WELL,
MIS, ILL |
It
is shown in the article 'groups'
that
many things (or is it all things?) in the universe are formed
or united in groups. Group formation happens in atoms, elements, plants,
animals and among humans due to different causes. (See last paragraph
in 'groups'
for
some examples.) If groups form without violating fundamental laws
of nature, evolution, life, family, society etc., they would produce
useful qualities and products benefiting the individuals/members of
the groups. If groups are constituted wrongly or by force violating
basics, they are not going to last long and the short-term benefits
can be sectarian. Once constituted and organized, performance and progress
of groups depend on ways the groups are managed; well
managed, mismanaged
or ill-managed. |
Leave
aside inorganic groups of atoms and elements wherein only natural
forces come into play. Groups of families are for the natural reason
of reproduction for genetical progression. For the present, consider
only groups formed by humans for purposes of acquiring property, wealth,
security, comforts etc. It is stated elsewhere (Limits
of Wealth,
3-rd paragraph ) that wealth accumulation always needs a group of persons
united and organized by different ways. See the case of a rich landlord.
A landless farm worker tries to become a landholder farmer , then a
rich farmer and later a landlord. All these developments are possible
only if the group is well managed for decades or generations. If the
land acquiring group is mismanaged with haphazard coordination and control,
property and wealth can be lost. Similarly with ill-management, land
can be left idle, sold out or taken over by others. Take the case of
a manufacturing company. The company is organized as a working
unit with different groups and grades within groups. Each group has
many junior workers, seniors and a head. All the heads of groups
are organized into a management group with a director or chief executive
officer. Now manage the company WELL
to achieve planned productions, if MISmanaged
the functional grouping and grading fail, productions reduce and finally
losses prevail. If ILL-managed,
the company would run in loss only, finally leading to close-down. |
Consider
the cases of institutions of learning, training and higher education,
like schools and colleges. If the institutes are organized, monitored
and controlled well, the students would excel in their studies and other
activities. The institutes would produce mixed results, if mismanaged.
With ill-management, indiscipline, disorder, misbehaviour, failures
etc. would prevail, instead of producing bright and disciplined students.
Institutions of teaching and learning stand at a qualitatively different
pedastal due to their activities at basic levels with long term significances.
Profiteering interests and undue competitions in these institutions
can lead to bad consequences in a wide spectrum of activities. |
Having
understood the ill, bad, wrong, destructive and ' mixed bag' results
of ill-management and mismanagement , it is relevant to see the different
ways of managing a group well . As stated earlier any group consists
of individuals united together for some purposes with a known framework
of actions. (See 'groups'
for
more details on various types of groups and some of their fundamental
features.) Good management of groups has two components, viz.,
self-disciplining or self-management of members at personal level,
taking into account the planned or known activities of the group
also and management of the group at work place by the managing
staff. (See
' health care'
for
some details on self-discipline and related aspects of profession.)
Normally self-disciplining is left fully to individuals.
But many institutions and companies provide helps through health clubs,
hospitals, schools etc. Monitoring and controlling of different
activities at working or production level needs education/ training
and experience. Good management needs planning, programming, supervising,
reviewing and communication abilities. |
Now
come to mega groups like nations,city states and cultures. These mega
groups evolved over hundreds or thousands of years. These are made up
of a multitude of groups for different purposes related to families,
professions, politics, education, health care etc. Many groups have
sub-groups within themselves. Many nations are multi-ethnic or multicultural,
for example India. Management of nations of various types, viz.,
liberal economies, mixed economies and planned and controlled economies
are done by different governments. Within these three main types, different
subsets are possible like liberal capitalist, coservative capitalist,
traditional/agrarian, socialist, communist, revolutionary governments
etc. (See 6-th paragraph in groups
for changes in government with people's attitudes in a nation from birth
to decay.) |
Multicultural
nations are best managed and administered by governments which give
sufficient freedoms to constituent states, territories and tribal areas to
carry on with their ways of life, independently without conflicting
the federal structure. Administering a tribal economy flourishing far
away from the federal capital (of urban economy) by urban ways or by
force is contradictory to the federal concept. Another problem in multicultural
nations is of aspirations of independence of its constituents. This
can be solved by making constitutional provisions for joining or disjoining
the federal state, like 10-15 years of notice of joining or disjoining,
transition periods for administrative changes and referandums for deciding
the type of federal structure. |
The
most fundamental reason for forming groups is to gain common benefits
of security, foods, fertile lands, water, natural resources etc. This
is true from coral colonies to human colonies. This can be achieved
only if the group remains united on its common objectives and
is well managed. If mismanagement happens due to lack of unity and/or
outside influences, common objectives would remain as mirages. Normally
there would exist written rules for quitting a group and dissolution
of a group. Some groups get dissolved or members cease to be active
when the organizers fail to administer/rule satisfactorily and when
the stakes are low. In groups wherein rituals, religious rules and traditions
form the uniting forces, the members should be free to disjoin
on their own free will. If this freedom is not available automatically,
the group would get further mixed and mismanaged resulting in all types
of individuals/members like good, bad, mixed-up, forced, fake etc. ( Click here for a list of quotations on spirituality,
science and religion.)
In the case of governments wherein the statutes and rules become traditionalised
or ritualised-like, without any reviews or reforms, the citizens
become a mixed group of good, bad, law abiding, law breaking, forced,
fake etc. (Click here for a list of quotations on
nations
and politicians.)
Here a piece of wisdom is relevant, " When groping in dark,
group and become strong. But when groping in a group, quit and become
disciplined and strong". ( Click here for more on self-discipline
and health care.)
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