Many authors and individuals regard management as a group. Some also view it as an art and profession. But to know if management sincerely represents these things, one has to consider the features of a group, art, and occupation. And then compare them with the meaning and characteristics of management. So, in this post, we shall be looking at management as a group, an art, and a profession to see how it fits the description.
Management as an Art
Management is also regarded as art because they both share similar characteristics. A look at the definition of art and you will understand how close both of them are. Art is a systematic body of knowledge that requires creativity and skill. An artist also needs constant practice to become perfect or reach a certain level of perfection considered acceptable.
However, the point here is art needs to be expressed by a real person. One cannot learn and not apply knowledge gained in his or her artistic work. In other words, an individual or specific person must use his skills and creativity to produce something impressive. Once the basic principles are learned, students will then be required to take them further and also mix with their creativity to produce something visible. It is also out of place to call someone an artist when he or she has never created anything.
Features that Makes Management an Art:These are features of art that apply to management. It clearly shows that calling it art is not out of place.
Art is learned and applied. The learning process comes before the application. There is a vast amount of resources to learn and develop industry knowledge on art which includes study materials and books available to help artists acquire a better understanding and deliver quality output.
However, the same thing applies to management. There is theoretical knowledge acquired through learning. In other words, managers can learn about management operations and principles provided in study materials. It's also a feature in art.
One can learn and acquire theoretical knowledge while studying art, but it doesn't end there. The knowledge gained must be applied efficiently to yield results. And as a result, every artist is expected to possess personal skills and creativity so he or she can put the knowledge gained to good use. Even when two or more artists learn the same thing, their creativity and skills will determine how well they will end up using the knowledge gained.
The same thing applies to management. Learning management principles and theories isn't enough. One needs to have the required skills and creativity to use the knowledge gained to achieve positive results. As with art, two or more managers can learn the same thing, but the result produced might be different because of their skill and creativity.
Every artist needs constant practice to reach perfection. Without regular training, the artist in question will also not improve. After learning their theoretical aspect, the artist can work on the practicals to attain perfection.
What about management? Does practice count? The answer is yes. A manager by certification will not go far without practicing or securing a managerial role. Those management principles learned, in theory, must be put to practice. Applied with creativity, the manager can identify areas he or she needs to develop and work on accordingly. So, training is essential in art and management. Hence management is an art because they both have the same feature.
Management as a Group
The definition of management indicates in every sense that its a group. Managerial tasks are usually not carried out by one person alone. In most cases, as businesses expand, various administrative positions are even created so the company can achieve its targeted goals.
Management is as an activity performed by a group of people saddled with the responsibility to keep the business running and to achieve a specific objective. In other words, to manage a business, a group made up of people with specialized knowledge about the company or managerial roles needs to work together.
Now, when we say the management of XYZ and Company is doing great, we are indirectly referring to a particular group of people that makes up the management team. They are the decision makers and the first set of people to get the boot when things go wrong. Let's use a football team as an example. The team's coach is called "manager." But don't forget that other coaching staffs make up the group of managers, not just one person.
In business, management includes the top level managers who are the decision makers in the company. Any decision they make binds on other lower-level managers and employees. These include chairman, chief executive, the board of directors, general manager and so on.
Management as a Profession
Management is also called a profession because it has features that qualify it to be so. A profession is termed an occupation in which one acquires knowledge and undergoes series of training to fit perfectly into the said position.
A profession has restricted entry, which also applies in management. Although anyone can assume a managerial role in a company, and there is no law prohibiting that, many companies now prefer individuals with MBA degrees for such positions.
Another thing that proves that shows that the definition of management as a profession is in order is that every profession has a clearly defined body of knowledge. And during training or while working, professionals need to visit these materials to gain specialized knowledge of the said profession. However, such books are written by scholars who have positioned themselves to observe the different challenges businesses are facing and proffer lasting solution to resolve them.
Conclusion
These are other definitions of management. It can be viewed as a group, art, or profession. Understanding these features of management will make things a lot easier for the wannabe management students or individual in a managerial role.
