THE ART AND SCIENCE OF MANAGEMENT

To bring about desired result in organizations, R.L. Katz suggests that we give more consideration to those managerial skills and abilities that can be developed and improved in applying management knowledge. He classifies these skills as (1) technical - the vocational skills obtained through a specialization of labor, (2) human - the ability to work with people versus the technical skill of working with things and processes, and (3) conceptual - the ability to recognize the interrelationships between the parts of an organization and overall organizational goals. Basically, then, the successful practice of management goes beyond the scientific method of problem solving. How management knowledge is applied depends on the skills and abilities of individual managers and may be referred to as the art of management. As such, an artful practice of management depends upon the technical, human, and conceptual abilities of managers and is just as essential in the achievement of objectives as the science of management.

Upon reflection, there is no doubt that the science and art of management must go hand in hand. One without the other is certainly of little value to managers of today and tomorrow. Another way to look at this point is to think of the surgeon who performs delicate operations skillfully (the art). This person's skill, however, depends on a vast amount of knowledge provided by the study of chemistry, biology, anatomy, and physics ( the science).

SUMMARY
Management is a process that includes the functions of planning, organizing, actuating, and controlling. These functions must be performed in all organizations if goals are to be achieved satisfactorily through the use of human and material resources. In the performance of these functions, management is normally viewed as both an art and a science. To become more effective in blending the art and science of management, managers can draw upon the vast body of knowledge that has been produced through various approaches to the study od management. At the same time, successful managers must demonstrate technical, human relations, and conceptual skills in the performance of their duties.

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