Major Characteristics of Management | Principle of Management

8 important characteristics of management,
Principle of Management (POM)

Characteristics of Management

Management is the process of activities of setting the strategy of an administration, keeping coordination among employees to accomplish its predefined objectives through the coordinated use of material resources. Another definition of management by F.W.Taylor is "Management is knowing exactly what you want people to do, and then seeing that they do it in the best and cheapest way". It has got some characteristics which defines the fruitful management activities. These management characteristics are most crucial part of the organization.



Some of the most important characteristics of management are as follows;

1) Management is continuous process

Management is not like any project work which could be completed in course of work but it is a continuous or never ending activity in the organization/administration. All the activity of management are performed continuously, for example planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling are performed by the management team one after another all the time. Completion of one work in management pushes to start another managerial activity.

2) Management is purposeful

Management activities are always concerned with achieving something specific expressed in terms of goals and objectives. These objectives give direction to management and they are used to measure the success of management.

3) Management is decision making

There are number of process in the organization/firm which needs decision for different continuous activities and these decisions are under the control of management team. Managers are decision makers. For example, the finance manager does decision making concerning how much funds will be required in the firm for certain projects or activity. A marketing manager decides about how to market, when to market, where to market.

4) Management is a distinct activity

Management is series of distinct activities or special activities formed of planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling. These activities are never performed similar ways in the organization/firm. For example, if any employee get sick and unable to attend the office, then it is the function of manager to manage other team member, so that organizational goal is obtained within specified time frame. Sometime any typical tactics would not work as expected. This is the situation, managers get headache, but however they need to manage using  available resources. So by this far, these activities leads management as distinct activity.

5) Management is goal oriented process

Management is always concerned with achieving its predefined organizational objectives and goals. The functions and activities of manager determine the fruitfulness of organizational goals. For example, to sell 500 TV is the objectives of the organization, then manager will plan the course of action, motivate all the employees and organize all the resources to achieve the goal in time.

6) Management is intangible

Management activities are untouchable and invisible and its presence is evidenced only in the form of adequate work output, informed decisions, high spirit of employees and orderliness. Management activities are difficult to track or difficult to maintain, so it considered intangible activity in the organization.

7) Management is group activity and social process

To accomplish the management process, series of activities needs to be done, which is not possible by single person.  These activities are performed by different group of managers involved in the organization. Good coordination and well understanding among each member in the group leads the organization to the well organized objectives. Management activities involve different activities with different group of peoples. Managerial actions deal with the relations among people, so management becomes a social process.

8) Management is universal
Management is universal in a sense that, it is not only organizational term. It is found in every steps of life, where economical and intelligent application of scarce resources are involved. The main principle term and its foundation are universally applicable to all group activities performed at any level of organization.