BST CHAPTER-1 NOTES

Short Answer Questions

1. Define management.
The process of getting things done with the purpose of achieving goals
efficiently and effectively is called management. In other words,
management can be defined as the process of planning, organising,
staffing, and controlling to achieve the goal of the organisation with
minimal resource usage.

2. Name any two important characteristics of management.

Two important characteristics of management are a pervasive and
continuous process. It is pervasive as the impact of management spans
all aspects of business, irrespective of the organisation, while it is a
continuous process as it performs various functions like planning,
organising, directing, staffing and controlling simultaneously.

3. Ritu is the manager of the Northern division of a large corporate house.

At what level does she work in the organisation? What are her basic
functions?

Ritu functions as the middle-level management in the organisation. She

works as a link between the top-level management and workers. The
following will be her basic functions: 1. Understanding the policies set by
the top management. 2. Communicating with the top and low levels of
management. 3. Motivate employees to achieve productivity. 4.
Coordinate with cross-functional heads to maintain transparency. 5.
Assigning tasks to various departments under control.

4. Why is management considered a multi-faceted concept?

It is regarded as a multi-faceted concept due to the following reasons:
1. It involves managing the work, which is meeting the objectives over a
period. It can also be said to be the goals that need to be achieved.

2. Work is done by the people, therefore, managing the people is a very

important part of management which can be in the form of teams or
 groups of individuals. Management helps in identifying the strengths and
weaknesses of the people.
3. An organisation will be involved in production where inputs get
transformed into products or some kind of service. There needs to be
continuous monitoring of such production processes to ensure proper
output. Here, management is required.
5. Discuss the basic features of management as a profession
The following are the basic features of management as a profession:
1. Management is a systematic and well-defined body of knowledge
which consists of various theories and guiding principles. Such knowledge can
be obtained through books and enrolling in management courses.
2. Management is regulated by a professional association which looks at
the functions of its members. In India, AIMA, or the All-India Management
Association, is the governing body for managers. Joining the organisation is not
compulsory.
3. Professional knowledge is a required criterion and is given preference
over degrees. The lack of professional experience is a deterrent for people
looking to choose a profession.
4. Only through proper management the business will grow. The guiding
principles will help in ensuring the smooth functioning of the organisation.
Quality goods and services can be made available with management.

Long Answer Questions

1. Management is considered to be both an art and a
science. Explain.

Management can be regarded as both an art as well as a science from

the following points:
Management as Art
1. Management has a well-defined literature which is required for
gathering knowledge in the theories and accelerating learning. There
are many examples of management literature which is available such
as Taylor’s Scientific Management Theory and Henry Fayol’s 14
 Principles of Management. These theories help in understanding the
various concepts of management.

2. Management knowledge can be utilised by everyone in their own

way, very much like arts where words can be expressed in the form of
writing differently by different poets and music notes arranged by
musicians to perform a musical piece, or the use of colours by a
painter to draw vivid paintings. Similarly, managers use various
theories and principles in trying situations to make use of
management knowledge.

3. Arts is all about expressing and innovating using creativity, such as

two artists will enact the same scene in two different ways. Similarly,
two different managers will be managing the situation differently.
Sometimes managers can come up with innovative and fresh ideas to
address the situation.

Management as Science
1. Science is a systematic discipline, and management also shares
similar characteristics. Like science, management also relies upon
theories and principles to address issues that arise. Management has
a separate vocabulary and terms that it uses to define certain
processes.
2. Theories in science have been developed after prolonged
observation and repeated experiments. Similarly, to some extent,
management also bases its theories on regular observation and
experiments, such theories will act as guidelines for management in
the long run.
3. Scientific theories have universal validity, and in management, we
also see the principles are to some extent universally valid, and some
can change as per the situation. Such theories and principles can be
used as basic information for training managers

2. Do you think management has the characteristics

of a full-fledged profession?
 Management does not have the characteristics of a full-fledged
profession, but it does have some qualities which make it eligible to
be called a profession. These are mentioned below.
1. Management is a systematic and well-defined body of knowledge
which consists of various theories and guiding principles. Such
knowledge can be obtained through books and enrolling in
management courses.

2. Management is regulated by a professional association which looks

at the functions of its members. In India, AIMA or, the All-India
Management Association, is the governing body for managers. Joining
the organisation is not compulsory

3. Professional knowledge is a required criterion and is given

preference over degrees. The lack of professional experience is a
deterrent for people looking to choose a profession.

4. Only through proper management the business will grow. The

guiding principles will help in ensuring the smooth functioning of the
organisation. Quality goods and services can be made available with
management.

[Link] business organisations look to provide the best services to the

people at the best quality, thereby serving society.

3. Coordination is the essence of management. Do you

agree? Give reasons.

Coordination is essential in management as it helps in binding

together all other functions of the management. All the activities,
such as sales, purchase and production, are based on coordination
with management.

The following points will help establish coordination as the essence

of management:
1. The combination of efforts of all the groups increases productivity
and also provides a common focus to all the group efforts.
 2. It is a continuous process and is not a one-time effort.
Coordination begins at the planning stage and is concluded at the
controlling stage
3. Coordination is a pervasive function, as it is required at all levels of
management. As all management activities are interdependent,
coordination improves the efforts at various levels among all
departments.
4. It ensures that all the combined efforts of the departments act as a
unity which binds all actions together and helps an organisation
achieve goals in a better way.
5. It is a deliberate function, as everyone is performing it deliberately.
The tasks are done with the objective of achieving the objectives and
goals of the organisation.
6. All the departments come together and communicate regarding
the work to be done in an organisation. This communication requires
coordination among employees.

4. A successful enterprise has to achieve its goals

effectively and efficiently. Explain
Management is defined as the process of getting things done with the
purpose of achieving goals efficiently and effectively. The terms
effective and efficient are key terms in management and play an
important role in the functioning of management.

Effectiveness refers to the process of completing a given work in the

time provided. It is the process of doing a task with a primary focus
on end result. It is considered a very important aspect of
management which helps in achieving goals.

Efficiency is the process of completing a given task with minimal use

of resources and cost. For an organisation to be successful, both
these factors play a critical role in meeting the objectives of the
organisation. Effectiveness helps in achieving the defined goals, while
efficiency helps in achieving that with minimum resources and cost.
Reducing the cost and resources brings profits for the organisation
and also increases it. Therefore, it is essential for an organisation to
 focus on both effectiveness and efficiency. It is important to complete
the work on time, along with minimum resources.

Similarly, it is essential to reduce the cost of production and finish the

production at the decided time. Hence, successful companies need to
be both efficient and effective at the same time to gain profits in the
long run

5. Management is a series of continuous, interrelated

functions. Comment.
Management is a series of continuous, interrelated functions. It can
be explained with the help of the following points:
Management comprises the following functions that work together:
1. Planning: It is the process of determining what works need to be
done, who will do it and how it should be done. It involves setting up
goals which need to be achieved and determining the ways in which
they can be achieved. It helps in laying down a framework based on
which the activities can be implemented. It is often said to be the
most important step in management.
2. Organising: Planning is followed by Organising. It is the process of
identifying tasks and the appropriate resources that are required for
executing the plan. Organising allots separate tasks to different
departments with a defined plan. The hierarchy is well established,
which leads to work being carried out with efficiency and
effectiveness.
3. Staffing: Staffing is the process of allotting specialised personnel for
specialised work. In other words, hiring the right person for the job. It
is a part of human resources and involves hiring and training people.
4. Directing: It is one of the important functions of a manager, which
involves directing the human resources to work in an effective
manner. It also involves providing motivation to the workers so as to
drive productivity.
5. Controlling: Controlling is necessary as it checks if the assigned
work is progressing in the right direction or not. It generally involves
assessing the work done with the goals of the organisations. By
measuring the extent of work, managers ensure that there is no error
or discrepancy. If any such errors surface, then appropriate steps will
be undertaken to rectify the issue. So, all these make us understand
that management functions are interdependent on each other to
function properly