Foundations of Management
Subject Overview
The opening paper of the MBA program gives a systematic grounding in management theory and practice — the evolution of management thought from Taylor and Fayol through Maslow and McGregor, planning and strategic management (including McKinsey's 7-S), decision-making, organizing (structure, delegation, coordination), and control, closing with a comparative look at Japanese/American/Chinese management styles and modern techniques like BPR and knowledge management. A 4-credit core theory paper.
Unit-wise Syllabus
4 units — click WhatsApp below to get the full notes for each
Unit 1: Foundations and evolution of management thought
Definition, nature, scope and functions of management, managerial roles and skills, classical/neo-classical/quantitative/behavioural/systems/contingency approaches, contributions of Taylor, Fayol, Follett, Barnard, Weber, Drucker, the Gilbreths, Gantt, Maslow, Herzberg and McGregor
Unit 2: Planning, strategy and decision-making
Importance, types and process of planning, business forecasting, MBO, strategic management nature/purpose/types/process, McKinsey's 7-S approach, decision-making importance/types/steps/approaches, decision trees
Unit 3: Organizing
Concept and process of organizing, formal vs informal organization, organizational structure types, bases of departmentalization, line and staff conflict, authority/power/responsibility/accountability, delegation, span of management, centralization and decentralization, staffing, coordination
Unit 4: Control and modern management techniques
Concept, characteristics, process, types and techniques of control, comparative study of Japanese management and Z-culture, Chinese style management, business process re-engineering, business outsourcing, knowledge management, e-business management