CHAPTER1: INTRODUCTION TO OFFICE MANAGEMENT

OFFICE MANAGEMENT
The dictionary meaning of the word “manage” is “to conduct, to control or to administer”. In other words, it is an act of guiding or
controlling the affairs of an organization to achieve a given aim or purpose. It is the function of office management to organize, guide
and control the activities of the office personnel to achieve this common objective.
 Office is the center of an organization. Commercial Office acts as a central directing and co-coordinating agency of the
various activities of any business.
 An office is understood to be a place where clerical work is performed and where all kinds of paper work (letters,
correspondence, files, records etc.) is maintained and dealt with.

DEFINITION OF OFFICE MANAGEMENT

George R. Terry
 “Office Management can be defined as a task of planning, coordinating, and motivating the efforts of others towards the
specific objectives in the office.”
Mills and Standingford
 “The art of guiding the personnel of the office in the use of materials, methods, machines and equipment appropriate to their
environment in order to achieve its specified purpose”.
Leffingwell and Robinson
 “Office Management as a function is that branch of the art of science of management which is concerned with efficient
performance of office work, whenever that work is done”.
Prof. Dicksee states,
 "An office is to a business what the mainspring is to a watch".
o An organization cannot be carried on without an office, as a watch without the mainspring is useless. In the present
times, the modern office organization has so much importance as the brain in a human body.
According to the Random House Dictionary,
 "An office is a place where business is transacted or professional services are available".
o An office is the place where the control mechanisms for an enterprise are located, where records are initiated for
communication, control and efficient operation of the enterprise.

OFFICE
Office is an important section of a business. The term business implies office work.
The dictionary meaning of office;
 "a place for transaction of business, the room or department, where the clerical work is done", or we can say,
 "a place where business is carried on”, or it is "a place where all sorts of activities of organisation are dealt with.

OFFICE WORK
Office work is mainly concerned with clerical work or paper work. But this is a very narrow view and is an old concept of office
work.
Office work is primarily concerned with making, preserving and using records.
 The records are concerned about purchasing. Producing, selling, accounting and correspondence, inventories and written or
printed memorandum of all kinds.
 These records are essential for an efficient and effective control of operation of the organization.

An office serves as the memory center and control center of an organization. The office performs many services like communication,
reproduction, mechanical data, processing, procuring of stationery, furniture and equipment’s, secretarial assistance etc. to other
departments in an organization.

Office is a unit where records for the purpose of control, planning and efficient management of the organization are prepared, handled
and preserved.

The purpose of an office is:

1. To preserve all the records of the business.
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2. To handle incoming correspondence
3. To plan the policies of the business and ensure their implementation.
4. To direct and co-ordinate the activities of the various departments, and
5. To maintain accounts, statutory and non-statutory books etc. of the business.

The key objectives of an office are:

1. To plan the activities of office and ensure their execution.
2. To coordinate the activities and the various departments.
3. To preserve all the records of the business.
4. To maintain books of accounts, registers, books, statutory and non-statutory registers,
etc. of the business.

THE OFFICE FUNCTION

The functions of a modern office may be classified into two categories:
1. Basic functions (or) routine functions,
2. Administrative management functions.

Basic functions (or) routing functions

 Receive and collecting information
o About the activities of the organization the source may be.
 Internal sources: ex. different departments, sections, etc.
 External sources: Govt. departments, financial Institutions, universities, general public etc.
 Recorded of collected information
o In a suitable form, this recorded information is needed for preparing future Policies, and taking decisions.
 Arranging (or) Processing of Information
o In all the information received cannot be used in the same form. Office has to convert it in form of notes, reports,
diagrams, graphs etc, and showing different aspects of business.
 Communication of recorded and arranged information promptly
o Office has to supply the information to different departments and outside bodies who are related in some way or the
other Ex. Planning is to be done for which future information and projections are to be made on the bias of part
information which has to be supplied by the office in the most suitable form.

ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS

A part from the basic functions of an office, there are certain administrative management functions which have to be
performed for a smooth functioning of the office.
These functions are outlined below
 Management Functions : For efficient functioning of an office the management function includes.
 Planning;
 It is the process of thinking about the activities required to achieve a desired goal. It is the
first and foremost activity to achieve desired results.
 Organising;
 It is the establishment of effective authority relationships among selected work, persons and
work places in order for the group to work together efficiently. Or the process of dividing
work into sections and departments.
 Staffing;
 An operation of recruiting the employees by evaluating their skills, knowledge and then
offering them specific job roles accordingly. The process of hiring eligible candidates in the
organization or company for specific positions.
 Directing;
 The process in which the managers instruct, guide and oversee the performance of the
workers to achieve predetermined goals. Directing is said to be the heart of management

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 process. Planning, organizing, staffing has got no importance if direction function does
not take place.
 Controlling;
 Defined as that function of management which helps to seek planned results from the
subordinates, managers and at all levels of an organization. The controlling function
helps in measuring the progress towards the organizational goals & brings any deviations,
& indicates corrective action
 Coordinating;
 The synchronization and integration of activities, responsibilities, and command and control
structures to ensure that the resources of an organization are used most efficiently in pursuit of the
specified objectives.
 Motivating.
 Using incentives, persuasion, and mental or physical stimulants to influence the way people think
or behave individually or in groups.
 Public Relations Functions: An office has not only maintains relations with the other departments, it also needs to maintain
a good relations with the outside world the public. Maintaining good relations with the company increases the reputation and
good will of the company.
 Retention of the Records: Office Records includes correspondence, letters, invoices, orders, financial and cost records,
minutes etc. These records have to be retained for future reference.
 Safeguarding Assets: It is the function of the office to safeguard the assets of the organisation, which may be fixed assets
like buildings, plants, Machinery, office equipment, lighting and air conditioning equipment, movable assets like furniture,
office machinery, or the cash, title deeds, records and documents etc.
 Controlling Office costs: With the adoption of scientific methods for office management, a modern office is further
supposed to discharge the function of controlling office costs this may be done by.
o Mechanization of the office.
o Adopting time and labour saving devices in the office.
o Using better forms.
o Analyzing the existing office routines and adopting improved ones.

OFFICE MANAGER
 Any person, appointed to head the office is an Office Manager. He is a part of the management.
 Responsible for getting the work done in the office and has to ensure that procedures and policies formulated by his
management are properly implemented.
 The office manager is required to plan, organize, direct, control and coordinate various departments. The designation by
which an office and the area of management responsibilities vested in him. Designations like Office
Manager(administration), Administrative Manager, Office Superintendent, General Manager(Office) are being used to give a
respectable status for the person heading the office.

QUALITIES OF A GOOD MANAGER

 Leadership – as a leader, the office, manager should possess an analytical mind to take care of different situations arising in
the office. Leadership is the ability to enthuse, inspire and guide subordinates.
 Personal qualities- there is a long list of personal qualities that the Office Manager must possess, more important of which
are tact, self-control, enthusiasm, sincerity and adaptability.
 Professional interest – there is a number of professional organizations and publications with which the Office Manager
should be familiar. Outstanding among the associations is the Administrative Management Society, a chapter oriented society
that is concerned with the identification, development, and dissemination of modern business management techniques and
philosophies as these fall within the growing areas of responsibility of the body of management knowledge and techniques
that has come to be known as “Administrative Management”.

FUNCTIONS OF THE OFFICE MANAGER

1. Recruitment of staff – office manager is entrusted with the task of recruitment of staff. While making a final selection, he
would be required to do quality rating in order to determine the suitability of the job to the man.

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 2. Training of staff – the training programs are to be devised not only for the new recruits, but also the old hands are to be kept
in touch with the last appliances, techniques and process office management.
3. Devising methods of work measurement - This is fundamental function. Suitable methods of compensation should be
devised by the Office Manager to ensure efficiency and cooperation of the staff.
4. Coordinating – coordinating the tasks of various workers on the office is essential for its existence.
5. Discipline – the office manager should see to it other people come in time; observe telephone calls, dress and behavior.
6. Controlling stationery and supplies – he is required to enforce proper control over stationery and supplies into the office.

ELEMENTS OF OFFICE MANAGEMENT

1. Purpose – an office manager is not only a part of management, but also an important link between the office and
departments: outsiders like suppliers, clients, etc. In order to carry out the various activities effectively, he has to make
correct decisions. Clear cut objectives/goals of an organization will definitely provide proper direction to ensure
implementation of plans, policies, programs, budgets, etc.
2. Means- the means are necessary in order to carry out the various activities like filing, copying, records retrieval and disposal,
processing of incoming and outgoing mail, communication, and management information system. The term “means’ include
forms, stationery, furniture, premises, equipment’s, etc. as well as methods and techniques of performing activities.
3. Personnel – otherwise known as human resources are a very significant part of management. The office manager has to
ensure implementation of plans, and policies pertaining to effective recruitment and selection of right persons for the right
job; provision of appropriate training and development program and scope for satisfactory fair promotion and transfer.
4. Environment – office environment has an important bearing on the efficiency of employees. It comprises
lighting, ventilation and temperature control, interior decoration, office furniture, security, safety, sanitary
arrangements, etc.

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