Business Laws and Management · Principles of Management and Modern Approaches

Meaning and Nature of Management for CSEET

Updated 11 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Management is the process of getting work done through people to achieve organisational goals efficiently and effectively, by planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling. It is goal-oriented, universal, continuous and a group activity. It is both an art and a science, and an emerging profession. It works at top, middle and lower levels.

Understand Management: Meaning, Nature and Importance

Management is the process of planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling the work of people and the use of resources so that an organisation reaches its goals. The key idea: a manager does not only do work, a manager gets work done through others.

Two words matter in every definition: effectiveness and efficiency. Effectiveness means doing the right task, that is, achieving the goal. Efficiency means doing the task with the least cost, time and waste. Good management needs both.

The nature (characteristics) of management: it is goal-oriented, pervasive (found in every kind of organisation, such as a business, school or hospital), multi-dimensional (it covers work, people and operations), a continuous process, a group activity, dynamic (it changes with the environment), and an intangible force (you see its results, not management itself).

Is management an art, a science or a profession? It is an art because managers apply knowledge with personal skill and practice. It has science features because it has organised principles built from observation, but these are not exact like physics, so it is called an inexact or behavioural science. It is an emerging profession: it has a body of knowledge and training, but it lacks a compulsory licence, a single governing body for all managers and a binding code of conduct. Do not call it a full profession like law or medicine.

Management has three levels. Top level (board of directors, CEO, managing director) sets objectives and policies and takes strategic decisions. Middle level (departmental or divisional heads) turns those policies into plans and coordinates departments. Lower level (supervisors, foremen) supervises workers and sees that daily work follows the plans. Importance: it achieves group goals, raises efficiency, creates a dynamic organisation, helps use resources well, and supports society through jobs and quality products.

Key formulas to remember

Definition in one line: Management = Planning + Organising + Staffing + Directing + Controlling, to reach goals; Use this as the base of any definition answer. Some texts add coordination as the essence of all functions.
Effectiveness vs efficiency: Effectiveness = doing the right task; Efficiency = doing the task right (least cost); Efficiency is about means, effectiveness about ends.
Levels of management: Top (policy, strategy) → Middle (implementation, coordination) → Lower (supervision); Top level plans mainly in the long term; lower level deals with day-to-day operations.
Management as a field: Art (skill) + Science (principles, not exact) + Emerging profession; Never say it is a full profession.

How to solve Management: Meaning, Nature and Importance questions

Questions on this topic ask for a definition, a feature, a classification or a match. Use one method for all of them.

1Read the question and mark the key word: meaning, nature, art, science, profession, level, or importance.
2Recall the one-line definition: getting work done through others to achieve goals.
3For a feature question, match the statement to a characteristic: goal-oriented, pervasive, continuous, group activity, dynamic, intangible.
4For art, science or profession, test the statement against the criteria: skill and practice (art), tested principles (science), training, a governing body and an ethics code (profession).
5For levels, ask who the person is: policy maker (top), departmental head (middle), supervisor (lower).
6In a written answer, give the definition, list points with a short reason each, then add one Indian example.
7Check the answer does not call management an exact science or a full profession.

Quickest way: Keyword matching for MCQs

When to use it: Use in the one-mark OMR paper, where you have about a minute per question.

Spot the clue word in the option: policy or strategy means top level; implementation or coordination means middle; supervise workers means lower.
Clue 'applies skill with practice' means art; 'cause and effect principles' means science.
'Found in every organisation' means pervasive; 'not visible but felt through results' means intangible.
Cross out options with absolute words such as 'exact science' or 'full profession'.
If unsure, pick the option that matches the standard textbook line and move on, since there is no negative marking.

Common mistakes in Management: Meaning, Nature and Importance

Calling management an exact science.
Students see 'science' and assume it is like physics.
Fix: Write 'inexact' or 'behavioural' science, because results vary with human behaviour.
Saying management is a full profession.
Managers have degrees and training, so it seems to qualify.
Fix: Say 'emerging profession'. No licence is compulsory and there is no single binding body or code for all managers.
Mixing up middle and lower level roles.
Both deal with implementing plans.
Fix: Middle managers head departments and coordinate; lower managers directly supervise workers and daily work.
Confusing efficiency with effectiveness.
Both sound like 'doing well'.
Fix: Effectiveness is achieving the goal; efficiency is achieving it at least cost.
Treating management as only for business firms.
Examples in books are mostly companies.
Fix: Remember it is pervasive: it applies in schools, hospitals, clubs and government bodies.

Worked examples

Example 1

Explain the nature of management. State whether it is an art, a science or a profession.

Show the solution

Define management: the process of getting work done through others to achieve goals efficiently and effectively.
List the nature: goal-oriented, pervasive, multi-dimensional, continuous, a group activity, dynamic and intangible.
Art: managers use knowledge with personal skill, creativity and practice, as a cricket captain adapts tactics to the match.
Science: management has organised principles from observation and experiment, but they are not exact because they deal with people.
Profession: it has a body of knowledge and training, but no compulsory licence, no single governing body and no binding code for all managers.

Answer: Management is goal-oriented, pervasive, continuous and dynamic. It is an art, an inexact science and an emerging profession, not yet a full profession.

Example 2

MCQ: In a company, the plant supervisor makes sure workers follow today's production schedule. At which level of management does the supervisor work? (a) Top level (b) Middle level (c) Lower level (d) Board level

Show the solution

Identify the task: supervising workers on a daily schedule.
Top level sets objectives and policies, so (a) does not fit.
Middle level heads departments and coordinates, so (b) does not fit.
Direct supervision of workers is the job of lower level.
Board level is part of top level and does not supervise daily work, so (d) is wrong.

Answer: (c) Lower level

Exam tips

In Paper 4, expect direct one-mark questions on features, levels and art/science/profession. Learn the clue words.
Memorise the exact phrases 'inexact science' and 'emerging profession'; they are the usual correct options.
Learn the main difference between management and administration: administration decides policy at top level, management carries it out. Be ready for match-the-column.
Keep the top, middle and lower level roles in a small three-line table in your notes and revise it daily.

Practice questions from Principles of Management and Modern Approaches

Management: Meaning, Nature and Importance: frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of management in simple words?

Management is getting work done through people to reach a goal, using planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling. It aims to use resources efficiently and achieve the goal effectively.

Is management an art, a science or a profession?

It is all three in part. It is an art because it needs personal skill, an inexact science because its principles are not exact, and an emerging profession because it lacks a compulsory licence and a single governing body.

What is the difference between administration and management?

Administration is mainly a top-level function that decides objectives and policies. Management is a middle and lower level function that carries out those policies. Many modern books treat the two as largely the same, so read the wording of the question.

What are the three levels of management and their functions?

Top level sets goals and policies, middle level implements them and coordinates departments, and lower level supervises workers in daily operations.