Utility of Scale - How Can Scale Be Used in Real-World Management?

Scale is a concept that applies to all aspects of management and is a critical component of achieving management goals. Failure to properly account for scale is a widespread issue in the management of natural resources that often leads to scale mismatches and failure to meet goals. To avoid scale mismatches in management it is important that managers consider multiple scales. Zooming in and out among scales will help identify what is needed, how much, and how fast management needs to occur in order to achieve a goal. Understanding when and where hierarchical confinement occurs is also important to avoiding unnecessary investments of time and money that are not capable of achieving a desired result. The following page provides a practical example of how scale can be used in a real-world application.