ABSTRACT
Management is a thoughtful adaptation to the opportunities and demands of life. It involves problem-solving and decision-making, as well as carrying out actions to implement decisions. The consciousness of the deliberations that occur prior to decisions about how to use resources and the controlled implementation of decisions in order to reach valued-goals will distinguish management from other adaptive responses. The need for conscious problem-solving and decision-making is created because of changes that are wanted by individuals and families (proactive management) or because internal and/or environmental changes occur that require different responses (reactive management). The environment of families is broadly viewed to include the natural, human behavioral, and human constructed dimensions of human existence (Bubolz & Sontag, in press).
