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What Makes A Good Manager Management Essay
There are many dynamic concepts and theories considering the question of; what makes a good manager?
Both classical and modern thinking suggests various approaches and management styles. The primary goal of this assignment is to assess skills that contribute to good management. The authors have elected to present a brief introductory literature review describing the key concepts of management style and the major theories supporting these concepts. Having chosen the topic the next step was to set out a number of objectives on which to base the study. These included:
To define management
To briefly identify the major theories of management
To identify key managerial skills and discuss elements of their importance and impact on organisational goals and employee performance
Case study: Enron
Definition of Management & Management Theory
Management is ‘The art of getting things done through people’. (Follett et al., 1973)
‘Managers give direction, provide leadership & decide how to use resources to accomplish goals’. (Drucker, 1954)
‘Management is the attainment of organizational goals in an effective and efficient manner through planning, organising, leading and controlling organisational resources’. (Daft and Marcic, 2009)
There are many definitions of management. Classical theorists such as Fayol and Taylor believed in applying universal principles to achieve ‘one best way’ of management. Henri Fayol emphasised ‘command and control’ and taught the five functions of management as; planning, organising, commanding, co-ordinating and controlling.
Taylor in the Principles of Scientific Management (Taylor, 1911) taught that there was ‘one best method’ of management based on the scientific study of each task. Taylor would not have approved of the focus on the individual, as later developed by Elton