Meaning of Administration
The term ‘Administration’ has been derived from theLatin word ‘ad’and‘ministare’ which
means ‘to serve’. In simple words it means ‘care for’ or to ‘look after’ people, to ‘manage affairs’.
Administration may be defined as“group activity which involves cooperation and coordination for
the purpose of achieving desired goals or objectives.” Any cooperative human effort towards
achieving some common goals is also known as administration. Thus every group activity involves
some kind of administration whether it is in a family, factory, hospital, company, university or in
agovernment department. Thus Administration permeates all organised human activities.
Definitions of Administration
Pfiffner and Presthus define administration as“organization and direction of human and
material resources to achieve desired ends.”
According to L D White , Administration is “the direction,coordination and control of many
persons to achieve some purpose or objective. Herbert a Simon said “in its broadest sense,
administration can be defined as the activities of groups cooperating to accomplish common
goals”.
E.N.Gladden defined “Administration is a long and slightly pompous word, but it has a humble
meaning, for it means to care for or look after people, to manage affairs……is determined action
taken in pursuit of conscious purpose”.
According to Brooks Adams “ Administration is the capacity of coordinating many, and often
conflicting , social energies in a single organism, so adroitly that they shall operate as a unity”.
Felix A Nigro defined “Administration is the organisation and use of men and materials to
accomplish a purpose”.
Luther Gulick pointed out that “Administration has to do with getting things done, with the
accomplishment of defined objectives”.
F.M Marx said Administration is determined action taken in persuit of a conscious purpose. It is
the systematic ordering of affairs and the calculated use of resources, aiming at making those
things happen which one wants to happen and foretelling everything to the country”.
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The word Administration comes from Latin roots 'ad' and 'ministare', which together mean 'to serve'. This etymology reveals the fundamental purpose of administration: to care for people, look after their affairs, and manage activities in service of others.
Administration is fundamentally defined as a group activity that involves cooperation and coordination for achieving desired goals or objectives. This definition emphasizes that administration is not an individual effort, but requires multiple people working together in a coordinated manner toward common objectives.
Administration has a universal scope and permeates all organized human activities. Whether in families, factories, hospitals, companies, universities, or government departments, every group activity involves some form of administration. This demonstrates the fundamental importance of administrative principles across all sectors of human organization.
Various scholars have provided important definitions of administration. Pfiffner and Presthus emphasize organization and direction of resources. L.D. White focuses on direction, coordination and control of people. Herbert Simon highlights group cooperation for common goals. Luther Gulick emphasizes getting things done and accomplishing objectives. These definitions collectively show administration's multifaceted nature.
In conclusion, administration is a comprehensive concept that encompasses group activity with cooperation, coordination for objectives, organization of resources, direction and control, and managing human affairs to achieve conscious purposes. It represents the systematic ordering of affairs using calculated resources to accomplish desired outcomes across all organized human activities.