Principles of Management: a Christian Perspective

By Rick Corum

Principles of Management: A Christian Perspective is a pedagogically solid business management text that examines the art and science of management from a Christian point of view. For students, the book is easy to read and understand, which means that it will indeed be read by them. Attributes of this book include:

Relevancy: the book discusses managements theoretical foundations, critical managerial functions, and pertinent applications.

Christ Centered: each chapter contains applicable Scriptural passages as well as spiritually driven discussion questions.

Affordable: this text is reasonably priced, far more economical than most other completive books on the market today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Sep 3, 2015
• ISBN: 9781512706550

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Copyright © 2015 Rick Corum.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica US, Inc.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-0656-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-0657-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-0655-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015912754

WestBow Press rev. date: 09/02/2015

Contents

1. A Discussion on Management

2. The Manager’s Job

3. Classical Management Theory

4. Administrative Theory

5. Other Schools of Management Thought

6. Planning

7. Leadership

8. Controlling

9. Motivation

10. Organizing

11. Decision Making

12. Managing a Diverse Workplace

13. Global Awareness

14. Change Management

15. The Manager’s Career Path

Bibliography

Biblical References

As with everything, I give the glory to my God

I wish to acknowledge my family, my lovely wife Ellen and my son Greg thanks for their support.

I also wish to acknowledge the memory of our great friend Dr. Ann Moore

Proverbs 4:2

I give you sound learning,

so do not forsake my teaching

Mission of Proverbs 4:2

The Mission of this organization is to create a scholarship fund for business students attending Christian universities. In the long run the unique nature of this scholarship fund will be to create a self-funding scholarship through the proceeds of textbook sales. All author proceeds from the sale of this textbook goes to supporting the scholarship fund. Students at schools that adopt this text are eligible for scholarships. Please visit our website at www.proverbs4-2.com

CHAPTER 1

A Discussion on Management

Introduction

Throughout the world there are hundreds of thousands of people practicing management. They practice management in small organizations and large organizations, in for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. They also practice it in governments, churches and businesses. If the organizations in which managers are practicing are not all about making money (profits), then they are all about spending the money that they have, which is usually in a very limited supply. Chapter 6 verse 4 of Galatians tells us, Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else (New Living Translation).

The Value of Studying Management

Because of the number of managers in the world, the amount of money involved and the millions of people who are impacted by the actions of these managers, the study of management is very important. People in all fields have a need to understand to some level the discipline called Management.

One of the questions revolving around the study of management is are managers born or made? Is there some element of behavior in the background of an individual that makes them better suited to be a successful manager?

Is it based on the upbringing or genetic background of an individual that makes some people better managers than others? Can education, experience and hard work make a manager successful? History would tell you that both arguments can be proven. There have been many people who were excellent managers and who had very little to no training or experience. Likewise, history reveals that some of the best educated and experienced individuals failed miserably at the practice of management.

Suffice it to say that the most important elements to the value of the study of management rests on the sheer number of people practicing (or supposedly practicing) Management and the value of the resources associated with the performance of those people called managers. National economies rise and fall based (at least in part) on the actions and decisions of managers. Jobs are created or lost based on the same thing.

The manager is one of the most influential persons within an organization, and so managers are one of the most influential groups in the economic and financial world. They can also have a powerful impact on the lives and souls of all of the people with whom they come into contact. History has shown that poor managerial decisions and /or actions have cost jobs, stock market crashes and industry losses. So with billions of dollars and millions of jobs at stake, the study of management can begin.

What is Management?

As we open the discussion pertaining to the principles of management it is critical to define management. Management means different things to different people, so a common definition is required. Few of the myths about what management is, (and is not) in order as the search for a definition begins.

Management does not mean the same thing as business. Management is much more complex and is pervasive in every area of life. Yes, it is true that business requires management, and while the vast majority of research in management revolves around business, it is much more than business. Any and all organizations require management. Clubs, church groups, school groups, and athletic teams all require management. Events also require management to some extent. A Boy Scout campout, a blood drive or a church bake sale- all need management.

What is this mysterious thing called management? There has been a great deal of disagreement on answering this question. There have been those who have historically referred to management as an art; something that cannot be taught but must be felt and experienced. Still others refer to management as a science; with little room for feelings and emotions, but an analytical approach to getting something done. The relevance in this argument can certainly consume more pages than this entire text. The short answer is that management is both an art and a science; requiring the finer points of both the study of art and the study of science.

Nearly everyone can agree that management is a process. Management can best be described as a verb, a set of actions or a happening. Management is more than bossing people around or making decisions, although both of these may be elements of a particular management situation, it is so much more

Management requires people for the process to work. The people would include any and all of those involved in an event or an organization. These people can be employees, volunteers, participants, inmates, students or anyone involved in and with an organization. One could say that people are the fuel that makes the management process perform. In business these people are the employees, or the valued human resources. Without people, the management process will not move forward, and the organization will eventually die.

Goals can represent the final destination for the process of management. Goals represent the purpose for the organization’s existence. There are, of course, several types of goals and for management to work they all need to be focused on and ultimately obtained. Goals can be long term (several years out) or short term (days to weeks out). Short term goals are easier to manage for, but can still be difficult to attain. Goal attainment can be tricky, and many managers and organizations fail to set realistic, attainable goals. Goals need to represent a challenge, something that must be worked toward, yet something that can be accomplished. Goal setting is like a balancing act: goals need to be hard to reach, requiring everyone in the organization to stretch themselves, to strive for them, but not unrealistic or unattainable.

A good definition for management is the following. "Management is a process of accomplishing things (goals) through and with other people" (Griffin, 2003). But wait, a good definition of management is not good enough. One of the goals of this chapter is to fully understand what management is, and for that a better than good definition is necessary.

Let’s look at the definition and examine how it can be made better. We have established that management is a process, a set of procedures, policies and practices. The bulk of this book will focus on this process, and there will be much added to the understanding of what this process consists of.

What does accomplishing things mean to you? Getting things done is one possible definition, and this is just not acceptable for most organizations. Businesses focus on profits, so merely getting things done is not good enough. For other organizations that do not necessarily focus on profits, they may focus on costs; and for these organizations just getting things done is not good enough either. For those rare organizations that do not focus on profits or costs, their focus may be on timeliness or excellence. For these organizations, just getting things done is still not enough. Organizations need to accomplish their goals in the most efficient and effective manner.

Organizations can look at efficiency as the relationship between available inputs and desired outputs, or doing things correctly, in the best manner and fashion known.

Doing things correctly, properly utilizing money, supplies, materials, talents, time and any other inputs that can be imagined, toward accomplishing the goal is part of the management process.

When an organization focuses on doing something effectively, the main point of this idea is to match the right tasks with the right goal. This requires coordination and control. Both of these ideas will be explained in greater detail as we go through the text. Effectiveness is often used in discussing how successful organizations do things well.

A better definition of management would then be … "Management is the process of efficiently and effectively accomplishing things through and with other people" (Griffin, 2003). Let’s take a closer look at the last phrase in the definition through and with other people. This would infer that it is more than bossing other people around, which would be a correct inference. The process of management is involved and complex, requiring everyone to participate. While the person in authority (the manager) may not be doing the same type of activities that the other people are, they need to be actively engaged in multiple activities to effectively and efficiently accomplish a task.

Sometimes it may require the manager to do the same type of work as the other people, but this is typically the exception rather than the rule. If the manager is busy doing the work others are doing, then they are not doing the more complex work of management. That more complex work is the focus of this text, and will be clearer as the study of management progresses through this work. "Planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty (Proverbs 21:5)".

Management’s Interdisciplinary Roots

The study of management did not just spring up overnight. The roots of management can be found in numerous other social sciences. This section will review the inter-disciplinary foundations of management. Throughout the text we will discuss the interdisciplinary background. This section will act as an introduction for the social science areas to be discussed throughout the text.

The first area to be examined is management’s relationship to Anthropology. Anthropology is defined as the scientific study of the origin, behavior, and the physical, social, and cultural development of human beings (Kottak, 2000). Organizations are not an independent creation, but rather a collection of human beings. As a collection of human beings management must understand these anthropological relationships.

Organizations have a culture all of their own. These organizational cultures function in the same way as cultures outside of the organization do. Culture is made up of the values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of the people who make up the organization. These attributes will have a profound impact on an individual’s performance within an organization. Understanding how cultures function has helped management theorists develop and improve their responses to organizational cultures.

As much as people are a product of the fallen world, their environment, and sin nature so are organizations. The ability to identify and respond to the environments that bring pressure on their organizations is one of the top manager’s key roles. In order to establish a strategy and a mission, one must understand the environments.

Perhaps the most logical and the most understood relationship to management comes from the area of Economics. Many colleges and universities link management and economics in the same department, but they are actually very different. Economics is the social science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics and Management are as intimately linked as Management and Anthropology are. The links address the allocation and distribution of resources, changing economic forces, comparative advantage, free market economies, and free trade and protectionism. All of these forces can have a direct impact on organizations and the people in them (Witzel, 1999).

Understanding the economic conditions of a particular area or region can play an integral part in the success or failure of an organization. The cost of capital and the labor force are two prime examples of economic factors that have a direct impact on managing an organization.

Philosophy is the next discipline that has had a direct impact on the study of management. Philosophy is the investigation of causes and laws underlying reality.

The strongest links between Management and Philosophy are found in the specific philosophical areas of ethics (a set of principles of proper conduct), values (a principle standard or quality pertaining to worth), authority (the power to enforce laws and to judge) and human conduct (establishing a standard level of acceptable behavior) (Brown, 1968).

The philosophical link runs deeply throughout the study of Management. Areas like strategy, staffing, motivation and decision making are just a few of the areas that are influenced by Philosophy. Without the influences of Philosophy, Management would not exist.

Perhaps one of the greatest social science influencers on the study of Management is Political Science. Many people are familiar with the concept of office politics within organizations; well guess where that notion came from? Political Science can best be defined as the study of the processes, principles and structures of government and political institutions. Organizations are most certainly political institutions by nature of their design and their makeup; specifically people (Ibel, 1968).

Often time politics can dictate the structure of an organization. Politics is all about power, the effort to obtain it and how it is utilized. Once power is attained, it must be shared, spread out and used to manipulate others in the attempt to accomplish some stated goal or goals. Political Science also helps managers understand the role of planned economies in the day-to-day operations of organizations.

The ideas of justice and freedom are also contributions that Political Science has made to the study of Management. It is, however, in the area of managerial decision making where Political Science has had the greatest impact. Since managerial decisions can strongly impact the people within the organization, the notions of freedom, justice and power influence most organizational decisions.

One of the most interesting contributors to the roots of Management Science can be found in Psychology. Psychology is defined as the science that deals with the study of mental processes and behavior. Understanding human behavior is one of the lynch pins of Management. The management / psychology link focuses on how people respond to particular stimuli, why people behave in the manner they do, and what (if anything) an organization can do to change or reinforce certain behaviors. These are all necessary parts of getting people to do something (Muchinski, 1996).

Current trends in Management rely almost entirely on Psychology. Diversity management in the organization requires a firm understanding of Psychology. Issues of leadership and trust are also well served through the study of Psychology. Trust and leadership are necessary partners in organizations. One can simply not exist without the other. The most obvious link between Management and Psychology is motivation. Less obvious connections between the two areas of study include employee performance appraisals and training requirements.

Sociology is the final link that Management’s roots have in the Social Sciences. The study of human social behavior-especially the origins, organizations and development of human society-is one good definition of Sociology. Organizations are social organizations. Even prisons are social organizations and therefore benefit from the knowledge provided through the study of Sociology (Berkowitz, 1980).

The Management link to Sociology is strong, and grows stronger every year. Management issues, such as gender and cultural diversity, are grounded in Sociology. Family and employment both deal with social organizations specifically. The role that religion plays in a society can impact individual performance within an organization and would therefore fall under the guise of Sociology.

Anthropology, Economics, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology have all made major contributions to the foundations of Management thought. These Social Science foundations will be discussed throughout the balance of this text.

Management and Christianity

In the cultures of the United States and Western Europe there has been dramatic push back away from Christ and Christianity everywhere except the church. There is a huge opportunity for Managers who are Christian to influence the numerous people they come into contact with for Jesus Christ. Throughout this text we will discuss how that can happen.

There are countless examples in Scripture where solid managerial principles can be found. Planning, controlling, leading, organizing, project management, hiring, pay and benefits, recruiting, even quality control (to name a few) are all managerial principles that can be traced back to the Bible. Many managerial principles of today are deeply rooted in Biblical Christian tradition and teachings. Biblical references to specific managerial points will be identified in each chapter. While inroads are being made by many of the groups, Christians in the workforce are losing (or giving up) ground. Many Christian managers may be missing a key opportunity to introduce Jesus to someone of a completely different race, ethnic group or religion.

Management Challenges

Management is a very complex process that is affected by every decision made in an organization, and it affects every decision. There are several specific challenges to management in the business world, both profit and non-profit. One such challenge is that of demographic changes in the workforce. Diversity is one area addressed in the changes in the workforce. As a population in a nation becomes more diverse, so does the workforce. Issues beyond race are far reaching. Ethnic, multi-generational, gender, religion, language, education, income, class and disability are also legitimate groups incorporated into the tapestry of the American workforce.

Changes in the workforce affect managers in several ways. How and why certain decisions are made, training, communication and work ethic are just a few of the considerations involved in the workforces relationship with management (and vice versa). The entire notion of diversity is covered in Chapter 12 of this text. Changes in the workforce go beyond issues of diversity, however.

Changes in the workforce include issues dealing with how employees are demanding more from an employer. Improved benefits, such as child care, vacation extensions and other perks, are becoming more and