What is Effectiveness?

Peter F. Ducker defines effectiveness as doing the right things. It is concerned with achieving the organizational goals on time. The ultimate goal is to achieve the end result. It aims at achieving the results on time, no matter what the cost is. Its goal is to produce target production on time.  

For example, manager ‘A’ promised a company ABC Ltd. to produce 3,000 units in six months. To achieve this target within time, the manager increased the working hours, labour and the number of shifts, etc. Now manager ‘A’ was able to produce 3,000 units, but at a higher production cost because of high wastage and mishandling of resources. Here, the manager was effective, but not so efficient.

Features of Effectiveness:

• Goal Achievement: Effectiveness is defined by the ability to achieve specific, predefined goals and objectives, which involves setting clear, measurable goals and consistently meeting or exceeding them.
• Resource Utilization: Effective individuals and organizations use their resources, including time, money, personnel, and materials, efficiently and judiciously, minimizing waste and maximizing output relative to input.
• Consistency: A hallmark of effectiveness is the consistent performance and reliability in delivering high standards and results over time.

Therefore, management needs to obtain end results on time with as minimum cost as possible while maintaining a balance between effectiveness and efficiency. Generally, high efficiency is allied with high effectiveness, which is the aim of all managers. But the needless emphasis on high efficiency without being effective is also not desirable. Poor management is due to both inefficiency and ineffectiveness. So, management must be both, effective and efficient to make the organisation successful. 

We can define management as the process of getting things done through and with people to achieve a common goal efficiently and effectively. When we go through the definition, we find the two buzzwords efficiency and effectiveness which are alike terms and popularly used by managers. They are essential elements of management. Though both are different, they are commonly misused and misinterpreted.