Introduction
There is an old controversy going on which is “Is management an art or a science?”. Management is everywhere. It can be found in offices , schools, banks, Hospitals etc. Whether it be a profit or non-profit organization, it is required for the smooth transition of the business. There is no agreed definition for the term management but according to Harold Koontz, Management is defined as “the art of getting things done through others and with formally organized groups” (Koontz, 1954)..To be effective in management, A manager should have should have undergone necessary training and Should possess some individual skills. This essay seeks to explore the question ‘Is management an art or a science? This essay will analyze whether management from the perspective of an art and a science.
.Management as an art
Ayn Rand (1905-1982) defines art as “a selective re-creation of reality according to an artist’s metaphysical value-judgments. If those who believe that management were an art, they are those people who believe that there is no specific way to learn management and it just takes two things i.e. personality and ability to learn and understand management. Additionaly these people would also believe that people can’t be taught to be effective managers, throughout the years they become better through experience and training.
But For Schein, (2001) People’s attention towards the environment becomes more clear ,provoke them to question long-held beliefs, encourage developing new responses to challenges, help us get in touch with our creative selves.
Lorenzana (1889-1969) describes management as an art because among those ingredients necessary to make management decisions are common sense, experience and skills and not necessarily a set of rules, methods or systems. Managerial skills and experience will always be the major factors why management is an art.