Management Science ( Taught by Thiruvalluvar )

Knowledge of ‘Know - how?’ (Theory) and ‘Do How?’ (Practice) are essential for successful management. Prior to Management Innovation Gurus like F.W. Taylor, Eltonmayo Fredrick Herzberg and Abraham.H.Maslow and Peter.F.Drucker and two thousand years ago the great Tamil saint and poet Thiruvalluvar analysed the same.

Etymology of kural is applicable to all fields or activities. It is a wonder how it was possible for him to frame this kural which can be defined to all aspects of human endeavour. It is highly amazing how Valluvar was able to visualise management in early period of human endeavour.

English being the lingus—franca of the world, Valluvar’s universalized and immortalized thoughts should be taken to this modern world. Therefore, we want to give indite to our thoughts.

This is a small step towards Thirukkural, but it is endless.

Impetus to this action is my beloved teacher Ambujam,D/o Raghavachariar and the inspiration is from my Parents Arumuga pathar and Thaiyalnayaki.

There are many books on the various functions of the management regarding what to do, how to do and their necessity with their experience and from the learning of other companies.

In a competitive economy, role of management managers strive to play for better quality and performance. Demand for professional managers is increasing. Management is an organ. It is described and defined only thro’ the functions. The business enterprise existence is justified by its economic performances.

Management's success lies in producing better goods and services to the customer, with a price competitive, as customer willing to pay.

Organisation is classified into two:

1. Manufacturing — Exampie:- Engineering and Automotives, Textiles, Electrical goods, consumer goods, including TV, Computer, Agriculture (60% GNP — Gross National Product) etc.

2. Service organisation Example: - Banks, Hotels, Transports, Courier etc. Hints on Various Activities of Management

   Various Activities functions are performed by different departments but related to one another, to benefit the customer and supplier.

1. MARKETING

   Customer — is sovereign and paymaster. Without a customer, no company exists. Best product and service with updated technology for customer satisfaction and their retained are the a sine-qua-non of marketing and it’s success.

   Marketing identifies the customers, their needs and communicates them to the organisation. Market research, advertising and sales promotions are other functions which helps to communicate with customers regarding products’ superiority and services. It helps in designing of the products, planning and standardization methods and practice.

2. DESIGN, ENGINEERINGAND R and D:

   For the equipment, Design and Engineering are done based on the specification or to the customers’ requirement - Estimating and quoting for Tailor made equipments and projects are to be done by the Engineering Department.

   Engineering Department through it’s materials management division is also responsible for the materials procurement to the specification, maintaining minimum/optimum inventory of raw materials and consumables for ensuring their continuous supply that also ensures regular production.

3. PROJECT / PRODUCTION:

   Production is the manufacturing function to the specifications and drawings with minimum rejections - attaining the target in required time to meet the market and customer need - Developing new methods - Improving productions.

4. INSPECTIONAND QUALITY CONTROL:

   Maintenance - Repairs and maintenance of plant and machinery. Quality Control - Inspection, Testing, recording and certification for despatch. stores - To Store raw materials and consumables.

5. Finance and Accounts

   Functions for raising capitals/loans, collecting receivables from customers and paying to creditors (suppliers), salary wages, other income and expense accounts maintaining and including Taxes and Duties.

6. Human Relations

   and Development - Recruitments, training, motivating, human relation Developments and ensure Implementing Company Policies and Welfare of the people working.

Valluvar’s vision and guidance will definitely provide way for better management.

KURAL:- It is greatness to Tamil

Itis greatness to Tamilians

lt is greatness to Valluvar

It is greatness to his teacher Agathiyar, the Father of Tamil language.

We have to note that how the kural is applicable to all fields - how can a sage became an expert in all fields — how long he might have taken to write and complete this exercise while all other sages/siddhas had concentrated on salvation to attain the feet of God and guided the people to follow the necessary requirements of life like medicine, practice of medicine, astronomy, mantras etc.

All the scholars in the world concentrated their attention to describe the nature and their culture by way of stories, poems and dramas, after studying voluminous books, we shall come to know what it teaches to the world. Even Geetha preached by Lord Krishna does not cover the subjects what Valluvar handled. Inspite of many management Books, this book tries to biend Valluvar’s ideas with the knowledge and experience of the related functions of the management.

In a true sense, Valluvar is Father of the Business Management. Technology developments are from 18" century on wards only. It is a wonder how a sage, who was not a manager of any organisation can predict two thousand years before for the requirement of these days, those days and future days. Kural is the only oldest encylopedia in ‘Management Science’ — No doubt.

I pray and request one and all, try to refer as "What Valluvar Says" for reference of Management science.

I extend my gratitude to Dr.R.N.Shanmugasundaram Ex.Principal Scientist Indian Council of Agriculture, Goa, Mr.Mayan Spiritual Writer, Coimbatore, Mr.M.Venkatasubramanian former Dy.Director of Small Industries Service Institute and Late Dr.Jlankannan former Director of Economics and Statistics and to my Daughter M.Rajarajeshwari Lecturer Govt. Arts College, Kumbakonam and Sai Lakshmi, Hindi Teacher who did corrections for this book.

I also extend my gratitude to M/s. Nadar Press and Staffs, Kumbakonam for the encouragement and help.

It is indeed a matter of great pleasure and pride that Agathian Adimai Jayankondaan alias A.Mahalingam of our colony in Kattupakkam, Chennai - 56, has taken upon himself the noble and exhilarating task of writing a book on Management Science based on the Thirukkural, composed over 2000 years ago by our adoring poet, Saint Thiruvalluvar. Our present and recent past management experts consider Peter Drucker as the father of Management Science. But the undisputed fact that remains is that ‘Kural’ had long before been evolved amongst others, as principles and practice of management. This has been amply brought out by this ‘Valluvar’s Management Science’ to a very great extent by Jayankondaan aliasA. Mahalingam with his forty years of experience involving himself in various disciplines of management like Production, Project, Marketing, Training, Stress as well as objective Managements over which he had gained considerable expertise; besides his flair for ‘Kural’ enabled him to deeply study this and in depth to which he went to cull-out Kural Pearls pertaining to the application of management in the day-to-day affairs.

The resultant endeavour is this Treatise on ‘Valluvar’s Management Science’. This brings to my mind a book brought out by me (while working at Ahmedabad) in which I wrote about ‘Technomanagerial aspects of starting and running small scale industries.’

Every one knows that Thiruvalluvar composed 1330 Kurals comprising (Simsgitiured) Arathuppaal, Porutppaal and , through which he left for us and posterity a celluloid poem of 1330 versus which are considered as the ‘Fifth Vedam’. The fact that ‘Kural’ has been translated into nearly 50 languages in the world bears testimony to its application and guidance for the mankind - for people in all walks of life.

The greatness of kural is also furthur amplified by any ancient poet who figuratively stated that Valluvar had drilled a grain of mustard into which he had inserted the 1330 Kurals.

The Jayankondaan swam in the ocean of kural containing management pearls and constructed stanchions and the result is the book on ‘Valluvar’s Management Science’. I deem it a great privilage and pleasure to write a Foreward for the book.

It will be of interest to point out that an industrial activity consists of four categories of activities - manufacturing, job work, servicing and repairing, and processing. All these had been envisaged and blended by Thiruvalluvar when even their nomenclature was unknown in those olden days, as is known now-a-days. For carrying out industrial activities (or for matter any other activities like business, sales, etc.) Four factors viz, land, labour, captial and organisation - are essential. How all these are brought into for utilization had been clearly pronouneed by Valluvar in the Kurals.

All these have been very clearly and cogently interpreted and expressed by Jayankondathan whole analysing topics like, production, design, research and development, inspection and Quality control, marketing and its ups and downs, how to overcome them; He also interpretted and written about Personnel and labour management, including selection of personnel, placement, their attitudes towards superiors, managers, responsibility development, effective communication, conflict management, ways and means for overcoming barriers in problem solving, communications, determination to achieve the targeted objectives, wages, modus - operandi by which to capture and retain markets, individual career management, efforts to be made for over coming setbacks etc.

This treatise if perhaps the first and only attempt made so far for writting a book on management principles based on kural. It is an excellent exposition and a jewel in the field of composite management. I am of the opinion that it can be prescribed as a text book for engineering and management students.

I also understand that this book is going to be presented in the ensuing "World classical Tamil Conference’ being organised at Coimbatore during June, this year. I wish and hope more laurels would be brought out to this author and which would enable him to more similar publications in the years to come.