Maharashtra Board Class 11 Home Management Chapter 1 Introduction to Management PDF Download

Introduction To Management

Meaning and Definition of Management

Let's Discuss:

What is Management?

What is Home Management?

Management is a planned activity directed towards accomplishing desired goals. It plays an important role in everyday life. It is an art of doing work in an effective and efficient manner. In day to day life we are performing various types of activities to fulfill demands. These activities are carried out in a systematic way by using steps of management process like planning, controlling and evaluation.

Do You Know:

The term 'Home Management' was coined by Maria Parloa in 1980. The term was used with reference to accomplishment of any household activity.

Home Management is the administrative side of family living. According to Nickell and Dorsey, Home Management is planning, organizing, controlling and evaluating the use of resources available to the family for purpose of attaining family goals. Nowadays home management is known as Family Resource Management.

Here, the discussion about the Home Management or Family Resource Management focuses on the meaning and definition of management.

Meaning and Definition of Management:

Management is an important element of family living. It is the natural outcome of human association in the home environment. Management is a planned and systematic activity for doing work. One has to perform various activities in a systematic way by planning, controlling and evaluating the things to meet the various needs and demands. Management is a mental process. It involves decision making that leads to action. It is a means of accomplishment. In view of the changes taking place in the society as well as within the household, management becomes an intelligent means to deal with such changes, keeping in mind that the process of management does not change at all. In simple words, Management is a process which utilizes resources in order to accomplish individual or family goals.

'Management is or means a process consisting of three steps–planning, controlling and evaluating use of resources in order to attain desired goals'.

There are many definitions of management. Some of them are simple while others are little elaborate.

Internet is my friend:

Find out more definitions of management and summarize what is common in all of them.

The simplest definition of management is, "using what you have, to achieve what you want". Here, what you want refers to family goals and what you have consists of family resources.

Complete the Figure:

Using __________ to achieve What you want

Resources

In the above definition what you have means available resources and what you want means individual or family goals. It needs to be clarified that the purpose of management is not merely to balance 'what you have' and 'what you want'. In fact, the need of management arises only when there is imbalance between these two. Therefore, the definition stated above can be modified as:

"Using the least of what you have to achieve the best of what you want".

Complete the Figure:

Using the least of what you have to achieve __________

Goals

The above definition clarifies the need of using minimum resources for fulfillment of the best possible goals, planning well in advance, working as per the plan and looking back to find out the achievement of goals and satisfaction of family members.

Teacher's Note

Management helps us use less to get more. Like when your mother cooks food at home instead of going to a restaurant, she saves money and time.

Exam Trick

Remember the simplest definition: Using what you have = Resources. What you want = Goals. This is the key to all management questions.

Points to Remember

Management is a planned and systematic activity for doing work.

Management uses resources to accomplish individual or family goals.

Management involves planning, controlling and evaluating.

Management is a mental process that requires decision making.

The simplest definition is: Using what you have to achieve what you want.

Meaning and Definition of Home Management:

Individuals and families have a number of goals to achieve. For the achievement of these goals, it becomes necessary to identify and allocate the available resources. Decision making plays an important role here. Considering the fact that there are multiple goals and that the available resources are limited, it becomes essential to prioritize the goals. The resources must be assessed and analysed to ascertain the correct combination for the best result. Appropriate use of management principles and processes by individuals and families, determines the effectiveness in achievement of the desired quality of life to a great extent.

A home, where in family goals are being attained with some degree of satisfaction may be considered a well managed home. In this context, management plays dynamic and important role.

Thus Home Management is defined as follows:

"Home Management simply stated, is planning, organizing, controlling and evaluating the use of the resources available to the family for the purpose of attainment of family goals".

Gross and Crandall defines home management in an elaborate way to put forward a clearer picture as follows:

"Home management consists of a series of decisions, making up the process of using family resources to achieve family goals. The process consists of three, more or less consecutive steps-planning, controlling the various elements of the plan while carrying it through, whether it is executed by oneself or by others and evaluating results preparatory to future planning".

This definition clearly states that home management is a mental process consisting of decision making and the process has definite successive steps.

Teacher's Note

Home Management means planning and organizing family life well. Like when your parents plan monthly expenses and follow a budget to manage money wisely.

Exam Trick

Remember: Home Management = Planning + Organizing + Controlling + Evaluating. These four steps make a well-managed home.

Points to Remember

Home Management is planning, organizing, controlling and evaluating resources.

It helps families achieve their goals with available resources.

Decision making is the most important part of Home Management.

A well-managed home meets family needs with satisfaction.

Home Management is also called Family Resource Management.

Need and Importance of Home Management:

Let's Discuss:

How today's families are different than the families from the olden days?

Management plays an important role in everyday life. The society as well as the family has undergone a number of changes over the years. A family today is a lot different than it was in the older days. Nowadays number of nuclear families are increasing. In nuclear families, demands on time and energy of homemaker are increasing because of her dual role i.e. in the family and at the place of work. Thus, there is a need to manage the use of available resources to complete the assigned work and various tasks.

Due to progress in science and technology, the family life is changing, which requires application and practice of management principles and processes. Housewives, who have started making use of time and labour saving devices, need skillful management of non-human resource like money. Increasing standard of living and availability of variety of goods and services widen the choice of selection while purchasing requires good decision making process.

For example, an employed homemaker wisely choose ready to eat food items to conserve time and energy.

Can you tell?

Enlist more such examples where Home management has helped us towards more efficient use of resources.

The other developments like advanced medical science, new technology in medical field, increasing the general lifespan of human beings, science, technology, computer technology, advancement in communication technology, population explosion, unemployment etc. have an impact on the family life and simultaneously influence management of resources. Family members need to cope up with such changes. Management helps to adapt these changes. To get maximum satisfaction and achieve family goals effective use of human and non-human resources is vital. Management teaches us how effectively such resources can be used.

To attain and maintain proper balance in availability of resources and achievement of goals in terms of desired quality of life, standard of living, health, happiness and satisfaction of family members, home management plays an important role. Its importance can be listed as follows:

Home Management helps to do things in an organized manner.

It assists in taking decisions and making choices by selecting one of the best alternatives from many alternatives.

It acts as an adviser of decision making in the family.

It helps to identify and allocate the resources and to plan out the proper utilization of available resources.

It directs the way of life and the quality of human association.

It is a means of using resources effectively for the attainment of family goals.

It helps to conserve values of individuals and family.

It supports the family to attain all round development of the family members.

It serves to bring satisfaction and happiness by contributing to overall health and well being of the family members.

It motivates us to adapt right approaches towards changing scenario and difficult situations.

Teacher's Note

Home Management is important because families today are busier than before. When both parents work, managing home becomes like running a small business where planning and organizing are very important.

Exam Trick

Remember: Why is Home Management important? Answer: It helps us use less time, money and effort to achieve more goals and happiness. Write this in exams and you will score marks.

Points to Remember

Home Management helps families cope with changes in modern life.

It assists in making good decisions and choices about resources.

It teaches us to use resources efficiently and wisely.

It brings happiness, health and satisfaction to family members.

A well-managed home achieves its goals with satisfaction.

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