MANAGEMENT SKILLS AND DEVELOPMENT

The concept of management is as old as the human race itself. The concept of family itself required that life be organised and resources of food be apportioned in a manner so as to maximise their usefulness. It would be natural to assume that all functions of modern management, i.e., planning, organising, directing, staffing, and controlling etc., has always played a role in managing progressive change. All development organizations both private and public need proper management for effective service delivery. Learning from history and from new trends that emerge out of contemporary management experiences, development managers need to identify and combine several methods and skills in order to achieve organizational goals and to bring about remarkable change in societies. This will be our interest as we consider development practice in our world today. The overall aim of this course is to expose students to management thought and practice especially in development organisations. It is hoped that this exposure will enable students not only to understand concepts of management but also apply them in real life situations.