From WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003) [wn]:
management
n 1: the act of managing something; "he was given overall
management of the program"; "is the direction of the
economy a function of government?" [syn: direction]
2: those in charge of running a business
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Management \Man"age*ment\, n. [From Manage, v.]
1. The act or art of managing; the manner of treating,
directing, carrying on, or using, for a purpose; conduct;
administration; guidance; control; as, the management of a
family or of a farm; the management of a business
enterprise; the management of state affairs. "The
management of the voice." --E. Porter.
[1913 Webster]
2. Business dealing; negotiation; arrangement.
[1913 Webster]
He had great managements with ecclesiastics.
--Addison.
[1913 Webster]
3. Judicious use of means to accomplish an end; conduct
directed by art or address; skillful treatment; cunning
practice; -- often in a bad sense.
[1913 Webster]
Mark with what management their tribes divide
Some stick to you, and some to t'other side.
--Dryden.
[1913 Webster]
4. The collective body of those who manage or direct any
enterprise or interest; the board of managers.
[1913 Webster]
Syn: Conduct; administration; government; direction;
guidance; care; charge; contrivance; intrigue.
[1913 Webster]
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (19 Sep 2003) [foldoc]:
management
1. Corporate power elites distinguished primarily by their
distance from actual productive work and their chronic failure
to manage (see also suit). Spoken derisively, as in
"*Management* decided that ...".
2. Mythically, a vast bureaucracy responsible for all the
world's minor irritations. Hackers' satirical public notices
are often signed "The Mgt"; this derives from the
"Illuminatus!" novels.
[Jargon File]
(1995-02-28)
From Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003) [jargon]:
management
n.
1. Corporate power elites distinguished primarily by their distance
from actual productive work and their chronic failure to manage (see
also suit). Spoken derisively, as in "Management decided that ...".
2. Mythically, a vast bureaucracy responsible for all the world's
minor irritations. Hackers' satirical public notices are often signed
`The Mgt'; this derives from the Illuminatus novels (see the
Bibliography in Appendix C).