Meaning: - There is a considerable debate as to whether management is an art or science. In practice, however, a manager’s job involves both science and art.
Definition: - Mary parker follet, Harold Koontz and several other management authors called management “as the art of getting things done through people’.
Management is an art due to the following reasons
- Innovative: -Management like any other art needs to be innovative; managers have to come up with new ideas or solutions to handle situations. There is a constant need to be innovative in order to gain competitive advantage. Copying has no place in management.
- Individual Approach: - Every manager needs to adopt his individual approach or style of managing to handle situations. Individual approach can create a big difference in managing the subordinates. For instance, given the same situation, same resources, and the same environment, some managers can easily get the work done from their subordinates. Whereas, others fail in spite of their best efforts.
- Application and dedication: -Good managers require not only skills and knowledge but there is also a need for discipline, dedication, and commitment. It is often said that success is the outcome of ‘knowledge + intelligence + dedication’. Managers need to work with their minds (application) as well as with their heart (dedication).
- Result oriented: - Every good manager, like an artist, is always practical and action based. What matters is not just activities but accomplished of results. Emphasis needs to be placed on the results rather than activities. The result of manager may be seen in the form of reduction in wastes, optimum use of resources, motivated workforce, higher efficiency, etc.
- Initiative: - Managers like artists take the initiative in doing the right things right at the right time. Good managers also encourage initiative on the part of their subordinates. The initiative helps to take the right decisions, which in turn improves the overall performance of the organisation.
- Intelligence: - Successful managers are intelligent. They need to have mental intelligence, social intelligence, inter-personal intelligence and emotional intelligence.
They need to have more intelligence than their subordinates so as to command respect and get the work done from them efficiently and effectively.
