Management Technology
By NVR Lakshminarayan Rao
Formerly Professor of Civil Engineering Osmania University Hyderabad

Introduction
Management Technology is intended to succeed in achieving our objectives. It is practical art, science and act. In reality it cannot be taught even though there are large number of institutions and there is unprecedented rush for  the management courses. There is also intense urge for becoming Managers at various levels.
C U P
OM = L E T   M  G  H  COMFORT USE  PROTECTION OBJECTIVES OF MAN =  LEARNING  EARNING  TEACHING MASTERY  GLORY HAPPINESS

The word manage has various connotations and each one seems  to be very appropriate namely to deal tactfully  difficult situations and persons, to contrive successfully, to manipulate, to be able to cope with , to conduct affairs,  to  handle men, money, and materials, and ultimately to control every thing concerned  in fulfilling one's own objectives. Technology is skillful use of techniques (methods) in the management. There is some supernatural power, which manages the affairs of the universe, which cannot always be explained. This supernatural power some of us may choose to call God. God is the real manager of this universe. Behavior of human beings is complicated, complex and unpredictable. They are not obliged to obey the laws of human origin. Human behavior essentially remained unchanged all through the ages though its manifestations are different at different times at different places. Human factor has naturally great influence in whatever we do. Greed in human beings is evergreen and young and has contributed adversely in all human activities and in no less measure in engineering activities.

God created the unit, the system, with its infinite number  of aspects and interrelationships. Man, trying to understand God's creation, has as his only tool his limited mind. This tool varies from person to person in type and degree of refinement. Our mind understands only those aspects of the world around us to which it resembles or whose basic theoretical structures are already performed in it. With conscientious scientists and engineers go many others. The fools of course, we shall always have with us, as well as those that want to be fooled. We have the impatient intellectuals that escape into theories in order to avoid the complexity of reality and then attempt to force reality into straight-jacket of their premature creations. Then, we have the fellow travelers that put their trust in formalized methods rather than in observing  and thinking. Still there are many well-trained, able and conscientious men working quietly. The last of them know that in order to make real progress in chosen field of activity, a man must be true to himself. He must reproduce the world in his own mind and according to structure of his mind (Winterkorn 1954).

It is being observed that there is growing encouragement for F-Technology, which in sophisticated terms known as management or administration where in F stands for fooling. Probably it is natural as Radhakrishnan (1948) in the Introduction to Bhagvad Geetaa quoted from Kath Upanishad (IV, 1), "God seems to be great deceiver as He creates this world and its sense objects and turns our senses outward. The proneness to self deception lies in the desire for things of sense". The Sun, The Earth, and The Moon appear as rising and setting, static, waning and waxing respectively. How true these phenomena?

Francis Bacon in his essay "on studies" says, "To make judgment wholly by their rules is the humor of the scholar."

"Scholarship is less than sense;
Therefore seek intelligence:"
(Panchatantra)

Man
"Man (Human Being) is the primary and most important element in management technology. Man is complex multidimensional being including  within him different elements of matter, life, consciousness, intelligence, and spirit. He is free when he acts from highest level and uses other elements for the realization of his purpose. But when he is on the level of nature, when he does not recognize his distinction from not self, he becomes a slave to mechanism of nature.

No individual is quite like his fellow; no life repeats another and yet a single pattern runs through them all. Man, the subject, should gain mastery over man, the object. Man integrates and displays traits of all other species in the universe in different measures at different times or situations in other words his behavior is unpredictable. He is also incorrigible to a great extent, the fact most teachers do not take into account or prefer to ignore because one does not like to talk about negative aspect or reality of life.  Human being is custom bound and sentimental too by and large. He is a victim of habits and notions. All attempts, philosophies and religions in practice in reforming the man and there by creating civilized world of peace and prosperity have yet to meet desired success.

"Indeed all the creatures in this world, adopting cajolery or one of the other three devices, namely conciliation, shrewd intrigue, and bribery, live by eating one another. For example:

Some eat the countries: these are the rulers;
The doctors, those whom sickness stings;
The merchants, those who buy their things;
And learned men, the fools.

The married are the clergy's meat;
The thieves devour the indiscreet;
The flirts their eager lovers eat;
And labor eats us all.

They keep deceitful snares in play;
They lie in wait by night and day;
When occasion offers, prey
Like fish on lesser fish.

Where bribes and flattery would fail
Intrigue is certain to avail.

And indeed, all creatures are held in bondage by heart piercing intrigue.

Of self-conceit all creatures show
An adequate supply.
Man to thrive
Must keep alive."

Morality is an invention of human beings and there are no absolute values for example:

To ruling monarchs let no trace
Of common nature cling;
For what is vice in other men,
Is virtue in a king (ruler).
(Panchatantra)

M2 = F3
Where M2 = Management of Men ; F = Faith in ; F = Fear of; F = Favor or fool

A simple and ideal example of management is Lord Raam's mother who realizing the impossibility of explaining to baby that it is not possible to get the Moon satisfied the wish by getting the Moon through reflection in the mirror.

Money
Money is the creation of man. Naturally he loves it most.  It is a measuring unit for human activities.  Its value expands and contracts in other words it is unstable unit unlike meter or liter or gram.
"Money causes pain in getting;
In the keeping, pain and fretting;
Pain in loss and pain in spending:
Damn the trouble never ending!

Even an abundant store of wealth, if pecked at, sinks together like a pile of soot. A very little, if added to, grows like an anthill. Hence, even though money be abundant, it should be increased. Riches unearned should be earned. What is earned should be guarded, what is guarded should be enlarged and heedfully invested. Money, even if hoarded in commonplace fashion, is likely to go in a flash the hindrances being many. Money unemployed when opportunities arise, is the same as money unpossessed. Therefore money once acquired should be guarded, increased and employed. As the proverb says:
Release the money you have earned;
So keep it safely still:
The surplus water of a tank
Must find a way to spill.

The wealthy men are men of force;
And they are scholars all, of course.

Remember that youth and wealth are unstable as water bubbles.

Yet the rich have license for
All things vulgar and debased:
When the ocean bellows, none
Reprobate his faulty taste.

Now this cash comes to men in six ways.  They are:
1. begging for charity,
2. flunkeyism at court,
3. farmwork,
4. the learned professions,
5. usury, and
6. trade.

However, among all these methods of making money, trade is the only one without a hitch in it.
Now profitable trade has seven branches. They are:
1. false weights and balances,
2. price-boosting,
3. keeping a pawnshop,
4. getting regular customers,
5. a stock company,
6. articles-deluxe such as perfumeries,
7. foreign trade.

Now the economists say:
False weights and boosting prices to
An over shameless sum
And constant cheating of one's friends
Are fit for social scum.

Deposits in the house compel
The pawnshop man to pray;
If you will kill the owner, Lord,
I'll give you what you say.

The holder of a stock reflects
With glee, though one of many:
The wide world's wealth belongs to me;
No other gets a penny.

Perfumery is first-class ware:
Why deal in gold and such?
What're the cost, you sell it for
A thousand times as much.

Foreign trade is the affair of the capitalist.
Wild elephants are caught by tame:
So money-kings, devising
A trap for money, capture it
With far-flung advertising.

The brisk commercial traveler,
Who knows the selling game,
Invests his money, and returns
With twice or thrice the same.

The crow, or good-for-naught, or deer,
Afraid of foreign lands,
In heedless slothfulness is sure
To perish where he stands."

The man whose mind is money mad,
From all his kinsmen flees;
He hastens from his mother dear;
He breaks his promises;
He even goes to foreign lands
Which he would not elect
And leaves his native country.

Well, What else do you expect? "
(Panchatantra)

M2 = D3  Where  M2  = Management of Money; D = Distrust; D = Duplicity; D = Deceit

Materials
This is what we call scientific approach. In the universe there are so many materials with distinct properties. They have been successfully exploited by man through his faculties of reasoning, logic, and his ability to experiment and created a world of his own which is marvelous
M2 = [ R L E ]
Where M2 = Management of Materials; R = Reasoning;  L = Logic; \ E = Experimentation

The scientific approach is restricted to only materials. In our enthusiasm for science if extend our faculties of reasoning ,and logic and ability of experimentation to men and money we land in disappointment. It is because every individual has his own reasoning and logic for human affairs which need not be same. We cannot also apply our natural faculties reasoning and logic to our creations like money which is not a natural one. In other words affairs of men and money are beyond the purview of reason and logic.

Law of necessity governs affairs of men and money. Intelligent (interested and involved) provide reason and logic in order to justify, glorify or otherwise. Fate decides the destiny.

Conclusions
Management Technology is in practice F-Technology. Salt is saltish. Neem is bitter. Sugar is sweet. Is it wise to expect different tastes from these materials? Law of necessity governs affairs of men and money. Intelligent (interested and involved) provide reason and logic in order to justify and glorify or otherwise. Fate decides the destiny. Human beings are not obliged to obey laws of human origin, which are against the natural laws. And therefore human problems remained unsolved over the ages in spite of emerging numerous philosophies of life and world wags on alive.