NCERT Textbook: Management of Resources | Home Science for Class 11 - Humanities/Arts PDF Download

 Page 1


47
4
Management of 
Resources
Learning Objectives 
After completing this chapter the learner is able to
•	 discuss 	 the	concept	of 	a 	r esour ce.
•	 identify 	various	r esour ces. 	
•	 classify 	r esour ces 	into	human	and		non-human.
•	 describe 	the	 characteristics 	 of	r esour ces.
•	 explain 	the	 need	for	 managing 	r esour ces.
•	 analyse 	 the	management	 pr ocess.
4.1 Introduction 
Everyday	 we	 carry	 out 	 various	 activities.	 Think	 of	 any 	 activity	 you	 do	 and	
you	 will 	 find	 that	 to	 complete 	 that	 activity	 you 	 need	 one 	 or	 mor e	 of	 the	
following.
•	 T ime
•	 Ener gy
•	 Money 	 for	pur chasing 	 r equir ed 	material
•	 Knowledge
•	 Inter est/Motivation 	
•	 Skills/Str engths/Aptitude 	
•	 Material 	goods	like	 paper , 	pen, 	pencil, 	 colours,	etc.
•	 W ater , 	 air
•	 School 	building	
All	 these 	 –	 time, 	 ener gy,	 money, 	 knowledge,	 inter est, 	 skills,	 materials	
–	 ar e 	 r esour ces.	 Resour ces	 ar e 	 anything	 which	 we	 make	 use	 of	 while	
carrying	 out	 any	 activity. 	 They 	 help	 us 	 in 	 accomplishing	 our	 goals. 	 Y ou	
may	 need 	 mor e	 of	 a 	 certain	 r esour ce 	 for	 a	 particular 	 activity	 as 	 compar ed	
Unit 1.indd   47 8/4/2022   2:50:48 PM
2024-25
Page 2


47
4
Management of 
Resources
Learning Objectives 
After completing this chapter the learner is able to
•	 discuss 	 the	concept	of 	a 	r esour ce.
•	 identify 	various	r esour ces. 	
•	 classify 	r esour ces 	into	human	and		non-human.
•	 describe 	the	 characteristics 	 of	r esour ces.
•	 explain 	the	 need	for	 managing 	r esour ces.
•	 analyse 	 the	management	 pr ocess.
4.1 Introduction 
Everyday	 we	 carry	 out 	 various	 activities.	 Think	 of	 any 	 activity	 you	 do	 and	
you	 will 	 find	 that	 to	 complete 	 that	 activity	 you 	 need	 one 	 or	 mor e	 of	 the	
following.
•	 T ime
•	 Ener gy
•	 Money 	 for	pur chasing 	 r equir ed 	material
•	 Knowledge
•	 Inter est/Motivation 	
•	 Skills/Str engths/Aptitude 	
•	 Material 	goods	like	 paper , 	pen, 	pencil, 	 colours,	etc.
•	 W ater , 	 air
•	 School 	building	
All	 these 	 –	 time, 	 ener gy,	 money, 	 knowledge,	 inter est, 	 skills,	 materials	
–	 ar e 	 r esour ces.	 Resour ces	 ar e 	 anything	 which	 we	 make	 use	 of	 while	
carrying	 out	 any	 activity. 	 They 	 help	 us 	 in 	 accomplishing	 our	 goals. 	 Y ou	
may	 need 	 mor e	 of	 a 	 certain	 r esour ce 	 for	 a	 particular 	 activity	 as 	 compar ed	
Unit 1.indd   47 8/4/2022   2:50:48 PM
2024-25
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part I
48
to 	 other	 r esour ces. 	 	 In	 the	 pr evious 	 chapter ,	 you	 have	 lear nt	 about	 your	
own	str engths. 	These	ar e 	your	r esour ces. 	
Anything 	 which 	 is 	 not 	 used 	 by 	 us 	 is 	 not 	 a 	 resource. 	 For 	 example, 	 a	
bicycle 	 which 	 has 	 not 	 been 	 used 	 for 	 long 	 and 	 is 	 just 	 lying 	 at 	 your 	 place 	 may	
not 	 be 	 a 	 resource 	 for 	 you. 	 However , 	 it 	 may 	 be 	 a 	 resource 	 to 	 someone 	 else.
If	 you 	 r e-look	 at	 the	 list	 of	 r esour ces 	 above, 	 you	 will 	 find 	 that	 r esour ces	
can	 be	classified	 as–
•	 Human 	 r esour ces 	
•	 Non 	 Resour ces -human	r esour ces 	or	material 	goods
Resources
Resour ces 	can	 be	classified 	 in	dif fer ent 	ways. 	
•	 Human/non-human 	 r esour ces 	
•	 Individual/shar ed 	r esour ces 	
•	 Natural/community 	r esour ces 	
W e 	 will 	 r ead 	 about 	each	 of	these	classifications. 	
Resources
Human
Non-human/
material
Time
Skills
Aptitude
Knowledge
Energy
Equipment
Furniture
Space
Money
Unit 1.indd   48 8/4/2022   2:50:48 PM
2024-25
Page 3


47
4
Management of 
Resources
Learning Objectives 
After completing this chapter the learner is able to
•	 discuss 	 the	concept	of 	a 	r esour ce.
•	 identify 	various	r esour ces. 	
•	 classify 	r esour ces 	into	human	and		non-human.
•	 describe 	the	 characteristics 	 of	r esour ces.
•	 explain 	the	 need	for	 managing 	r esour ces.
•	 analyse 	 the	management	 pr ocess.
4.1 Introduction 
Everyday	 we	 carry	 out 	 various	 activities.	 Think	 of	 any 	 activity	 you	 do	 and	
you	 will 	 find	 that	 to	 complete 	 that	 activity	 you 	 need	 one 	 or	 mor e	 of	 the	
following.
•	 T ime
•	 Ener gy
•	 Money 	 for	pur chasing 	 r equir ed 	material
•	 Knowledge
•	 Inter est/Motivation 	
•	 Skills/Str engths/Aptitude 	
•	 Material 	goods	like	 paper , 	pen, 	pencil, 	 colours,	etc.
•	 W ater , 	 air
•	 School 	building	
All	 these 	 –	 time, 	 ener gy,	 money, 	 knowledge,	 inter est, 	 skills,	 materials	
–	 ar e 	 r esour ces.	 Resour ces	 ar e 	 anything	 which	 we	 make	 use	 of	 while	
carrying	 out	 any	 activity. 	 They 	 help	 us 	 in 	 accomplishing	 our	 goals. 	 Y ou	
may	 need 	 mor e	 of	 a 	 certain	 r esour ce 	 for	 a	 particular 	 activity	 as 	 compar ed	
Unit 1.indd   47 8/4/2022   2:50:48 PM
2024-25
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part I
48
to 	 other	 r esour ces. 	 	 In	 the	 pr evious 	 chapter ,	 you	 have	 lear nt	 about	 your	
own	str engths. 	These	ar e 	your	r esour ces. 	
Anything 	 which 	 is 	 not 	 used 	 by 	 us 	 is 	 not 	 a 	 resource. 	 For 	 example, 	 a	
bicycle 	 which 	 has 	 not 	 been 	 used 	 for 	 long 	 and 	 is 	 just 	 lying 	 at 	 your 	 place 	 may	
not 	 be 	 a 	 resource 	 for 	 you. 	 However , 	 it 	 may 	 be 	 a 	 resource 	 to 	 someone 	 else.
If	 you 	 r e-look	 at	 the	 list	 of	 r esour ces 	 above, 	 you	 will 	 find 	 that	 r esour ces	
can	 be	classified	 as–
•	 Human 	 r esour ces 	
•	 Non 	 Resour ces -human	r esour ces 	or	material 	goods
Resources
Resour ces 	can	 be	classified 	 in	dif fer ent 	ways. 	
•	 Human/non-human 	 r esour ces 	
•	 Individual/shar ed 	r esour ces 	
•	 Natural/community 	r esour ces 	
W e 	 will 	 r ead 	 about 	each	 of	these	classifications. 	
Resources
Human
Non-human/
material
Time
Skills
Aptitude
Knowledge
Energy
Equipment
Furniture
Space
Money
Unit 1.indd   48 8/4/2022   2:50:48 PM
2024-25
49
Human and Non-human Resources
Human Resources 
Human	 r esour ces 	 ar e	 central	 to 	 carrying	 out	 any	 activity.	 These 	 r esour ces 	
can	 be 	 developed 	 thr ough	 training 	 and	 self-development. 	 For	 example,	
knowledge 	 r egar ding	 any 	 field/task	 can	 be	 acquir ed, 	 skill 	 may 	 developed 	
which	 will 	 help	 you 	 to	 develop	 aptitude. 	 Let	 us	 r ead	 about	 human	 r esour ces 	
in detail. 
(a)		 Knowledge 	 –	 It 	 is	 a	 r esour ce 	 one	 uses	 thr oughout 	 one’s	 life 	 and	 is	 a	
pr e-r equisite 	 for 	 carrying	 out 	 any 	 activity	 successfully. 	 A 	 cook 	 must	
have 	 knowledge 	 of 	 how	 to 	 operate	 cooking 	 gas	 or	chullah before she/he 
starts 	 pr eparing 	 food. 	 A	 teacher	 who 	 does 	 not	 have	 thor ough	 knowledge 	
of	 her/his 	 subject, 	 cannot 	 become	 an 	 ef fective	 teacher .	 One	 needs 	 to	 be	
open 	 to	 acquiring 	 knowledge 	 thr oughout 	one’s	 life. 	
(b)	 	 Motivation/Interest: 	 Ther e	 is 	 a 	 common 	 saying,	 ‘Wher e	 ther e	 is	 a 	 will 	
ther e 	 is	 a	 way’.	 This	 indicates 	 that 	 to	 accomplish	 any	 task, 	 the 	 worker	
must 	 be	 motivated	 and	 inter ested 	 in 	 doing 	 it.	 For 	 example,	 if 	 a 	 student 	
is	 not 	 inter ested	 in 	 lear ning	 a	 task,	 even	 when 	 other	 r esour ces	 ar e 	
available, 	 she/he	 still	 may 	 give 	 excuses	 and	 not	 finish	 the 	 task. 	 W e	
may 	 pursue 	 dance,	 painting,	 r eading	 fiction, 	 art	 and	 craft 	 and 	 other 	
hobbies 	as 	 per	our 	 motivation.
(c)	 	Skills/Strength/Aptitude: All 	 individuals	 may 	 not 	 be	 skilled 	 in	
per for ming 	 all	 activities.	 Each	 one	 of	 us 	 has	 an 	 aptitude	 in	 certain 	
ar eas. 	 W e	 can	 ther efor e 	 carry 	 out	 activities	 in	 these 	 ar eas 	 better	 as 	
compar ed 	 to	 others.	 	 For 	 example,	 pickles 	 and	 chutney	 pr epar ed 	 by	
dif fer ent 	 individuals	 will 	 taste 	 dif fer ent 	 depending	 upon 	 their	 skill. 	
However , 	 we	 can	 acquir e 	 skills	 we	 do	 not	 have 	 thr ough 	 lear ning 	 and 	
training. 
(d)	 	 Time: 	 It 	 is	 a	 r esour ce 	 available	 to	 everyone	 equally. 	 Ther e	 ar e 	 24 	 hours	
in	 a	 day 	 and	 every 	 one 	 spends 	 it	 in	 her/his	 own	 way.	 T ime	 once	 lost 	
cannot 	 be	 r egained. 	 Hence,	 it 	 is 	 the	 most	 valuable	 r esour ce.	 Managing 	
time in a specific period and attaining the goal is very important. We 
need 	 to 	 continuously	 plan	 and	 be	 able 	 to	 utilise	 the	 available 	 time 	 to	
finish 	 the	desir ed 	 task.
	 	 T ime 	 can 	 be 	 thought 	 of 	 in 	 ter ms 	 of 	 three 	 dimensions 	 — 	 work 	 time,	
non-work 	 time, 	 rest 	 and 	 leisure 	 time. 	 W e 	 need 	 to 	 lear n 	 and 	 balance 	 time	
across these three dimensions in order to be able to accomplish one’s 
goals. When one learns to balance all the three dimensions, it helps the 
individual 	 to 	 be 	 physically 	 fit, 	 emotionally 	 strong 	 and 	 intellectually 	 alert.	
Y ou 	 should 	 be 	 aware 	 of 	 the 	 peak 	 periods 	 when 	 you 	 are 	 best 	 able 	 to 	 work	
and 	 use 	 this 	 precious 	 resource 	 ef fectively 	 to 	 accomplish 	 your 	 goals.
(e)	 	Energy: For	 sustaining 	 individual	 gr owth	 and	 physical	 output, 	 ener gy 	
is	 essential. 	 Ener gy	 levels 	 vary	 fr om 	 person	 to 	 person,	 accor ding	 to	 their	
physical 	 fitness, 	 mental 	 condition,	 personality, 	 age, 	 family 	 backgr ound	
Management of Resources
Unit 1.indd   49 8/4/2022   2:50:48 PM
2024-25
Page 4


47
4
Management of 
Resources
Learning Objectives 
After completing this chapter the learner is able to
•	 discuss 	 the	concept	of 	a 	r esour ce.
•	 identify 	various	r esour ces. 	
•	 classify 	r esour ces 	into	human	and		non-human.
•	 describe 	the	 characteristics 	 of	r esour ces.
•	 explain 	the	 need	for	 managing 	r esour ces.
•	 analyse 	 the	management	 pr ocess.
4.1 Introduction 
Everyday	 we	 carry	 out 	 various	 activities.	 Think	 of	 any 	 activity	 you	 do	 and	
you	 will 	 find	 that	 to	 complete 	 that	 activity	 you 	 need	 one 	 or	 mor e	 of	 the	
following.
•	 T ime
•	 Ener gy
•	 Money 	 for	pur chasing 	 r equir ed 	material
•	 Knowledge
•	 Inter est/Motivation 	
•	 Skills/Str engths/Aptitude 	
•	 Material 	goods	like	 paper , 	pen, 	pencil, 	 colours,	etc.
•	 W ater , 	 air
•	 School 	building	
All	 these 	 –	 time, 	 ener gy,	 money, 	 knowledge,	 inter est, 	 skills,	 materials	
–	 ar e 	 r esour ces.	 Resour ces	 ar e 	 anything	 which	 we	 make	 use	 of	 while	
carrying	 out	 any	 activity. 	 They 	 help	 us 	 in 	 accomplishing	 our	 goals. 	 Y ou	
may	 need 	 mor e	 of	 a 	 certain	 r esour ce 	 for	 a	 particular 	 activity	 as 	 compar ed	
Unit 1.indd   47 8/4/2022   2:50:48 PM
2024-25
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part I
48
to 	 other	 r esour ces. 	 	 In	 the	 pr evious 	 chapter ,	 you	 have	 lear nt	 about	 your	
own	str engths. 	These	ar e 	your	r esour ces. 	
Anything 	 which 	 is 	 not 	 used 	 by 	 us 	 is 	 not 	 a 	 resource. 	 For 	 example, 	 a	
bicycle 	 which 	 has 	 not 	 been 	 used 	 for 	 long 	 and 	 is 	 just 	 lying 	 at 	 your 	 place 	 may	
not 	 be 	 a 	 resource 	 for 	 you. 	 However , 	 it 	 may 	 be 	 a 	 resource 	 to 	 someone 	 else.
If	 you 	 r e-look	 at	 the	 list	 of	 r esour ces 	 above, 	 you	 will 	 find 	 that	 r esour ces	
can	 be	classified	 as–
•	 Human 	 r esour ces 	
•	 Non 	 Resour ces -human	r esour ces 	or	material 	goods
Resources
Resour ces 	can	 be	classified 	 in	dif fer ent 	ways. 	
•	 Human/non-human 	 r esour ces 	
•	 Individual/shar ed 	r esour ces 	
•	 Natural/community 	r esour ces 	
W e 	 will 	 r ead 	 about 	each	 of	these	classifications. 	
Resources
Human
Non-human/
material
Time
Skills
Aptitude
Knowledge
Energy
Equipment
Furniture
Space
Money
Unit 1.indd   48 8/4/2022   2:50:48 PM
2024-25
49
Human and Non-human Resources
Human Resources 
Human	 r esour ces 	 ar e	 central	 to 	 carrying	 out	 any	 activity.	 These 	 r esour ces 	
can	 be 	 developed 	 thr ough	 training 	 and	 self-development. 	 For	 example,	
knowledge 	 r egar ding	 any 	 field/task	 can	 be	 acquir ed, 	 skill 	 may 	 developed 	
which	 will 	 help	 you 	 to	 develop	 aptitude. 	 Let	 us	 r ead	 about	 human	 r esour ces 	
in detail. 
(a)		 Knowledge 	 –	 It 	 is	 a	 r esour ce 	 one	 uses	 thr oughout 	 one’s	 life 	 and	 is	 a	
pr e-r equisite 	 for 	 carrying	 out 	 any 	 activity	 successfully. 	 A 	 cook 	 must	
have 	 knowledge 	 of 	 how	 to 	 operate	 cooking 	 gas	 or	chullah before she/he 
starts 	 pr eparing 	 food. 	 A	 teacher	 who 	 does 	 not	 have	 thor ough	 knowledge 	
of	 her/his 	 subject, 	 cannot 	 become	 an 	 ef fective	 teacher .	 One	 needs 	 to	 be	
open 	 to	 acquiring 	 knowledge 	 thr oughout 	one’s	 life. 	
(b)	 	 Motivation/Interest: 	 Ther e	 is 	 a 	 common 	 saying,	 ‘Wher e	 ther e	 is	 a 	 will 	
ther e 	 is	 a	 way’.	 This	 indicates 	 that 	 to	 accomplish	 any	 task, 	 the 	 worker	
must 	 be	 motivated	 and	 inter ested 	 in 	 doing 	 it.	 For 	 example,	 if 	 a 	 student 	
is	 not 	 inter ested	 in 	 lear ning	 a	 task,	 even	 when 	 other	 r esour ces	 ar e 	
available, 	 she/he	 still	 may 	 give 	 excuses	 and	 not	 finish	 the 	 task. 	 W e	
may 	 pursue 	 dance,	 painting,	 r eading	 fiction, 	 art	 and	 craft 	 and 	 other 	
hobbies 	as 	 per	our 	 motivation.
(c)	 	Skills/Strength/Aptitude: All 	 individuals	 may 	 not 	 be	 skilled 	 in	
per for ming 	 all	 activities.	 Each	 one	 of	 us 	 has	 an 	 aptitude	 in	 certain 	
ar eas. 	 W e	 can	 ther efor e 	 carry 	 out	 activities	 in	 these 	 ar eas 	 better	 as 	
compar ed 	 to	 others.	 	 For 	 example,	 pickles 	 and	 chutney	 pr epar ed 	 by	
dif fer ent 	 individuals	 will 	 taste 	 dif fer ent 	 depending	 upon 	 their	 skill. 	
However , 	 we	 can	 acquir e 	 skills	 we	 do	 not	 have 	 thr ough 	 lear ning 	 and 	
training. 
(d)	 	 Time: 	 It 	 is	 a	 r esour ce 	 available	 to	 everyone	 equally. 	 Ther e	 ar e 	 24 	 hours	
in	 a	 day 	 and	 every 	 one 	 spends 	 it	 in	 her/his	 own	 way.	 T ime	 once	 lost 	
cannot 	 be	 r egained. 	 Hence,	 it 	 is 	 the	 most	 valuable	 r esour ce.	 Managing 	
time in a specific period and attaining the goal is very important. We 
need 	 to 	 continuously	 plan	 and	 be	 able 	 to	 utilise	 the	 available 	 time 	 to	
finish 	 the	desir ed 	 task.
	 	 T ime 	 can 	 be 	 thought 	 of 	 in 	 ter ms 	 of 	 three 	 dimensions 	 — 	 work 	 time,	
non-work 	 time, 	 rest 	 and 	 leisure 	 time. 	 W e 	 need 	 to 	 lear n 	 and 	 balance 	 time	
across these three dimensions in order to be able to accomplish one’s 
goals. When one learns to balance all the three dimensions, it helps the 
individual 	 to 	 be 	 physically 	 fit, 	 emotionally 	 strong 	 and 	 intellectually 	 alert.	
Y ou 	 should 	 be 	 aware 	 of 	 the 	 peak 	 periods 	 when 	 you 	 are 	 best 	 able 	 to 	 work	
and 	 use 	 this 	 precious 	 resource 	 ef fectively 	 to 	 accomplish 	 your 	 goals.
(e)	 	Energy: For	 sustaining 	 individual	 gr owth	 and	 physical	 output, 	 ener gy 	
is	 essential. 	 Ener gy	 levels 	 vary	 fr om 	 person	 to 	 person,	 accor ding	 to	 their	
physical 	 fitness, 	 mental 	 condition,	 personality, 	 age, 	 family 	 backgr ound	
Management of Resources
Unit 1.indd   49 8/4/2022   2:50:48 PM
2024-25
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part I
50
and	 their 	 standar d 	 of	 living.	 T o	 conserve 	 ener gy	 and 	 to	 use	 it 	 most	
ef fectively, 	 one 	 must	 car efully	 think	 and	 plan	 thr ough 	 the	 activity	 so	
that	 one	 can 	 complete	the	task	 ef ficiently. 	
Non-human Resources
(a) 	 	 Money : 	 W e	 all 	 r equir e	 this	 r esour ce	 but 	 it	 is	 not	 equally	 distributed	
among	 us 	 –	 some	 have	 less 	 of	 this 	 r esour ce 	 as 	 compar ed 	 to 	 others.	 W e	
need 	 to 	 r emember	 that	 money	 is 	 a	 limited 	 r esour ce 	 and	 must 	 be	 spent	
judiciously 	to	fulfil	 our 	 r equir ements. 		
(b) 	 	 Material Resources: 	 Space,	 fur nitur e,	 clothes,	 stationery,	 food	 items,	
etc., 	 ar e 	 some 	 of	 the	 material	 r esour ces. 	 W e	 r equir e	 these 	 r esour ces	 to 	
carry	 out 	 activities. 		
Individual and Shared Resources 
(a) Individual Resources: 	 These	 ar e	 r esour ces	 which	 ar e	 available	 to	 an 	
individual	 for 	 personal	 use 	 only.	 These 	 can	 be 	 human	 or	 non-human	
r esour ces. 	 Y our 	 own	 skills,	 knowledge,	 time,	 your	 school 	 bag,	 your	
clothes 	 ar e 	 some	 of	the	 examples 	 of 	 individual	r esour ces.
(b) Shared resources:	 These	 ar e	 r esour ces	 which 	 ar e	 available	 to	 many	
members	 of	 the	 community/society.	 Shar ed	 r esour ces 	 can	 be 	 natural	
or	 community	based.
Natural and Community Resources 
(a) 	 	Natural Resources: Resour ces 	 available	 in 	 natur e, 	 like 	 water ,	
mountains, 	 air , 	 etc.,	 ar e 	 natural 	 r esour ces.	 These	 ar e 	 available 	 to	 all 	
of	 us.	 In	 or der	 to	 pr otect	 our	 envir onment,	 each	 one 	 of	 us	 has	 the 	
r esponsibility 	of	judiciously 	using	these 	 r esour ces.
(b) 	 	 Community Resources: 	 	 These	 r esour ces 	 ar e 	 available	 to 	 an	 individual	
as	 a	 member 	 of	 community/society. 	 These 	 ar e 	 generally 	 pr ovided 	
by	 gover nment. 	 These 	 may	 be	 human	 or	 non-human.	 Consultancy	
pr ovided	 by	 gover nment	 hospitals, 	 doctors,	 r oads,	 parks 	 and	 post 	
of fices	 ar e 	 some	 examples	 of	 community	 r esour ces. 	 Every 	 individual 	
must	 strive 	 to	 optimally	 use 	 these	 r esour ces	 and 	 feel	 r esponsible	 in	
maintaining them.
Characteristics of Resources
Though 	 we 	 can	 categorise	 r esour ces 	 in	 various	 ways, 	 they	 also 	 have 	 certain	
similarities. 	The 	following	 ar e 	some	characteristics	of	 r esour ces.
(i)	 Utility 	 : 	 ‘Utility’	 means 	 the	 importance	 or	 usefulness 	 of	 a 	 r esour ce	 in 	
helping	 one	 to	 achieve 	 a	 goal.	 Whether	 or	 not 	 a 	 r esour ce	 has	 utility	
Unit 1.indd   50 8/4/2022   2:50:48 PM
2024-25
Page 5


47
4
Management of 
Resources
Learning Objectives 
After completing this chapter the learner is able to
•	 discuss 	 the	concept	of 	a 	r esour ce.
•	 identify 	various	r esour ces. 	
•	 classify 	r esour ces 	into	human	and		non-human.
•	 describe 	the	 characteristics 	 of	r esour ces.
•	 explain 	the	 need	for	 managing 	r esour ces.
•	 analyse 	 the	management	 pr ocess.
4.1 Introduction 
Everyday	 we	 carry	 out 	 various	 activities.	 Think	 of	 any 	 activity	 you	 do	 and	
you	 will 	 find	 that	 to	 complete 	 that	 activity	 you 	 need	 one 	 or	 mor e	 of	 the	
following.
•	 T ime
•	 Ener gy
•	 Money 	 for	pur chasing 	 r equir ed 	material
•	 Knowledge
•	 Inter est/Motivation 	
•	 Skills/Str engths/Aptitude 	
•	 Material 	goods	like	 paper , 	pen, 	pencil, 	 colours,	etc.
•	 W ater , 	 air
•	 School 	building	
All	 these 	 –	 time, 	 ener gy,	 money, 	 knowledge,	 inter est, 	 skills,	 materials	
–	 ar e 	 r esour ces.	 Resour ces	 ar e 	 anything	 which	 we	 make	 use	 of	 while	
carrying	 out	 any	 activity. 	 They 	 help	 us 	 in 	 accomplishing	 our	 goals. 	 Y ou	
may	 need 	 mor e	 of	 a 	 certain	 r esour ce 	 for	 a	 particular 	 activity	 as 	 compar ed	
Unit 1.indd   47 8/4/2022   2:50:48 PM
2024-25
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part I
48
to 	 other	 r esour ces. 	 	 In	 the	 pr evious 	 chapter ,	 you	 have	 lear nt	 about	 your	
own	str engths. 	These	ar e 	your	r esour ces. 	
Anything 	 which 	 is 	 not 	 used 	 by 	 us 	 is 	 not 	 a 	 resource. 	 For 	 example, 	 a	
bicycle 	 which 	 has 	 not 	 been 	 used 	 for 	 long 	 and 	 is 	 just 	 lying 	 at 	 your 	 place 	 may	
not 	 be 	 a 	 resource 	 for 	 you. 	 However , 	 it 	 may 	 be 	 a 	 resource 	 to 	 someone 	 else.
If	 you 	 r e-look	 at	 the	 list	 of	 r esour ces 	 above, 	 you	 will 	 find 	 that	 r esour ces	
can	 be	classified	 as–
•	 Human 	 r esour ces 	
•	 Non 	 Resour ces -human	r esour ces 	or	material 	goods
Resources
Resour ces 	can	 be	classified 	 in	dif fer ent 	ways. 	
•	 Human/non-human 	 r esour ces 	
•	 Individual/shar ed 	r esour ces 	
•	 Natural/community 	r esour ces 	
W e 	 will 	 r ead 	 about 	each	 of	these	classifications. 	
Resources
Human
Non-human/
material
Time
Skills
Aptitude
Knowledge
Energy
Equipment
Furniture
Space
Money
Unit 1.indd   48 8/4/2022   2:50:48 PM
2024-25
49
Human and Non-human Resources
Human Resources 
Human	 r esour ces 	 ar e	 central	 to 	 carrying	 out	 any	 activity.	 These 	 r esour ces 	
can	 be 	 developed 	 thr ough	 training 	 and	 self-development. 	 For	 example,	
knowledge 	 r egar ding	 any 	 field/task	 can	 be	 acquir ed, 	 skill 	 may 	 developed 	
which	 will 	 help	 you 	 to	 develop	 aptitude. 	 Let	 us	 r ead	 about	 human	 r esour ces 	
in detail. 
(a)		 Knowledge 	 –	 It 	 is	 a	 r esour ce 	 one	 uses	 thr oughout 	 one’s	 life 	 and	 is	 a	
pr e-r equisite 	 for 	 carrying	 out 	 any 	 activity	 successfully. 	 A 	 cook 	 must	
have 	 knowledge 	 of 	 how	 to 	 operate	 cooking 	 gas	 or	chullah before she/he 
starts 	 pr eparing 	 food. 	 A	 teacher	 who 	 does 	 not	 have	 thor ough	 knowledge 	
of	 her/his 	 subject, 	 cannot 	 become	 an 	 ef fective	 teacher .	 One	 needs 	 to	 be	
open 	 to	 acquiring 	 knowledge 	 thr oughout 	one’s	 life. 	
(b)	 	 Motivation/Interest: 	 Ther e	 is 	 a 	 common 	 saying,	 ‘Wher e	 ther e	 is	 a 	 will 	
ther e 	 is	 a	 way’.	 This	 indicates 	 that 	 to	 accomplish	 any	 task, 	 the 	 worker	
must 	 be	 motivated	 and	 inter ested 	 in 	 doing 	 it.	 For 	 example,	 if 	 a 	 student 	
is	 not 	 inter ested	 in 	 lear ning	 a	 task,	 even	 when 	 other	 r esour ces	 ar e 	
available, 	 she/he	 still	 may 	 give 	 excuses	 and	 not	 finish	 the 	 task. 	 W e	
may 	 pursue 	 dance,	 painting,	 r eading	 fiction, 	 art	 and	 craft 	 and 	 other 	
hobbies 	as 	 per	our 	 motivation.
(c)	 	Skills/Strength/Aptitude: All 	 individuals	 may 	 not 	 be	 skilled 	 in	
per for ming 	 all	 activities.	 Each	 one	 of	 us 	 has	 an 	 aptitude	 in	 certain 	
ar eas. 	 W e	 can	 ther efor e 	 carry 	 out	 activities	 in	 these 	 ar eas 	 better	 as 	
compar ed 	 to	 others.	 	 For 	 example,	 pickles 	 and	 chutney	 pr epar ed 	 by	
dif fer ent 	 individuals	 will 	 taste 	 dif fer ent 	 depending	 upon 	 their	 skill. 	
However , 	 we	 can	 acquir e 	 skills	 we	 do	 not	 have 	 thr ough 	 lear ning 	 and 	
training. 
(d)	 	 Time: 	 It 	 is	 a	 r esour ce 	 available	 to	 everyone	 equally. 	 Ther e	 ar e 	 24 	 hours	
in	 a	 day 	 and	 every 	 one 	 spends 	 it	 in	 her/his	 own	 way.	 T ime	 once	 lost 	
cannot 	 be	 r egained. 	 Hence,	 it 	 is 	 the	 most	 valuable	 r esour ce.	 Managing 	
time in a specific period and attaining the goal is very important. We 
need 	 to 	 continuously	 plan	 and	 be	 able 	 to	 utilise	 the	 available 	 time 	 to	
finish 	 the	desir ed 	 task.
	 	 T ime 	 can 	 be 	 thought 	 of 	 in 	 ter ms 	 of 	 three 	 dimensions 	 — 	 work 	 time,	
non-work 	 time, 	 rest 	 and 	 leisure 	 time. 	 W e 	 need 	 to 	 lear n 	 and 	 balance 	 time	
across these three dimensions in order to be able to accomplish one’s 
goals. When one learns to balance all the three dimensions, it helps the 
individual 	 to 	 be 	 physically 	 fit, 	 emotionally 	 strong 	 and 	 intellectually 	 alert.	
Y ou 	 should 	 be 	 aware 	 of 	 the 	 peak 	 periods 	 when 	 you 	 are 	 best 	 able 	 to 	 work	
and 	 use 	 this 	 precious 	 resource 	 ef fectively 	 to 	 accomplish 	 your 	 goals.
(e)	 	Energy: For	 sustaining 	 individual	 gr owth	 and	 physical	 output, 	 ener gy 	
is	 essential. 	 Ener gy	 levels 	 vary	 fr om 	 person	 to 	 person,	 accor ding	 to	 their	
physical 	 fitness, 	 mental 	 condition,	 personality, 	 age, 	 family 	 backgr ound	
Management of Resources
Unit 1.indd   49 8/4/2022   2:50:48 PM
2024-25
Human Ecology and Family Sciences – Part I
50
and	 their 	 standar d 	 of	 living.	 T o	 conserve 	 ener gy	 and 	 to	 use	 it 	 most	
ef fectively, 	 one 	 must	 car efully	 think	 and	 plan	 thr ough 	 the	 activity	 so	
that	 one	 can 	 complete	the	task	 ef ficiently. 	
Non-human Resources
(a) 	 	 Money : 	 W e	 all 	 r equir e	 this	 r esour ce	 but 	 it	 is	 not	 equally	 distributed	
among	 us 	 –	 some	 have	 less 	 of	 this 	 r esour ce 	 as 	 compar ed 	 to 	 others.	 W e	
need 	 to 	 r emember	 that	 money	 is 	 a	 limited 	 r esour ce 	 and	 must 	 be	 spent	
judiciously 	to	fulfil	 our 	 r equir ements. 		
(b) 	 	 Material Resources: 	 Space,	 fur nitur e,	 clothes,	 stationery,	 food	 items,	
etc., 	 ar e 	 some 	 of	 the	 material	 r esour ces. 	 W e	 r equir e	 these 	 r esour ces	 to 	
carry	 out 	 activities. 		
Individual and Shared Resources 
(a) Individual Resources: 	 These	 ar e	 r esour ces	 which	 ar e	 available	 to	 an 	
individual	 for 	 personal	 use 	 only.	 These 	 can	 be 	 human	 or	 non-human	
r esour ces. 	 Y our 	 own	 skills,	 knowledge,	 time,	 your	 school 	 bag,	 your	
clothes 	 ar e 	 some	 of	the	 examples 	 of 	 individual	r esour ces.
(b) Shared resources:	 These	 ar e	 r esour ces	 which 	 ar e	 available	 to	 many	
members	 of	 the	 community/society.	 Shar ed	 r esour ces 	 can	 be 	 natural	
or	 community	based.
Natural and Community Resources 
(a) 	 	Natural Resources: Resour ces 	 available	 in 	 natur e, 	 like 	 water ,	
mountains, 	 air , 	 etc.,	 ar e 	 natural 	 r esour ces.	 These	 ar e 	 available 	 to	 all 	
of	 us.	 In	 or der	 to	 pr otect	 our	 envir onment,	 each	 one 	 of	 us	 has	 the 	
r esponsibility 	of	judiciously 	using	these 	 r esour ces.
(b) 	 	 Community Resources: 	 	 These	 r esour ces 	 ar e 	 available	 to 	 an	 individual	
as	 a	 member 	 of	 community/society. 	 These 	 ar e 	 generally 	 pr ovided 	
by	 gover nment. 	 These 	 may	 be	 human	 or	 non-human.	 Consultancy	
pr ovided	 by	 gover nment	 hospitals, 	 doctors,	 r oads,	 parks 	 and	 post 	
of fices	 ar e 	 some	 examples	 of	 community	 r esour ces. 	 Every 	 individual 	
must	 strive 	 to	 optimally	 use 	 these	 r esour ces	 and 	 feel	 r esponsible	 in	
maintaining them.
Characteristics of Resources
Though 	 we 	 can	 categorise	 r esour ces 	 in	 various	 ways, 	 they	 also 	 have 	 certain	
similarities. 	The 	following	 ar e 	some	characteristics	of	 r esour ces.
(i)	 Utility 	 : 	 ‘Utility’	 means 	 the	 importance	 or	 usefulness 	 of	 a 	 r esour ce	 in 	
helping	 one	 to	 achieve 	 a	 goal.	 Whether	 or	 not 	 a 	 r esour ce	 has	 utility	
Unit 1.indd   50 8/4/2022   2:50:48 PM
2024-25
51
depends 	 on	 the	 goal 	 and	 the	 situation.	 For	 example, 	 cow 	 dung	 is 	
consider ed 	 waste. 	 However , 	 it 	 can 	 be 	 used	 as	 a	 fuel 	 and 	 can	 also	 be	
used	 to	 pr epar e 	 humus	 (manur e). 	 Pr oper	 use 	 of 	 important	 r esour ces 	
available 	 to 	 a	family	 or	community	leads	 to	gr eater 	satisfaction. 	
	(ii)	 Accessibility 	 :	 First, 	 certain 	 r esour ces	 ar e	 mor e 	 easily	 available	 as	
compar ed 	 to	 others. 	 Second,	 r esour ces 	 may	 be	 mor e	 easily 	 available 	 to 	
some 	 people	 as	 compar ed 	 to 	 others.	 Thir d, 	 the	 availability 	 of 	 r esour ces 	
changes 	 over	 time.	 Thus,	 we 	 can	 say	 that	 accessibility	 of 	 r esour ces	
varies from person to person and from time to time.  For example, every 
family 	 has	 money	 as	 a	 r esour ce.	 While	 some	 have 	 suf ficient	 money	 to 	
meet 	 their 	 needs,	 others	 have 	 limited	 budgets.	 The	 amount 	 of 	 available	
money 	 is	 also	 dif fer ent	 during 	 the	 beginning 	 of 	 a	 month 	 as 	 compar ed 	
to	towar ds 	the	 end	of 	the 	month.
(iii)	 Interchangeability 	 : 	 Almost 	 all 	 the	 r esour ces	 have 	 substitutes.	 If	 one 	
r esour ce 	 is	 not 	 available, 	 it	 can	 be 	 substituted	 by	 another . 	 For 	 example, 	
if 	 your 	 school 	 bus	 does 	 not	 arrive	 on	 time	 to 	 pick	 you	 up, 	 you	 can 	 go 	
to	 school 	 in	 your	 car , 	 tractor ,	 bullock	 cart	 or	 scooter . 	 Thus, 	 the	 same 	
function 	can	be	per for med 	 by 	 a	 number 	of	 r esour ces. 	
(iv)	Manageable 	 :	 Resour ces 	 can	 be	 managed.	 Since	 r esour ces	 ar e	 limited, 	
they 	 should 	 be 	 managed	 pr operly	 and 	 ef fectively	 for	 their	 optimum 	
utilisation. 	 Resour ces	 should	 be	 used 	 in 	 such	 a	 way 	 that	 we 	 attain	
maximum 	 output	 with 	 minimum 	 input	 of	 r esour ces. 	 For 	 example, 	 we	
should 	 avoid	 using 	 two-thr ee	 buckets	 of	 water	 to	 wash 	 clothes	 if 	 we	
can	wash 	them	using	one	 bucket.
Managing Resources 
It	 is	 important 	 to	 note 	 that	 none	 of	 the 	 r esour ces	 ar e	 unlimited.	 All	
r esour ces 	 ar e 	 finite.	 W e	 need	 to 	 utilise	 r esour ces	 ef fectively	 to 	 achieve 	 our	
goals	 faster 	 and	 ef ficiently.	 Resour ces,	 ther efor e, 	 should	 not	 be	 misused 	
and	 wasted. 	 Thus, 	 to 	 achieve 	 our 	 goals,	 ef fective	 management 	 of	 r esour ces 	
is extremely essential.
Think of your own self and make a list of the human resources you have. Use the 
following guidelines to re??ect on this. 
• Knowledge – which areas are you knowledgeable about 
• Motivation/interest – what activities do you enjoy doing most
• Skills/strengths/aptitude – what are you particularly good at doing
• Time – which periods of the day are you most active 
• Energy – Do you largely feel energetic or tasteless/tired?  
Activity 1
Management of Resources
Unit 1.indd   51 8/4/2022   2:50:49 PM
2024-25