What Management Is

Management is the process of setting and achieving goals through five basic functions that acquire and utilize human, financial, material, and information resources. The five basic functions are planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling.

• Managers make conscious decisions about the acquisition and use of resources to achieve objectives.

• Managers accomplish tasks through people. Once managers acquire financial, material, and information resources and set objectives for the organization, they work through the organization's members to reach the stated objectives.

• Managers work with both individuals and groups, not with only one or the other. They work with each subordinate and at the same time develop subordinates into a coordinated work group. Both tasks demand a manager's skill and patience.

Exercise 6. Change Russian words for their English equivalents:

приобретать (достигать, овладевать); принимать решения; цели (задачи); достичь целей; выполнять (завершать); развивать, координационная рабочая группа; квалификация (мастерство)

Exercise 7. Fill in the gaps with appropriate words from those given below:

time, groups, organization, people, decisions, goals, process, functions, directing.

1. Management is the (………) of setting and achieving (………) through five basic (…….)

2. Managers work with human, financial, material and information (……….) .

3. The five basic functions are planning, organizing, staffing , ( … … … ) and

4. controlling.

5. Managers make conscious ( … … … ) about the use of resources to achieve

6. objectives.

7. Managers accomplish tasks through (… … … ).

8. They acquire information resources and set objectives for the ( … … … )

9. Managers work with both individuals and (… … … ).

10. At the same ( … … … ) they develop subordinates into a coordinated work group.

Exercise 8. A) Read the text and get the main idea of it.

Development of Management Science

The field of management science has formally existed only for approximately 40 years. Also during this period, a new profession emerged: the management scientist.

The terms management science (MS) and operations research (OR) are synonymous. In recent years, the field is generally designated MS/OR. The aim of management science is to provide managers with quantitative bases for decisions.

Decision making is still the central activity for production and operations managers today.

The activities of management scientists have emphasized the mathematical modeling of systems. Managers were faced with the problem of planning, organizing, and control­ling their organizations' operations long before the advent of the electronic computer and management science models; they are still performing these functions. Mathematical models can be especially useful as an aid to the manager performing the functions of planning and controlling production and operations.

While management scientists were constructing sophisticated quantitative models and theories, managers in organizations were struggling to manage their day-to-day production and operations more efficiently.

Mathematical models play a significant role in production and operations management.

B) Complete the sentences below according to the information acquired from the text.

Choose from a), b), c) or d):

1.The field of management science has formally existed for approximately … .

a). 20 years; b). 40years; c). 30 years; d). 80 years;

2. The aim of management science is… .

a) to teach management to sell goods;

b) to invent new mathematical models for management;

c) to control the production of manufactured goods;

d) to provide managers with quantitative bases for decisions.

3. Decisions making is still… .

a) the construction of sophisticated models and theories;

b) especially useful aid to the manager;

c) the central activity for production and operations managers today.

Exercise 9. Translate the following sentences from Russian into English:

1.Термины «наука о менеджменте» и «наука об управлении» - синонимы.

2. Целью науки о менеджменте является обеспечение менеджеров качественными научными основами для принятия решения.

3.Принятие решения - это основная деятельность управляющих производством и директоров-распорядителей.

4. В своей деятельности менеджеры сталкиваются с проблемами планирования, организации и контроля в своей деятельности.

5. Математические модели могут быть особенно полезны менеджеру, выполняющему функцию планирования и контроля процесса производства.

6. Ученые, занимающиеся менеджментом постоянно, создают сложные качественные модели и теории для того, чтобы менеджеры в своих организациях могли качественно выполнять свои ежедневные обязанности.

7. Математические модели играют важную роль в производственном менеджменте.

Exercise 10. Read the text given below and find answers to the following questions:

1. What are the functions of a manager?

2. How can managers achieve different goals?

3. How many management functions do you know?

4. What are the Roles of a manager?

5. What does implementation of plans require?