Some of the major characteristics of management are as follows: 1. It is a process 2.

It is
a social process 3. Group effort 4. Attainment of pre-determined objectives 5. It is a
distinct activity 6. It is a system of authority 7. Universality of management 8. It is
needed at all levels 9. It is a Discipline 10. It is an integrative process 11. It is an art as
well as a science 12. It is a profession.

1. It is a process:
As a process management involves those techniques by which the managers co-ordinate
the activities of other people.

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Stanley Vance has stated five basic ingredients in the management process:

(i) decision on the course of action;

(ii) obtaining the necessary physical means;

(iii) enlisting others to assist in the performance of requisite task;

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(iv) seeing that the job is properly accomplished; and

(v) apportioning the product of the joint venture.

In studying management as a process, various managerial activities are taken as a basis

for defining management. Management is the planning, organizing, staffing, directing
and controlling the activities of people working in a group in order to achieve the
objectives of the group.

2. It is a social process:

Management is a social process because management functions are basically concerned
with relations among the people. It is called a social process since the efforts of human
beings have to be directed, coordinated and regulated by management.

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Moreover, management has a social obligation to make optimum utilization of scarce
resources for the benefit of the community at large. The human factor is inseparable
from management. According to Brech “It is the pervasiveness of this human element
that gives management its special character as a social process.”

3. Group effort:
Management always refers to group efforts and does not apply to an individual. Apply
calls it “efforts of other people” Massie says it “co-operative group.” Management is used
in reference to the efforts of the group because the goals and objectives of an enterprise
can be easily and effectively attained by a group rather than an individual.

4. Attainment of pre-determined objectives:

Group efforts in management are always directed towards the achievement of some pre-
determined objectives. These objectives are the final goals of an enterprise towards
which all management activities have to be oriented.

According to Theo Haimann: “Effective management is always management by

objectives.” In the words of Terry “Effective management is extremely difficult to attain
without definite objectives.” Hynes and Massie state “Management must be set
objectives. Without objectives, management would be difficult, if not possible.”

5. It is a distinct activity:

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“Management is a separate and distinct entity. It is quite different from the various
functional activities and the techniques and procedures which are generally considered
as belongings to the field of management.”

The chief function of the manager is not “to do” but to get things done through others.
For performing his functions effectively a manager requires knowledge, skill and
practice. It is necessary to make a distinction between managerial skill and skill required
for specialized jobs.

Specialised knowledge and technical skill are essential for successful solution of any
problem but basically such knowledge is not considered necessary for efficient
management. A manager is expected to be a generalist and not a specialist. Thus, the
entity of the management is quite distinct from its various functional activities.
6. It is a system of authority:
Decision-making and organizing functions cannot be performed unless management is
considered as a system of authority which implies hierarchy of command and control.
Since management is a process of directing men, to perform a task, authority to
accomplish the work from others is implied in the very concept of management.

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In every enterprise there are built-up levels of authority to decide, direct and control the
business operations. Authority is considered to be basis of performance of managerial
functions. Authority pre-supposes a right to give orders and power to get them executed.
In a very real sense, management is a rule-making and rule-enforcing body, and within
itself it is bound together by a web of relationship between superiors and subordinates.”

7. Universality of management:
Perhaps there is no more important area of human activity than managing which is of
universal application. Fayol was the man who contributed fourteen principles of
management which apply more or less in every situation. He observed, “Be it a case of
Commerce, Politics, Religion, and War in every concern there is a management function
to be performed.” Thus, management is universal in character.

8. It is needed at all levels:

An important feature of management is that it applies to all levels of organization. The
lowest level supervisor has also to perform the function of decision-making just like the
top-level executives. The only difference is of the nature of task and scope of authority.

9. It is a Discipline:
Management today has its organized body of knowledge, principles and techniques. It is
taught in colleges and universities like other disciplines such as Economics, Sociology,
Psychology, Political science, etc. Thus, the term management is also used to describe as
a field of learning. Management is fast developing as a discipline and its scope and
status is bound to increase in the times to come.

10. It is an integrative process:

The essence of management is integration of human and other resources in such a
manner that it leads to effective performance. All these resources are made available to
those who manage. Managers apply knowledge, experience and principles for getting the
results. In other words, it seeks to harmonise the individual goals with organizational
goals.

11. It is an art as well as a science:

Management is both a science and an art. It has elements of art and has characteristics
of science. It is considered to be science as it has developed certain principles, laws,
generalizations which are more or less universal in nature and are applicable wherever
the efforts of a group are to be coordinated. It is regarded as an art because managing
requires certain skills which are the personal possession of the managers.

12. It is a profession:
Management is now recognised as a profession as it possesses all the attributes of
profession. It has a specialised body of knowledge, principles and techniques and that
can be taught and transferred. It follows a scientific approach, involves special skills and
tools and adheres to a code of ethics.
Defining a Team

A team is a group of people who collaborate on related tasks toward a common goal.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Define teams, particularly as they pertain to the business environment or organizational

workplace

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Key Points

 In a business setting most work is accomplished by teams of individuals. Because of

this, it is important for employees to have the skills necessary to work effectively with
others.
 Organizations use many kinds of teams, some of which are permanent and some of
which are temporary.
 Teams are used to accomplish tasks that are too large or complex to be done by an
individual or that require a diverse set of skills and expertise.
Key Terms

 team: A group of people working toward a common purpose.

A team is a group of people who work together toward a common goal. Teams have
defined membership (which can be either large or small) and a set of activities to take
part in. People on a team collaborate on sets of related tasks that are required to
achieve an objective. Each member is responsible for contributing to the team, but the
group as a whole is responsible for the team’s success.

The meaning of TEAM: A team is a group of people who work together toward a
common goal.

Teams in the Workplace

Sports teams are a good example of how teams work. For instance, a basketball team
has individual players who each contribute toward the goal of winning a game. Similarly,
in business settings most work is accomplished by teams of individuals who collaborate
on activities with defined outcomes. Because teams are so prevalent in business
organizations, it is important for employees to have the skills necessary to work
effectively with others.

Organizations typically have many teams, and an individual is frequently a member of

more than one team. Some teams are permanent and are responsible for ongoing
activities. For instance, a team of nurses in a maternity ward provides medical services
to new mothers. While patients come and go, the tasks involved in providing care
remain stable. In other cases a team is formed for a temporary purpose: these are
called project teams and have a defined beginning and end point linked to achieving a
particular one-time goal.

The Purpose of Teams

Organizations form teams to accomplish tasks that are too large or complex for an
individual to complete. Teams are also effective for work that requires different types of
skills and expertise. For example, the development of new products involves
understanding customer needs as well as how to design and build a product that will
meet these needs. Accordingly, a new product-development team would include people
with customer knowledge as well as designers and engineers.

Defining Teamwork

Teamwork involves a set of interdependent activities performed by individuals who

collaborate toward a common goal.
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Identify the processes and activities by which team work gets done

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Key Points

 Teamwork involves shared responsibility and collaboration toward a common outcome.

 Teamwork processes can be divided into three categories: the transition process, action
processes, and interpersonal processes.
 Five characteristics of effective teamwork are shared values, mutual trust, inspiring
vision, skills, and rewards.

Key Terms

 teamwork: The cooperative effort of a group of people seeking a common end.

 conflict resolution: Working to resolve different opinions in a team environment.
 conflict: Friction, disagreement, or discord arising between individuals or groups.

Teamwork involves a set of tasks and activities performed by individuals who

collaborate with each other to achieve a common objective. That objective can be
creating a product, delivering a service, writing a report, or making a decision.
Teamwork differs from individual work in that it involves shared responsibility for a final
outcome.
Teamwork: Human skill involves the ability to work effectively as a member of a group and to build cooperative
effort in a team.

Teamwork Processes

While the substance of the tasks involved in teamwork may vary from team to team,
there are three processes that are common to how teamwork gets done: the transition
process, action processes, and interpersonal processes. During each of these
processes, specific sets of activities occur.

1. The transition process is the phase during which a team is formed. Activities include:
 Mission analysis: establishing an understanding of the overall objective
 Goal specification: identifying and prioritizing the tasks and activities needed to achieve
the mission
 Strategy formulation: developing a course of action to reach the goals and achieve the
mission
2. Action processes comprise the phase during which a team performs its work.
Activities include:
 Monitoring milestones and goals: tracking progress toward completion of tasks and
activities
 Monitoring systems: tracking the use of resources such as people, technology, and
information
 Coordination: organizing and managing the flow of team activities and tasks
  Team monitoring and support: assisting individuals with their tasks by, for example,
providing feedback and coaching
3. Interpersonal processes include activities that occur during both the transition and
action processes. These include:
 Conflict management: establishing conditions to avoid disagreement and resolving
conflict when it occurs
 Motivation and confidence building: generating the willingness and ability of individuals
to work together to achieve the mission
 Affect management: helping team members to regulate their emotions as they work
together

Characteristics of Effective Teamwork

An effective team accomplishes its goals in a way that meets the standards set by those
who evaluate its performance. For instance, a team may have a goal of delivering a new
product within six months on a budget of $100,000. Even if the team finishes the project
on time, it can be considered effective only if it stayed within its expected budget.

Effective teamwork requires certain conditions to be in place that will increase the
likelihood that each member’s contributions—and the effort of the group as a whole—
will lead to success. Effective teams share five characteristics:

 Shared values:a common set of beliefs and principles about how and why the team
members will work together
 Mutual trust: confidence between team members that each puts the best interest of the
team ahead of individual priorities
 Inspiring vision:a clear direction that motivates commitment to a collective effort
 Skill/talent:the combined abilities and expertise to accomplish the required tasks and
work productively with others
 Rewards:recognition of achievement toward objectives and reinforcement of behavior
that supports the team’s work

Effective teamwork requires that people work as a cohesive unit. These five
characteristics can help individuals collaborate with others by focusing their efforts in a
common direction and achieving an outcome that can only be reached by working
together.

The Role of Teams in Organizations

By combining various employees into strategic groups, a team-based organization can

create synergies through team processes.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Recognize the role of a team in an organization, and illustrate the team process.
 KEY TAKEAWAYS

Key Points

 Due to global and technological factors, the importance of combining competencies and
building strong teams is increasing.
 By combining resources (both across management levels and functional disciplines),
organizations can create unique synergies and core competencies.
 Cross-functional teams utilize a wide variety of unique skill sets to build teams capable
of achieving complex objectives.
 When carrying out a process in a team, it’s important to set objectives and strategy,
carry out objectives, and build strong interpersonal efficiency.

Key Terms

 synergy: The ability for a group to accomplish more together than they could
accomplish individually.
 cross-functional teams: Teams with members that have diverse skill sets, enabling
synergy across core competencies.

The Modern Organization

Teams are increasingly common and relevant from an organizational perspective, as

globalization and technology continue to expand organizational scope and strategy. In
organizations, teams can be constructed both vertically (varying levels of management)
and horizontally (across functional disciplines). In order to maintain synergy between
employees and organize resources, teams are increasingly common across industries
and organizational types.

The Role of Teams

The primary role of a team is to combine resources, competencies, skills, and

bandwidth to achieve organizational objectives. The underlying assumption of a well-
functioning team is one of synergy, which is to say that the output of a team will be
greater than the sum of each individual’s contribution without a team architecture in
place. As a result, teams are usually highly focused groups of employees, with the role
of achieving specific tasks to support organizational success.

Cross-Functional Teams

Some organizations have a need for strong cross-functional teams that enable various
functional competencies to align on shared objectives. This is particularly common at
technology companies, where a number of specific disciplines are combined to produce
complex products and/or services.

Team Processes

When considering the role of a team, it’s important to understand the various processes
that teams will carry out over time. At the beginning of a team set up (or when
redirecting the efforts of a team), a transitional process is carried out. Once the team
has set strategic goals, they can begin progressing towards the completion of those
goals operationally. The final team process is one of interpersonal efficiency, or refining
the team dynamic for efficiency and success.

More specifically, these processes can be described as follows:

Transitional Process

 Mission analysis
 Goal specification
 Strategy formulation

Action Process

 Monitoring progress toward goals

 Systems monitoring
 Team monitoring and backup behavior
 Coordination

Interpersonal Process

 Conflict management
 Motivation and confidence building
 Affect management
The Impact of Team Building: This chart allows you to visualize data from a study on team-building, and its
impact on team performance. Building a strong organizational culture for successful teams requires
commitment to team processes.

Types of Teams

Depending on its needs and goals, a company can use a project team, a virtual team, or
a cross-functional team.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Recognize the differences between types of teams and their uses

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Key Points

 An organization may use different types of teams depending on the work that needs to
be accomplished to meet its goals.
 Common teams include project teams, virtual teams, and cross- functional teams.
 Project teams are created for a defined period of time to achieve a specific goal.
 Virtual teams have members who work in separate locations that are often
geographically dispersed.
  Cross-functional teams bring together people with diverse expertise and knowledge from
different departments or specialties.

Key Terms

 cross-functional team: A group of people from different departments in an organization

working toward a common goal.

Depending on its needs and goals, a company may use different types of teams. Some
efforts are limited in duration and have a well-defined outcome. Other work requires the
participation of people from different locations. Still other projects depend on people
with a broad and diverse range of knowledge and expertise.

Different Kinds of Teams

Teams may be permanent or temporary, and team members may come from the same
department or different ones. Common types of teams found in organizations
include project teams, virtual teams, and cross-functional teams.
 Project teams are created for a defined period of time to achieve a specific goal.
Members of a project team often belong to different functional groups and are chosen to
participate in the team based on specific skills they can contribute to the project. Software
development is most commonly done by project teams.
 Virtual teams have members located in different places, often geographically dispersed,
who come together to achieve a specific purpose. Academic researchers often work on
virtual teams with colleagues at other institutions.
 Cross-functional teams combine people from different areas, such as marketing and
engineering, to solve a problem or achieve a goal. Healthcare services are frequently
delivered by interdisciplinary teams of nurses, doctors, and other medical specialists.

It is common for an organization to have many teams, including teams of several types.
Effective teamwork depends on choosing the type of team best suited to the work that
needs to be accomplished.

Advantages of Teamwork

The benefits of teamwork include increased efficiency, the ability to focus different
minds on the same problem, and mutual support.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Identify the sources of benefits teamwork creates

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Key Points
  When a team works well together as a unit they are able to accomplish more than the
individual members can do alone.
 Teamwork creates higher quality outcomes that are more efficient, thoughtful, and
effective, as well as faster.
 Individuals benefit from teamwork through mutual support and a great sense of
accomplishment.

Key Terms

 diverse: Consisting of many different elements; various.

 efficiency: The extent to which a resource, such as electricity, is used for the intended
purpose; the ratio of useful work to energy expended.

The primary benefit of teamwork is that it allows an organization to achieve something

that an individual working alone cannot. This advantage arises from several factors,
each of which accounts for a different aspect of the overall benefit of teams.

Higher Quality Outcomes

Teamwork creates outcomes that make better use of resources and produce richer
ideas.

 Higher efficiency: Since teams combine the efforts of individuals, they can accomplish
more than an individual working alone.
 Faster speed: Because teams draw on the efforts of many contributors, they can often
complete tasks and activities in less time.
 More thoughtful ideas: Each person who works on a problem or set of tasks may bring
different information and knowledge to bear, which can result in solutions and approaches
an individual would not have identified.
 Greater effectiveness: When people coordinate their efforts, they can divide up roles and
tasks to more thoroughly address an issue. For example, in hospital settings teamwork
has been found to increase patient safety more than when only individual efforts are
made to avoid mishaps.

Better Context for Individuals

The social aspect of teamwork provides a superior work experience for team members,
which can motivate higher performance.

 Mutual support: Because team members can rely on other people with shared goals,
they can receive assistance and encouragement as they work on tasks. Such support can
encourage people to achieve goals they may not have had the confidence to have
reached on their own.
  Greater sense of accomplishment: When members of a team collaborate and take
collective responsibility for outcomes, they can feel a greater sense of accomplishment
when they achieve a goal they could not have achieved if they had worked by
themselves.

The total value created by teamwork depends on the overall effectiveness of the team
effort. While we might consider simply achieving a goal a benefit of teamwork, by taking
advantage of what teamwork has to offer, an organization can gain a broader set of
benefits.

Hazards of Teamwork

Teams face challenges to effective collaboration and achieving their goals.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Identify the common pitfalls teams can encounter that limit their performance

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Key Points

 The social aspect of collaborative work makes teams vulnerable to pitfalls that can hurt
performance.
 Common pitfalls involve poor group dynamics such as weak norms, lack of trust, and
interpersonal conflict.
 Poor team-design choices such as size, skill sets, and assignment of roles can
negatively affect a team’s ability to complete tasks.

Key Terms

 groupthink: A process of reasoning or decision making by a group, especially one

characterized by uncritical acceptance of or conformity to a perceived majority view.

The collaborative nature of teams means they are subject to pitfalls that individuals
working alone do not face. Team members may not always work well together, and
focusing the efforts of individuals on shared goals presents challenges to completing
tasks as efficiently and effectively as possible. The following pitfalls can lead to team
dysfunction and failure to achieve important organizational objectives.

Individuals Shirking Their Duties

Since team members share responsibility for outcomes, some individuals may need to
do additional work to make up for those not contributing their share of effort. This can
breed resentment and foster other negative feelings that can make the team less
effective. One cause of this is the failure of the team to establish clear norms of
accountability for individual contributions to the group effort.

Skewed Influence over Decisions

Sometimes an individual or small number of team members can come to dominate the
rest of the group. This could be due to strong personalities, greater abilities, or
differences in status among members. When individuals either do not feel listened to or
believe their ideas are not welcome, they may reduce their efforts.

Lack of Trust

Effective collaboration requires team members to have confidence that everyone shares
a set of goals. When that belief is missing, some individuals may not feel comfortable
sharing their ideas with the group. Lack of trust can also lead to miscommunication and
misunderstandings, which can undermine the group’s efforts.

Conflicts Hamper Progress

While conflicts are a common aspect of working together and can even be beneficial to
a team, they can also negatively affect team performance. For instance, conflict can
delay progress on tasks or create other inefficiencies in getting work done.

Lack of Teaming Skills

When team members do not have the collaboration skills needed to work well with
others, the overall ability of the team to function can be limited. As a result, conflicts
may be more likely to arise and more difficult to resolve.

Missing Task Skills

A team that does not have the expertise and knowledge needed to complete all its tasks
and activities will have trouble achieving its goals. Poor team composition can lead to
delays, higher costs, and increased risk.

Stuck in Formation

Sometimes the group cannot move from defining goals and outlining tasks to executing
its work plan. This may be due to poor specification of roles, tasks, and priorities.
Too Many Members

The size of the team can sometimes affect its ability to function effectively. Coordination
and communication are more complex in a larger team than in a smaller one. This
complexity can mean that decisions must take into account greater amounts of
information, meetings are more challenging to schedule, and tasks can take longer to
complete.

Groupthink

Outcomes can suffer if team members value conflict avoidance and consensus over
making the best decisions. People can feel uncomfortable challenging the group’s
direction or otherwise speaking up for fear of breaking a team norm. This phenomenon
is known as “groupthink.” Groupthink can limit creativity, lead to poor choices, or result
in mistakes that might otherwise have been avoidable.

While teams offer many benefits, their effectiveness rests on how well members can
avoid common pitfalls or minimize their negative consequences when they occur.

Differences Between Groups and Teams

All teams are groups of individuals, but not all groups are teams.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Differentiate between a group and a team

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Key Points

 A group is two or more individuals who share common interests or characteristics and
whose members identify with each other due to similar traits.
 Teams and groups differ in five key ways: task orientation, purpose, interdependence,
formal structure, and familiarity among members.

Key Terms

 team: Any group of people involved in the same activity, especially referring to sports
and work.
 group: A number of things or persons that have some relationship to one another. A
subset of a culture or of a society.
While all teams are groups of individuals, not all groups are teams. Team members
work together toward a common goal and share responsibility for the team’s success. A
group is comprised of two or more individuals that share common interests or
characteristics, and its members identify with each other due to similar traits. Groups
can range greatly in size and scope. For example, members of the millennial generation
are a group, but so is a small book club formed by neighbors who enjoy reading.

Groups differ from teams in several ways:

 Task orientation: Teams require coordination of tasks and activities to achieve a shared
aim. Groups do not need to focus on specific outcomes or a common purpose.
 Degree of interdependence: Team members are interdependent since they bring to bear
a set of resources to produce a common outcome. Individuals in a group can be entirely
disconnected from one another and not rely on fellow members at all.
 Purpose: Teams are formed for a particular reason and can be short- or long-lived.
Groups can exist as a matter of fact; for example, a group can be comprised of people of
the same race or ethnic background.
 Degree of formal structure: Team members’ individual roles and duties are specified and
their ways of working together are defined. Groups are generally much more informal;
roles do not need to be assigned and norms of behavior do not need to develop.
 Familiarity among members: Team members are aware of the set of people they
collaborate with, since they interact to complete tasks and activities. Members of a group
may have personal relationships or they may have little knowledge of each other and no
interactions whatsoever.

Sometimes it is difficult to draw a distinction between a team and a group. For instance,
a set of coworkers might meet on occasion to discuss an issue or provide input on a
decision. While such meetings typically have an agenda and thus a purpose and some
structure, we would not necessarily think of those in attendance as a team. The activity
scope and duration is just too small to involve the amount of coordination of resources
and effort that teamwork requires.
 Team management is the ability of an individual or an organization to administer and coordinate a
group of individuals to perform a task. Team management involves teamwork, communication,
objective setting and performance appraisals. Moreover, team management is the capability to
identify problems and resolve conflicts within a team. There are various methods and leadership
styles a team manager can take to increase personnel productivity and build an effective team. [1] In
the workplace teams can come in many shapes and sizes who all work together and depend on one
another. They communicate and all strive to accomplish a specific goal. Management teams are a
type of team that performs duties such as managing and advising other employees and teams that
work with them. Whereas work, parallel, and project teams hold the responsibility of direct
accomplishment of a goal, management teams are responsible for providing general direction and
assistance to those teams.[2]

Contents

 1Elements of a healthy and successful team

o 1.1Cohesive leadership
o 1.2Effective communication
o 1.3Common goal
o 1.4Defined team roles and responsibilities
 2Methods of team management
o 2.1"Command and Control"
o 2.2"Engage and Create"
o 2.3"Econ 101"
 3Problems in team management
o 3.1Absence of trust
 o 3.2Fear of conflict
o 3.3Lack of commitment
o 3.4Avoidance of accountability
o 3.5Inattention to results
 4Resolving problems through team management
o 4.1Building trust
o 4.2Appraisals
o 4.3Team building activities
 4.3.1Back to Back Drawing
 4.3.2The Human Knot
 4.3.3What makes teams effective
 5Leadership styles in team management
o 5.1Autocratic
o 5.2Democratic
o 5.3Laissez-Faire
o 5.4Transactional
 6See also
 7References

Elements of a healthy and successful team [edit]

Cohesive leadership[edit]
In any functional team, cohesion amongst team leaders and decision makers is vital. Cohesive
leadership means that team leaders are acting together as a unit and making decisions as a
leadership team instead of each branching off into their own work and operating individually. This will
ensure that the team will be steered in one direction instead of multiple due to team leaders not
being concise and consistent with their instructions. Cohesive leadership will require team leaders to
have strong communication skills. [3]

Effective communication[edit]
There must be an effective channel of communication from the top to the bottom of the chain of
command and vice versa. An effective channel of communication will allow messages to be
transferred accurately without delay to the intended recipient, this will speed up decision making
processes and the operations of the team. Furthermore, effective communication will increase the
flexibility of an organisation and cause it to be less susceptible to changes in the external
environment; as a faster decision making process will allow organisations a longer time period to
adapt to the changes and execute contingency plans. [3]

Common goal[edit]
When team members first come together they will all have different ideas, however the key to a
successful team is the alignment of objectives within the team. It is essential that the team leader
sets a common goal the entire team is willing to pursue. This way, all the team members will put in
effort in order to attain the goal. If there is not a common goal, team members who disagree with the
objective in hand will feel reluctant to utilise their full effort, leading to failure to achieve the goal. In
other cases, team members might divert themselves to other tasks due to a lack of belief or interest
in the goal.[4]
Defined team roles and responsibilities[edit]
Poorly defined roles is often the biggest obstacle to a successful Team. [5] If team members are
unclear of what their role is, their contributions towards the team will be minimal, therefore it is the
team leader's duty to outline the roles and responsibilities of each individual within the team and
ensure that the team is working together as an integral unit.
In a successful team, a team leader will first evaluate the mission of the team to understand what is
needed to accomplish the task. Then, they will identify the strengths and weaknesses of their team
members and assign roles accordingly. Lastly, they must ensure that all team members know what
each other's responsibilities are to avoid confusion and to create an effective channel of
communication.[6]
Individuals in a team can take on different roles that have their own unique responsibilities. A task-
oriented role occurs when the individual is offering new ideas, coordinating activities, or trying to find
new information to share with the team. A social-oriented role occurs when an individual is
encouraging the members of the team to be united. They also encourage participation and
communication. An individual role occurs when an individual blocks the team activities. They tend to
call attention to themselves and avoid interaction with others. Another occurrence is role conflict,
which is a situation where an individual faces divergent role expectation. This means they are being
pulled in various directions and hold different roles simultaneously.

Methods of team management[edit]

"Command and Control"[edit]
The method “Command and Control” as an approach to team management is based on the concept
of military management. “Command and Control” was a commonly used system in the private sector
during the 21th century.[7] In this method, the team leader instructs their team members to complete a
task and if they refuse, they will yell or punish them until they no longer refuse and comply with the
instructions. The team leader has absolute authority and utilises an autocratic leadership style.
There are considerable drawbacks to this team management method. Firstly, the team morale will
be lowered due to team members being constantly belittled by the team leader at the slightest
mistake; punishments will also lead to a lack of confidence in team members resulting in poor
performance. Second, in modern organisations roles are often specialised, therefore managers will
require the expertise of the employee, elevating the value of the employee. Implementing the
“Command and Control” team management method will lead to a high rate of employee turnover. In
addition, in large organisations managers don't have the time to provide instructions to all employees
and continuously monitor them, this will impede an organisations performance as managers are not
spending time on their core responsibilities.[8]

"Engage and Create"[edit]

Due to the limitations and ineffectiveness of “Command and Control”, managers developed an
alternative management strategy known as “Engage and Create”. In this method team members are
encouraged to participate in discussions and contribute. Furthermore, they are advised to engage
with other team members to build a stronger sense of teamwork and unity. This will lead to
increased productivity and accountability of each team member, driving the team towards success. [7]

"Econ 101"[edit]
In the “Econ 101” method of team management, the team leader makes the baseline assumption
that all team members are motivated by reward in the form of money, and that the best way to
manage the team is to provide financial rewards for performance and issue punishments for failure.
This method of team management uses material gains in the place of intrinsic motivation to drive
team members. This is similar to Taylor's theory of Scientific Management where he claims the main
form of motivation for employees is money.[9][10] The main drawback of this method is that it does not
take into account other forms of motivation besides money such as personal satisfaction and
ambition. Moreover, by using reward and punishment as a method of team management it can
cause demotivation as everyone is motivated by different factors and there is no one way to satisfy
all team members, the negative effect is further compounded by punishment leading to
demoralisation and loss of confidence. [8]

Problems in team management[edit]

Absence of trust[edit]
In Patrick Lencioni's book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, the absence of vulnerability-based trust
– where team members are comfortable being vulnerable with each other, trust each other to help
when asking for guidance, and are willing to admit their mistakes – within a team is detrimental to a
team. Team leaders have to assist each other when they are vulnerable and also allow team
members to see their vulnerable side, which is contradictory to the orthodox belief. If a team lacks
vulnerability based trust, team members will not be willing to share ideas or acknowledge their faults
due to the fear of being exposed as incompetent, leading to a lack of communication and the
hindering of the team.[11][12][13]

Fear of conflict[edit]
Contrary to the general belief, conflict is a positive element in a team as it drives discussion. The
fear of conflict is the fear of team members to argue with one another and the fear of disagreeing
with the team leader. If team members hold back and are afraid of confronting the leader or their
teammates, then the concept of a team is non-existent because there is only one person who
contributes and no new ideas are generated from discussions. [11]
The fear of conflict in a team stems from an absence of trust, more specifically vulnerability based
trust. If team members are afraid to be vulnerable in front of one another, disputes can be
manipulative and a means to overthrow and shame the other team member. However, if team
members trust each other and are comfortable being vulnerable in front of one another, then
debates can be a pursuit of a better and more effective method to achieve a task. [11][12][13]

Lack of commitment[edit]
When team members don't provide input on a decision, it shows that they do not agree or approve of
the decision, leading to a halt in team activity and progress. Furthermore, when team members don't
express their opinions, views and potential ideas are lost, hurting the project and the company. [11][13]

Avoidance of accountability[edit]
The avoidance of accountability in a team is the failure of team members to be accountable for the
consequences of their actions. When team members do not commit to a decision, they will be
unwilling to take responsibility for the outcomes of the decision. [11]
In addition, if a lack of trust exists within the team then there will be an absence of peer to peer
accountability; team members will not feel accountable towards their team members and hence will
not put effort into their tasks. The team must trust and hold each other responsible so that the
intention will always be for the benefit of the team and for the team to succeed. [11]
Team leaders who are afraid of confrontation might avoid holding team members accountable when
in fact they have made a mistake. Team leaders must develop the confidence to hold team members
accountable so that they will feel the sense of responsibility and entitlement to the team, and learn
from their mistakes. If not, then errors will not be corrected and might lead to worse problems,
causing a defective team.[11][13][14]

Inattention to results[edit]
If team leaders and team members do not hold each other accountable then they will not be
concerned about the outcome of the team and whether they have achieved their goal, as they do not
have a drive to obtain great results. Inattention to results causes a loss of purpose and brings into
question the existence of the team.[11]

Resolving problems through team management [edit]

Building trust[edit]
An approach to resolving fundamental trust problems within teams is to build trust amongst team
members. A team leader can build trust by persuading team members to ask questions and seek
guidance from other team members, so that they are more familiar and comfortable in being
vulnerable with one another, questions such as “May you teach me how to do this” or “You are better
than me at this”. However, in order to achieve vulnerability based trust within the team the team
leader must be vulnerable first, if the team leader is unwilling to be vulnerable, nobody else in the
team will be willing to follow.[11]

Appraisals[edit]
Appraisals can be a way for team members to provide feedback to one another or for team members
to provide advice to the leader. This will allow individual members of the team to reflect on their
performance and aim to do better by amending their mistakes; furthermore appraisals create an
environment where the chain of command is non-existent and team members can be honest
towards one another. This is effective in a way that the team can provide progressive feedback
towards other members and can advise the leader on how he or she can improve their leadership.
After each member reads their appraisals, they will understand how they can strive to improve,
benefitting the team in reaching its objectives. The commonly used forms of appraisals
are performance appraisals, peer appraisals and 360 degree feedback.[15]

Team building activities[edit]

Team-building activities are a series of simple exercises involving teamwork and communication.
The main objectives of team building activities are to increase the trust amongst team members and
allow team members to better understand one another. When choosing or designing team building
activities it is best to determine if your team needs an event or an experience. Generally an event is
fun, quick and easily done by non-professionals. Team building experiences provide richer, more
meaningful results. Experiences should be facilitated by a professional on an annual basis for teams
that are growing, or changing.
Back to Back Drawing[edit]
Back to back drawing is a team building activity where two members of a team sit back to back. One
member is given a picture while the other is given a blank piece of paper. The member with the
picture has to describe to the other member what the picture includes and the other member has to
sketch what is described. At the end of the game, both members compare the picture and the
drawing to see how similar they are. This game aims to improve verbal communication between
team members.
The Human Knot[edit]
The human knot is a team building activity where team members stand in a circle and grab hold of
the hands of other participants that are not immediately next to them. The objective is to unravel the
circle of entangled hands. This game, through the physical touch between team members, will allow
them to feel more comfortable with each other. Furthermore, this game can improve the verbal and
physical communication between team members and enable the team to identify which
communication process is the most effective within the team. [16]
What makes teams effective[edit]
Team effectiveness occurs when the team has appropriate goals to complete and the confidence to
accomplish those goals. Communication is also a large part of effectiveness in a team because in
order to accomplish tasks, the members must negotiate ideas and information. Another aspect of
effectiveness is reliability and trust. When overcoming the “storming” phase of the influential theory
by Tuckman, trust is established, and it leads to higher levels of team cohesion and effectiveness.
[17]
 If there is a conflict, effectiveness allows cohesion and the ability to overcome conflict. Specifically
in management teams, more weight falls on their shoulders because they have to direct and lead
other teams. Being effective is a main priority for the team or teams involved. Unlike nonmanagerial
teams, in which the focus is on a set of team tasks, management teams are effective only insofar as
they are accomplishing a high level of performance by a significant business unit or an entire firm.
[18]
 Having support from higher up position leaders can give teams insight on how to act and make
decisions, which improves their effectiveness as well.

Leadership styles in team management[edit]

Autocratic[edit]
Autocratic leaders make their own decisions without consulting employees or other team members.
They hold absolute authority over the team and team members are expected to obey and comply
with the decision that is made by the leader. Autocratic leaders use one way communication, which
is that they will instruct team members without expecting feedback in return. The benefit of this
leadership style is that decisions can be made quickly, especially if the team is in crisis, considering
the views of all team members will be time consuming and impractical. However, this can lead to
over dependency on the team leader as all decisions are made by him or her and it can also lead to
a low team morale as the input of team members are not valued. [19][20]

Democratic[edit]
Democratic leaders will consult with employees before proceeding to make a decision. Democratic
leaders will take on a two way communication approach where team members can provide input and
voice out their opinions aside from the team leader issuing instructions. Team leaders who take on
this leadership style will require excellent communication skills to express to the team members what
is expected of them and to respond to and understand their concerns. The benefit of this leadership
style is that team members will feel more valued, leading to an overall increase in productivity in the
team. However, a drawback is that since employees have a greater involvement in decision making
it might slow down the decision making process.[20][21]

Laissez-Faire[edit]
Laissez faire is a leadership style where the team leader will allow the team members to carry out
their duties on their own and at their own pace. There is little to no management and authority
implemented by the team leader. This style of leadership is applicable to product design or
advertising teams where flexibility and freedom provides a more suitable environment to stimulate
creativity and is expected to generate positive results. The benefit of this leadership style is that
team members who do not like to be controlled and closely monitored can prosper and fulfil their
potential as this is the environment in which they function best. The limitation of laissez faire is that
team members might make poor judgements due to a lack of supervision and they might not work as
hard because of the absence of a superior.[20]
Transactional[edit]
This type of leadership is the most common among the styles. The relationship between the leader
and team member is one of compliance, the team members do what is asked of by the manager. A
transactional leader uses rewards and punishments to gain compliance this from team members and
thus this leadership style produces solid but average results.[22]

See also
 Team management is the ability of an individual or an organization to administer and coordinate a
group of individuals to perform a task. Team management involves teamwork, communication,
objective setting and performance appraisals. Moreover, team management is the capability to
identify problems and resolve conflicts within a team. There are various methods and leadership
styles a team manager can take to increase personnel productivity and build an effective team. [1] In
the workplace teams can come in many shapes and sizes who all work together and depend on one
another. They communicate and all strive to accomplish a specific goal. Management teams are a
type of team that performs duties such as managing and advising other employees and teams that
work with them. Whereas work, parallel, and project teams hold the responsibility of direct
accomplishment of a goal, management teams are responsible for providing general direction and
assistance to those teams.[2]

Contents

 1Elements of a healthy and successful team

 o 1.1Cohesive leadership
o 1.2Effective communication
o 1.3Common goal
o 1.4Defined team roles and responsibilities
 2Methods of team management
o 2.1"Command and Control"
o 2.2"Engage and Create"
o 2.3"Econ 101"
 3Problems in team management
o 3.1Absence of trust
o 3.2Fear of conflict
o 3.3Lack of commitment
o 3.4Avoidance of accountability
o 3.5Inattention to results
 4Resolving problems through team management
o 4.1Building trust
o 4.2Appraisals
o 4.3Team building activities
 4.3.1Back to Back Drawing
 4.3.2The Human Knot
 4.3.3What makes teams effective
 5Leadership styles in team management
o 5.1Autocratic
o 5.2Democratic
o 5.3Laissez-Faire
o 5.4Transactional
 6See also
 7References

Elements of a healthy and successful team [edit]

Cohesive leadership[edit]
In any functional team, cohesion amongst team leaders and decision makers is vital. Cohesive
leadership means that team leaders are acting together as a unit and making decisions as a
leadership team instead of each branching off into their own work and operating individually. This will
ensure that the team will be steered in one direction instead of multiple due to team leaders not
being concise and consistent with their instructions. Cohesive leadership will require team leaders to
have strong communication skills. [3]

Effective communication[edit]
There must be an effective channel of communication from the top to the bottom of the chain of
command and vice versa. An effective channel of communication will allow messages to be
transferred accurately without delay to the intended recipient, this will speed up decision making
processes and the operations of the team. Furthermore, effective communication will increase the
flexibility of an organisation and cause it to be less susceptible to changes in the external
environment; as a faster decision making process will allow organisations a longer time period to
adapt to the changes and execute contingency plans. [3]
Common goal[edit]
When team members first come together they will all have different ideas, however the key to a
successful team is the alignment of objectives within the team. It is essential that the team leader
sets a common goal the entire team is willing to pursue. This way, all the team members will put in
effort in order to attain the goal. If there is not a common goal, team members who disagree with the
objective in hand will feel reluctant to utilise their full effort, leading to failure to achieve the goal. In
other cases, team members might divert themselves to other tasks due to a lack of belief or interest
in the goal.[4]

Defined team roles and responsibilities[edit]

Poorly defined roles is often the biggest obstacle to a successful Team. [5] If team members are
unclear of what their role is, their contributions towards the team will be minimal, therefore it is the
team leader's duty to outline the roles and responsibilities of each individual within the team and
ensure that the team is working together as an integral unit.
In a successful team, a team leader will first evaluate the mission of the team to understand what is
needed to accomplish the task. Then, they will identify the strengths and weaknesses of their team
members and assign roles accordingly. Lastly, they must ensure that all team members know what
each other's responsibilities are to avoid confusion and to create an effective channel of
communication.[6]
Individuals in a team can take on different roles that have their own unique responsibilities. A task-
oriented role occurs when the individual is offering new ideas, coordinating activities, or trying to find
new information to share with the team. A social-oriented role occurs when an individual is
encouraging the members of the team to be united. They also encourage participation and
communication. An individual role occurs when an individual blocks the team activities. They tend to
call attention to themselves and avoid interaction with others. Another occurrence is role conflict,
which is a situation where an individual faces divergent role expectation. This means they are being
pulled in various directions and hold different roles simultaneously.

Methods of team management[edit]

"Command and Control"[edit]
The method “Command and Control” as an approach to team management is based on the concept
of military management. “Command and Control” was a commonly used system in the private sector
during the 21th century.[7] In this method, the team leader instructs their team members to complete a
task and if they refuse, they will yell or punish them until they no longer refuse and comply with the
instructions. The team leader has absolute authority and utilises an autocratic leadership style.
There are considerable drawbacks to this team management method. Firstly, the team morale will
be lowered due to team members being constantly belittled by the team leader at the slightest
mistake; punishments will also lead to a lack of confidence in team members resulting in poor
performance. Second, in modern organisations roles are often specialised, therefore managers will
require the expertise of the employee, elevating the value of the employee. Implementing the
“Command and Control” team management method will lead to a high rate of employee turnover. In
addition, in large organisations managers don't have the time to provide instructions to all employees
and continuously monitor them, this will impede an organisations performance as managers are not
spending time on their core responsibilities.[8]

"Engage and Create"[edit]

Due to the limitations and ineffectiveness of “Command and Control”, managers developed an
alternative management strategy known as “Engage and Create”. In this method team members are
encouraged to participate in discussions and contribute. Furthermore, they are advised to engage
with other team members to build a stronger sense of teamwork and unity. This will lead to
increased productivity and accountability of each team member, driving the team towards success. [7]

"Econ 101"[edit]
In the “Econ 101” method of team management, the team leader makes the baseline assumption
that all team members are motivated by reward in the form of money, and that the best way to
manage the team is to provide financial rewards for performance and issue punishments for failure.
This method of team management uses material gains in the place of intrinsic motivation to drive
team members. This is similar to Taylor's theory of Scientific Management where he claims the main
form of motivation for employees is money.[9][10] The main drawback of this method is that it does not
take into account other forms of motivation besides money such as personal satisfaction and
ambition. Moreover, by using reward and punishment as a method of team management it can
cause demotivation as everyone is motivated by different factors and there is no one way to satisfy
all team members, the negative effect is further compounded by punishment leading to
demoralisation and loss of confidence. [8]

Problems in team management[edit]

Absence of trust[edit]
In Patrick Lencioni's book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, the absence of vulnerability-based trust
– where team members are comfortable being vulnerable with each other, trust each other to help
when asking for guidance, and are willing to admit their mistakes – within a team is detrimental to a
team. Team leaders have to assist each other when they are vulnerable and also allow team
members to see their vulnerable side, which is contradictory to the orthodox belief. If a team lacks
vulnerability based trust, team members will not be willing to share ideas or acknowledge their faults
due to the fear of being exposed as incompetent, leading to a lack of communication and the
hindering of the team.[11][12][13]

Fear of conflict[edit]
Contrary to the general belief, conflict is a positive element in a team as it drives discussion. The
fear of conflict is the fear of team members to argue with one another and the fear of disagreeing
with the team leader. If team members hold back and are afraid of confronting the leader or their
teammates, then the concept of a team is non-existent because there is only one person who
contributes and no new ideas are generated from discussions. [11]
The fear of conflict in a team stems from an absence of trust, more specifically vulnerability based
trust. If team members are afraid to be vulnerable in front of one another, disputes can be
manipulative and a means to overthrow and shame the other team member. However, if team
members trust each other and are comfortable being vulnerable in front of one another, then
debates can be a pursuit of a better and more effective method to achieve a task. [11][12][13]

Lack of commitment[edit]
When team members don't provide input on a decision, it shows that they do not agree or approve of
the decision, leading to a halt in team activity and progress. Furthermore, when team members don't
express their opinions, views and potential ideas are lost, hurting the project and the company. [11][13]

Avoidance of accountability[edit]
The avoidance of accountability in a team is the failure of team members to be accountable for the
consequences of their actions. When team members do not commit to a decision, they will be
unwilling to take responsibility for the outcomes of the decision. [11]
In addition, if a lack of trust exists within the team then there will be an absence of peer to peer
accountability; team members will not feel accountable towards their team members and hence will
not put effort into their tasks. The team must trust and hold each other responsible so that the
intention will always be for the benefit of the team and for the team to succeed. [11]
Team leaders who are afraid of confrontation might avoid holding team members accountable when
in fact they have made a mistake. Team leaders must develop the confidence to hold team members
accountable so that they will feel the sense of responsibility and entitlement to the team, and learn
from their mistakes. If not, then errors will not be corrected and might lead to worse problems,
causing a defective team.[11][13][14]

Inattention to results[edit]
If team leaders and team members do not hold each other accountable then they will not be
concerned about the outcome of the team and whether they have achieved their goal, as they do not
have a drive to obtain great results. Inattention to results causes a loss of purpose and brings into
question the existence of the team.[11]

Resolving problems through team management [edit]

Building trust[edit]
An approach to resolving fundamental trust problems within teams is to build trust amongst team
members. A team leader can build trust by persuading team members to ask questions and seek
guidance from other team members, so that they are more familiar and comfortable in being
vulnerable with one another, questions such as “May you teach me how to do this” or “You are better
than me at this”. However, in order to achieve vulnerability based trust within the team the team
leader must be vulnerable first, if the team leader is unwilling to be vulnerable, nobody else in the
team will be willing to follow.[11]

Appraisals[edit]
Appraisals can be a way for team members to provide feedback to one another or for team members
to provide advice to the leader. This will allow individual members of the team to reflect on their
performance and aim to do better by amending their mistakes; furthermore appraisals create an
environment where the chain of command is non-existent and team members can be honest
towards one another. This is effective in a way that the team can provide progressive feedback
towards other members and can advise the leader on how he or she can improve their leadership.
After each member reads their appraisals, they will understand how they can strive to improve,
benefitting the team in reaching its objectives. The commonly used forms of appraisals
are performance appraisals, peer appraisals and 360 degree feedback.[15]

Team building activities[edit]

Team-building activities are a series of simple exercises involving teamwork and communication.
The main objectives of team building activities are to increase the trust amongst team members and
allow team members to better understand one another. When choosing or designing team building
activities it is best to determine if your team needs an event or an experience. Generally an event is
fun, quick and easily done by non-professionals. Team building experiences provide richer, more
meaningful results. Experiences should be facilitated by a professional on an annual basis for teams
that are growing, or changing.
Back to Back Drawing[edit]
Back to back drawing is a team building activity where two members of a team sit back to back. One
member is given a picture while the other is given a blank piece of paper. The member with the
picture has to describe to the other member what the picture includes and the other member has to
sketch what is described. At the end of the game, both members compare the picture and the
drawing to see how similar they are. This game aims to improve verbal communication between
team members.
The Human Knot[edit]
The human knot is a team building activity where team members stand in a circle and grab hold of
the hands of other participants that are not immediately next to them. The objective is to unravel the
circle of entangled hands. This game, through the physical touch between team members, will allow
them to feel more comfortable with each other. Furthermore, this game can improve the verbal and
physical communication between team members and enable the team to identify which
communication process is the most effective within the team. [16]
What makes teams effective[edit]
Team effectiveness occurs when the team has appropriate goals to complete and the confidence to
accomplish those goals. Communication is also a large part of effectiveness in a team because in
order to accomplish tasks, the members must negotiate ideas and information. Another aspect of
effectiveness is reliability and trust. When overcoming the “storming” phase of the influential theory
by Tuckman, trust is established, and it leads to higher levels of team cohesion and effectiveness.
[17]
 If there is a conflict, effectiveness allows cohesion and the ability to overcome conflict. Specifically
in management teams, more weight falls on their shoulders because they have to direct and lead
other teams. Being effective is a main priority for the team or teams involved. Unlike nonmanagerial
teams, in which the focus is on a set of team tasks, management teams are effective only insofar as
they are accomplishing a high level of performance by a significant business unit or an entire firm.
[18]
 Having support from higher up position leaders can give teams insight on how to act and make
decisions, which improves their effectiveness as well.

Leadership styles in team management[edit]

Autocratic[edit]
Autocratic leaders make their own decisions without consulting employees or other team members.
They hold absolute authority over the team and team members are expected to obey and comply
with the decision that is made by the leader. Autocratic leaders use one way communication, which
is that they will instruct team members without expecting feedback in return. The benefit of this
leadership style is that decisions can be made quickly, especially if the team is in crisis, considering
the views of all team members will be time consuming and impractical. However, this can lead to
over dependency on the team leader as all decisions are made by him or her and it can also lead to
a low team morale as the input of team members are not valued. [19][20]

Democratic[edit]
Democratic leaders will consult with employees before proceeding to make a decision. Democratic
leaders will take on a two way communication approach where team members can provide input and
voice out their opinions aside from the team leader issuing instructions. Team leaders who take on
this leadership style will require excellent communication skills to express to the team members what
is expected of them and to respond to and understand their concerns. The benefit of this leadership
style is that team members will feel more valued, leading to an overall increase in productivity in the
team. However, a drawback is that since employees have a greater involvement in decision making
it might slow down the decision making process.[20][21]
Laissez-Faire[edit]
Laissez faire is a leadership style where the team leader will allow the team members to carry out
their duties on their own and at their own pace. There is little to no management and authority
implemented by the team leader. This style of leadership is applicable to product design or
advertising teams where flexibility and freedom provides a more suitable environment to stimulate
creativity and is expected to generate positive results. The benefit of this leadership style is that
team members who do not like to be controlled and closely monitored can prosper and fulfil their
potential as this is the environment in which they function best. The limitation of laissez faire is that
team members might make poor judgements due to a lack of supervision and they might not work as
hard because of the absence of a superior.[20]

Transactional[edit]
This type of leadership is the most common among the styles. The relationship between the leader
and team member is one of compliance, the team members do what is asked of by the manager. A
transactional leader uses rewards and punishments to gain compliance this from team members and
thus this leadership style produces solid but average results.[22]

See also
Features of Management
Management is an activity concerned with guiding human and physical resources such that
organizational goals can be achieved. Nature of management can be highlighted as: -
1. Management is Goal-Oriented: The success of any management activity is assessed by its
achievement of the predetermined goals or objective. Management is a purposeful activity.
It is a tool which helps use of human & physical resources to fulfill the pre-determined goals.
For example, the goal of an enterprise is maximum consumer satisfaction by producing
quality goods and at reasonable prices. This can be achieved by employing efficient persons
and making better use of scarce resources.
2. Management integrates Human, Physical and Financial Resources: In an organization,
human beings work with non-human resources like machines. Materials, financial assets,
buildings etc. Management integrates human efforts to those resources. It brings harmony
among the human, physical and financial resources.
3. Management is Continuous: Management is an ongoing process. It involves continuous
handling of problems and issues. It is concerned with identifying the problem and taking
appropriate steps to solve it. E.g. the target of a company is maximum production. For
achieving this target various policies have to be framed but this is not the end. Marketing
and Advertising is also to be done. For this policies have to be again framed. Hence this is an
ongoing process.
4. Management is all Pervasive: Management is required in all types of organizations
whether it is political, social, cultural or business because it helps and directs various efforts
towards a definite purpose. Thus clubs, hospitals, political parties, colleges, hospitals,
business firms all require management. When ever more than one person is engaged in
working for a common goal, management is necessary. Whether it is a small business firm
which may be engaged in trading or a large firm like Tata Iron & Steel, management is
required everywhere irrespective of size or type of activity.
5. Management is a Group Activity: Management is very much less concerned with
individual’s efforts. It is more concerned with groups. It involves the use of group effort to
achieve predetermined goal of management of ABC & Co. is good refers to a group of
persons managing the enterprise.
As to the knowledge I have gained there are four main components of any management
process:

1. Planning

2. Controlling

3. Organizing

4. Directing
But according to me all the above4 are useless if not aimed for the5th process and that
is...

5. Delivering

All these components are goal-oriented designed to achieve SMART goals that can be
successful. 

Remember, No goal in the hand then there is no need of management. In other words,
we need management when we have some goals to be achieved. A manager on the
basis of his knowledge and experience tries to achieve the goals which are already
decided. Hence, nothing is wrong to say that management is a goal-oriented process
and for an Organisation to be term them-self as Goals Oriented Management they
should be best in3 important Management Functions of the Organisation/Business
which are "POW" - People, Operation and Work.

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Everything you need to know about the features and characteristics of
management. To understand the nature of management, it is essential to know
the features or characteristics of management.
As rightly explained by Peter Drucker, “Without Institution there is no
management. But without Management there is no Institution,” it is clear that
Management becomes the specific organ of performance and survival of the
institutions.
Some of the features of management are:-

ADVERTISEMENTS:

1. Art as well as Science 2. Management is Goal Oriented 3. Management is a

Continuous Process 4. Organised Activities 5. Management is a Factor of
Production 6. Management as a System of Activity 7. Management is a Discipline
8. Management is a Purposeful Activity

9. Management is a Distinct Entity 10. Management Aims at Maximising Profit

11. Decision-Making 12. Management is a Profession 13. Universal Application 14.
Management is Getting Thing Done 15. Management as a Class or a Team 16.
Management as a Career 17. Dynamic and a Few Others.

Learn about the Features and Characteristics of Management

Features of Management – Art as well as Science, Management
is an Activity, Management is a Continuous Process, Organised
Activities, Decision-Making and a Few Others
Feature # 1. Art as well as Science:
Management is both an art and a science. It is an art in the sense of possessing of
managing skill by a person. In another sense, management is the science because
of developing certain principles or laws which are applicable in a place where a
group of activities are co-ordinated.
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Feature # 2. Management is an Activity:

Management is the process of activity relating to the effective utilisation of
available resources for production. The term ‘resources’ includes men, money,
materials and machine in the organisation.
Feature # 3. Management is a Continuous Process:
The process of management mainly consists of planning, organising, directing
and controlling the resources. The resources (men and money) of an organisation
should be used to the best advantages of the organisation and the objectives to be
achieved. The management function of any one alone cannot produce any results
in the absence of any other basic functions of Management. So, management is a
continuous process.
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Feature # 4. Management Achieving Pre-Determined Objectives:

The objectives of an organisation are clearly laid down. Every managerial activity
results in the achievement of objectives fixed well in advance.
Feature # 5. Organised Activities:
Management is a group of organised activities. A group is formed not only in a
public limited company but also in an ordinary club. All the organisations have
their own objectives. These objectives will be achieved only by a group of persons.
These persons’ activities should be organised in a systematic way to achieve the
objectives. The objectives cannot be achieved without any organised activities.
Feature # 6. Management is a Factor of Production:
The factor of production includes land, labour, capital and entrepreneurs. Here,
land refers to a place where production is carried on. Labour refers to the paid
employees of the organisation who are working in different levels as – skilled,
unskilled, semi-skilled, manager, supervisor and the like. Capital refers to the
working capital as in the form of cash, raw materials and finished goods and fixed
capital as in the form of plant facilities and production facilities. These land,
labour and capital could not realise the organisation’s goals.
The organisation goals are achieved only when these are effectively co-ordinated
by the entrepreneur. An individual can do such type of job as in the case of small
businesses. In the case of big sized business units, co-ordination job is done by
the management. So, management is also treated as one of the factors of
production.
According to Peter F. Drucker, “Whatever rapid economic and social
development took place after World War II, it occurred as a result of systematic
and purposeful work of developing managers and management. Development is a
matter of human energies rather than of economic wealth and the generation of
human energies is the task of management. Management is the mover and
development is a consequence”.
Feature # 7. Management as a System of Activity:
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A system may be defined as a set of component parts working as a whole.

Authority may be defined as a right to command others for getting a particular
course of organisational work done.
Individuals are the foundation stones of the management. An individual has
some goals as a member of the organisation. There may be a conflict between his
own goals and the management’s expectations from that individual. Such conflict
is resolved by the management by ensuring balance between individual goals and
organisational expectations.
Authority is vested with many persons to take decisions and influence the
behaviour of the sub-ordinates. The very purpose of using the authority is to
check and control the behaviour of the sub-ordinates. The sources of authority
rest with superiors as given in the organisation chart and social norms. The
utilisation of authority is based on the personality factors of the user and the
behaviour of a person over whom it is used.
Feature # 8. Management is a Discipline:
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The boundaries of management are not exact as those of any other physical
sciences. It may be increased by the continuous discovery of many more aspects
of business enterprise. So, the management status as a discipline is also increased
in the same manner.
Feature # 9. Management is a Purposeful Activity:
Management is concerned with achievement of objectives of an organisation.
These objectives are achieved through the functions of planning, organising,
staffing, directing, controlling and decision-making. The organisational
objectives are clearly defined and explained to every employee.
Feature # 10. Management is a Distinct Entity:
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Management is distinct from its functional activities. The functions have the
nature of “to do” but the management has the nature of “how to get things done”.
A manager requires some amount of skill and knowledge to get work done.
Feature # 11. Management Aims at Maximising Profit:
The available resources are properly utilised to get desired results. The results
should be the maximising profit or increasing profit by the economic function of
a manager.
Feature # 12. Decision-Making:
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There are a number of decisions taken by the management every day. Decision
making arises only when there is availability of alternative courses of action. If
there is only one course of action, need for decision-making does not arise. The
quality of decision taken by the manager determines the organisations’
performance. The success or failure of an organisation depends upon the degree
of right decision taken by the manager.
Feature # 13. Management is a Profession:
Management is a profession because it possesses the qualities of a profession. A
fund of knowledge is imparted and transferred in this profession and the same is
followed by management. The established principles of management are applied
in practice.
Feature # 14. Universal Application:
The principles and practices of management are applicable not to any particular
industry alone but applicable to every type of industry. The practice of
management is different from one organisation to another according to their
nature.
Feature # 15. Management is Getting Thing Done:
A manager does not actually perform the work but he gets things done by others.
According to Knootz and O’Donnel, “management is the art of getting things
done through and with people in formally organised groups.”
Feature # 16. Management as a Class or a Team:
A class may be defined as a group of people having homogenous characteristics to
achieve common objectives. Engineers and doctors are grouped as a class in a
society. Each and every doctor has the same objectives in life. Just like engineers
and doctors, the management people have got similar aspirations to achieve
corporate objectives.
Feature # 17. Management as a Career:
Now-a-days, management is developed as a career focused on certain
specialisation. Financial Management, Cash Management, Portfolio
Management, Marketing Management, Personnel Management, Industrial
Management and Business Management are some of the specialisations of
management. Specialists are appointed in the key posts of top management.
Feature # 18. Direction and Control:
A manager can direct his sub-ordinates in the performance of a work and control
them whenever necessary. If the available resources are not utilised properly by
him, he fails to achieve the corporate objectives in the absence of direction and
control. Generally, the direction and control deals with the activities of human
effort.
Feature # 19. Dynamic:
The management is not static. In the fast developing business world, new
techniques are developed and adopted by the management. Management is
changed according to the social change. The social change is the result of the
changing business world.
Feature # 20. Management is Needed at All Levels:
The functions of management are common to all levels of organisation. The top
executives perform the functions of planning, organising, directing, controlling
and decision making. The same functions are also performed by the lower level
supervisor.
Feature # 21. Leadership Quality:
Leadership quality is developed in the persons who are working in the top level
management. According to R.C. Davis, “Management is the function of executive
leadership everywhere.”

Features of Management – 9 Salient Features of Management:

Management is Goal Oriented, Management is Universal,
Management is Intangible and a Few Others
The salient features of management are as follows:
1. Management is Goal Oriented:
Achievement of specific objectives is very important feature of the management.
It is a means towards the accomplishment of pre – determined goals and
objectives. Without goals management has no justification to exist. Each and
every activity of management is goal oriented. The success of management is
measured by the extent to which the pre – determined goals are achieved.
2. Management is Universal:
Management is required in each and every form of the organisation. It is
practiced in Family, Club, Government, and Army and business organisation. The
fundamental principles of management are applicable in all areas of organisation.
Managers perform the same basic functions at all levels. Thus management is
universal which is found at everywhere in the organisation.
3. Management is a Continuous Process:
Management is not a onetime activity but it takes place continuously in the
organisation. There is the requirement of continuous effort to achieve the
organizational goals; therefore, management is a continuous process.
4. Management is Intangible:
Management cannot be visible or it cannot be felt in real sense. Only the result of
management can be observed by comparing a well-managed organisation with a
poorly managed organisation.
5. Management is a Social Process:
Management is known as a social process due to the presence of the interpersonal
relations. Human factor is the most important factor in management because; it
is governed by social values, culture and beliefs. It is a function that not only
transforms the society but also preserves the society and promotes its interest in
future.
6. Management is Multidisciplinary:
Management concerns with human behavior under dynamic conditions. The
knowledge and skill required for management is derive from the several
disciplines like Sociology, Psychology, Engineering, Economics, Anthropology,
Mathematics etc. Therefore, management is called a multidisciplinary
experience.
7. Management is Situational:
There are so many ways of doing things and which way will be suitable, it
depends upon situation. Sometimes it happens that management is not using the
best way of doing things due to the situation. The situational differences must be
taken into account by successful managers.
8. Management is a Group Effort:
The individual efforts are coordinated into the team. A single person cannot
undertake the management. All the managerial activities like goal setting, making
plans and policies, implementation and controlling are the coordinated effort of a
group of people that envisions future of the organisation.
9. Management is an Executive Function:
The direction and control of the activities of people to attain pre-determined
objectives are concerned with the management. Management is also known as a
technique by which the objectives of a human group are determined, clarified and
accomplished.

Features of Management – With Examples

Feature # 1. Management is a Goal-Oriented Process:
Effective management aims to unite efforts of all individuals to achieve
organisational goals. Therefore, it is important that each organisation must have
simple, clearly stated and achievable goals.
Example – Every business organisation has an aim to earn maximum profits. To
achieve this, the management should conduct market research to find out
demand for their product and plan the production accordingly. The production
manager must target to produce goods at minimum cost, whereas a sales
manager must sell goods with a goal to increase the market share.
Feature # 2. Management is all Pervasive:
Management being pervasive means it is felt everywhere and is followed by one
and all. Each and every organisation, be it business or non-business, requires
managing of financial and non-financial activities of the enterprise however the
manner in which the activities are managed may differ from enterprise to
enterprise and country to country due to differences in culture, tradition and
history.
Example – A housewife manages her family, a teacher manages his/her class, a
principal manages his/her school, a CEO manages his/her business organisation,
and a Prime Minister manages his /her country. Therefore, management is
widespread, required everywhere and for each activity.
Feature # 3. Management is Multi-Dimensional:
Management is not specific to a task or an activity. Management includes
managing work, people and operations of an enterprise so that the organisation
achieves its goals. With the help of management, an enterprise plans the process
of getting work done, organises the means to transform inputs into desired
output for consumption and controls the people performing the task.
It includes taking decisions, solving problems, dealing with employees as
individuals and as a group to make their strengths effective and weaknesses
irrelevant. Thus, management has various dimensions and tasks to perform.
Example – Director of M/s Stayfit For Ever, Mr. Ramkiran has the overall
responsibility of placing orders, meeting customers’ demand, guiding the sales
team to achieve their targets, maintaining work culture in the organisation etc.
Thus, he is managing business at various dimensions using diverse strategies.
Feature # 4. Management is a Continuous Process:
Management is an ongoing and never-ending process. Each activity for its
effective completion needs to be managed until its completion. All managers
constantly and simultaneously perform all functions of management i.e.,
planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling but of course, the degree
of importance for each function may differ from time to time.
Examples –
i. A sales manager may spend more time planning and staffing during the launch
of a new product but at the same time, he does organise his current orders, direct
his sales team and solve customers’ problems. On the other hand, while doing
routine business he may spend more time on directing and controlling his sales
team as compared to planning.
ii. The farewell party you organised required management right from the day the
date of the party was announced until the day it was actually hosted. Each and
every activity had to be managed from the start to finish. Initially it must have
involved more of planning and organising but later on it must have involved more
of coordinating and controlling.
Feature # 5. Management is a Group Activity:
An organisation achieves its goals with the help of diverse individuals working as
a group. To make sure that each individual works towards the common goal it is a
must to see that they work as a team and all individual efforts are well
coordinated. Effective management provides opportunities to individuals to grow
and fulfill their aspirations and as a result is able to get the best out of each
individual.
Examples –
i. A sales manager of an enterprise is assisted by sales executives to achieve the
sales targets set by the company owners. The sales manager manages all the
executives as a team and at the same time, he manages each executive to
strengthen his/her selling skills.
ii. The farewell party required you to manage and coordinate not only the heads
of each team but also everyone involved as an individual or as part of a team.
Feature # 6. Management is a Dynamic Function:
In order to be successful each enterprise has to positively respond to the changes
in the external and internal environment, which may be due to social, economic
or political factors. Thus, the management cannot follow traditional techniques;
instead it adapts to the changes and prepares strategies to achieve the best in the
given circumstances.
Example – A Korean company sells its products to various countries. It cannot
follow the same price for each country due to difference in demands and
expectations. Thus, they always have different plans for different countries to
promote sales. Sometimes they formulate different strategies to meet the
changing demands of the same country.
Feature # 7. Management is an Intangible Force:
Management can be felt and experienced but not seen. If a company enables its
employees to meet their targets, keeps its stakeholders satisfied and eventually
achieve its goals effectively, it is said to be efficiently managed. Thus, the effect of
management is noticeable from the manner in which an enterprise functions.
Examples –
i. Rama Enterprises is running into losses from last two years. It has lost most of
its important customers to its competitors mainly because of the indifferent
attitude of its employees. Employees do not come to office on time, take leave
without giving any notice. No action is taken against employees because the boss
Mr. Rohit Kumar himself comes late to office. Thus, there is too much chaos and
indiscipline in the office. The ill management of business is easily noticeable.
ii. Mr. Mahajan, the owner of SVG Textiles always reaches his office much before
his employees and holds meetings with all department heads regularly. It is the
office policy that customer’s orders or complaints must be handled within two
working days. He periodically analyses employees’ performances as individuals
and as a team to make sure that business achieves its targets. The company has
achieved 150% growth as compared to last year only because of effective and
efficient management.

Features of Management – 10 Important Features of

Management
The following describe the nature and features of management:
1. Management is a Social Process:
Social process refers to the series of activities that are performed in the Society.
These activities are carried out by administrators, politicians, economists,
housewives, parents, doctors, lawyers and so on. Management is an integral part
of social process. Management helps everyone to carry out the activities in the
society effectively.
To refer to an institution which is very well run, it is said that, the management of
this institution is said to be very good. Here management is viewed as a function.
In other words, management is a process of certain managerial functions in every
organisation. It is a social process in particular because managers, at all levels,
work with and through people.
2. Management also denotes a ‘Body of People’ Involved in Decision-
Making:
When an institution is very well run, it is said that the management of that
institution takes personal interest in the institution. Here, management denotes a
body of people involved in decision-making.
3. Management is Omnipresent and Universal Successful
Organisations:
Show that management principles apply to every kind of organisation and also to
every level in it. Hence, it is called omnipresent and universal.
4. It is an Inexact Science:
Management principles are not like those in science or maths where things are
fairly clear or exact. Hence, they cannot be generalised precisely.
5. It is Complex:
Management functions are complex. They call for a fairly professional approach
to manage a given situation or organisation.
6. Management is Situational in Nature:
The same style of management cannot work for the same situation every time.
The change in the situation may call for a change in the style of functioning of the
manager. Similarly, at different points of time also, the style of functioning can be
different.
7. Management is an Art and also a Science:
There is considerable discussion on whether management is an art or science. An
art is personal skill or deftful handling of business affairs. Art is characterised by
practical knowledge, personal creativity, and skill. The more one practices an art,
the more professional one becomes.
Management can be considered as an art because it satisfies all these criteria of
an art. The management skills are highly individual-oriented and can be
sharpened with more training and practice. There is a lot of scope to apply
creativity in the context of managing the affairs of a business organisation. Thus,
management is an art.
A science is a systematised body of knowledge of facts. It can establish cause-and-
effect relationships among various factors. It involves basic principles, which are
capable of universal application. It also helps to predict the future events.
Management satisfies all these criteria to be considered as a ‘science’.
It is a systematic body of knowledge, its principles are universally acceptable, and
it stands for logical reasoning, scientific testing and inquiry. It also establishes
cause-and-effect relationship between the given factors. It explains what happens
if the employees are not paid salaries on time.
Thus, science and art are not mutually exclusive but are complementary to each
other. Science and art are two sides of the same coin. Those who learn
management principles and contemporary practices in an organised way will
have a far better opportunity to design a feasible solution to a given managerial
problem.
Mere knowledge of science will not assure results because one must know how to
apply them. Here comes the role of art or skill. Hence, management is considered
more as both an art and a science.
8. Management is a Profession:
Profession refers to a vocation or a branch of advanced learning such as
engineering or medicine. Management helps to carry out every profession in a
scientific manner. The managers are professional in their approach and are
governed by code of ethics. If the manager violates the code of conduct, he can be
dismissed from the organisation.
9. Management is Inter-Disciplinary:
The subject of management is heavily dependent on other disciplines, and the
techniques of management are built around the techniques drawn from these
subjects. The manager uses extensively for instance, the theories of consumption
and production from Economics; linear programming, PERT and CPM from
Operations Research; probability theories, correlation and regression techniques
from Statistics; theories of group behaviour from Sociology; theories of individual
behaviour from Psychology, the tools of decision-making such as matrices,
calculus, integration, and differentiation from Mathematics.
10. Manager has Four Types of Resources – the Four M’s:
Men, money, materials, and machines are the four types of resources the
manager has to manage. However, this list is only inclusive.

Features of Management – 23 Unique Features of Management:

Management is an Activity, Management is a Social Process,
Management is a Science and a Few Others
Following are the unique features of management:
Feature # 1. Management is an Activity:
Management is an activity which is concerned with the efficient use of human
and non-human resources of production. It is the driving force that inspires an
undertakings knit it into an entity and create the conditions and relationship
which bring about full use of its power and resources.
Feature # 2. Management is a Purposeful Activity:
Management deals with the achievement of some clearly defined objectives. The
purpose of manufacturing enterprise is to profitably manufacture products for
satisfying the consumers. For this purpose, management organises plans, directs
and controls and enterprise. There may be certain other goals also. Managerial
success is commonly considered by the extent to which these objectives are
achieved.
Feature # 3. Management is a Social Process:
All business organisations are social organisations as they are constituted of men.
The management has to control, organise and motivate them. It can improve
their lives and create a favourable climate for their development. Because of these
social organisations, which produce variety of products, the standard of living of
society is concerned.
Feature # 4. Management is a Science:
Now-a-days the science of management is universally accepted as a wide and
distinct discipline. It has assumed professional character. That is why managerial
effectiveness requires the use of certain knowledge, skill and practice. There are
certain fundamental concepts, theories, tools and techniques which constitute the
subject matter of this social science.
They are communicable hence being taught to would-be managers in the schools
of management. There are definite principles of management. It is a science
because by the application of these principles predetermined objectives can be
achieved.
Management is also a social science. It is supposed to be the Behavioural science
of in exact nature. Its principles and theories are situation bound despite the fact
that a large number of theories and principles of management that have been
established their applicability may not necessarily lead to the same result. The
process of management is very much related with the behaviour of people at work
and their behaviour cannot be predicted in exact manner.
So the limitations of social sciences are there with science of management. But
with the introduction of quantitative tools in the field of decision-making,
management is growing as science. It has an organised body of knowledge having
its own nature. It can be communicated to new-comers also through formal
training. To conclude we can say that management is a social science having its
own approach and dynamics in different work situations.
Feature # 5. Management is an Art:
Management is an art of getting things done through people. Managers must
possess this art. Artistically, managers get the things done through people. Art is
the best way of doing things. Art is concerned with the exercise of the know-how
for the effective accomplishment of desired results. As a matter of fact the process
of managing is a fine art, as it is concerned with the application of the principles,
keeping in view the real life situations.
The same process is followed in a repetitive manner and the practice is moulded
according to the experiences after applying the set body of knowledge. Design
and redesign of systems continue until the managers find a proper solution and
desire results. So the art management is also creative. It develops new situations
new designs and new systems needed for further improvement.
But there is not, one best way of managing. Every manager has his individual
approach and technique in solving problems. One of the scholars has very aptly
said that ‘business’ is the oldest of the arts and youngest of the sciences.
Feature # 6. Management is Associated with Effort of a Group:
Management is the management of people and not the direction of things.
Business activities are group activities. Management is a directive activity aiming
at the effectiveness of collective human effort. A good management inspires them
and increases their willingness to work.
Feature # 7. Management is Getting the Things Done:
A manager does not do any operating work himself. He gets the work done by,
with and through the people. He has to direct them and develop their talent by
adopting technical, human and psychology skills.
Feature # 8. Management is an Intangible Force:
Management is not an abstract thing. It is a social which cannot be seen with the
eyes but it is evidence by the quality and level of the organisation.
Feature # 9. Management is to Achieve the Predetermined Objectives
of the Organisation:
Whatever objectives are determined by the business organisation they are
achieved by the management only. Every managerial activity has certain
objectives, which should be expressible in spoken words or in writing or implied.
These objectives, if determined by administration without the positive help of the
management, cannot be achieved at all.
Feature # 10. Management is an Integrating Process:
Management is an integrating process in the sense, it integrates the men,
machine and material to carry out the operations of the enterprise. This
integration process is result oriented.
Feature # 11. Management Aims at Maximisation of Profits:
Management is meant for optimum utilisation of human and non-human
resources which ultimately results in maximisation of profits to the organisation.
It is the expectation of the owners from management, to bring desired results for
the organisation. Rational utilisation of available resources to maximise the profit
is the economic function of management.
Feature # 12. Management is a Must for Group Activity:
When the activities are carried out by an individual, himself it is not that difficult
to manage them. But whenever the activities are carried on by a group of
individuals, management is a must for carrying on the activities.
Without management, group activities may not be started at a right time and
finished at the right time, Management plans, organises, co-ordinates, directs
and controls the group efforts, for achieving the enterprise goals. Management is
always concerned with the group efforts and not individual efforts.
Feature # 13. Management is Separated from Ownership:
It is one of the important features of the joint stock company, that management is
separated from ownership. This only means that owners and managers are not
the same persons. Owners are not managers and managers are not owners. In
modern times there is a separation of management from ownership.
Today’s big corporations are owned by a vast number of shareholders scattered
throughout the world, while their management is in the hands of qualified and
competent managers who normally do not possess ownership interest in the
enterprise.
Feature # 14. Management is a Universal Activity:
Managing involves getting things done through and with the people.
Management means getting things done skilfully from others. Managers perform
the same functions regardless of their place in the organisation structure or the
type of enterprise in which they are engaged. The techniques and tools of
management are universally applicable.
Feature # 15. Management is a Profession:
In modern days management is a profession like other recognised professions.
Even management, is based on certain principles and theories, and their
application in practice is becoming a must.
Feature # 16. Management has a Separate Identity:
Management is an art and science of getting things done through and with
people. Yet their identity as thinkers is quite different from the identity of the
doers. Administrators and managers are doers or executors. As an executors they
are having a separate identity.
Feature # 17. Dynamic Principle of Management:
Management changes according to the changes arising within and out of
organisation. Management is an adjustable element. It, not only, adopts itself
according to social changes, but also introduces innovation in techniques of
getting things done.
Feature # 18. Management-Need of Organisation:
Managements achieves the predetermined objectives of the organisation with the
help of organisation. Organisation works as a tool for management for desired
results.
Feature # 19. Management is Needed at Different Levels of
Organisation:
According to the size and nature of business enterprise, either three or five levels
of management are required. If the business enterprise is small only three or two
levels of management are required e.g. top level. Middle level and Lower level of
management. If the business enterprise is large enough then top level, upper top
level, middle level, upper middle level and lower level of management may be
required. It simply means that, management is essential at different levels of
organisation.
Feature # 20. Management is also Characterised by the Quality of
Leadership:
Every manager must possess the quality of leadership. A person who does not
have quality of leadership cannot become a manager. According to R. C. Davis
management is the function of executive leadership everywhere.
Feature # 21. Management is a System of Authority:
Management having special skills activates it for achieving the objectives of the
organisation, making the organisation profitable, keeping the organisation going ,
its smooth running, making the organisation successful, getting the suitable type
of people to execute the operations is the significant aspect of management.
Perfection in this skill can be achieved only after practice, called as experience.
There is a great demand for skilled and experienced managers.
Thus we see that management is so complex that our mind cannot catch all its
specialties at the same moment. In nutshell, it is such a social and technical
process that comprises a series of actions that leads to the accomplishment of
objectives. It is such a function of an enterprise which concerns itself with the
direction and control of the various activities to attain the business objectives.
It is the dynamic life giving element in every business, without its leadership the
resources of the production remain mere resources and are never converted into
production.
Feature # 22. Management Makes Things Happen:
Managers focus their attention and efforts in bringing about successful action.
They know where to start, what to do to keep things moving and how to follow
through. Successful managers have an urge for accomplishment. Management is
acceptable because things are accomplished through them.
Feature # 23. Management is an Outstanding Means for Exerting Real
Impact upon Human Life:
A manager can do much to improve the work environment, to stimulate people to
do better things and to make favourable actions take place. Frustrations, and
disappointment need not be accepted at face value and passively viewed as
inevitable. A manager can achieve progress, can bring hope and can help the
group members to achieve better things in life.
All the characteristics as mentioned above, certainly, help us in understanding
the real meaning of the term Management.

Features of Management – 10 Basics Characteristics of

Management
To understand the nature of management, it is essential to know the features or
characteristics of management.
The basic characteristics of management are as follows:
Characteristics # 1. Management is Goal-Oriented:
The purpose of management is to achieve the goals of the organisation. For
instance, management of a business aims at satisfaction of customers, earning of
profits and increasing the goodwill and image of the business. There is no need of
management if there are no pre-determined goals or objectives. The success of
management is judged by the extent to which organisational goals are achieved.
The basic purpose of management is to achieve maximum efficiency of the
organisation.
Characteristics # 2. Management is a Continuous Process:
Management is a continuous process, i.e., its functions are repeated time and
again. Management does not stop anywhere. It is an ongoing process of planning
the activities and execution of plans through organising, staffing, directing and
controlling.
Characteristics # 3. Management is a Coordinative Force:
The essence of management is the coordination or integration of human and
other resources for effective performance. It brings together physical and
financial resources and leads the human resources for the efficient use of non-
human resources. All these resources are properly organised and divided into
various work-units for the purpose of achieving greater coordination.
Management acts as a catalytic agent in getting maximum productivity.
Characteristics # 4. Management is an Intangible Force:
Management has been called the unseen force. Its presence is evident by the
results of its efforts—orderliness, informed employees, buoyant spirit and higher
output. Thus, feeling of management is results are apparently known. People
often comment on the effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of management on the
basis of the end results although they cannot observe it during operation.
Characteristics # 5. Management is a Part of Group Effort:
Management is an integral part of any group activity. It is essential to undertake
any organised activity. It involves the use of group efforts in the pursuit of well-
defined goals or objectives. It cannot exist independent of the group or
organisation it manages.
Characteristics # 6. Management Accomplishes Results through the
Cooperation of Others:
The managers cannot do everything themselves. They must have the necessary
ability and skills to get work accomplished through the efforts of others. They
must motivate the subordinates for the accomplishment of the tasks assigned to
them. It is through motivation that managers can influence the behaviour of their
subordinates.
Characteristics # 7. Management Balances Effectiveness and
Efficiency:
Sound management requires that all organisational activities are performed
effectively and efficiently. An organisation is said to be effective if it is able to
accomplish its objectives. It will be termed as efficient if it is able to accomplish
its objectives by making optimum use of resources.
For example, each of the two Product Managers of a company is given the target
to produce 2000 refrigerators per month. Both attain their targets and so are
effective. But the cost of production per refrigerator of the first Production
Manager is Rs. 9,000 per set and that of the second is Rs. 9,800 per set. The first
Production Manager will be termed both effective and efficient.
Characteristics # 8. Management is a Science as well as an Art:
Management has an organised body of knowledge consisting of distinct concepts,
principles and techniques which have wide application. So it is treated as a
science. The application of these concepts, principles and techniques requires
specialised knowledge and skills on the part of the manager. Since the skills
acquired by a manager are his personal possession, management is viewed as an
art. The skills can be learnt through training and experience.
Characteristics # 9. Management is a Dynamic Discipline:
Management is a field of study which is taught in universities and management
institutes. In fact, management is multidisciplinary in nature. It contains
principles drawn from many social sciences like anthropology, psychology,
sociology, etc. Much of management literature is the result of the association of
these disciplines.
Characteristics # 10. Management is Pervasive or Universal:
Management is essential for effective performance of any organised activity.
Thus, it is universal in nature. The principles and techniques of management
have universal application. They can be applied to all types of organisations –
business, social, educational and religious. However, the principles and
techniques should not be applied blindly as they are not rigid laws. They should
be modified to suit the given situation and the type of organisation.

Features of Management – Management is Goal Oriented,

Management is Coordinative Force, Management is an
Intangible Force and a Few Others
1. Management is Goal Oriented:
The main purpose of management is to achieve the goals of the organisation. For
example – Management of a business is to achieve the goals of the organisation
by satisfaction of customers, earning of profits and increasing the goodwill and
image of business. The basic aim of management is to achieve maximum
efficiency of the organisation.
2. Management is a Continuous Process:
The five functions of management- Planning, organizing, staffing, directing and
controlling, works as a process. This function is repeated time and again and does
not stop anywhere. It is an ongoing process of planning the activities and
execution of plans by the other functions.
3. Management is Coordinative Force:
The coordination or integration of human and other resources for effective
performance. It brings physical and financial resources together and leads the
human resources for the efficient use of non-human resources. All these
resources are properly organised and divided into various work-units for the
purpose of achieving greater co-ordination. Management set as an effective tool
in getting minimum productivity.
4. Management is an Intangible Force:
The intangible force refers to unseen force and management has been called as
intangible force because its presence is evident by the results of its efforts. Thus,
feeling of management is results are apparently known. It is basically the efforts
of human resources and its proper utilization towards the achievement of goals of
an organisation.
5. Management is the Part of Group Effort:
Each and every task accomplished by management is going to achieved by the
group efforts. As management is an integral part of any activity. It involves the
use of group efforts in the pursuit of well-defined goals or objectives. It cannot
exist independent of the group or organisation it manages.
6. Management Balances Effectiveness and Efficiency:
Effective management requires that all the activities related to management are
performed effectively and efficiently. An effective organisation is the one who is
able to accomplish its objectives by making optimum use of resources. For
example, it a target is given to the managers of a company to produce 2000 pairs
of shoes per month.
Both attain their targets and are so effective. But the cost of production per shoe
of the first production manager is Rs. 1000 per pair and that of the second is Rs.
1200 per pair. In this case, the first production manager will be termed as both
effective and efficient.
7. Management is a Dynamic Discipline:
Now-a-days management is a field of study which is taught in universities and
management institutes. So, it is also called as multi-disciplinary in nature. It
contains principles drawn many social sciences like psychology, anthropology,
sociology, etc. Management has become a very popular subject of study as is
evident from the great rush for admissions into institutions and universities
imparting education and training in management. Management offers a very
fruitful and rewarding career.
8. Management is a Science as well as Art:
“Science is a body of systematised knowledge accumulated and accepted with
reference to the understanding of general truths concerning a particular subject
or object of study.” And management has an organized body of knowledge
consisting of distinct concepts, principles and techniques which have wide
application. So, it is treated as science.
The application of these concepts, principles and techniques requires specialized
knowledge and skills on the part of the manager. Since the skills acquired by a
manger are his personal possession, management is viewed as an art. The skills
can be learnt through training and experience.
9. Management is Pervasive or Universal:
For an effective performance of an organized activity management is essential.
Thus, it is universal in nature. The principles and techniques of management
have universal application. They can be applied to all types organization—
business, social, educational and religious.
But the principles and techniques should not be applied blindly as they are not
rigid laws. And due to this, management principles and techniques should be
modified to match the given situation and the type of organization. Thus it is
pervasive.
10. Management Accomplishes Results through the
Cooperation of Others:
Putting together a team is rather like designing a mini-organization to achieve the
goal. Also managers cannot do everything themselves. They must have the
necessary ability and skills to get work accomplished through the efforts of
others. They must motivate the subordinates for the accomplishment of the tasks
assigned to them. It is through motivation that managers can influence the
behaviour of their subordinates.

Features of Management – Management is as Old as Human

Civilization, Management is a Universal Process, Management
is Purposive, Goal-Oriented and a Few Others
(1) Management is as Old as Human Civilization:
Though management has been in practice ever since human beings realized the
need and importance of working in groups, its development as a formal body of
knowledge is of a recent origin. However, over the years, the theory and
application of management techniques has transformed the very nature of
management.
(2) Management is a Universal Process:
Management basically means coordination of human and material resources to
accomplish organizational objectives. In essence, it is mental exercise, concerned
with thinking, feeling, and intuiting.
Wherever there is human activity—individual or joint—there is management.
Management of a family requires the family-head to identify objectives, assemble
necessary resources to facilitate achievement of those objectives, supervise each
family member’s performance and exercise control to check and correct any
deviation from the planned path.
Almost the same functions have to be performed to manage the affairs of any
collective enterprise. The basic characteristics of management remain the same
whether the organization to be managed is a family, club, trade union, charitable
or religious trust, municipality, a business entity, or the government. There may
be variations in approach and style, but management activity is the same
everywhere.
As Socrates put it, “Over whatever a man presides, he will be a good president if
he knows what he needs and is able to provide it, whether he has the direction of
a chorus, a family, a city or an army.”
(3) Management is Purposive, Goal-Oriented:
On the face of it, the objectives sought to be accomplished are those of the
organization, but these objectives are determined by the people who create the
organization, and manage and control its affairs to accomplish them.
Based on the value-system and socio-cultural and educational background of the
management, as also environmental constraints, organizational goals may be in
the areas of (a) maximization of profit or minimization of loss; (b) achieving an
awe-inspiring market standing; (c) improving worker productivity; (d)
production of new products and services; (e) acquisition of physical and financial
resources; (f) delivering superior managerial performance; and (g) discharge of
community obligations and social responsibility. Pursuit of organizational
objective requires management to control performance by human and material
resources so as to ensure that it is good enough or that something is being done
to improve it.
Achievement of these objectives necessitates setting of standards in every sphere
of activity, measuring actual performance against those standards, decision-
making on satisfactory level of performance, and taking appropriate action to
correct deviations from the standards.
(4) Management is an Abstraction, but Managers are Real
Beings:
Management is only a word, an idea. It is non-existent. It is an abstract idea just
as any institution, including government, is an abstraction. At all times, it is
meant to make effective and efficient use of men, money, material, machines and
methods. But while one can see and know the people occupying management
positions at any point of time and also sit in judgment over their actions and
behavior, including the results produced by them, one cannot feel the process of
management itself.
However, the people in charge of management of an organization at any point of
time are not an abstraction. They are real human beings, rather special kind of
human beings, who possess the rare ability to lead and motivate their
subordinates and use their visible and latent abilities for the good of the
organization. In other words, they are catalysts who transform the human and
material resources of an organization into a powerful engine that enables the
accomplishment of organizational objectives.
(5) Management is Multi-Disciplinary:
Though management has emerged as an essential and distinct institution to
integrate human and material resources of an organization, it did not receive
concerted attention up to the end of nineteenth century. So it would be
unreasonable to expect it to possess a well-developed body of theory and
principles.
Moreover, over a relatively short period, several authors and management
experts have made significant contribution to enrich the ‘theory and practice of
management’ to position it as a ‘discipline’ in its own right.
However, since business management is practiced in the context of organizations
of diverse characteristics and objectives, its theory has necessarily to be broad-
based. Consequently, it has heavily drawn on theories and practices of several
relevant disciplines, such as Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, Economics,
Political Science, Philosophy and Mathematics.
It is true that management does not draw on all these disciplines to the same
degree, but it has liberally assimilated such areas of these disciplines which are
relevant to the organizations to be managed. Thus, researches in various
disciplines provide a theoretical base for understanding management. Experience
gained in management practice also goes to modify or redefine management
theory.
(6) Management Principles are Dynamic Principles:
Practitioners of management were the first to formulate the principles of
management based on their own experience. They made important contributions
to the development of managerial theory and practice. People engaged in the
works of other disciplines have also concentrated attention on the problems of
organizations in society, and have contributed to development of management
theory.
However, the principles of management are not rigid. They are flexible and liable
to change with any significant change in the environment. For example, there was
a time when management theorists believed that workers would work only when
they were subject to the fear of wage- cuts or dismissal. However over the years
researchers have found that treating workers with due consideration could also
motivate them to put in greater effort.
(7) Management Principles are Relative, Not Absolute:
The principles of management cannot be blindly applied to all situations. Every
person or organization has certain features which may not be found in others.
This may be due to time, place, socio-cultural factors, and so on. Thus, while
applications of a particular principle in one situation may produce the desired
result, in a different situation it may produce an altogether opposite outcome.
Features of Management – 11 Important Features of
Management
(1) Management is a Distinct and Universal Process:
Management is a distinct process consisting of such functions of planning,
organising, staffing, directing and controlling. The process of management
involves decision-making and putting them into action. These functions are
performed by each manager. Every manager performs the same basic functions
and these functions are basically same at all levels of organisation and in all types
of institutions.
These basic principles of management are also universal in character. These
apply in every situation or activity. These are equally applicable in different
organisations. Management is pervasive.
(2) Management is a Continuous Process:
The cycle of management continues to operate so long as there is organized
action for the achievement of group goals. Management is an ongoing process
and is also a never-ending process. Because every activity starts with planning
and if any deviation takes place in the on-going process, planning is sought again.
Management is dynamic and the cycle continues.
(3) Management is a Multi-Disciplinary:
Management techniques, principles and theories are drawn from other
disciplines such as engineering, anthropology, sociology and psychology. It
depends upon wide knowledge and practices derived from various disciplines.
Management as a field of study has grown; taking the help of so many other
disciplines.
(4) Management is an Intangible Force:
Management is evidenced by the results of its efforts through others.
Management is an unseen or invisible force. It cannot be seen, but its presence
can be felt in the form of result, in every type of organisation. Manager arranges
the human and other resources and uses these resources according to the priority
of objective through their functions. The functions performed to achieve these
objectives can be felt and unseen. Thus, feeling of management is result oriented.
(5) Management is Situational:
There is no best way of doing things. The application of knowledge is too realistic
in order to attain results. A manager must have taken into account conditions and
situations to solve a particular problem. A problem could be solved by keeping an
eye on the situation. Management is situational or contingent.
(6) Management is Goal Oriented:
Management co-ordination is the efforts of human resource by employing other
resources of the organisation to achieve the stated objective. Effort is directed
towards the accomplishment of pre-determined goals. So, all activities of
management are goal oriented.
The success of every activity of management is measured by the extent to which
the organisational goals are achieved. Objectives or goals provide justification for
the existence of an organisation.
(7) Management is an Interpretative Force:
The essence of management lies in the integration of human and other resources
to achieve the stated objectives. Management integrates the efforts and
coordinate efforts into a team. Management is a unifying force and it applies this
integrative force to achieve the desired objectives of the organisation.
(8) Management is a System of Authority:
Management provides the direction of every activity of an organisation.
Management forms a system of authority or a hierarchy of command to control
the activities and give smooth direction. Authority enables the managers to
perform their functions effectively. Management forms a chain of command and
authority and is delegated to perform the task effectively.
(9) Management is a Science or an Art:
Management has a systematic body of knowledge as well as practical application
of such knowledge. Management consists of well-defined concepts, principles and
techniques which have wide application. So, it is treated as a science. The
application of these concepts and practices requires a lot of skill and knowledge
on the part of the manager. So, this is viewed as an art. Management is both a
science and an art.
(10) Management is an Economic Resource:
Management is an important economic resource with land, labour and capital.
Efficient management is the most critical input in the success of any organized
group activity as it is the force which assembles and integrates the resources of
the organisation properly. Thus, management is an economic resource.
(11) Management is a Group and Social Phenomenon:
Management involves the use of group effort in the pursuit of common
objectives. Group activity is found in all areas of human activity, and it is the
integrative efforts of human beings that make possible for the organisation to
achieve desired objectives. Management is done, by people through people and
for the people.
It is a social process also because it is concerned with interpersonal relationships.
It is the pervasiveness of the human element which gives management its special
character as a social phenomenon.
Management is the art of getting things done through others-and with the
help of others in order to achieve the specific organizational goal.
Management is defined as the process of planning, organizing, actuating &
controlling an organizational operation in order to achieve coordination of
resources to attain the organizational objectives more effectively.  Features
of management are: Goal oriented  Continuous process  Group activity 
Intangible force  Universal process  Multi disciplinary  Integrating Process
1. Management is a goal oriented process: Every organization has some
goals. Management is a goal oriented activity’. Management unites ail the
activities of the organization and directs it towards the achievement of
established goals more efficiently.  2. Management is Multi Dimensional:
Management is a complex activity and involves  3 dimensions  (a)
Management of work  (b) Management of People  (c) Management of
operations 3. Management is a continuous process: Management has a
series of function which is performed regularly. Management is an ongoing
function and doesn’t stop anywhere. 4. Management is a group activity: Every
organization consists of number of persons from different level with different
need. Management helps these people to take initiative, communicate and
coordinate with join hands for attaining organizational goal, 5. Management
is an intangible force: Management cannot be seen but its presence can be
felt in the operation of the organization. Effects of management are
noticeable in terms of attainment of targets and employee satisfaction etc.
6. Management is a universal process: Management activities are not
applicable to the business unit alone. It is universally applicable to all
organizations; it may be economic, social, charitable, religious optical.Read
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features-of-management
Management will remain a basic and dominant institution perhaps as long as Western
civilization itself survives. For management is not only grounded in the nature of the
modern industrial system and in the needs of modern business enterprise, to which an
industrial system must entrust its productive resources, both human and material.
Management also expresses the basic beliefs of modern Western society. It expresses the
belief in the possibility of controlling man’s livelihood through the systematic
organization of economic resources. It expresses the belief that economic change can be
made into the most powerful engine for human betterment and social justice—that,
as Jonathan Swift first overstated it three hundred years ago, whoever makes two blades
of grass grow where only one grew before deserves better of mankind than any
speculative philosopher or metaphysical system builder.
Management—which is the organ of society specifically charged with making resources
productive, that is, with the responsibility for organized economic advance—therefore
reflects the basic spirit of the modern age. It is, in fact, indispensable, and this explains
why, once begotten, it grew so fast and with so little opposition.

ACTION POINT: Come up with a few examples of why management, its competence, its
integrity, and its performance, is so decisive to the free world.
'Intangible' means things that cannot be seen or touch it can only be felt example
Goodwill. Management is an intangible force because it is an unseen force. Its presence can be felt at
every step performed.

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mariospartan Ace

Answer:

Something that cannot be touched or seen but one can feel it is called as intangible, just like goodwill.

Management is also an intangible force that does not have the physical appearance.

Explanation:

Management has the authority and responsibility to give orders to employees to achieve desired targets
and fulfill organizational goals in the desired way.

A good and efficient managements work is always noticed and can never be seen or touched.

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