Glossary

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#	Term (English)	Definition	Exam Relevance
1	Management	Process of planning, organising, staffing, directing, controlling resources to achieve objectives	Core definition
2	Efficiency	Doing things right — minimum input for given output; means-focused	Management concept
3	Effectiveness	Doing the right things — achieving intended outcomes; ends-focused	Management concept
4	Technical Skills	Proficiency in specific work methods/processes; most important at lower management	Katz's skills
5	Human Skills	Ability to work with and through people; important at all management levels	Katz's skills
6	Conceptual Skills	Ability to see organisation as a whole and its environmental context; top management	Katz's skills
7	Top Management	Board, CEO, MD — strategic planning, long-term decisions, policy formulation	Management levels
8	Middle Management	Department heads, GMs — implement top-level policies, coordinate departments	Management levels
9	Lower Management	Supervisors, foremen — direct supervision, day-to-day operations	Management levels
10	Planning	Setting objectives and determining courses of action to achieve them	Management function
11	Organising	Arranging resources and establishing authority-responsibility relationships	Management function
12	Directing	Guiding, motivating, and communicating with subordinates	Management function
13	Controlling	Measuring actual performance, comparing with standards, taking corrective action	Management function
14	MBO	Management by Objectives — Peter Drucker (1954); jointly set measurable objectives	Core MBO definition
15	SMART Objectives	Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound objectives	MBO principle
16	Satisficing	Herbert Simon's concept: choosing the first satisfactory solution under bounded rationality	Decision making
17	Bounded Rationality	Simon (1955/Nobel 1978): decisions made under limited information, time, and cognitive constraints	Decision theory
18	Programmed Decision	Routine, repetitive, structured decision handled by rules/procedures; lower level	Decision types
19	Non-programmed Decision	Novel, unstructured decision requiring managerial judgment; top level	Decision types
20	Groupthink	Irving Janis (1972): cohesive group suppresses dissent; makes poor decisions	Group decision pitfall
21	Scalar Chain	Fayol's 9th principle: formal top-to-bottom line of authority	Fayol principles
22	Unity of Command	Fayol's 4th principle: one employee, one boss; prevents role conflict	Fayol principles
23	Span of Control	Number of subordinates a manager can effectively supervise (5–8 complex, 15–20 routine)	Organisation
24	Delegation	Transfer of authority (not responsibility) from superior to subordinate	Organisation
25	Decentralisation	Systematic delegation throughout organisation; promotes initiative and local adaptability	Organisation

Sources: RPSC 2026 Official Syllabus; Peter Drucker, The Practice of Management (1954); Henri Fayol, Administration Industrielle et Générale (1916); Robert Katz, "Skills of an Effective Administrator" (Harvard Business Review, 1955); Herbert Simon, Administrative Behavior (1947, 1955); Henry Mintzberg, The Nature of Managerial Work (1973); RPSC Mains PYQ 2021 and 2023.