective styles of

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leadership. Mangers must develop relationships that ensure adequate
communication with their subordinates. Leading also includes managing personal
conflict, helping employees, deal with changing conditions, and in some cases
disciplining employees. Leadership requires good interpersonal skills. Leading
/directing has the following three elements:
(i) Motivation
(ii) Leadership styles
(iii) Communication

Controlling
It is the measuring and correcting of activities of subordinates, to ensure that
events conform to plans. It also involves taking corrective measures (actions) if
negative deviations exist.
The controlling function involves the following steps:
 Establishing standards of performance:
 Measuring actual performance and comparing it against the plan the goal /the
established standard;
 Taking corrective measures if there are devotions. (Taking corrective actions
when standards are not met or in anticipation that they may not be met.)
Actual results may differ from desired results in any area, but the three that require
the most attention are product quality, worker performance, and cost control.

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1.4 Levels of Management, And Type of Managers
Managers can be classified into two ways;
1. By their level in the organization – so called first line, middle and top
managers:
a) First line Managers- Managers who are responsible for the work of
operating employees only and do not supervise other managers; they are the
first or lowest levels of managers in the organizational hierarchy. These pest
people are managers at the firing line where most concrete organizational
tasks are performed.

It includes office managers, superintendents, foreman, chief clerks,

supervisors, etc. First level management is often called "supervisors". They
are mainly concerned with:
i) Planning of day to day work.
ii) Assignment of jobs
iii) Keeping a watch on workers performance.
iv) Sending reports and statements to superiors
v) Maintaining close and personal contacts with workers and
evaluation of their work.

b) Middle level Managers: these are managers who direct the activities of lower
level managers and sometimes extend to supervision of operating employees.
Their principal responsibilities are to direct the activities that implement their
organization's policies and to balance the demands of their superiors with the
capacities of their subordinates. The titles include Department heads, deputy
department heads, branch managers, work managers, etc.

c) Top Managers: - composed of a comparatively small group of executives and

they are responsible for the overall management an organization.

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  They establish operating policies and guides the organization's interactions
with environment. Typical titles include CEO, president, senior vice
president, etc.
 Responsibility of planning and executing broad policy decisions.

2. By the range of organizational activities for which they are responsible – so

called Functional and general managers.

Functional and General Managers

The other major classification of managers depends on the scope of the activities
they manage.
1. Functional Managers:- these are managers who are responsible for only
one organizational activity, such as production, marketing, sales, or finance.
The people and activities headed by a functional manager are engaged in a
common set of activities.
2. General Managers:- these managers, on the other hand, oversee a complex
unit, such as a company, a subsidiary, or an independent operating division.
He or she is responsible for all the activities of that unit, such as its
production, marketing, sales, and finance. Managers who are responsible for
managing the entire operations of a more complex unit or division which
may have two or more functional units.

1.5 Managerial Roles and skills

1.5.1 Managerial Roles:

Managerial functions are general administrative duties that need to be carried out
in all productive organizations. Managerial roles are specific categories of
behavior/managerial behavior. Managerial functions involve "desired out comes".
These outcomes are achieved through the performance of managerial roles (actual

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behavior). In other words, Roles are the means and functions are the ends of the
manager's job.

Henry Mintzberg identified ten different but interrelated organized sets of

behavior, or roles. These ten roles can be separated into three categories /general
groupings.
1. Interpersonal roles: three managerial roles are enacted when the manager
engages in interpersonal relationship. They are:
 Figure head role: - this role is played by managers who are required to
perform duties of ceremonial and symbolic in nature such as signing
documents, receiving visitors, etc.
- e.g. When the president of a college hands out diplomas at
commencement.
 Leader role: - managers play this role through hiring, training, motivating and
disciplining employees to get the job done properly.
 Liaison role: - managers play this role by contacting people outside the group,
by serving as a link in a horizontal (as well as vertical) chain of communication.
- e.g. the sales manager who gains information from the personnel manager
with in the same company – Internal liaison.
- The sales manager who has contact with other sales executive through a
making trade association – External liaison.

2. Informational roles: - All managers, to some degree, will receive and collect
information from organizations and institutions outside his or her own.
Managers play:
 Monitor/Nerve Center Role: - as a monitor /nerve center, the manager tries to
keep informed about what is happening in the organization or group. Managers
serve as a focal point for non-routine information; they receive all types of
information from news reports, trade publications, magazines, clients, etc.
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 Disseminator role: - the information a manager gathers as a monitor must be
gleaned and transmitted to appropriate members of the organization. As a
disseminator, a manager sends out side information into the organization and
internal information from one subordinate to another. /Transmitting selected
information to subordinates.
 Spokes person role: - it is the role of a manager in transmitting selected
information to outsiders. It is played by a manager whenever he/she represents
the organization or its position to other groups, including the government
agencies, customer, and trade organizations.
3. Decisional Roles: - Both interpersonal and informational roles are really
includes to the decisional role. It involves decision-making. The manager plays
this role as:
 Entrepreneur: - managers as an entrepreneur initiate and oversee new projects
that will improve their organization's performance. (Designing and initiating
changes within the organization).
 Disturbance handler: - taking corrective actions in none routine situations/the
manager deals with situations our which he or she has little control. These may
involve conflict between people or groups or unexpected events outside the
company may affect the firm's operations.
 Resource allocates: - managers play this role when they are in a position to
decide exactly who should get what resources. (These resources include time,
money, people-people, physical resources)
 Negotiator: - participating in negotiating sessions with other parties (e.g.
vendors and unions) to make sure the organizations interests are adequately
represented. Managers perform this role, in which they discuss and bargain with
other units to gain advantages for their own unit.

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1.5.2 Skills of Management
A skill is a person's or an individual's ability to do or perform a certain thing
expertly or intellectually. Similarly, managerial skills are skills of a manageability
of a manager to perform his duties and responsibilities expertly. These skills help
managers to perform their activity in efficient and effective way/manner for the
achievement of the objective of the organization.
These managerial skills can be classified as:
(i) Technical skills
(ii) Human skills
(iii) Conceptual skills
1. Technical skills: These skills are the abilities of a manager that are necessary to
carry out a specific task. It involves the ability to use specialized knowledge
and expertise with work related tools, procedures, and techniques. Technical
knowledge is of great importance at lower levels where the organization's goods
and services are produced. Examples include:
- Writing computer programs
- Completing accounting statements
- Analyzing marketing statistics
- Drafting a design for a certain building etc…
Technical skills are usually obtained through training programs that an
organization may offer its managers, or employees, or may be obtained by way of
a college degree.
2. Human Skill: the ability to work with, motivate, direct individuals or groups in
the organization whether they are subordinates, pears, or superiors and the
ability to resolve conflict. Because, all tasks in an organization are done with
people, these skills are equally important to all levels of management. This skill
includes:-

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 - effective communication (writing and speaking);
- creation of positive attitude toward others and the work setting;
- development of co-operation among group members; and
- motivation of subordinates.
3. Conceptual skill:- the ability of a manager "to see" the big picture of the
organization /to view the organization from a broad perspective. It is the ability
of a manager to see the organizational system in its totality, how its different
parts are interrelated and how they affect each other. A manager needs
conceptual skills to recognize the interrelationships of various situational
factors, and; therefore, make decisions that will be in the best interests of the
organization. They are most important in strategic (long range) planning;
therefore, it is top level managers/executives who require more conceptual skill
than middle level managers and supervisors.

1.6 Universality of Management

Management is universal in the sense that
 Basic applications of management in any organizations are the same whether it
is small or complex, business or non-business. The managerial functions exist
in every organization regardless of the size and the type of the organization.
This is because any organization has an objective to be achieved and goal
achievement requires planning, organizing, staffing leading and controlling.
(The army general, the bishop of the church, the financial manager use the same
management principles to achieve objectives.)
 The concept of universality of management is also applicable to all levels of
management within an organization; it is not confined to a particular level.
Although the scope of authority held, responsibility assigned and the types of

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 problems dealt vary from one level to another, as managers all obtain results by
establishing an environment for effective group endeavor..

1.7 Is Management Science or Art?

Science:- It is an organized/systematized body of knowledge constituting concepts,
theories and principles concerning a particular field of study. Especially, it is
knowledge obtained from observation, test and experimentation of facts; and it is
universally true; and applied in any country, organization, etc. Besides, it exploits
mathematical models.

When we say it is a systematized body of knowledge, it is in the sense that

relationship between variables and their limitation have been ascertained and
underlying principles have been discovered. These facts are again verified through
continuous observation. Finally, certain relationships and principles are developed
which are fundamental truths that help to reflect or explain reality.

The principles developed after a detailed observation acts as a universally

applicable foundation.
As science, management is a systematized body of knowledge representing a core
of principles or fundamental truths that tend to be true in most managerial
situations. This systematized body of knowledge of management helps the
practicing manager to make decisions rationally and objectively rather than rule of
thumb, hunch, or institution, what they did in the part.
 As an emerging science, management has certain basic principles, which are
universally applicable in any organization regardless of its size, mature and
objective. Effective managers use the scientific approach in making decisions.
 However, management is not considered as an exact science as chemistry,
physics etc. It is an Inexact Science. This is because; it deals with people/human

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 behavior in which change is the fashion rather than the exception. It is to say
that human behavior is even changing and unpredictable.
To conclude, management is categorized as science for the following reasons:
 Its principles are systematized body of knowledge
 Its principles are universally applicable
 They are based on scientific inquiry, observation, test and experiment
 They explain the cause and effect relationships among/between various
variables..
Art:
Art is a skill or know-how, which can be modified to accomplish a desired
concrete result. It is doing things in light of the prevailing realities of a situation. It
is concerned with the application of know-how and skill to the specific time, place
and condition tactfully, creatively and wisely.
 Art is a personal creative power plus skill in performance
 Art is based on subjective judgment, feelings, intuition, etc.
 Art helps to create new ideas and effective methods to use from the
underlying knowledge and skill. Management as an art.
 Is a know-how or doing things in the realities of the situation.
 Art in management has a great role in creating new idea, innovation,
initiating and implementing the skills or know-how in relation with the
resources and goals of the organization.
 Calls for subjective judgment, intuition where time pressures force rapid-fire
decisions, often based on incomplete and unverifiable data.
To conclude, management as a creative art
1. It required a skill or a practical know-how of the principles and techniques of
management in order to perform a specific job efficiently and effectively.

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2. It depends on the personal skill and effective use of one's knowledge and
proficiency to ensure maximum result at minimum cost.
3. It follows result oriented course of action – or depends on specific objective to
be achieved.
4. Management calls for creative ability – to introduce new ideas, new products,
new techniques to yield higher returns to an organization (higher surplus)
5. Continuous practice of management theories and principles results in better
performance.
N.B The science and art of management practice are not mutually exclusive
but are complementary. If science teaches one to know, art teaches one to do.
So managers have to know and do things to perform their activities efficiently
and effectively to be successful.
Management as a Profession
A profession is a vocation requiring,
1. body of specialized knowledge and Technical proficiency
2. formal training / standardized education and training
3. social Responsibility
4. code of conduct/professional Ethics
1) Body of specialized knowledge and Technical proficiency
If an organization needs to have rational and scientific decision making ability,
managers have to be specialized on a systematic body of management. And also
management requires technical proficiency is special fields such as production,
marketing, finance, human resource management, etc. To ensure all these,
management requires intellectual preparation or graduate study.
2) Formal/standardized Education and Training:
A certain field of study to be a profession, it requires formal training and
education. This holds true for management. There are universities, colleges, and

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educational institutions specialized that provide formal teaching of management
concepts, theories and principles.
3) Social Responsibility:
Any organization has an objective whether to make surplus, or provide efficient
services to the society, and the like. And also a manager of an organization is
responsible to lead the organization and its members. Besides, managers have to
take into account the obligation to serve the society (mission) and strict adherence
to the prescribed moral, social, and legal conduct; because their existence depend
on the service they give to the society in general.
4) Code of Conduct:
Any discipline to be a profession, it is subjected to the fulfillment of strict
standards, rules and regulations providing the norm of honesty, integrity, and
professional morality to be adhered by the members.

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