Introduction

Management or executive development is a long-term educational future-oriented process. Managers are the indispensable resources, the priceless assets of an organization. They generate creative ideas, translate them into concrete action plans and produce results. The outcomes of managerial actions are going to be deep, profound and decisive.

To get ahead in the race especially in a complex, dynamic and ever-changing world, managers need to develop their capabilities that go beyond those required by the current jobs. The managers have to deal not only with the staff but also with others outside his own group and has a decided influence on the organization.

The major and more elusive task of management development is to mould and fashion the behaviour component into a virile and unmixed weapon of enterprise achievement. The secret of effective management lies in vitality, a conceptual attitude of mind concerned with profitable results matched by determination and integrity in management and managers. 

Management development activities attempt to instill sound reasoning processes to enhance one’s ability to understand and interpret knowledge — rather than imparting a body of serial facts or teaching a specific set of motor skills. Development therefore focuses more on the employee’s personal growth.

Successful managers have analytical, human, conceptual and specialised skills and qualities. They are able to think and understand. Training parse cannot overcome a manager’s or potential manager’s inability to understand cause and affect relationship, to synthesis from experience to visualise relationships or to think logically.

Manager’s needs good listening skills, interviewing competency and the ability to read, analyse and classify types of employee behaviour. The methods for developing executives that we will consider are educational and are intended to foster the manager’s analytical and conceptual abilities.

Development is a related process that not only covers those activities that improve performance of jobs, but also those activities that lead to growth of the personality; help individuals to progress towards maturity and actualization of their potentials so that they become good employees as well as better human beings.

In organizational terms, development plans are intended to prepare persons to gain promotion and hold greater responsibility. Managerial development ensures that as and when the demand for managers arises, suitably qualified persons are ready to fill vacancies. Managerial development consists of all means by which executives learn to improve their performance.

It is designed to improve the effectiveness of managers in their present jobs and to prepare them for higher jobs in future. Managerial development aims at helping the managers to realise their full potential.

Management development is a way of improving the culture of the organization so that it could be geared to excellence. “People move organizations — not machines”.

According to Edwin Flippo, “No organization has a choice of whether to develop employees or not; the only choice is that of method”. The need for management development is well accepted in the present business, which is fast changing due to technological and social developments.

Meaning

Management Development means development of people in managerial cadre, so that they can excel in their present performance and future performance as well. So, it is a process to improve knowledge, skill, abilities and attitudes of managers/ executives for better performance of the job. 

Management development programme is designed looking to the objectives/ strategy of the company and necessary measures are taken to impart knowledge, to improve skill, abilities and to change attitudes of the executives. In management development programmes, much more emphasis is given towards enhancement/development of such knowledge, skill, abilities, attitudes of managers which help to excel in future performance.

So, management development is basically future-need oriented educational programmes for managers to develop them in all perspectives so that they can competently and effectively confront challenges and achieve organizational goals for survival, growth and development.

Definition

According to G.R.Terry, “Management development should produce change in behaviour which is more in keeping with the organizational goals than the previous behaviour. The change frequently consists of a number of small steps resulting from training but the cumulative effect is considerable. It is also basic that a terminal behaviour is identified before the development efforts start.” 

“A conscious and systematic process to control the development of managerial resources in the organisation for the achievement of goals and strategies.”

"An attempt to improve managerial effectiveness through a planned and deliberate learning process."

“It is a programme of training and planned personal development purporting to prepare and aid managers in their present and future jobs.”,(Yoder)

“Management development includes the process by which managers and management acquire not only skills and competency in their present jobs but also capabilities for future managerial tasks of increasing difficulty and scope.” —Flippo

“Management development focuses on developing in a systematic manner, the knowledge base, attitudes, basic skills, interpersonal skills and technical skills of the managerial cadre”. —Johnson

Objectives

1. Identifying potential executives and developing them 

Development programme helps the company to identify the executives who are potential and performers. Potential managers are given special care to improve their skill, ability and knowledge through participation in tailor-made training programmes.

2. Enhancing knowledge, skill, ability for performance of present job  

For performing present job officers need to increase their knowledge, level of skill, ability. Management development programme is organized looking to needs of such officers/ managers of the company.

3. To create a dynamic management pool 

In the changing scenario, organization needs to have dynamic management force so that organization can face challenges, and it is possible if, suitable development programme is organized for the managers.

4. To increase proacting capabilities of managers 

Management development programme enhances visionary and strategic skills of the managers that help to develop their proacting capabilities.

5. To develop conceptual skill of higher executives 

Higher executives should have thorough knowledge, idea regarding the organization, its activities, relationship with functional units. All such skill which is termed as conceptual skill needs for effective functioning of organizational work. Management improvement programme helps to increase conceptual skill of higher management.

6. To improve human relations skill of managers

Human relations skill is needed for all cadres of management and through development programme such skill of managers is promoted.

7. To prepare managers to act as change agents 

In today’s competitive age every organization needs to introduce change in device, production method, technique, equipment etc. to confront challenges, and all this is possible if the managers can act as change agents. Specific management development programme may bring a total change in the mind­set of managers.

8. To keep the organizational activities running through provision of replacement 

Organizational activities may be affected if suitable replacements are not provided in vacant positions of higher executives. Management development programme, as a measure of succession planning prepares the middle-level executive to occupy the vacant higher positions.

9. To identify individual learning needs and to meet them 

Learning needs of managers vary from person to person. Hence, tailor-made individual programme, is required to be designed and imparted for growth, development of the individual executive.

10. To keep the morale level of executives high 

A lot of developmental programmes bring a change in the attitudes of management personnel that tend to increase the level of morale of such managers.

11. To encourage management personnel to prepare and implement personal development plans

Management development programme encourages potential managers to prepare personal development plans to cope with changing situations.

12. To increase problem solving skill, skill to study situational and analytical skill of managers

Management development programmes increase skill of management people to solve problems, to analyse critical events and to study different situations of organization.