Process of Management 

Majority of scholars use the term management' as 'a process by which managers create, direct, maintain and operate purposive organizations through systematic, co-ordinated and co-operative human efforts." Thus, management is the planning, organising, staffing, _ directing and controlling the activities of the people working in a group in order`to achieve_the objectives of the group. It this way process/functions of management involve the following -

 1. Planning- Management is concerned with planning, of the goals, to be achieved and the ways and means of achieving them. In this sense, planning involves thinking about the goals and the actions in advance. Planning does not mean building castles in the air, It is a rational activity based on the capacity and capability of organizational resources, and how they are to be harnessed for the purpose of accomplishment of the stated goals. Planning is a prerequisite of doing anything. Systematic planning is necessary for any business activity, otherwise it will be done in a haphazard manner. Proper planning is a must to ensure proper utilisation of human and non-human resources to achieve the desired goals. It has to be done at all leveis of management. Since planning involves taking important decisions top management devotes more time on planning as compared to low-level management. The low-level managers have to follow the policies, programs and procedures laid down by the top management. The process of planning includes-

  (i) Determination of objectives, 

 (ii) Forecasting,  

(ii) Search of alternative courses of action and their evaluation, 

 (iv) Drawing policies and programs, 

 (v) Drawing scheduies and procedures, (vi) Budgeting, and (vii) fixing standards of performance.  

2. Organising-To _ organise .a business_is to _ provide_ it with everything_ useful to its_ functioning:_ personnel, raw materials, tools, capital. Ail this may be divided into two main sections, the human organisation and the material organisation. Once managers have established objectives and developed plans to achieve them, they must design and develop a human organisation that will be able to carry out those plans successfully. According to Allen, this organisation refers to the "'structure which results from identifying and grouping work, defining and delegating responsibility and authority, and establishing relationships.?' According to Fayol, To organise a business is to provide it with everything useful to ts functioning-raw materials, tools, capital and personnel. According to Koontz and O'Donnell, organising consists of conscious co-ordination of people toward desired goal. -It inyolves "the establishment of an intentional structure of rules by identifying and listing the activities required to achieve the purpose of an enterprise, the grouping of these activities, the assignment of such groups of activities to a manager the delegation of authority and informational relationships horizontally and vertically in the organisation structure.

3. Staffing - Staffing may also be considered an important function involved in building the human organisation. In staffinlg, the manager attempts to find the right person for each job. Staffing fixes a manager's responsibility to recruit and to make certain that there is enough manpower available to fill the various positions needed in. the organisation Staffing involves the selection and training of future managers and a suitable system of compensation. Staffing obviously cannot be done once and for all, since people are continually leaving, getting tired, retiring and dying. Often too, the charges in the organisation create new positions, and these must be filled. Lawrence Appley remarked. .. 'managers would be more skilled and more competent if they were-carefully selected, specifically trained. continually kept up-to-date in their field of activity, guided in their development for the assumption of greater responsibility and adequately rewarded.  

4.Directing -After plans have been made and the organisation has been established and staffed, the next step 1S to move towards its defined objectives. This function can be called by. various names: leading' "directing' "motivating', 'actuating', and SO on. Whatever the name is, directing is the managerial function of guiding, supervising, motivating and leading people towards the attainment of planned targets of performance. According to Terry, "Directing means moving to action and supplying stimulative power to group of persons. In the process of directing his subordinates, a manger takes active steps to ensure that the employees accomplish their tasks according to the established plans. Directing inyolves three sub-functions- comm- unication, leadership and motivation. Communication s the process of_passing_information and understanding from one person to another. A manager to be successful must develop an effective system of communication so that he may issue instructions, receive the reaction of the subordinates and guide and motivate them. Leadership is the quality of the behavior of a manager whereby he guides his subordinates or their activities in the desired direction. A manager must posses the leadership qualities if he has to get others to follow him and accept his direction. Motivation is psychological technique of executing the plans and policies. It means inspiring the subordinates with zeal to do work for the accomplishment of organisational objectives. A successful manager makes appropriate use of motivation to actuate the subordinates to work harmoniously towards the achievement of organisational goals.  

5. Controlling- Managers have always found it desirable to check up or follow up what is being done in order to make sure that the work of others is progressing_ satisfactorily toward the pre-determined objective.  

Misunderstanding and nexpected hindrances may arise. Such contingencies must be known quickly to the manager so that corrective action may be taken. This function by the manager constitutes 'Controiling' Controlling involves a series of activities like - 

(i) Continuous observation and study of periodic results of performance in order to identify potential problems:  

(ii) Selection of the best mode of control; (ii Comparison of the performance with the range of standards established beforehand;  

(v) Pinpointing significant deviations;  

(v) Ascertain their exact causes; and 

 (vi) Initiation and implementation of the corrective action. Controlling thus tends to complete the full cycle of the process of management through which managers accomplish results. 

 6. Innovation- Management is a dynamic science. It is a process and not an activity. Daily new changes take place in the process of management These days, it is, not necessary for an organisation to grow bigger. But it is necessary that it constantly grows better. To keep place with the changing circumstances the manager must be dynamic person. He should be ready to adopt the changes required by the circumstances. He should not be adhered to the traditional methods and techniques. For the success of an enterprise it'is necessary that the latest methods and technologies must be adopted This process is called innovation. The management should adopt the latest techniques and methods of Planning, Organising, Staffing, Directing Controlling, Motivating and Co-ordinating in the field of production. marketing, finance and personnel  

7. Representation-Management has to represent the firm while dealing with third parties, government, public, consumers, tax authorities and even the employees. A manager is also required now-a-days to spend a part of his time in representing his organisation before various outside groups which have some stake in the organisation. These stake-holders can be government officials, labour unions, financial institutions, suppliers. customers, etc.  

Limitations of Management  

Management is a social science. Like other social sciences, the human. aspect of the management science is subject to certain limitations. The validity of the principles of management has been doubted by many thinkers of both present and past. The Main limitations are as follows-

 1. Management techniques and policies have to be adjusted according to specific circumstances. One principle may be good for one organisation. but it may not be suitable for another organisation  

2. Principles of management are not static, with the growth of science and technology, the concepts of management are also changing. New ideas being innovated, new products being put on the market, new likes and dislikes are developing every year, hence what was profitable in 1968 may 10 esher lead to loss in 2007, Thus, a great deal of adjustment is to be done to cope with the changing times, 

 3. Generalizations and principles in relation to human behavior cannot hold good in all the circumstances since management is more near behavioural science than any other social sciences are. Management, S sometimes. can be actuated by self interest and pecuniary considerations  

4 Managers, in order to secure promotions for themselves create work, appoint more assistants than are reasonably required and unnecessary increase their supervision responsibilities.

  5. Management principles cannot be correct for all the cultures and at all the stages of economic growth. Different countries have verifying degree of economic development. Different countries believe and practice in cultures and customs according to their own historical, political and social necessities. Their own conventions and traditions guide their social thinking and individual habits and temperaments. In such circumstances, the value of judgments and motivation practices differ from one culture to another.