Q.Explain the nature of principles of management.

Principles of management are general guidelines that help managers take decisions and act. Their nature shows that they are universally applicable, flexible, based on cause and effect, mainly behavioural, developed through observation and experiment, and applied according to the situation (contingent).

Nature (Features) of Principles of Management

1. Universal application — The principles of management can be applied to all types of organisations — business and non-business, small and large, private and public — everywhere. Their application may differ in degree, but they are broadly universal.

2. General guidelines — They are broad and general guidelines for managerial action, not rigid rules. They guide managers in decision-making but do not provide readymade solutions to every problem.

3. Flexible — The principles are flexible and can be modified or adjusted by the manager to suit a particular situation. They are not fixed like scientific laws.

4. Based on cause-and-effect relationship — Each principle explains the relationship between a cause and its effect, so that managers can predict the likely result of an action and use the principle accordingly.

5. Mainly behavioural — Management deals with people, so the principles are largely behavioural in nature. They aim at guiding and influencing human behaviour in the organisation.

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