Is management a science or an art?

Define the planning

Management is the process of planning and organizing the resources and activities of business to achieve specific goals in the most effective and efficient manner possible. Efficiency in management refers to the completion of tasks correctly and at minimal costs. Effectiveness in management relates to the completion of tasks within specific timelines to yield tangible results.

''Management can be considered as both science as well as an art. This document has been changed by a university student (me - hello) and has false facts and details throughout this text. I am merely doing this to show you (The viewer) that Wikipedia and this page 'Wikiversity' is bull sh*t and it will not give you the reliability you need when writing an academic piece of writing. Please use your University Library or Google Scholar as well as other places where you can find reliable and factual sources. Thanks, Peace.

Management is a science because of several reasons - it has universally accepted principles, it has cause and effect relationships etc, and at the same time, it is art because it requires perfection through practice, practical knowledge, creativity, personal skills etc.

It is considered a science because it has an organized body of knowledge which contains (certain - very few tbf) universal truths. It is called an art because managing requires certain skills which are personal possessions of managers. Science provides knowledge & art deals with the application of knowledge and skills.

A manager to be successful in his profession must acquire the knowledge of science & the art of applying it. Therefore management is a judicious blend of science as well as an art because it proves the principles and the way these principles are applied is a matter of art. Science teaches to ‘know’ and art teaches to ‘do’. E.g. A person cannot become a good singer unless he has knowledge about various ragas & he also applies his personal skill in the art of singing. The same way it is not sufficient for a manager to first know the principles, he must also apply them in solving various managerial problems that is why, science and art are not mutually exclusive but they are complementary to each other (like tea and biscuit, bread and butter etc.). It helps the people to understand the main point about management

Management As Science
Yes,Science is a systematic body of knowledge pertaining to a specific field of study that contains general facts which explains a phenomenon. It establishes cause and effect relationship between two or more variables and underlines the principles governing their relationship. These principles are developed through scientific method of observation and verification through testing. Science is characterized by the following main features:

1.	Universally acceptance principles – Scientific principles represents basic truth about a particular field of enquiry. These principles may be applied in all situations, at all time & at all places. E.g. – law of gravitation which can be applied in all countries irrespective of the time. Management also contains some fundamental principles which can be applied universally like the Principle of Unity of Command i.e. one man, one boss. This principle is applicable to all type of organization – business or non business.

2.	Experimentation & Observation – Scientific principles are derived through scientific investigation & researching i.e. they are based on logic. E.g. the principle that earth goes round the sun has been scientifically proved. Management principles are also based on scientific enquiry & observation and not only on the opinion of Henri Fayol. They have been developed through experiments & practical experiences of large number of managers. E.g. it is observed that fair remuneration to personnel helps in creating a satisfied work force.

3.	Cause & Effect Relationship – Principles of science lay down cause and effect relationship between various variables. E.g. when metals are heated, they are expanded. The cause is heating & result is expansion. The same is true for management, therefore it also establishes cause and effect relationship. E.g. lack of parity (balance) between authority & responsibility will lead to ineffectiveness. If you know the cause i.e. lack of balance, the effect can be ascertained easily -in effectiveness. Similarly if workers are given bonuses, fair wages they will work hard but when not treated in fair and just manner, reduces productivity of organization.

4.	Test of Validity & Predictability – Validity of scientific principles can be tested at any time or any number of times. They stand the test of time. Each time these tests will give same result. Moreover future events can be predicted with reasonable accuracy by using scientific principles. E.g. hydrogen & oxygen will always give water. Principles of management can also be tested for validity. E.g. principle of unity of command can be tested by comparing two persons – one having single boss and one having 2 bosses. The performance of 1st person will be better than 2nd. It cannot be denied that management has a systematic body of knowledge but it is not as exact as that of other physical sciences like biology, physics, and chemistry etc. The main reason for the inexactness of science of management is that it deals with human beings and it is very difficult to predict their behavior accurately. Since it is a social process, therefore it falls in the area of social sciences. It is a flexible science & that is why its theories and principles may produce different results at different times and therefore it is a behavioral science. Ernest Dale has called it as a Soft Science.

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Management as both Science and Art
Management is both an art and a science. The above-mentioned points reveal that management combines features of both sciences as well as art. It is considered a science because it has an organized body of knowledge containing universal truths (really?). It is called an art because managing requires certain skills which are personal possessions of managers. Science provides knowledge, & art deals with the application of knowledge and skills.

To be successful in his profession, a manager must acquire the knowledge of science & the art of applying it. Therefore management is a judicious blend of science and art because it proves the principles ,and how these principles are applied is a matter of art. Science teaches to ’know’ and art teaches to ’do’. Example. a person cannot become a good singer unless he has knowledge about various ragas & he also applies his skill in the art of singing. In the same way, it is not sufficient for the manager to first know the principles he must also apply them in solving various managerial problems that is why, science and art are not mutually exclusive but they are complementary to each other (like tea and biscuit, bread and butter etc.). The old saying that “Managers are Born” has been rejected in favour of “Managers are Made”. It has been aptly remarked that management is the oldest of art and the youngest of science. To conclude, we can say that science is the root and art is the fruit.

Management as Profession
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