Learning Outcomes
- Comprehend, demonstrate and apply the fundamental concepts of management theories, including planning, organizing, leading, and controlling in detail.
- Write clear, concise, and coherent arguments relating to management theories and apply them to practice situations.
- Ability to make analyses such as SWOT, business level, competitive forces, and
cultural dimensions in order to formulate and implement proper planning in an
organization. - Understand management theories, and apply them to the contemporary nature and trends in the business environment today and beyond.
- Discuss various tools & techniques to manage diversity, teams, barriers to
communication, motivation, social responsibility & strategic management.
The Introduction to Management module introduces the principles underpinning management theory and practice. The unit discusses the major management concepts and examines the present status and future direction of this growing field of study. The development of management thought and practices are analyzed and key managerial functions in contemporary organizations are explained.
In particular, the course provides an in-depth understanding of the four primary functions of management: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.
- Planning: systematically making decisions about the goals and activities that an individual, a group, a work unit, or the overall organization will pursue. Analyzing current situations, anticipating the future, determining objectives, deciding in what types of activities the company will engage.
- Organizing: assembling and coordinating the human, financial, physical, informational, and other resources needed to achieve goals. Specifying job
responsibilities, grouping jobs into work units, and allocating resources. - Leading: stimulating people to be high performers.
- Controlling: monitoring performance and making needed changes.
In today’s knowledge-based economy and with extensive globalization and
technological change, the business landscape is fast changing. It, therefore, becomes a daunting task for top-level managers to manage companies as effectively and efficiently to keep up with the external environment while managing the internal environment.
To survive and sustain a business, organizations must have a competitive advantage. Innovation, quality, service, speed, and cost competitiveness are all integral part of management that determines the competitiveness of an organization. Good management is thus extremely important.
In addition, the future of management is considered in the light of social responsibility, internationalization initiatives, diversity in the workplace, and changing management paradigms.