MCOB UNIT 1 CLASS NOTES
MCOB UNIT 1 CLASS NOTES
Topic-1
Concept of Management, Nature,
Process and Significance of
Management
Concept of Management: – Management can be defined as the process of achieving
organizational goals through planning, organizing, leading, and controlling the human,
physical, financial, and information resources of the organization in an effective and efficient
manner.
Every business needs planning for the future for a successful business and the person who
is in the authority, has to take decisions and he will be responsible for the consequences of
his decisions whether favorable and unfavorable.
What is management?
Meaning of Management: – Management is what a manager does within the organization.
All the activities whether related to decision making or implementation of such decisions are
performed by the managers with the purpose of achieving common goals.
Definition of Management
Concept of management is defined as the process of getting things done from others to
achieve goals effectively and efficiently.
Efficiently: –
To complete a task with minimum cost.
For example: – ‘A’ got a task of construction of the Flyover. The estimated target for the
same is 1000 crores and ‘A’ completed the construction of flyover in 900 crores. In this
case, A worked efficiently.
Effectively: –
It is basically to complete the task on time.
For example: – Keeping in mind the above example, Suppose, ‘A’ got two years’ time
period for the construction of flyover. If ‘A’ completes his task within the span of two
years. Here, in this case, we can say A’s management is effective.
Process of Management
The process includes the functions performed by the management within the organization.
1. Planning: – Planning means thinking in advance. Planning relates to setting goals,
objectives and targets and also describe a mechanism to achieve them at various levels
throughout the organization.
2. Organizing: – It means the arrangement of resources to do different tasks in the
organization.
3. Staffing: – It means the appointment of the right person at the right place or job.
4. Directing: – It includes the instructions, guidance and motivation given by the manager
to their employees and manager adopt their leadership tasks.
5. Controlling: – Control is concerned with measuring and minimizing the difference
between planned performance and actual performance, and monitoring performance as
well as taking corrective actions wherever necessary. Thus management is a complex,
integrated and ongoing dynamic process.
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Topic-2
Evolution of Management Concept
The origin of Evolution management can be traced back to the days when man started
living in groups. History reveals that strong men organized the masses into groups
according to their intelligence, physical and mental capabilities. Evidence of the use of
public life in ancient Greece, the organization of the Roman Catholic Church and the
organization of military forces. Thus management in some form or the other has been
practiced in the various parts of the world since the dawn of civilization. With the on
set of Industrial Revolution, however, the position underwent a radical change. The
background that the pioneers of modern management thought laid the foundations of
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The advent of industrial revolution in the middle of the 18th century had its impact on
capital.
Employees went to their work instead of receiving it, and so, the factory system, as it
is known today, become a dominant feature of the economy. Under this system, land
and buildings, hired labour, and capital are made available to the entrepreneur, who
strives to combine these factors in the efficient achievement of a particular goal. All
Urwick- "Modern management has thrown open a new branch of human knowledge, a
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fresh universe of discourse". During the period following the industrial revolution,
introducing new ideas and character of management by introducing new ideas and
Prof. Charles Babbage, James Watt Junior and Mathew Robinson Boulton, Robert
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whole was meagre. The real beginning of the science of management did not occur
until the last decade of the 19thcentury. During this period, stalwarts like F.W.
Taylor, H.L. Gantt, Emerson, Frank and Lillian Gilberth etc., laid the foundation of
propagated. The contributions of the pioneers of this age have had a profound impact
principles.
F.W. Taylor and Henry Fayol are generally regarded as the founders of scientific
management and administrative management and both provided the bases for
1. It was closely associated with the industrial revolution and the rise of large-scale
enterprise.
2. Classical organization and management theory is based on contributions from a
number of sources. They are scientific management, Administrative
management theory, bureaucratic model, and micro-economics and public
administration.
3. Management thought focussed on job content division of labour,
standardization, simplification and specialization and scientific
approach towards organization.
A. Taylor's Scientific Management: Started as an apprentice machinist in
Philadelphia, USA. He rose to be the chief engineer at the Midvale Engineering
Works and later on served with the Bethlehem Works where he experimented with
his ideas and made the contribution to the management theory for which he is so
well known. Frederick Winslow Taylor well-known as the founder of scientific
management was the first to recognize and emphasis the need for adopting a
scientific approach to the task of managing an enterprise. He tried to diagnose the
causes of low efficiency in industry and came to the conclusion that much of waste
and inefficiency is due to the lack of order and system in the methods of
management. He found that the management was usually ignorant of the amount
of work that could be done by a worker in a day as also the best method of doing
the job. As a result, it remained largely at the mercy of the workers who
deliberately shirked work.
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scientific approach in their work, and make use of "scientific method" for achieving
a. Observation
b. Measurement
c. Experimentation and
d. Inference.
and the workers both for the enlargement of profits and the use of scientific
these words:
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d. Fatigue Study: If, a standard task is set without providing for measures to
eliminate fatigue, it may either be beyond the workers or the workers may over
strain themselves to attain it. It is necessary, therefore, to regulate the
working hours and provide for rest pauses at scientifically determined
intervals.
e. Rate-setting: Taylor recommended the differential piece wage system,
under which workers performing the standard task within prescribed time are
paid a much higher rate per unit than inefficient workers who are not able to
come up to the standard set.
f.
17. anning the Task: Having set the task which an average worker must strive
toperform to get wages at the higher piece-rate, necessary steps have to be
taken top lan the production thoroughly so that there is no bottlenecks and the
work goes on systematically.
18. lection and Training: Scientific Management requires a radical change in the
methods and procedures of selecting workers. It is therefore necessary to entrust
the task of selection to a central personnel department. The procedure of
selection will also have to be systematised. Proper attention has also to be
devoted to the training of the workers in the correct methods of work.
19. Standardization: Standardization may be introduced in respect of the following.
a. Tools and equipment: By standardization is meant the process of bringing
about uniformity. The management must select and store standard tools and
implements which will be nearly the best or the best of their kind.
b. Speed: There is usually an optimum speed for every machine. If it is exceeded,
it is likely to result in damage to machinery.
c. Conditions of Work: To attain standard performance, the maintenance
of standard conditions of ventilation, heating, cooling, humidity, floor
space, safety etc., is very essential.
d. Materials: The efficiency of a worker depends on the quality of materials and
the method of handling materials.
20. Specialization: Scientific management will not be complete without the
introduction of specialization. Under this plan, the two functions of 'planning' and
'doing' are separated in the organization of the plant. The `functional foremen'
are specialists who join their heads to give thought to the planning of the
performance of operations in the workshop. Taylor suggested eight functional
foremen under his scheme of functional foremanship.
a. The Route Clerk: To lay down the sequence of operations and instruct
the workers concerned about it.
b. The Instruction Card Clerk: To prepare detailed instructions regarding
different aspects of work.
c. The Time and Cost Clerk: To send all information relating to their pay to
the workers and to secure proper returns of work from them.
d. The Shop Disciplinarian: To deal with cases of breach of discipline and
absenteeism.
e. The Gang Boss: To assemble and set up tools and machines and to teach
the workers to make all their personal motions in the quickest and best way.
f. The Speed Boss: To ensure that machines are run at their best speeds and
proper tools are used by the workers.
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g. The Repair Boss: To ensure that each worker keeps his machine in
good order and maintains cleanliness around him and his machines.
h. strong>The Inspector: To show to the worker how to do the work.
21. Mental Revolution: At present, industry is divided into two groups –
management and labour. The major problem between these two groups is the
division of surplus. The management wants the maximum possible share of the
surplus as profit; the workers want, as large share in the form of wages. Taylor
has in mind the enormous gain that arises from higher productivity. Such gains
can be shared both by the management and workers in the form of increased
profits and increased wages.
Benefits of Scientific Management: Taylor's ideas, research and
time and energy and cordial relations between management and workers.
and savings, making an adequate use of every one'senergy of any type that is
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Many of the objections raised were later remedied by the other contributors to
scientific management like Henry L Gantt, Frank and Lillian Gilbreth and Harrington
Emerson.
Frank (USA, 1867 - 1924) and Lillian (U.S.A, 1878 - 1912): The ideas of
Taylorwere also strongly supported and developed by the famous husband and wife
team of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth. They became interested in wasted motions in
work. After meeting Taylor, they combined their ideas with Taylor's to put scientific
management into effect. They made pioneering effort in the field of motion study
and laid the entire foundation of our modern applications of job simplification,
meaningful work standards and incentive wage plans. Mrs. Gilbreth had a unique
background in psychology and management and the couple could embark on a quest
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for better work methods. Frank Gilbreth is regarded as the father of motion study.
nn. The one best way of doing a job is the way which involves the fewest motions
performed in an accessible area and in the most comfortable position. The best
way can be found out by the elimination of inefficient and wasteful motions
involved in the work.
oo. He emphasized that training should be given to workers from the very
beginning so that they may achieve competence as early as possible.
pp. He suggested that each worker should be considered to occupy three positions -
(i) the job he held before promotion to his present position, (ii) his present
position, and
qq. the next higher position. The part of a worker's time should be spent in
teaching the man below him and learning from the man above him. This
would help him qualify for promotion and help to provide a successor to his
current job.
rr. Frank and Lillian Gilberth also gave a thought to the welfare of the individuals
who work for the organization.
ss. Gilbreth also devised methods for avoiding wasteful and unproductive
movements. He laid down how workers should stand, how his hands should
move and so on.
Henry Lawrence Gantt (USA, 1861 - 1819): H.L Gantt was born in 1861. He
graduated from John Hopkins College. For some time, he worked as a draftsman in
an iron foundry.
joined the Midvale Steel Company. Soon, he became an assistant to F.W Taylor. He
worked with Taylor from 1887 - 1919 at Midvale Steel Company. He did much
between management and labour. Gantt made four important contributions to the
concepts of management:
46. Gantt chart to compare actual to planned performance. Gantt chart was a daily chart
which
graphically presented the process of work by showing machine operations, man
hour performance, deliveries, effected and the work in arrears. This chart was
intended to facilitate day-to-day production planning.
47. Task-and-bonus plan for remunerating workers indicating a more humanitarian
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approach. This plan was aimed at providing extra wages for extra work besides
guarantee of minimum wages. Under this system of wage payment, if a worker
completes the work laid out for him, he is paid a definite bonus in addition to his
daily minimum wages. On the other hand, if a worker does not complete his
work, he is paid only his daily minimum wages. There
was a provision for giving bonus to supervisors, if workers under him were able
to earn such bonus by extra work.
48. Psychology of employee relations indicating management responsibility to teach
and train workers. In his paper "Training Workmen in Habits of Industry and
Cooperation", Gantt pleaded for a policy of preaching and teaching workmen to
do their work in the process evolved through pre-thinking of management.
49. Gantt laid great emphasis on leadership. He considered management as
leadership function. He laid stress on the importance of acceptable leadership as
the primaryelement in the success of any business. Gantt's contributions were
more in the nature of refinements rather than fundamental concepts. They made
scientific management more humanized and meaningful to devotees of Taylor.
Harrington Emerson (USA, 1853 - 1931): Emerson was an American Engineer.
He devoted his attention to efficiency in industry. He was the first to use the term
"The Gospel of Efficiency". According to him, "efficiency means that the right thing is
done in the right manner, by the right man, at the right place, in the right time".
50. Ideals
51. Common Sense
52. Competent Counsel
53. Discipline
54. Fair Deal
55. Proper Records
56. Dispatching
57. Standards and Schedules
58. Standard Conditions
59. Standardized Operations
60. Standard practice instructions and
61. Efficiency Reward.
B. Administrative Management Theory: Henry Fayol was the most important
exponent of this theory. The pyramidal form, scalar principle, unity of command,
exception principle, span of control and departmentalisation are some of the
important concepts set forth by Fayol and his followers like Mooney and Reiley,
Simon, Urwick, Gullick etc.
Henry Fayol (France, 1841 - 1925): Henry Fayol was born in 1941 at
National School of Mining. After his graduation, he joined a French Coal Mining
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was appointed as General Manager of his company in 1888. At that time, the
company suffered heavy losses and was nearly bankrupt. Henry Fayol succeeded in
converting his company from near bankruptcy to a strong financial position and a
business. He, however, pointed out that the last function i.e., ability to manage,
was the most important for upper levels of managers. The process of management
management thought and practice. Even today, management process has general
recognition.
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superior (boss).
10. Unity of Direction: All members of an organization must work together to
accomplish common objectives.
11. Emphasis on Subordination of Personal Interest to General or
CommonInterest: This is also called principle of co-operation. Each shall work
for all and all for each. General or common interest must be supreme in any
joint enterprise.
12. Remuneration: Fair pay with non-financial rewards can act as the best
incentive or motivator for good performance. Exploitation of employees in
any manner must be eliminated. Sound scheme of remuneration includes
adequate financial and nonfinancial incentives.
13. Centralization: There must be a good balance between centralization and
decentralization of authority and power. Extreme centralization and
decentralization must be avoided.
14. Scalar Chain: The unity of command brings about a chain or hierarchy of
command linking all members of the organization from the top to the bottom.
Scalar denotes steps.
15. Order: Fayol suggested that there is a place for everything. Order or
system alone can create a sound organization and efficient management.
16. Equity: An organization consists of a group of people involved in joint effort.
Hence, equity (i.e., justice) must be there. Without equity, we cannot have
sustained and adequate joint collaboration.
17. Stability of Tenure: A person needs time to adjust himself with the new work
and demonstrate efficiency in due course. Hence, employees and managers
must have job security. Security of income and employment is a pre-requisite
of sound organization and management.
18. Esprit of Co-operation: Esprit de corps is the foundation of a sound
organization. Union is strength. But unity demands co-operation. Pride, loyalty
and sense of belonging are responsible for good performance.
19. Initiative: Creative thinking and capacity to take initiative can give us sound
managerial planning and execution of predetermined plans.
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3. Dependence on superior.
4. Tendency to forget ultimate goals of the organization.
Bureaucratic Model is preferred where change is not anticipated or where rate of
business organizations.
modified, improved and extended the classical theory. Classical theory concentrated
gave greater emphasis to individual and group relationship in the workplace. The neo-
classical theory pointed out the role of psychology and sociology in the understanding
George Elton Mayo (Australia, 1880 - 1949): Elton Mayo was born in Australia. He
was educated in Logic and Philosophy at St. Peter's College, Adelaide. He led a team of
informal leadership etc. Elton Mayo is generally recognized as the father of Human
Fritz Roethlisberger of the Harvard Business School were invited to join in the studies
at the Hawthorne Works of Western Electric Company, Chicago. The experiment lasted
up to 1932. The Hawthorne Experiments brought out that the productivity of the
employees is not the function of only physical conditions of work and money wages
paid to them. Productivity of employees depends heavily upon the satisfaction of the
employees in their work situation. Mayo's idea was that logical factors were far less
of all the human factors influencing employee behaviour, the most powerful were
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those emanating from the worker's participation in social groups. Thus, Mayo
to meeting the objective requirements of production must at the same time satisfy the
The Hawthorne experiment consists of four parts. These parts are briefly described
below:-
1. Illumination Experiment.
2. Relay Assembly Test Room Experiment.
3. Interviewing Programme.
4. Bank Wiring Test Room Experiment.
1. Illumination Experiment: This experiment was conducted to establish
relationship between output and illumination. When the intensity of light was
increased, the output also increased. The output showed an upward trend even
when the illumination was gradually brought down to the normal level. Therefore,
it was concluded that there is no consistent relationship between output of
workers and illumination in the factory. There must be some other factor which
affected productivity.
2. Relay Assembly Test Room Experiment: This phase aimed at knowing not only
the impact of illumination on production but also other factors like length of the
working day, rest hours, and other physical conditions. In this experiment, a small
homogeneous work-group of six girls was constituted. These girls were friendly to
each other and were asked to work in a very informal atmosphere under the
supervision of a researcher. Productivity and morale increased considerably during
the period of the experiment. Productivity went on increasing and stabilized at a
high level even when all the improvements were taken away and the pre-test
conditions were reintroduced. The researchers concluded that socio-psychological
factors such as feeling of being important, recognition, attention,
participation,cohesive work-group, and non-directive supervision held the key for
higherproductivity.
3. Mass Interview Programme: The objective of this programme was to make a
systematic study of the employees' attitudes which would reveal the meaning which
their "working situation" has for them. The researchers interviewed a large number
of workers with regard to their opinions on work, working conditions and
supervision. Initially, a direct approach was used whereby interviews asked
questions considered important by managers and researchers. The researchers
observed that the replies of the workmen were guarded. Therefore, this approach
was replaced by an indirect technique, where the interviewer simply listened to
what the workmen had to say. The findings confirmed the importance of social
factors at work in the total work environment.
4. Bank Wiring Test Room Experiment: This experiment was conducted by
Roethlisberger and Dickson with a view to develope a new method of observation
and obtaining more exact information about social groups within a company and
also finding out the causes which restrict output. The experiment was conducted to
study a group of workers under conditions which were as close as possible to
normal. This group comprised of 14 workers. After the experiment, the production
records of this group were compared with their earlier production records. It was
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observed that the group evolved its own production norms for each individual
worker, which was made lower than those set by the management. Because of
this, workers would produce only that much, thereby defeating the incentive
system. Those workers who tried to produce more than the group norms were
isolated, harassed or punished by the group. The findings of the study are:-
i. Each individual was restricting output.
ii. The group had its own "unofficial" standards of performance.
iii. Individual output remained fairly constant over a period of time.
iv. Informal groups play an important role in the working of an organization.
the western electrical company, U.S.A., between 1927 and 1930. According to them,
behavioural science methods have many areas of application in management. The
important features of the Hawthorne Experiment are:-
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bringing into limelight human and social factors in organizations. But their concepts
were carried beyond an appropriate limit. There are many other factors which
on man and machine and we can evolve appropriate man- machine system to secure
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1. Production subsystem
2. Finance subsystem
3. Marketing subsystem
4. Personnel subsystem.
All parts or components are interrelated. Both parts as well as the whole are equally
organization along with the super system of environment are interconnected and
circumstances.
specific situations will have to be adopted to achieve the best possible result under the
given situation.
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There is no one best way (as advocated by Taylor) to organize and manage. Thus,
understand the environments in which they function before adopting their techniques,
improvement over the systems approach. It not only examines the relationships
between sub- systems of the organization, but also the relationship between the
TOPIC-3
When we talk about managerial skills, we talk about the skills of a manager to maintain
high efficiency in the way how his or her employees complete their everyday working tasks.
Because of that, managers will need skills that will help them to manage
people and technology to ensure an effective and efficient realisation of their working
duties.
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Robert Katz identifies three types of skills that are essential for a successful
management process:
Technical skills
Conceptual skills
Technical skills
As the name of these skills tells us, they give the manager knowledge and ability to use
different techniques to achieve what they want to achieve. Technical skills are not related
only for machines, production tools or other equipment, but also they are skills that will be
required to increase sales, design different types of products and services, market the
products and services, etc.
Technical skills are most important for first-level managers. Whet it comes to the top
managers, these skills are not something with high significance level. As we go through a
hierarchy from the bottom to higher levels, the technical skills lose their importance.
Conceptual skills
Conceptual skills are vital for top managers, less critical for mid-level managers and not
required for first-level managers. As we go from the bottom of the managerial hierarchy to
the top, the importance of these skills will rise.
These skills enable managers to become leaders and motivate employees for better
accomplishments. Additionally, they help them to make more effective use of human
potential in the company. Simply, they are essential skills for all hierarchical levels in
the company.
TOPIC-4
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Functions of Management
Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing & Controlling
Management has been described as a social process involving responsibility for economical
and effective planning & regulation of operation of an enterprise in the fulfillment of given
purposes.
It is a dynamic process consisting of various elements and activities. These activities are
different from operative functions like marketing, finance, purchase etc. Rather these
activities are common to each and every manger irrespective of his level or status.
According to George & Jerry, “There are four fundamental functions of management i.e.
planning, organizing, actuating and controlling”.
According to Henry Fayol, “To manage is to forecast and plan, to organize, to command, &
to control”.
Whereas Luther Gullick has given a keyword ’POSDCORB’ where P stands for Planning, O
for Organizing, S for Staffing, D for Directing, Co for Co-ordination, R for reporting & B for
Budgeting.
But the most widely accepted are functions of management given by KOONTZ and
O’DONNEL i.e. Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing and Controlling.
For theoretical purposes, it may be convenient to separate the function of management but
practically these functions are overlapping in nature i.e. they are highly inseparable. Each
function blends into the other & each affects the performance of others.
1. Planning
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It is the basic function of management. It deals with chalking out a future course of
action & deciding in advance the most appropriate course of actions for achievement
of pre-determined goals.
2. Organizing
It is the process of bringing together physical, financial and human resources and
developing productive relationship amongst them for achievement of organizational
goals.
o Identification of activities.
o Classification of grouping of activities.
o Assignment of duties.
o Delegation of authority and creation of responsibility.
o Coordinating authority and responsibility relationships.
3. Staffing
The main purpose of staffing is to put right man/woman on right job i.e.
square pegs in square holes and round pegs in round holes.
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o Supervision
o Motivation
o Leadership
o Communication
5. Controlling
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TOPIC-5
Planning
1. Introduction
A plan is a predetermined course of action. It is a blue print for goal achievement. Simply
stated, it is setting goals and deciding how to achieve them. Planning is deciding in advance
what to do, how to do it, when to do it and who is to do it. It bridges the gap from where
we are to where we want to go Planning has a number of characteristics:
Planning is goal-oriented: All plans arise from objectives. Objectives provide the basic
guidelines for planning activities. Planning has no meaning unless it contributes in some
positive manner to the achievement of predetermined goals.
Planning is a primary function: Planning is the foundation of management. It is a parent
exercise in management process. It is a preface to business activities.
Planning is all-pervasive: Planning is a function of all managers. It is needed and
practiced at all managerial levels. Planning is inherent in everything a manager does.
Planning is a mental exercise: Planning is a mental process involving imagination,
foresight and sound judgment. Planning compels managers to abandon guesswork and
wishful thinking. It makes them think in a logical and systematic manner.
Planning is a continuous process: Planning is continuous. It is a never-ending activity. It
is an ongoing process of adjustment to change. There is always need for a new plan to be
drawn on the basis of new demands and changes in the circumstances.
Planning involves choice: Planning essentially involves choice among various alternative
courses of action. If there is one way of doing something, there is no need for planning. The
need for planning arises only when alternatives are available.
Planning is forward looking: Planning means looking ahead and preparing for the future.
It means peeping into the future, analyzing it and preparing for it. Managers plan today with
a view to flourish tomorrow. Without planning, business becomes random in nature and
decisions would become meaningless, ad hoc choices.
Planning is flexible: Planning is based on a forecast of future events. Since future is
uncertain, plans should be reasonably flexible. When market conditions change, planners
have to make necessary changes in the existing plans.
Planning is an integrated process: Plans are structured in a logical way wherein every
lower-level plan serves as a means to accomplish higher level plans. They are highly
interdependent and mutually supportive.
Planning includes efficiency and effectiveness dimensions: Plans aim at deploying
resources economically and efficiently. They also try to accomplish what has been actually
targeted. The effectiveness of plans is usually dependent on how much it can contribute to
the predetermined objectives.
2. Importance of Planning
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Planning provides direction: Planning provides direction and a sense of purpose for the
organisation. Without plans and goals, organisations merely react to daily occurrences
without considering what will happen in the long-run. Plans avoid this drift situation and
ensure that short-range efforts will support and harmonize with future goals. It helps an
organisation decide what to do and when to do it. It reduces aimless activity and makes
action more meaningful.
Planning provides a unifying framework: A plan helps people to set priorities and put
effort accordingly. A plan tells everyone what the organisation hopes to achieve and what
the contribution of each department must be, and who is to utilize resources to achieve the
goals. Plans help in coordinating effort at various levels. In the absence of a plan, the
organisation would be pulled in different directions, creating confusion and
misunderstanding at various levels.
Planning is economical: Effective plans coordinate organisational work and eliminate
unproductive effort. Guess work is banished. Facilities are employed to the best advantage.
Waste motions and idle facilities are removed By focusing attention on what is to be done,
how and when it is to be done, plans help an organisation to economically utilize the
physical and financial resources. This, ultimately, improves efficiency of operations.
Planning reduces the risks of uncertainty: Planning helps an organisation to cope with
an uncertain future. It helps management to anticipate the future and prepare for the risks
by making necessary provisions to meet the unexpected turn of events. Planning minimizes
the chances of mistakes and unpleasant surprises because objectives, policies and
strategies are formulated after a careful scrutiny of internal as well as external
environment. Planning, thus, seeks to minimize risk while taking advantage of
opportunities.
Planning facilitates decision making: Decision-making involves searching of various
alternative courses of action, evaluating them and selecting the best one. Planned targets
serve as the criteria for the evaluation of different alternatives so that the best one may be
chosen. If there are no plans for the future, there are few guidelines for making current
decisions. For example, decisions have to be made in present for a product to be introduced
three years in the future. When future plans exist, decisions consistent with the future plans
are made. Further, without plans, people will make decisions according to their own
preference rather than those of the organisation.
Planning encourages innovation and creativity: Planning involves looking ahead and
preparing for the future. The process of looking ahead, forces an organisation to be alert of
opportunities and threats in the environment. It forces managers to find out new and
improved ways of doing things in order to remain competitive and avoid the threats in
the environment. It compels the managers to be creative and innovative all the time.
Planning helps managers to visualize problems early and take suitable remedial steps. It
helps them exploit opportunities and come out as ‘winners’ in a competitive world.
Planning improves morale: Once members know what is expected of them, they can
contribute better. When goals are properly defined, work assignments can be fixed and
everyone can begin to contribute to the achievement of these goals. This produces
improvements in morale. Further, planning permits employees to participate in the thinking
process. This helps them develop a broad mentality. Also, when the plan is actually
translated into action, they feel that it is their own plan. Positive attributes are, thus,
developed.
Planning facilities control: Planning and controlling functions are said to be ‘Siamese
twins’ (inseparable twins). There is nothing to control without planning and without proper
control, planning proves to be a wasteful and an unproductive exercise. Plans serve as
yardsticks for measuring performance. They help in channelizing behaviour in the right
direction. They help in preventing mistakes, oversights and deviations.
3. Limitations/Criticisms
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Rigidity: Plans put the activities of an enterprise in a rigid framework. Everything is spelt
out in detail and deviations are not permitted. New opportunities are often ignored or
rejected because of the commitment to existing plans. Events may change, but plans may
remain fixed. Managers, too, would be reluctant to reorient their plans suitably, because it
involves serious mental work to put everything in black and white change the same all over
again.
Costly and time consuming: Planning is costly. It is expensive in terms of time spent to
formulate the plans, the manpower required to do the planning and resources needed to
execute the plan. The collection of information, evaluation of alternatives, selection of a
suitable course of action, etc., may consume lot of executive time and organisational
resources.
Employee resistance: For any plan to succeed, you need operating people to understand
it, embrace it, and make it happen. One of the frequent complaints made against the
planning process is that it is done by specialists who are not in touch with operations. As a
result, operating people who are not involved in planning tend to resist the planning
process. Planning ‘imposed from above’ often leads to resentment and resistance from
those forced to execute.
False sense of security: Elaborate planning may create a false sense of security in the
organisation. Managers may begin to feel that everything is well taken care of. They begin
to assume that as long as plans are adhered to, there will not be any problems. As a result,
they fail to take note of environmental changes and the need to review, restructure and
reorient the old plans in an appropriate way.
1.
1. Difficult to predict: It is difficult for planners to forecast economic
conditions, government policies, competitive manoeuvers or human behaviour
with any degree of accuracy. Planning, basically depends on a whole set of
assumed conditions. Only when these assumptions are substantially correct,
planning produces fruitful results.
2. Projected too far into the future: Moreover, the reliability of planning
efforts is open to doubt since they are projected farther into the future, where
the manager has no control over environmental forces.
3. Environmental turbulence: Future is a moving target. It may not be
possible to anticipate future changes accurately and provide for them in
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4. Process of Planning
Establishing objectives: The first step in the planning process is to identify the goals of
the organisation. The internal as well as external conditions affecting the organisation must
be thoroughly examined before setting objectives. The objectives so derived must clearly
indicate what is to be achieved, where action should take place, who is to perform it, how it
is to be undertaken and when is it to be accomplished. In other words, managers must
provide clear guidelines for organisational efforts, so that activities can be kept on the right
track.
Developing premises: After setting objectives, it is necessary to outline planning
premises. Premises are assumptions about the environment in which plans are made and
implemented. Thus, assumptions about the likely impact of important environmental factors
such as market demand for goods, cost of raw materials, technology to be used, population
growth, government policy, etc. on the future plans are made. Plans should be formulated
by the management, keeping the constraints imposed by internal as well as external
conditions in mind.
Evaluating alternatives and selection: After establishing the objectives and planning
premises, the alternative courses of action have to be considered. The pros and cons as well
as the consequences of each alternative course of action must be examined thoroughly
before a choice is made.
Formulating derivative plans: After selecting the best course of action, the management
has to formulate the secondary plans to support the basic plan. The plans derived for
various departments, units, activities, etc., in a detailed manner are known as ‘derivative
plans’. For example, the basic production plan requires a number of things such as
availability of plant and machinery, training of employees, provision of adequate finance,
etc. To ensure the success of a basic plan, the derivative plans must indicate the time
schedule and sequence of performing various tasks.
Securing cooperation and participation: The successful implementation of a plan
depends, to a large extent, on the whole-hearted cooperation of the employees. In view of
this, management should involve operations people in the planning activities.
Providing for follow-up: Plans have to be reviewed continually to ensure their relevance
and effectiveness. In the course of implementing plans, certain facts may come to light that
were not even thought of earlier. In the light of these changed conditions, plans have to be
revised. Without such a regular follow-up, plans may become out-of-date and useless.
Moreover, such a step ensures the implementation plans along right lines.
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5. Principles
To be useful, planning should try to incorporate some of the time-tested and interrelated
principles, beautifully summed up by Koontz thus:
“The more the individuals charged with planning, understand and agree to utilise consistent
planning premises, the more coordinated enterprise planning will be”.
How can managers effectively plan when the external environment is continually changing?
The following steps have to be taken—according to experts– in order to make planning
effective:
Climate: Planning must not be left to chance. Additionally, conducive climate must be
provided so that activities proceed smoothly and systematically. Top managers should
remove obstacles to planning, by establishing clear cut goals, realistic planning premises
and offering required information and appropriate staff assistance at various levels.
Top management support: Planning must start at the top. It must receive attention of
the top management continually. They must be willing to extend a helping hand, whenever
required.
Participation: Plans are implemented by people. So, it is necessary to secure acceptance
and commitment from them. One way to increase commitment is to solicit subordinates’
participation in the planning process. Planning comes alive when employees are involved in
setting goals and determining the means to reach them.
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7. Should allow people—especially those who look after its implementation– to participate a
ctively and enthusiastically
9. Should be sold to everyone and communicated well before it’s being implemented
10. Should allow integration of effort at every level smoothly : (L.F. Urwick, Koontz, Stoner
)
It may sound curious but in an uncertain environment, managers should be armed with
plans that are specific but flexible. To be useful, plans need to be formulated in black and
white but they should not be set in stone. Using the road map provided by a plan, managers
should clear the hurdles on the way. They should be willing to change direction if
environmental conditions warrant such a step. Even in the face of continual changes in
environmental conditions, managers should adhere to a set of actions to see where things
are going off the track and their likely impact on organisational performance. When things
are manageable, as planned, then targets are achieved. Where things are thrown off the
track, managers need to pick the loose threads firmly and weave them into a fine garment—
as desired by customers and market forces.
Strategic Planning
Strategic planning involves decisions about the organisation’s long term goals such as
survival, growth etc. It involves setting long term objectives (by top management) and
deciding about the judicious deployment of resources to achieve those objectives. Strategic
planning, thus, is long-term in nature. It tends to be a top management responsibility. It
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requires looking outside the organisation for threats and opportunities. It also requires
looking inside the organisation for finding out weaknesses and strengths. It affects many
parts of the organisation, as its decisions have enduring effects that are difficult to reverse.
It tries to equip the organisation with capabilities needed to confront future uncertainties,
by taking a holistic view of the entire organisation. Its focus is clearly on the ‘jungle, not the
trees’. The main objective is to position the firm in an advantageous position in relation to
the environment, keeping the firm’s own capabilities in mind.
Example: In business, it means how much money is going to be dedicated to a project, and
by when you expect the project complete. In personal life, suppose you plan a wedding, it
means deciding on the budget and the date.
Tactical Planning
Tactical planning translates broad strategic goals and plans into specific goals and plans that
are relevant to a definite portion of the organisation, such as a functional area like
marketing or human resources. Tactical plans focus on a major actions a unit must take to
fulfil a part of the strategic planning. They are often focused on 1-2 years in the future. This
is the implementation of the strategic plan stage combining your available resources, look at
obstacles, and review alternatives.
Operational Planning
Operational planning identifies the specific procedures and processes required at lower
levels of the organisation. Frontline managers usually focus on routine tasks such as
production runs, delivery schedules, and human resource needs etc. They typically focus on
the short term, usually 12 months or less. These plans are the least complex of the three
and rarely have a direct effect or other plans outside of the department or unit for which the
plan was developed.
Example: In business, it means engaging the team, develop and answer the who, what,
when, where, how management questions. In personal life, for the wedding, it means,
choosing the band, finding the caterer, decide on flowers, etc.
To be fully effective, the organisation’s strategic, tactical and operational plans must be
aligned – that is, they must be consistent, mutually supportive and focused on meeting the
common purpose and direction.
Next 12 months or le
Time horizon Typically 3-5 years 1-2 years
ss
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Middle managemen
Management level Top management Frontline
t
8. Components of Planning
Plans may be classified into two categories, i.e. standing plans and single use plans.
Standing plans are put to use, again and again, over a long period of time. Once
established, they continue to apply until they are modified or abandoned. Standing plans
help managers in dealing with routine matters in a pre-determined and consistent manner.
Single use plans are non-recurring in nature and deal with problems that probably will not
be repeated in the same form in future.
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TOPIC-6
KEY TAKEAWAYS
However, a cited weakness of MBO is that it unduly emphasizes the setting of goals to
attain objectives, rather than working on a systematic plan to do so. Critics of MBO, such
as W. Edwards Deming, argue that setting particular goals like production targets leads
workers to meet those targets by any means necessary, including shortcuts that result in
poor quality.1
In his book that coined the term, Peter Drucker set forth several principles for
MBO.Objectives are laid out with the help of employees and are meant to be challenging
but achievable. Employees receive daily feedback, and the focus is on rewards rather than
punishment. Personal growth and development are emphasized, rather than negativity for
failing to reach objectives.
MBO is not a cure-all but a tool to be utilized. It gives organizations a process, with many
practitioners claiming that the success of MBO is dependent on the support from top
management, clearly outlined objectives, and trained managers who can implement it.
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MBO outlines five steps that organizations should use to put the management technique
into practice.
1. Either determine or revise organizational objectives for the entire company. This
broad overview should be derived from the firm’s mission and vision.
2. Translate the organizational objectives to employees. In 1981, George T.
Doran used the acronym SMART (specific, measurable, acceptable, realistic, time-
bound) to express the concept.
3. Stimulate the participation of employees in setting individual objectives. After the
organization’s objectives are shared with employees from the top to the bottom,
employees should be encouraged to help set their own objectives to achieve these
larger organizational objectives. This gives employees greater motivation since they
have greater empowerment.
4. Monitor the progress of employees. In step two, a key component of the objectives
was that they are measurable for employees and managers to determine how well
they are met.
5. Evaluate and reward employee progress. This step includes honest feedback on
what was achieved and not achieved for each employee.
The term “management by objectives (MBO)” was first used by Peter F. Drucker in his
1954 book titled The Practice of Management.
Advantages
Employees take pride in their work and are assigned goals they know they can
achieve that match their strengths, skills, and educational experiences.
Assigning tailored goals brings a sense of importance to employees, boosting their
output and loyalty to the company.
Communication between management and employees is increased.
Management can create goals that lead to the success of the company.
Disadvantages
As MBO is focused on goals and targets, it often ignores other parts of a company,
such as the culture of conduct, a healthy work ethos, and areas for involvement and
contribution.
Strain is increased on employees to meet the goals in a specified time frame.
Employees are encouraged to meet targets by any means necessary, meaning that
shortcuts could be taken and the quality of work compromised.
If management solely relies on MBO for all management responsibilities, it can be
problematic for areas that don’t fit under MBO.
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A company can set various goals with its employees. In the case of a call center, an MBO
could be to increase customer satisfaction, say, by 10%, while reducing call times by one
minute. The onus is now on finding ways to achieve this goal. Once that’s decided on, it’s
important to get employees on board and then monitor their progress, provide feedback,
and reward those who do a good job.
As MBO is entirely focused on goals and targets, it often ignores other parts of a company,
such as the corporate culture, worker conduct, a healthy work ethos, environmental issues,
and areas for involvement and contribution to the community and social good.
As a theory, MBO makes a lot of sense: Help employees to get involved in setting company
goals and they are more likely to share management’s objectives, work harder, and
deliver.
However, there’s also a good reason why MBO is widely criticized. Like most things that
look good on paper, it doesn’t always work in practice. The key is to be aware of its
drawbacks, customize the plan according to your organization, and make sure that
everyone is fully on board and that the objectives are clear and reasonable before
commencing.
TOPIC-6
Management by Objectives (MBO)
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
However, a cited weakness of MBO is that it unduly emphasizes the setting of goals to
attain objectives, rather than working on a systematic plan to do so. Critics of MBO, such
as W. Edwards Deming, argue that setting particular goals like production targets leads
workers to meet those targets by any means necessary, including shortcuts that result in
poor quality.1
In his book that coined the term, Peter Drucker set forth several principles for
MBO.Objectives are laid out with the help of employees and are meant to be challenging
but achievable. Employees receive daily feedback, and the focus is on rewards rather than
punishment. Personal growth and development are emphasized, rather than negativity for
failing to reach objectives.
MBO is not a cure-all but a tool to be utilized. It gives organizations a process, with many
practitioners claiming that the success of MBO is dependent on the support from top
management, clearly outlined objectives, and trained managers who can implement it.
MBO outlines five steps that organizations should use to put the management technique
into practice.
6. Either determine or revise organizational objectives for the entire company. This
broad overview should be derived from the firm’s mission and vision.
7. Translate the organizational objectives to employees. In 1981, George T.
Doran used the acronym SMART (specific, measurable, acceptable, realistic, time-
bound) to express the concept.
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The term “management by objectives (MBO)” was first used by Peter F. Drucker in his
1954 book titled The Practice of Management.
Advantages
Employees take pride in their work and are assigned goals they know they can
achieve that match their strengths, skills, and educational experiences.
Assigning tailored goals brings a sense of importance to employees, boosting their
output and loyalty to the company.
Communication between management and employees is increased.
Management can create goals that lead to the success of the company.
Disadvantages
As MBO is focused on goals and targets, it often ignores other parts of a company,
such as the culture of conduct, a healthy work ethos, and areas for involvement and
contribution.
Strain is increased on employees to meet the goals in a specified time frame.
Employees are encouraged to meet targets by any means necessary, meaning that
shortcuts could be taken and the quality of work compromised.
If management solely relies on MBO for all management responsibilities, it can be
problematic for areas that don’t fit under MBO.
A company can set various goals with its employees. In the case of a call center, an MBO
could be to increase customer satisfaction, say, by 10%, while reducing call times by one
minute. The onus is now on finding ways to achieve this goal. Once that’s decided on, it’s
LDC GROUP OF INSTITUTIONS OFFERS: B TECH, MBA, MCA, BBA, BCA, POLYTECHNIC, ITI
CLASS NOTES
important to get employees on board and then monitor their progress, provide feedback,
and reward those who do a good job.
As MBO is entirely focused on goals and targets, it often ignores other parts of a company,
such as the corporate culture, worker conduct, a healthy work ethos, environmental issues,
and areas for involvement and contribution to the community and social good.
As a theory, MBO makes a lot of sense: Help employees to get involved in setting company
goals and they are more likely to share management’s objectives, work harder, and
deliver.
However, there’s also a good reason why MBO is widely criticized. Like most things that
look good on paper, it doesn’t always work in practice. The key is to be aware of its
drawbacks, customize the plan according to your organization, and make sure that
everyone is fully on board and that the objectives are clear and reasonable before
commencing.
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