Principles of Management are guidelines for the decisions and actions of people. They are the essential, underlying factors that form the foundations of successful management. It is the activities that “plan, organise, and control the operations of the basic elements such as people, material, machines, methods, money and markets, providing direction and coordination, and giving leadership to human efforts, so as to achieve the sought objectives of any group or organisation.
Islam is considered to be a way of life. The Qur’ān and the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) guide us in every aspect of our life. Thus, it also guides us on various aspects of management. Allah says in the Qur’ān, “It is Allah who created the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them in six days; then He established Himself above the Throne. You have not besides Him any protector or any intercessor; so will you not be reminded? He planned (each) matter from the heaven to the earth; then it will ascend to Him in a Day, the extent of which is a thousand years of those which you count. That is the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, the Exalted in Might, the Merciful” (Qur’ān 32:4-6).
The ayaat speak about the creation of the earth, which is an event and it requires management, and the ayaat 5 and 6 offer seven Principles of Management. First, it speaks about ‘Planning’ when it stated ‘He planned matters’ (the word which is used in the Qur’ān is yudabbiru, also translated as arranges, organises, regulates, directs and conducts). Secondly, it speaks about ‘Communication’ when it states ‘from the heavens to the earth’. Thirdly, it speaks about ‘Feedback’ when it states ‘it will ascend to Him in a Day’. Fourthly, it speaks about ‘Time Frame’ when it states ‘of which is a thousand years of those which you count’. Fifthly, it speaks about ‘Knowledge’ when it states ‘That is the Knower of the unseen and witnessed’. Sixthly, it speaks about ‘Authority’ when it states ‘the Exalted in Might’. And seventhly, it speaks about ‘Mercy’ when it states ‘the Merciful’. The above aspects are explained as follows:
PLANNING
Planning is the first step in any aspect of management. It is the process of formulation of detailed plans to achieve optimum balance of needs or demands with the available resources. Planning is very much necessary as it increases the efficiency of the task, it reduces the risk involved in the activity, it facilitates proper coordination, its aids in organising the available resources, it gives a right direction to the task, it helps in maintaining good control, it helps in achieving the objectives and helps in better decision making. Thus, planning is the basic pillar of any management activity.
COMMUNICATION
After making the plan, one needs to communicate the same to all the members involved in the activity. Communication refers to the process of imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium. Generally, activities relating to management are not done individually, as they have to be performed in a group and when we are working in a group or groups, communication becomes very important.
Communication also helps in shaping the attitude, behaviour and understanding of people. Management is totally reliant on communication, which helps people to exchange ideas, messages or information by speech, signals or writing. Without communication, management cannot function. If communication is diminished or hampered, then the complete management process will suffer. When communication is thorough, accurate and timely, the management tends to be vibrant and effective. Communication is a linking process of management which plays a very crucial role in every function of management. It is the way people conduct the managerial functions of planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling.
Communication is the primary means by which people obtain and exchange information. Decisions are often dependent upon the quality and quantity of the information received. If the information on which a decision is based is poor or incomplete, the decision will often be incorrect. Information and communication represent power. An individual cannot do anything constructive in a work unit unless he or she knows what is to be done, when the task is to be accomplished, and who else is involved. The people who possess this information become centres of power. Thus, communication is very important, what heart is for the body, communication is for management.
FEEDBACK
Feedback is a process in which the effect or output of an action is ‘returned’ (fed-back) to modify the next action. It is the cheapest, most powerful management tool that we have at our disposal. It is an essential part of effective learning.
Feedback is powerful as it helps people get on track; it serves as a guide to assist people to know how they and others perceive their performance. Feedback can also be very motivating and energising. It has strong links to satisfaction and productivity. People like to feel involved and identified with their organisation and feedback helps achieve that state.
Ultimately, feedback helps us to learn, gives an opportunity to motivate others and facilitates improving the future performance and executes the task effectively. Thus, regular feedback should be taken in order to ensure the effective implementation of the task.
TIME FRAME
Time Frame refers to a period of time that is used or planned for a particular action or project to occur. From the ayaat cited above we learn that Allah the Exalted set a time frame of six days to create the world. In order to accomplish a task one needs to fix a time limit. Fixing a time limit gives a person a target or benchmark to work towards. Setting a time period is very important because time is limited, to accomplish more, to make better decisions, to reduce stress, to increase the quality of work and be disciplined while doing the task.
Setting a time frame will gives people motivation to meet the goal within a certain period. It also provides the information needed to develop an action plan so that the goal can be met within the stated timeframe. People will then be able to manage their time better during the day as they have an action plan for each goal that will guide their tasks throughout the work day. Thus, a time frame has to be given in order to accomplish a task.
KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge is a familiarity, awareness or understanding of someone or something, such as facts, information, descriptions, or skills, which is acquired through experience or education by perceiving, discovering, or learning. The ayat says that Allah the Exalted is the Knower. Knowledge is powerful and an important part of life. It is knowledge that has equipped man with the limitless power with which man dominates over all other beings, some of whom are physically much stronger than him. Knowledge has significantly helped him to conquer Nature and this conquest has prompted human progress and civilization.
For doing any work, knowledge is required, only then it can be performed effectively. Any act of management involves decision making, and effective and productive decisions can only be taken when one has comprehensive knowledge. Comprehensive knowledge on any aspect helps us reduce cost to provide potential to expand and grow, to increase the value of the activity and to respond faster to the challenges, opportunities and threats. Thus, knowledge acts as the basic foundation to execute any task or project.
AUTHORITY
Authority refers to the right of superiors to get exactness from their subordinates. In order to implement anything effectively, authority is very much necessary. If things have to be executed the way it has to be done then one should be authoritative. If authority is given to a person, he should also be made responsible. In the same way, if one is made responsible for any job, he should also have concerned authority. Authority without responsibility leads to irresponsible behaviour whereas responsibility without authority makes the person ineffective. Ultimately, one should be given complete authority if activities have to be executed in an effective manner.
MERCY
In order to manage things in a smooth manner, the leader should be merciful towards his subordinates. He should always have space for errors, imperfection and adjustments. Forgiving is not easy but a leader who has this quality will reach greater heights. A leader should be merciful. An autocratic, unforgiving, thumb-down leadership approach will not be proved to be effective. A good leader should always aim at perfection and tolerate the imperfection of others.
All the seven principles of management offered by the Qur’ān give a comprehensive approach to management of activities and events. Through this knowledge, people will be enlightened with the various ‘Principles of Management’ which the Qur’ān has to offer. These principles give an idea as to how one can manage his work, teams, groups and organisations. The principles of management enable people to decide what should be done to accomplish the given tasks and to handle situations which may arise during the process of accomplishing the task. Implementing these principles in our events and activities will make people more effective, efficient and productive.