BASIC CONCEPTS OF MANAGEMENT; FUNCTIONS AND LEVELS OF MANAGEMENT.

Management is the process of guiding the development, maintenance and allocation of

resources to attain organizational goals.

Management is dynamic by nature and it evolves to meet needs and constraints in the
organization's internal and external environment.

Management has been defined by various people one of who is Professor

Onwuchekwa(1994),

He defines Management from the perspective of organizational theory approach as a

process of organizational design.

He further says that organizational design is the process of choosing appropriate

organizational structure and that Organization structure is the arrangement of tasks and
responsibilities in position within an organization for the purpose of accomplishing the
organizational objectives.

Management involves coordinating people, tasks, systems, etc and overseeing operations
towards a common mission.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES OF MANAGERS INCLUDE;

Developing strategies and organizational policies, allocating resources, establishing

processes, assigning tasks and delegating authority, directing and motivating staff, as well as
monitoring performance through metrics and audits.

Effective management is essential for organizations to optimize productivity, drive

sustainable growth, and deliver value.

The practice of management draws on various business disciplines from - finance to

behavior science - allowing managers to make informed decisions. With strong leadership
and management, organizations can thrive amidst changing market conditions.

Overall, management oversees day-to-day operations while keeping focus on long-term

strategic priorities.

FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENT

There are 4 functions of Management which are;

● Planning

● Organizing

● Directing/leading
 ● Controlling

Planning

Planning is the basic function of Management. It is the determination of causes of actions to

achieve desired goals.

It is a systematic thinking about ways and means to accomplish a predetermined goal.

Organizing

Organizing is the process of bringing together physical, financial and human resources and
developing productive relationships among them for the achievement of organizational
goals.

To organize a business involves determining and providing non-human resources to the

organizational structure.

Directing/leading

Leading/directing is the part of managerial functions which actuates the organizational

method to work effectively for the achievement of organizational purposes.

Directing is the inept personnel aspect of management which deals directing with
influencing, guiding, supervising, motivating subordinates for the achievement of
organizational goals.

Controlling

Contrt implies measurement of accomplishment against the standards and corrections of

deviations if any to ensure achievement of organizational goals.

The purpose of controlling is to ensure that everything occurs in conformity with the
standard.

LEVELS OF MANAGEMENT

The term levels of Management refers to a line of managerial positions in an organization.

The number of levels of Management increases when the size of the business and
workforce increases and vice versa.

The level of Management determines the chain of command, the amount of authority and
status enjoyed by any managerial level.

There are 3 levels of Management which are

● Top level management

● Middle level management

● Lower level management

Top level management consists of boards of directors, Chief executives.

Top level management is the ultimate source of authority and it manages the goals and
policies for an enterprise.

ROLES OF TOP LEVEL MANAGEMENT

● Top level management lays down the objectives and broad policies of the enterprise.

● They issue necessary instructions for preparations of department's budget,

procedures and schedules.

● They prepare a strategic plan and policies for the enterprise.

● They appoint the managers for the middle level.

● They control and coordinate the activities of all the department.

MIDDLE LEVEL MANAGEMENT

Middle level management comprises of the branch managers and departmental managers.

They are responsible to the top management for the functioning of their department.

ROLES OF MIDDLE LEVEL MANAGEMENT

● They execute the plans of the organization in accordance to the policies and
directives of the top management.

● They make plans for the sub unit of the organization.

 ● They participate in the employment and training of the lower level management.

● They interpret and explain policies from top level to the lower level.

● They are responsible for coordinating the activities within the department or division.

LOWER LEVEL MANAGEMENT

This is also known as Supervisory or operative level of Management.

Here, it consists of the supervisors, section officers, foreman, etc.

The lower level management are referred to the executives who has been lagging with
personal oversight and direction of operative employees.

ROLES OF LOWER LEVEL MANAGEMENT

● Their activities include assigning of jobs and tasks to various workers.

● They are responsible for the quality and quantity of the production.

● They are entrusted with maintaining good relations in the organization.

● They communicate with the worker's problems, suggestions and recommendation to

the higher level.

● They help to solve the grievances of workers.