Nature / Feature / Characteristics of Management
Nature of management principles stands for special features or characteristics of management principles. Following are the important features of the management principles:
1. Universal application
Principles of management are applied in every situation, where the objectives are attained through group efforts. All organizations such as social, political, cultural, or even religious organizations apply for the successful operations of their activities. Every organization must make the best possible use of its available resources by the application of management principles i.e., planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling effectively and achieve the desired result.
2. Flexibility
Management principles are dynamic guidelines and not static rules. Management helps the business in multiplying its profit at a minimum cost. The business situation and its socio-economic environment are enough to suit the size, nature, needs, and situations of the business. Improvement and modification of management principles is a continuing process, so the Principles of Management are always flexible.
3. General Statement
Management principles are concerned mostly with human behavior which cannot be tested under controlled conditions i.e., a laboratory. Human behavior is always unpredictable. So, management principles are not as exact as the principles of physical science. In this way, the management principles are merely statements.
4. It influences human behavior
6. Equal importance
7. Careful and tactful application
The human element is an essential factor of production. Its activities and extracts work from other factors also. Every worker is individually different from the other workers as regards his ability, knowledge, skill, socio-economic status, attitudes, and ideologies. Management is concerned with the integration of individual efforts and how to decentralize them towards achieving the desired results. So, management principles are said to be a work and group activity. Thus, management principles aim at influencing individual efforts and directing them to the maximization of profit with the minimum wastage and the best possible utilization of available resources.
5. Cause and effect relationship
The management principles also form cause and effect relationships. It indicates the consequences of its principles, for instance, if wages are paid on the basis of a piece-rate system the quantity of work will be more, but the quality will suffer. If the principles of unity of command are adopted, confusion, duplication, and overlapping will be avoided. In the same way, other principles also, indicate the relationship between principles, their consequences, and results.
6. Equal importance
There is no inferiority or superiority between the principles no one principle has greater significance than the other. We cannot say the Principles of Unity of Command is more important than the Principle of Unity of Direction. In this way, all the principles of management are equally important.
7. Careful and tactful application
Principles of management cannot be applied blindly, because their principles are relative, not absolute. Thus these principles should be according to organizational needs and situations.
8. Decision-Making
Management is always concerned with decision-making factors of productions is scarce and they also have alternative uses. so, management has to decide the best possible combination of available resources, and most suitable techniques of production principles applied. In this way, management principles are therefore the basis of decision-making.
