NURSING MANAGEMENT AS A SCIENCE AND ART

Management as a Science

Management is considered as a science since it gathers and analyses facts and formulates
general laws of principles from these facts. Management teaches one to know. Science, which
came from the Latin word scientia meaning knowledge, is defined by the Webster’s dictionary as
a department of systematized knowledge as an object of study. Aristotle described it as a body of
reliable knowledge that can be logically and convincingly explained. It is a reservoir of
fundamental truths and its findings apply safely in all the situations. In this sense, management is
a science as it has also developed some systematized knowledge. Like other sciences,
management has also developed certain principles, laws, generalizations, which are universal in
nature and are applicable wherever the efforts of the people are to be coordinated. But
management is not as exact science as other physical sciences like physics, chemistry, biology
and astronomy. The main reason for the inaccuracy of the science of management is that it deals
with the people and it is very difficult to predict their behavior accurately.

Practicing managers who believe in management as a science are likely to believe that
there are ideal managerial practices for certain situations. That is, when faced with a managerial
dilemma, the manager who believes in the scientific foundation of his or her craft will expect
that there is a rational and objective way to determine the correct course of action. This manager
is likely to follow general principles and theories and also by creating and testing hypotheses.
For instance, if a manager has a problem with an employee's poor work performance, the
manager will look to specific means of performance improvement, expecting that certain
principles will work in most situations. He or she may rely on concepts learned in school or
through a company training program when determining a course of action, perhaps paying less
attention to political and social factors involved in the situation.

Management as an Art

Management is also considered as an art since it results in the accomplishment of

objectives through the use of human efforts. It requires the skill and careful study in its
application and in the performance of its task. Art is defined by the Webster’s dictionary as a
skill acquired by experience, study or observation. In the words of George R. Terry, "Art is
bringing about of a desired result through the application of skill." Art is, thus, skilful application
of knowledge which entirely depends on the inherent capacity of a person which comes from
within a person and is learned from practice and experience. In this sense, management is
certainly an art as a manager uses his skill, knowledge and experience in solving various
problems that arise in the working of his enterprise successful.

Practicing managers who believe in management as an art are unlikely to believe that scientific
principles and theories will be able to implement in actual managerial situations. Instead, these
managers are likely to rely on the social and political environment surrounding the managerial
issue, using their own knowledge of a situation, rather than generic rules, to determine a course
of action. For example, as a contrast to the example given previously, a manager who has a
problem with an employee's poor work performance is likely to rely on his or her own
experiences and judgment when addressing this issue. Rather than having a standard response to
such a problem, this manager is likely to consider a broad range of social and political factors,
and is likely to take different actions depending on the context of the problem.

Management is therefore both a science and art because even though it is guided by rules
and principles, a manager still makes use of skills learned from previous experiences and
observations to make decisions and pass on verdicts to his followers. The art of interpersonal
skills is very important to influence others to provide a positive outcome.

Source:

http://www.enotes.com/management-encyclopedia/art-science-management

http://www.rajputbrotherhood.com/knowledge-hub/business-studies/management-is-an-art-as-
well-as-science.html