Management is Universal Process and

Phenomenon (Explained)

Managing is necessary whenever one needs to get things done.

It may be called the practice of consciously and continually shaping organizations.

Each and every organization has people who are assigned with the responsibility of serving the
organization to achieve its goals.

Those people are called managers.

No organization can carry on its business without management, which is in turn supervised by
managers.

Management is a universal phenomenon in the sense that it is a common and essential element in
all enterprises.

Every group effort requires setting objectives, making plans, handling people, co-coordinating
and controlling activities, achieving goals and evaluating performance directed towards
organizational goals.

These activities relate to the utilization of 4 types of inputs or resources from the environment—
human, monetary, physical, and informational.

Human resources include managerial talent, labor, and so forth. Monetary resources are the
financial capital the organization uses to finance both ongoing and long-term operations.

Physical resources include raw materials, office and production facilities, and equipment.
Information resources are data and other kinds of information utilized by the organization.

The job of the manager is to combine and coordinate these resources to achieve the
organization’s goals.

If we see our society closely, we will found management practices are being used in everywhere,
our praying place, social parties, transport system, schools and everywhere.

Why Management is Universal Process and Phenomenon

The concept of universality of management has several implications.

First, managerial skills are transferable from one person to another.

Secondly, management skills can be transferred from one organization to another one.

Thirdly, managerial skills can be important and exported from one country to another.
Fourthly, this principle of universality serves as the basis of a general theory of management -a
set of common principles.

Some experts support the universality of management on the group that whatever the situation
and whatever the level of management, the management function are common.

Any manager must, one time or the other, perform the same managerial functions.

A set of common principle or a general theory of management underlies all organizations F.W.
Taylor said that the fundamental principles of scientific management are applicable to all human
activities from our simplest individual acts to work of our great corporations.

According to Koontz and O’Donnell,” Management fundamentals have universal application in

every kind of enterprise and at every level of the enterprise.”

According to Fayol,”Acting in their managerial capacity, president, college deans, bishops, and
head of government agencies, all do the same things.”

But, on the other hand, many other experts oppose the universality of management.

According to Peter Drucker “The skills, the competence, the experience of management cannot,
as such, be transferred and applied to the organization and running of other institutions. A career
in management is, by itself, not a preparation for major political office or for leadership in the
armed force, the church or a university.”

According to C.Mc Millan and R.W. Gonzalez,” Management philosophy is culture-bound and it
is not universally applicable. External forces affect the management philosophy.”, ”Similarly, in
a study of 3600 managers in fourteen countries, it was found that variations in managerial
behavior patterns were due to identifiable cultural differences.

Reasons Why Management is Universal

Emphasis on Management Process

Management is required in all organizations.

The managerial function of planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling are found in
any enterprise.

According to Koontz and O’ Donell,” as a manager, each must at one time or another, carry out
all the duties characteristic of managers. This is the principle of universality of managerial
function.”