The nature and characteristics of management development are as follows:
1. Behavioral Change
The management development process focuses on the change in manager's behavior. This change implies that there will be a change in knowledge and attitude of managers going under development programs.
2. Educational Process
Management development is an educational process rather than training. It focuses on overall personality development. The potential managers required to have knowledge about business, environment, management principles and techniques, human relations, specific industry analysis and so on, which is possible through a continuous development process.
3.Self-development
Managers develop themselves by participating in the management development programs organized by the company. Through the actual job performance they can obtain real and authentic job experience. But the managers should be motivated for self development and learning activity as the company can merely provide such opportunities. It means, the real inspiration of self development should arise from the individuals.
4. Continuous Process
Management development is a continuous process which begins by looking after the organization's objectives, moves through the assessment of current management process, and finally completes with the evaluation of the changed behavior. However, this process goes continuously as the demand for development.