The Principles of Management by George Robert Terry - Book Report/Review Example

? Book Review Book Review In the book review in question, principles of management lie as the central focus. It is thus that the research led to the review of the book The Principles of management. George Robert Terry authored the book and later had it published in the year 1977 by Homewood publishers. Out of a series of editions by the same author, the book particularly commanded the seventh edition in the line. The book covers concepts that relate to the diverse understandings about structure, economic aspects, and management in general. According to George Robert, Management is a knack of having things done thoroughly. It revolves mainly around the basic art of environment creation in which, people have the ability to perform greatly and individuals can be able to cooperate, with the main aim of attaining the group goals. However, there exist many definitions of management. Majorities of managers face the influence to believing and end up maintaining that it is an organized effort of people. They are people whose sole purpose is to achieve the ambitions and objectives of a particular organization. However, it necessarily is not that simple (Terry, 1967). In course of reading the book, there is reference to one of the first persons to sit down and try to work out what managers do. The author makes known in his literature, the existence of a Frenchman called Henri Fayol. Fayol was a mining engineer who later on grew to become the first sitting managing director of a coal-mining firm. It later lies in description as having turned into a successful steel and coal business. This was as all occurrences took place between the 1880s and 1920s, when he retired. The narration states further, as it continues with the trend of passing knowledge to the reader, that In the year 1916, after many years of critically thinking about the manager’s job, he published a book titled General and Industrial Management (Terry, 1967). A manager ought to set out objectives. He or she makes the ultimate determination over what the objectives ought to be. The manager determines what the goals in each single category of objectives should be. He or she also decides what is to remain done, to reach the set and predetermined objectives. He makes effectively implements the set objectives by simply communicating them to the target subjects whose performance remains needed, in order to attain them. He also analyses the decisions, relations, and activities that remain needed. The manager generally, classifies the work. He splits work to easy and manageable activities and divides it further into manageable jobs. These units face grouping into an organization structure (Fayol, 1962). Henry Fayol lay years ahead of his time. This was because the author narrates to what extent he linked strategy and organizational theory and in emphasized the need for management development and the qualities of leadership. George Robert, in his book said that Fayol imaginatively anticipated most of the recent analyses of business practice in modern times. On the other hand, other writers came up bearing different ideologies. They criticized the application of the functional approach met by Fayol to larger and more convoluted organizations than those that he knew and managed (Fayol, 1962). Often are the times when management is confused for planning. It is of importance to note as per George Robert that, Planning involves selecting missions and objectives and the action to achieve them requires decision making, that choosing future courses of action from among alternatives. The idea of management on the other hand is a distinct process consisting of not only planning, but also other modes that compose outstanding managerial skills. These are controlling utilizing, staffing, leading, and organizing in each. These are both in science and in art and followed in order to accomplish prearranged objectives of the organization (Fayol, 1962). George’s stress on objective setting for the course of management lies clearly specified in his epic compendium, Management: The Tasks, Practices, and Responsibilities. This represents an almanac of their prior writings, which lie recommended as the bedrock of any aspiring managers reading list. Studded with illuminating case studies, this massive volume pinpoints and defines every aspect of skills of management. Eight areas however were clear objectives that remain vital. These are human organization, innovation, marketing, physical resources, productivity, financial resources, profit requirements and social responsibility. An exhaustive grounding in the cosmic work is practically the correspondent of a do-it-yourself business- course in school (Terry, 1967). George further states that, Management is Goal-Oriented. This is in the understanding that, the triumph of any management activity lies in access by the achievement of the priory set objectives or goal. Management is a resolute bustle. It takes the form of a gizmo, which aids the use of physical & human resources to fulfill the pre-determined goals. Similarly, he goes ahead to highlight as to how Management integrates Human, Physical and Financial Resources. This is whereby in a corporation, whereby human beings work with other resources like machines, materials, buildings, and financial assets. Management incorporates human efforts to those particular resources. It harmonizes the physical, financial and human resources (Terry, 1967). From his experience in the relative Industry, Fayol recognized several Principles of Management, and he stressed that these are not firm but ought to be adapted in order to suit the specific needs of the situation. This include Division of work, where specialization allowing individuals to build up skills and become more productive. Secondly, he talks about Unity of Command stating that each man should have only one boss with no conflicting lines of command. The author also highlights another principle as being the existence of Stability of tenure among personnel as well as the scalar chain or hierarchical principle of management, which is the path, dictated by both the principle of unity of command and by the need for some transmission, which is not always much swift (Fayol, 1962). These only mention a few as the list goes a long way. One explanation that George concluded in his work that employees had gained greatly in terms of satisfaction rendered by, the sensation that they were sections of individuals, and not cogs as in the case of a machine. It also gained enormously in the communication that lay between workers and researchers. This leads to everyone feeling more responsible and valued for his or her individual performance. This is as well as that of the group as a whole. The sense self-esteem of and that of cohesiveness was more significant to performance (Terry, 1967). In view of the relationship between management and administration, the author sheds light to the issue; George states that, Administration refers to the setting of major objectives, the general determination of policies, the laying down of broad programmes and projects as well as the identification of general purposes. It refers further to the activities of higher levels. Administration lays down the basic principles of the entire enterprise. According to George, administration refers to leadership, guidance, & control of the efforts of the clusters towards a common aim. This differs immensely from management as it involves the initiating, and bringing together the various elements such as actuating, coordinating, conceiving the viability of the organization towards some pre-determined goals and at the same time integrate the diverse components of the organization. It is an art of having things done thoroughly (Terry, 1967). Over the last years, there has existed Knowledge Explosion in the various fields concerned with management. At this particular period concerning management, authors have been concerned with the integration, as well as the findings of the human relations movements, complex scientific management, as well as the principles of management. The approach to the system provides a specific focus to the efforts of organizations. A major giving of the system loom results from the emphasis on the mutuality of sections of an organization. Benefits of the system theory lie in its individual treatment as an open system. A close system exports something into the environment and imports some things from the environment (Terry, 1967). Assuming the purpose of an enterprise is resoluted and the arrangement is organized, the next step in the management process is to organize the activities of the enterprise to execute the plan and to achieve the purpose of the endeavor. The term organization has a variety of interpretations. In any case, the term lies in use in two broad ways. In the first sense, organization reflects a vibrant process and an activity of management. This is necessary especially where they sought to bring people together. At the same time, it ties them together in the quest for conventional objectives. Organization also refers to the composition of relationships, which lie among Jobs, and positions. These tend to lies built up, for the realizations of common goals as well. Without the process of organizing, managers cannot carry out their roles effectively. Organization is concerns itself with the developing, building, and maintaining of a structure concerned with relationships. This is in order to accomplish the set objectives of the enterprise (Terry, 1967). Majority of the approaches seek to apply in real life. They bear claim that no single approach is applicable universally and different situations and problems require dissimilar approaches. Managers ought to find the advance that proves best for them. This is so that they can achieve their initial goals. Managers today ought to evaluate a condition and use ideas from random schools of thought. This is with the aim to find a suitable permutation of techniques of management and to meet the needs of the situation. There lays no job currently, more vital to our society, as that of a manager, declares George. The manager ought to determine whether institutions serve their subjects well or whether they dissipate resources and talents. It is time to study realistically we could begin the difficult task of making sizeable improvements in managerial performance. References Fayol, H. (1962). Administration industrielle et ge?ne?rale; pre?voyance, organisation, commandement, coordination, contro?le.. Paris: Dunod. Terry, G. R. (1977). Principles of management (7th ed.). Homewood, Ill.: R.D. Irwin. Read More