1. Peter Drucker (Management guru):
* "Management is a discipline. It is not a mystery. It is not an art. It is not a science. It is a practice. It is a practice based on knowledge, and it has to be learned." - This emphasizes the importance of knowledge and practice in management.
2. Henry Fayol (Father of Modern Management):
* "To manage is to forecast and plan, to organize, to command, to coordinate, and to control." - This definition outlines the classic functions of management.
3. Mary Parker Follett (Social worker and management theorist):
* "Management is the art of getting things done through people." - This emphasizes the human element in management.
4. Chester Barnard (Business executive and management theorist):
* "Management is the art of creating a common purpose and inspiring people to achieve it." - This highlights the importance of shared goals and motivation in management.
5. Harold Koontz (Management scholar):
* "Management is the process of planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling to determine and achieve the objectives by the use of human, financial, physical, and informational resources." - This offers a comprehensive definition of management as a process with specific functions.
6. Stephen Covey (Author and management consultant):
* "Management is about effectiveness, leadership is about significance." - This distinguishes management from leadership, emphasizing different priorities.
7. Michael Porter (Economist and strategist):
* "Management is the process of creating and maintaining an environment where individuals can perform to their best." - This focuses on the role of management in creating a conducive work environment.
8. Tom Peters (Management consultant):
* "Management is about getting things done, and leadership is about making people want to do them." - This highlights the distinction between management and leadership through the lens of motivation.
9. Ken Blanchard (Management author):
* "Management is about getting people to do what you want, leadership is about inspiring people to do what you want them to do." - This definition underscores the difference between management and leadership through the lens of inspiration.
10. Gary Hamel (Management thinker):
* "Management is not about the pursuit of efficiency, but the relentless pursuit of innovation." - This definition emphasizes the importance of innovation in modern management.
These definitions offer varying perspectives on what management entails, reflecting its complexity and the multifaceted nature of the practice. It's important to note that the meaning of management has evolved over time, and continues to adapt to the changing business landscape.