Section 1 What Is Management

Management activities appeared since human come into being,and the idea of management arose as well.Management is a kind of social activity generated because of the need of collaboration in collective labor,and widely used in every field of the society.

1.1.1 Concept of Management

Opinions vary greatly in the management academia about the concept of management.The differences in management practice lead to different cognitions and understandings of management.

The opinions that almost everyone agrees are:①Management is a conscious and purposive activity process whose aim is to achieve the goal of an organization.②Management consists of a series of correlative and ongoing activities(functions).③To achieve the goals of the organization,management needs to comprehensively use various kinds of resources in the organization.④Management activities are conducted under certain environmental conditions,it needs to design and maintain a certain kind of environment.So from the aspect of time,management is a dynamic process.

1.1.2 Features of Management

1.Dynamics

Dynamics is mainly embodied in management activities which should be carried out in the changing environments and organizations for eliminating various kinds of uncertainties in allocation of resources.Uncertainties exist in management object,management target,management time and space,management methods and means,management results,thus management is dynamic,developing and changing.

2.Scientificity

Although management activities are dynamic,they can be divided into two categories,one is procedural activities,and the other is non-procedural activities.These two types of activities can be reversed,the reversion process is the cognition and scientific summary of management activities and its regularity,and the science of management is reflected in it.

3.Artistry

Because the management target is often under different environments,industries,production requirements and resource supply,etc.,there is no sole,completely effective mode for every specific management target.As a result,the specific management activities have much to do with the role of management skills,and this kind of management skills is the embodiment of management artistry.

4.Creativity

Since management is a kind of dynamic activities,and as there is no sole mode for a specific management target for reference,so if you want to achieve the prospective goal you have to develop creativity.The creativity of management is rooted in the dynamics relating to the scientificity and artistry.The saying"no innovation means death"fully illustrates this point.

5.Economy

Resource allocation needs cost,so firstly the economy of management is reflected in the opportunity cost of the allocation of resources.Secondly,the economy of management is reflected in the comparison of the costs of different management approaches,methods.Thirdly,the economy of management is also reflected in the effective integration process of resources which means the selection and proportioning of resource supplies which leads to different costs.

1.1.3 Nature of Management

In essence,management has duality,one is in natural quality which is associated with productivity,the other is in social attribute which is associated with productive relations and social culture.

Management has a natural quality because the management process is the process that combines and utilizes the personnel,finance,information,time and other resources.Management reveals these relative laws and creates corresponding management means and methods.Management activities have to follow these laws and use these means and methods in order to achieve certain effects.It provides a theoretical basis for us to study and draw lessons of advanced management experiences and methods from developed countries.

Management has social attribute because management is a human activity which is under certain production relations and certain social culture.Different production relationships and social culture will make the management idea,management purpose and management mode different,bringing forth particularity of management.It is the embodiment and reflection of production relations and social culture,and reacts upon production relationships and social culture.This tells us to establish distinctive management patterns practically.

1.1.4 Functions of Management

Functions of management mean the basic functions that managers must have to perform their duties to complete the tasks,in other words,they refer to various activities or roles the managers are engaged in during the management process.Opinions about the functions of management are different,but basically they can be summarized as four items:planning,organizing,leading,and controlling.

Planning:Planning means that the managers make choice and specific arrangement for the goals pursued and actions taken before the real actions.It consists of three major activities:the first is to determine the goal,the second is to formulate strategy,the third is to establish and execute the plan.

Organizing:Organizing is the combination and configuration of various elements to achieve organizational goals and the interrelationships of people's activities in order to establish an organic whole.It consists of four main activities:the first is to design organization,the second is to team it with staff,the third is to establish organizational institutions,the fourth is to supervise the operation.

Leading:Leading means guiding and commanding all the members to execute the organization's plan and achieve the goal of the organization by using the power given by the organization through information communication.It includes three main activities:the first is to use the influence,the second is to communicate,the third is to motivate.

Controlling:Controlling means comparing the implementation of a plan with the plan and the requiring goals to find out deviations and take corresponding managerial measures in order to ensure the realization of the target of the initial plan.It includes four activities:the first is to determine the control standards,the second is to measure the actual effects,the third is to compare and analyze,the fourth is to take managerial actions.

In practice,these four functions are conducted in chronological order of planning,organization,leadership,and control.But they are employed alternatively,advancing in endless cycles,so that the managerial process can go ahead and upgrade.

A growing number of scholars believe that innovation is an important stage in the managerial process,and also an important managerial activity throughout various managerial functions and each level of the organization,what's more,it is the logical development of the managerial functions.

1.1.5 Management Science

Management is a science to study the basic rules and the general methods of managerial activities of various kinds of organizations.The research object of management science is the various phenomena in the managerial activities and their essential interrelationships.Management is also a science in development with the characteristics of comprehensiveness,artistry,inaccuracy and practicality.

People have different guidelines when trying to integrate managerial knowledge.Generally speaking,we think that there are two types of guidelines:the theoretical one and the applicable one.Following the classification of economics,we can divide management science into theoretic management and applicable management.Theoretic management focuses on describing,explaining and predicting activities of organizations to discover managerial laws,principles and develop the theoretical system of management.Applicable management mainly concentrates on the study of managerial policies,and schemes to sum up experience and lessons,solve problems and utilize the laws and principles of managerial theories.

【新视角】

管理是科学、艺术和哲学的统一

目前，认为管理既是科学又是艺术已成为神圣的信条，权威的教科书视之为公理。其实，管理不仅仅是科学、艺术，还是哲学。管理的科学性是指蕴藏在管理活动中的内在联系和客观规律，它表现为管理活动的一般原则及大量模型工具，这些不受时间、地域、行业、企业和管理者的制约。管理是艺术的主要是因为管理的主体和客体皆离不开人，管理活动会受到人的感情、意志、个性、能力等诸多无法用科学方法检测和度量的非理性因素的制约，管理活动因而千差万别。管理还是一种有目的的实践活动，会受到管理主体人生观、价值观、世界观的支配，这又与民族、地域、国家、文化、历史息息相关，主要表现在管理的理念、价值观等企业文化领域，属于哲学范畴。