Question

Question 1: What is management?

Question 2: What is library management?  

Question 3: What are three levels of management?  

Question 4: Explain why a manager who incorporate Islamic values and principles in his management practice would make a better manager.

Question 5: Change management in any organization has to be undertaken with utmost care, because the employees normally resist it. In normal circumstances, what steps should be undertaken to overcome the perceived problem?

Answer 1

Question 1: What is management?

Management is the process of planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling. It is the collective effort of all the people who are called managers to make an organization effective as well as efficient.

Management is art as well as science. Broadly, Management relates to planning the resources (both financial and non-financial including human resources) organizing them into separate workable units and coordinate their functions, staffing the personnel at right place for the right work with right skill sets. Staffing is followed by leading the workforce to motivate them. Leading is followed by controlling the workforce to check if there is any deviation from the routine processes.

Question 2: What is library management?

Library management is sub-part of broader institutional management. It includes management of library software, intellectual freedom, issues of malware, handling of books including receipt and issuance etc. Library management also includes inventory management and fundraising activities.

Question 3: What are three levels of management?

There are broadly three levels of management: Top level, middle level and lower level.

Top level of management is the highest level in an organization. It comprises of Chief Executive Officers, President, and Vice President etc. Decisions that are strategic and non routine in nature are taken at this level. Major part of Planning and organizing is done at this level. The decisions that have high element of risk and uncertainty are taken at his stage. All the decisions taken at this stage are communicated to lower levels.

Middle level of management comprises of General Managers, Departmental heads, branch managers etc. These managers interpret the decisions taken by the top management and they communicate it to lower levels of management. Middle level managers are the bridge between top level management and lower level of management.

Lower level managers comprise of supervisors, production managers, marketing officers etc. Lower level managers actually implement the decisions taken by the top management and communicated by the middle level managers. They provide feedback and completed tasks to middle level managers.

Question 4: Explain why a manager who incorporate Islamic values and principles in his management practice would make a better manager.

Islamic thoughts are based on Sunnah preached by Prophet Mohammad and teachings of Quran. One of the earliest messages of Prophet Mohammed to his followers was ‘Akhlaqul Karimah’ which means conduction of good manners. The teaching of Islam calls for ethical values and principles of moral conduct in all walks of life including places of work. Further, Islam forbids any acts of financial fraud or any other kind of malpractices that would harm the society. Muslims are obligated to follow the teachings as an act of Ibadah for which paradise has been promised in the life hereafter. Muslims adopt the principles of moral conduct in the business corporations to make them ethical environment in lieu of the promised rewards. Therefore, managers who incorporate Islamic values make better managers.

Question 5: Change management in any organization has to be undertaken with utmost care, because the employees normally resist it. In normal circumstances, what steps should be undertaken to overcome the perceived problem?

1. Change is often resisted not on technical grounds, but on social or other job related risks. Therefore, change managers must look into actual cause of resistance and take the employees into confidence.
2. Managers must encourage employee participation in the process of change. Employees who feel alienated in the proceedings that lead to the process of change usually resist the changes. Therefore, employee participation is highly important in the process of change.
3. Managers must demonstrate the benefits and the urgent necessity underlying the change. Managers must underline the associated threats involved with maintaining status quo of the organization.