ICSAN Management Principles study guide
ICSAN Management Principles · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The ICSAN Management Principles paper is one component of the professional examination route offered by the Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators, a Nigerian professional body for company secretaries, governance practitioners and chartered administrators. It suits candidates progressing through ICSAN's professional stages, as well as governance, compliance and administrative professionals who want a structured grounding in management theory and its practical application. The ICSAN Management Principles study guide has 9 sections and about 3,120 words.
01Nature and Scope of Management
Management is the process of planning, organising, leading and controlling the resources of an organisation - people, money, materials, information and time - so that stated objectives are met. Questions in this domain test definitions, the efficiency/effectiveness distinction, managerial levels and Mintzberg's roles rather than abstract theory.
384 words, about 2 min02Management Thought and Theoretical Foundations
Scientific management (Taylor, 1911) sought 'the one best way' through time and motion study, scientific selection and training, a differential piece-rate system and functional foremanship, underpinned by a 'mental revolution' in labour–management relations. Administrative theory (Fayol, 1916) addressed the whole organisation, identifying five functions - plan, organise, command, coordinate, control - and fourteen principles including unity of command, unity of direction, scalar chain, equity, order and esprit de corps.
353 words, about 2 min03Planning and Strategic Decision Making
Planning is deciding in advance what to do, how, when and by whom. The hierarchy runs: mission (purpose), vision (future state), objectives (SMART and time-bound), strategies (long-term means), policies, procedures, rules, programmes and budgets.
338 words, about 2 min04Organising: Structure, Design and Delegation
Organising divides work, groups it, assigns authority and coordinates effort. Building blocks: division of labour (specialisation gains efficiency but risks boredom and silo thinking); departmentalisation (functional, product, geographic, customer, process); span of control (narrow spans give tall structures with close supervision, wide spans give flat structures needing capable staff and standardised work); chain of command and unity of command; line authority (direct command) versus staff authority (advice and functional authority).
342 words, about 2 min05Leadership, Motivation and Group Dynamics
Trait theory lists qualities but cannot predict effectiveness. Behavioural theory asks what leaders do: Ohio State's initiating structure and consideration; Blake and Mouton's grid plotting concern for production against concern for people, with 9,9 team management as the ideal.
349 words, about 2 min06Communication and Interpersonal Skills
Communication is the transfer and understanding of meaning: sender, encoding, channel, decoding, receiver, with feedback and noise throughout. Answers must stress understanding, not mere transmission.
318 words, about 2 min07Coordination, Control and Performance Management
Coordination is the synchronisation of interdependent efforts. Mintzberg's mechanisms, increasing in complexity: mutual adjustment, direct supervision, standardisation of work processes, of outputs, of skills, and of norms.
337 words, about 2 min08Corporate Governance, Ethics and Social Responsibility
Governance is the system by which companies are directed and controlled. The agency problem arises because owners (principals) delegate to directors and managers (agents) whose interests may diverge.
341 words, about 2 min09Management of Change, Innovation and Risk
Lewin's model: unfreeze (create readiness), move (implement), refreeze (stabilise new norms). Force-field analysis weighs driving against restraining forces - reducing restraint is often cheaper than adding pressure.
358 words, about 2 min