Characteristics of Management

1.   Management is a group activity:  Nobody can satisfy all his desires himself. Therefore he unities which his fellow beings and works in an organized group to achieve what he cannot achieve individually. Massie has rightly called management as a “Co-operative group”.
2.    Management is goal – oriented: According to THEO HAIMAN “Effective management is always management by objectives”. Group efforts are directed towards the achievements of some predetermined goals. Management is concerned with establishment and accomplishment of these objectives.
3.   Management is a factor of production: Management is not an end in itself. It is a means to achieve the group objectives. It is a factor of production that is required the co-ordinate with the other factors of production for the accomplishment of predetermined goal and objectives.
4.  Management is a universal character: Management is essential in all types of concerns. If somewhere there is human activity, management is must there. The basic principles of management are universal. These can be applied in all types of concerns i.e., business, social, religious, cultural, sports, educational international technology.
5.   Management is needed at all levels of the enterprise: On the basis of the nature of work or target and the scope of authority, management is needed at all  levels of the organisations e.g., top level, middle level and supervisor level.
6.   Management is a distinct function: Management is a distinct function performed to fix and achieve stated objectives by the use of manpower and other factors of production. Different from the activities, techniques and procedures, the process of management consists of such functions as planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating, motivating and controlling.
7.  Management is a social process: Management is taken as a social process. It has a social responsibility to make reasonable use of scarce resources keeping in view the benefit of the community as a whole.
8.  Management is system of authority: Authority is the power to compel men to work in a specific manner. Management cannot work in the absence of authority. There cannot be an efficient management without well defined lives of command a superior subordinate relationship at the every levels of decision making.
9.   Management is a dynamic function: Management has to be performed continuously in a rapidly every changing business environment. It is constantly engaged in the moulding of the enterprise. It is also concerned about the change of environment itself so as to ensure the success of enterprise. Hence it is on-going function.
10. Management is intangible: It can be seen in the form of results and could not be actually seen. For ex: when we are not able to produce desired quantity, we say it is the results of poor management.
11. Management is Art as well as Science: Management is a science since its principles have universal application. Management is an art as the results of management depends upon the personal skill of managers. The art of the management is essential to make the best use of management science. Thus management is both science and art.
12. Management is a profession: It has systematic and specialized body of knowledge consisting of principles, techniques, rules and laws. It can be taught as a specialized subjet.

   

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