MANAGEMENT FUNDAMENTALS

The goals of organizations are reached through the use of human and material resources. These resources, however, are incomplete without the presence of management. Whitin any organization, management is the essential element in performing work efficiently and effectively. Organizations, being social and technical system of consciouly coordinated activities of two or more persons, must be managed if they are to reach objectives for any extended period of time.

Although management is not always apparent to the casual observer, it is a central activity in all organizations throughout our society. Henry Fayol, one of the early scholars and writers in management, suggested that the nervous system in animals bears a close comparison to the managerial activities in a social organizations. Thus, management branches into all phases of an organizations and is essential in archieving a coordination of effort whenever people join together to seek a common goal.

1. The Study Of Management
Management is practiced in businesses, hospitals, universities, churches, and governmental agencies as well as in all other types of organized activities. While the practice of management is as old as civilizations, systematic study of the field is fairly young. In fact, only a limited formal study of management took place until larger and more complex business organizations appeared at the turn of the present century. Despite this 20th century interest, however, management has been an important element through the ages in the growth and progress of all societies.
Although scholars and practicing managers have now produced an impressive body of knowledge, a comprehensive understanding of management is still limited. Yet, through a continuous refinement of managerial theories, techniques, and practices that have proven useful in a variety of organizations, a broader understanding of management is being developed. By studying this growing bodu of knowledge, one can better understand how management contributes to the general welfare of our society. At the same time, a systematic study of the field helps us to recognize the essential management skill needed in all organizations. Finally, a concerted effort in studying, understanding, and applying management theories is required if we are to deal effectively with the increasingly complex societal problems of today and tomorrow. Managers of the future cannot merely adapt to environmental changes but must be able to shape the environment so that it will sustain the internal momentum of their organizations.

2. The Management Process
Various definitions of management exist, most of which point out the nature and importance of the management as the process of planning, organizing, actuating, and controlling an organization's operations in order to achieve a coordination of the human and material resources essential in the effective and efficient attainment of objectives. The activities in this process ( palnning, organizing, actuating, and controlling) are called the functions of management. These functions must be performed by all persons in managerial positions, whether administrators, directors, generals, department heads, or first-line supervisors. In addition, it should be recognized that the management process is best described by these functions, rather than by the status or rank held by certain managers in a organization. Management is neither the privilege not the responsibility of only a few members of an organization- it is the work of all individuals whose jobs are involved with reaching objectives through the coordination of available resources.
Applications of the management functions must be considered within the confins of a given organizational setting. The functions are clearly not part of the fixed mechanical process that produces equal degrees of succes for all managers. Since we live in a world where change is constant, managers must deal with all kinds of uncertainties as they seek to accomplish organizational goals. As a result, planning, organizing, actuating, and controlling must be blended and appropriately applied as they relate o the situation. Therefor, managers must be knowledgeable of the management process and situationally informed if they expect to be successful in metting the challenges found in their respective organizations.

3. Importance of The Management Functions.
Certain inputs are required before any organization can create disired outputs. Figure 1-1 illustrates the role of the management process in acquiring and utilizing these inputs to produce various goods or services. When a new organization is being developed, the performance of the management functions might follow the order of planning, organizing, actuating, and controlling. Within established organizations, however, it may difficult to determine which of these functions a managers is performing at any specific order and may, at times, be combined.
The actual impact of the management process on an organization is influenced by numerous factors, including (1) the quantity and quality of inputs; (2) the knowledge, experience, and authority of managers; (3) the stage of development of the organization; and (4) environmental factors, such as governmental regulations, economics conditions, actions of competitors, and the desires of consumers. Keep in mind, also, that consumers may be students, patients, clients, or any other group that an organization seeks to attract and serve.
Although specific definitions of the management functions vary, their basic characteristics include the following:
Planning  results in the selection of courses of action (plans) that will direct an organization's human and material resources for future time spans. Plans establish the boundaries within which people make decisions and carry out assigned activities. As such, plans must anticipate future events, problems, and causal relationships. In this sense, palnning refers to deciding what to do and how to do it before action is taken. Because of the great uncertainties in most organizational situations, managers must also provide for contingencies by developing a series of alternative plans in guiding actions. Thus, as a formal process, planning implies a rational approach that looks into the future, develops alternative course of action, examines the possible results of each alternative, and selects the best course of actions (plan).
Organizing combinies various human and material resources into a meaningful whole. This is accomplished by dividing the work to be done into specialities, grouping similar activities (departmentalizing), identifying desired authority, and considering the social and economic consequences associated with various organizational forms. By combining people, work to be done, and physical factors into a meaningful structurs, goals can be achieved more effectively. In addition to these formally established relationship, various informal groups are created by employees. The informal relationship that result influence behavior within an organization as much as formally established positions of authority.