Concept and Foundations of Management | Management Optional Notes for UPSC PDF Download

Definition

• Management is about bringing people together to achieve specific goals and objectives using the available resources efficiently and effectively.

Components of Management

• Planning: Making a plan for what needs to be done.
• Organizing: Structuring and arranging resources for the plan.
• Staffing: Getting the right people for the tasks.
• Leading/Directing: Guiding and motivating the team.
• Controlling: Monitoring to ensure everything is on track.

Types of Resources

• Human Resources: People in the team.
• Financial Resources: Money needed for the plan.
• Technological Resources: Tools and technology used.
• Natural Resources: Environmental elements involved.

Historical Background

• Management has been around for a long time.
• Various writers contributed to modern management theories.

Purpose

• To achieve goals efficiently.
• To effectively use resources.

Evolution of Management Theories

Before 1900

• Managers sought to establish scientific foundations for management.
• Examples include Henry R. Towne's "Science of Management" (1890s).
• Early attempts at scientific management included works by Frederick Winslow Taylor (1911) and Frank and Lillian Gilbreth's motion study (1917).
• Henry L. Gantt introduced Gantt charts in the 1910s.
• J. Duncan wrote the first college management textbook in 1911.
• Yoichi Ueno brought Taylorism to Japan in 1912, influencing Japanese management style.

Around 1920

• Comprehensive management theories emerged.
• Harvard Business School introduced the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in 1921.
• Henri Fayol and Alexander Church described various management branches and their connections.

Early 20th Century

• Psychological principles applied to management by Ordway Tead, Walter Scott, and J. Mooney.
• Sociological perspectives brought by Elton Mayo, Mary Parker Follett, Chester Barnard, Max Weber, Rensis Likert, and Chris Argyris.

Post-World War II

• Peter Drucker wrote "Concept of the Corporation" (1946), one of the earliest books on applied management.
• Alfred Sloan's commission led to Drucker's study on organizational concepts.
• Drucker authored 39 influential books.

Evolution of Management Techniques

Introduction of Statistical Techniques

• H. Dodge, Ronald Fisher, and Thornton C. Fry brought statistical techniques into management studies.
• In the 1940s, Patrick Blackett merged statistical theories with microeconomic theory, leading to the birth of operations research.
• Operations Research and Management Science:
• Blackett's work evolved into operations research, also known as "management science."
• Operations research applies a scientific approach to solve management issues, especially in logistics and operations.

Recent Developments

• Theory of Constraints, management by objectives, reengineering, and Six Sigma are modern management approaches.
• Information-technology-driven theories like agile software development and group management theories like Cog's Ladder have emerged.
• Recognition of managers solidified in the 20th century, leading to the popularization of management ideas.
• Various management fads may have been more influenced by pop psychology than scientific management theories.