Management as a “Process” and as“coordination”

There are many definitions of management but some perceptive managers are of the opinion that it is an organized effort of people whose purpose is to achieve the objectives and goals of an organization. However, certain views expressed by some academicians showed that management is not that simple.

Management as a “Process”:
McFardland defines management as “A process by which managers create, direct, maintain and operate purposive organization through systematic, coordinated, co-operative human efforts”.
The term “Process” has to do with the dynamic or on going nature of management, an activity over varying span of time. The dynamic nature implies that change is reality of organizational life. In managing organizations, managers create changes, adopt organizations to changes and implement changes successfully in their organizations. Businesses fail and become bankrupt because managers fail in their attempt to cope with the change.

Management as“coordination”:
According to Donally, Gibson and Ivancevich, “Management is a process by which individual and group effort is coordinated towards group goals”. They also support the view of management as a process but their emphasis is more on co-ordination. In order to achieve goals, coordination is essential and management involves securing and maintaining this coordination.

This coordination effort is also stressed in the definition of Koontz and O’Donnell. According to them, “ Management is a process of designing and maintaining an environment in which, individuals, working together in groups efficiently and effectively accomplish group goals”.