Management as a Profession Explanation
The definition of management states that it is the act of coordinating and administrating a workforce to achieve a target. This includes building strategies and manoeuvring the workforce accordingly to optimize its potential. In recent years, the expansion of companies and their initiative to sell shares have separated ownership from day to day company activities. Management employees and managers have come through to fill this gap and ensure the smooth running of an organization. The duty of management professionals has evolved, and they are now the key to the success of any company.
Along with directing the workforce collectively to meet company objectives, their job role extends further to ensure the well-being of employees as well.
What is a Profession?
A profession is an occupation that demands specialized knowledge of a subject matter alongside intense academic background. Moreover, competent authorities regulate the entry in a particular occupation, and they look for experience, ethics, and formal training. According to experts, a profession includes the following fundamentals.
Special Knowledge
The emergence of professions of any kind, stems from a body of particular knowledge, which individuals can study. Professionals need to make an effort to acquire this knowledge and its techniques. Management professionals need to do the same to secure employment at their level.
Dedicated Training and Education
The knowledge is not enough to succeed in any profession; one needs to know its technical nits and grits. In this regard, training, particular to a job, comes in handy. Also, one cannot become an expert without a dedicated course of education. Thus, going through them is vital.
Code of Conduct
There is a code of conduct, commonly known as work ethics, in every profession, and members associated with it must abide by it. Typically, this code varies from one company to another. This code of conduct includes the rules and regulations of a firm.
Social Obligations
Social obligation is an unseen part of every profession. Professionals seek motivation from their desire to serve society, and social norms influence their actions.
Representation
Every profession has a competent authority at its forefront, which regulates that sector. These associations are in charge of regulating and developing criteria for a particular profession.
Discussion of Management as a Profession
Management, as a profession has existed for years. Consequently, management is a true profession comment is evaluated based on the fundamentals of the profession. Here is a detailed explanation of the same.
Specialized Knowledge
Management professionals need specialized knowledge to work in their respective fields. They can gather their knowledge from books and other study materials that are carefully curated. Therefore, in this light one can say that management is a profession.
Training and Education
Modern management science allows aspirants to gain their necessary knowledge and training. There are many management education and training institutions in this country that can help an individual in this process. In the current market, companies prefer to hire individuals who have a degree to manage certain positions.
Thus, management professional meaning refers to individuals with appropriate training and education, which qualifies them as a profession.
Code of Conduct
Every professional working in this domain needs to abide by specific rules and regulations or codes of conduct. Primarily, such norms are at the discretion of the organization they are working for, and it alters from time to time. However, professional morality, integrity, and honesty are some fundamentals that individuals must abide by irrespective of their role. Keeping this into consideration, one can quickly identify management as a profession.
Social Obligations
The social obligation of any job prevails in management as well. Even though there are no such written norms, but in reality, the focus on social responsibility exists. Therefore, it is not hard to consider management as a profession.
Associations
There are professional management association in almost every country, and their job is –
To regulate the behaviour of the members
Creating norms for the professionals
To study and develop new ideas for the betterment of management as a profession
For instance, in India, the All India Management Association works in tandem with the local association to improve this sector via research and analysis.
Keeping these pointers in mind, it is not hard to regard management as a profession, but a contrasting opinion also co-exists.
Can Management Be Strictly Categorized As A Profession?
Management is a profession this statement is of no value when one considers the following pointers.
Even though the factor of education and training exists, there are no particular rules about it. Often individuals who acquire a seat in the management of an organization do not have the formal qualification or training to be there. Since there is no prescribed qualification for managers, the entry here is not restricted.
The social responsibility of management professionals has some constraints. They are answerable to the shareholder, owner, or board of directors. Hence, even if they want to give back to the community, they need to seek permission.
The evaluation of management individuals is based on their performance, not on their degrees.
Management is not a profession; by all means, it satisfies certain fundamentals of it. The old saying of ‘managers are born, and not made’ holds no value in modern times. In the contemporary world, individuals can get themselves trained via a dedicated course of study to become a manager.
Aspiring management professionals can learn more about this topic on Vedantu – India’s leading e-learning platform. Individuals can get in touch with subject experts to clear doubts and enhance their preparations.
FAQs on Management as a Profession: Key Insights
1. What does it mean to say 'management is a profession'?
To say 'management is a profession' means treating it as a formal occupation that requires specialised knowledge and training. It implies that managers, like doctors or lawyers, follow a specific code of conduct and are motivated by a desire to serve the organisation and society. While management has many professional characteristics, it is still an evolving discipline and not yet a full-fledged profession.
2. What are the main characteristics of a profession against which management is measured?
As per the NCERT syllabus for the 2025-26 session, any occupation must satisfy the following characteristics to be considered a profession:
- Well-defined Body of Knowledge: A structured system of principles, concepts, and theories that can be acquired through formal education.
- Restricted Entry: The entry into the profession is restricted through a prescribed examination or an educational degree.
- Professional Association: A statutory body that regulates entry, grants certificates of practice, and enforces a code of conduct.
- Ethical Code of Conduct: A set of binding rules and regulations that guides the behaviour of its members.
- Service Motive: The primary objective is to render dedicated service to society, with financial reward being a secondary consideration.
3. On what grounds can management be considered a profession?
Management can be considered a profession because it partially satisfies the required characteristics. It has a well-defined body of knowledge with its own principles and theories, which are taught in various business schools and universities worldwide. There is also a growing emphasis on ethical conduct and social responsibility, aligning with the service motive. Furthermore, the existence of bodies like the All India Management Association (AIMA) shows a move towards establishing a formal professional association.
4. Why is management not considered a full-fledged profession like medicine or law?
Management is not considered a full-fledged profession primarily because it does not meet all the necessary criteria strictly:
- No Restricted Entry: Unlike a doctor who must have an MBBS degree, there is no legal requirement for a manager to hold a specific degree like an MBA. Entry is not restricted by any statutory body.
- No Compulsory Professional Association: It is not mandatory for managers to be members of an association like the AIMA. These associations lack the legal authority to regulate managers' activities.
- Lack of a Universal Code of Conduct: There is no single, universally accepted ethical code of conduct for managers that is legally enforceable.
5. How does the 'Code of Conduct' for a manager differ from that of a doctor?
The code of conduct for a manager is fundamentally different from that of a doctor. A doctor's conduct is governed by a statutory body (e.g., the Indian Medical Council), and their code is legally binding and universal for all practitioners in the country. In contrast, a manager's code of conduct is typically determined by their employing organisation. It is not universal, lacks legal backing, and a manager's primary duty is often to the company's owners, which may sometimes conflict with a broader social service motive.
6. Is management evolving to become more of a profession in the modern business world?
Yes, management is consistently evolving towards becoming more professional. With the rise of large multinational corporations and the separation of ownership from control, there is an increasing demand for formally educated and trained managers. Companies now prefer to hire individuals with degrees like an MBA. Moreover, a greater global emphasis on corporate governance and business ethics is pushing management to adopt more standardised, accountable, and responsible practices, similar to established professions.
7. What role do professional associations like the AIMA play in making management a profession?
Professional associations like the All India Management Association (AIMA) play a crucial role in professionalising management, even without statutory power. They contribute by:
- Developing and promoting a code of conduct for their members to encourage ethical behaviour.
- Organising training, seminars, and conferences to update managerial knowledge and skills.
- Undertaking research and publishing literature to expand the well-defined body of knowledge in management.
- Creating a common platform for managers to build a professional identity and network.
