Management is neither a new born baby, nor an invention of 20th century. The term ‘Management’ has been used in different senses. Sometimes it is used to mean the ‘Group of managerial personnel’ in an organisation. At other times, management refers to the process of planning, organising, staffing, directing, co-ordinating, and controlling. It is also referred to as a body of knowledge, a practice and a discipline.
There are some, who describe it as a technique of leadership and decision making or a means of co-ordinating , while some others analyse management as an economic resource, a factor of production or a system of a authority.
Though used in different senses, the term management is mainly used in the sense of a process.
Definitions of Management
1. Louis Allen: “Management is what a manager does”.
2. S.George : “Management consists of getting things done through others. Manager is one who accomplishes the objectives by directing the efforts of others”.
3. Koontz and O’Donnell: ” It is the task*of manager to establish and maintain an internal environment in which people working together in groups can perform effectively towards the attainment of group goals.”
4. John F Me : ” Management may be defined as the art of securing maximum prosperity with a minimum effort so as to secure maximum prosperity and happiness for both employer and the employee and give the public the best possible service.”
5. George R Terry: “Management is a distinct process consisting of planning, organising, actuating and controlling performed to determine and accomplish the objectives by the use of people and resources.”
From the definitions quoted above it is clear that, “Management is the sum total of all those functions or activities which relate to the laying, down of plans, policies and purpose, securing men, money, materials and machinery needed for the achievement of the organisational objectives, putting all of them into operation and supervising and checking their performance in order to ensure the productive use of human and material resources for the benefit of the organisation and employees in particular and society in general.”