Focus on Management Principles: A generic approach presents management principles that are needed in the workplace today to ensure the sustainability of an organisation.

The following topics are discussed:

• How management theory has evolved and the environment in which management operates
• The tasks of management
• Leadership, teamwork and interpersonal skills
• Organisational culture, diversity management, business ethics, corporate social responsibility, organisational politics, change management and HIV/Aids in the workplace.

Key Benefits

• Learning outcomes to introduce each chapter
• Self-assessment exercises at the end of each chapter
• In-text activities and the latest developments in the field to enhance the reader’s understanding of topics covered.

Chapter 1: An outline of management

• Introduction
  • Historical background of management
  • The evolution of management theory
  • The management environment
  • The composition of the management environment

Chapter 2: Management tasks

• Introduction
• What is management?
• The management tasks
• Planning
• Time management
• Organising
• Leading
• Controlling
• Integration 

Chapter 3: Leadership and teamwork

• Introduction
• The nature of leading
• Leadership

Chapter 4: Interpersonal skills

• Introduction
• What is communication?
• The communication process
• The principles of effective communication
• Methods of communication
• Motivation
• Handling conflict

Chapter 5: Contemporary issues: Organisational culture, diversity, management, business ethics and corporate social responsibility

• Introduction
• Organisational culture
• Diversity management
• Ethics
• Social responsibility

Chapter 6: Contemporary issues: Organisational politics, change management, and HIV/Aids in the workplace

• Introduction
• Organisational politics
• Change management
• HIV/Aids

This book has a hands-on approach giving readers a practical understanding of the management principles relevant to the workplace today. It is an introduction to general management for undergraduates and potential managers like first-time managers, managers at the operational level, supervisors and operational managers who need a brief overview of general management.