1.0 INTRODUCTION
We are going to consider in this note the values of management.
Also to be discussed is the issue of whether management is an art or science.
In the first note of this course which was discussed last week, we
had two working definitions of management. The first definition was given by
Weirich and Koontz and the second definition was provided by Sir Reynolds. With
these two definitions, we were able to derive the nature as well as the purpose
of management. We have to bear these in mind particularly when we find
ourselves in the process of managing an organization.
But knowing the nature and purpose of management is not enough. In
this early stage of the course on Introduction to Management, it is well to
state clearly the values or the essence of studying management. Even though we
stated briefly in our last discussion that management remains one of the best
things that happen to an organization, we sti II need to pinpoint clearly why
it is so.
Further, probing into management, argument sometimes arises
whether to classify management in the domain of pure science or to remove the
cap of science from management and replace it with another cap of Art. That is,
to situate management in the door step of Art. We shall be looking at these
issues and resolve the apparent contradictions.
2.0 OBJECTIVES
By the end of this note, you should be able to:
· State the values of management
· Distinguish management from administration
3.0 MAIN CONTENT
3.1 Values of Management
Management has values. A value is the importance we attach to something.
This means that something is of importance to us simply because we have placed
some values on it. The same consideration goes to management. Management has
importance because there are core values associated with it. These values
constitute the reasons why we bother to study management.
3.1.1 To keep pace with
the environment To keep pace with the environment is one of the values of
management. The environment of management is a dynamic one; that is, it is
always undergoing changes. It is never static. The practice of yesterday becoming
obsolete today. To be abreast with these changes demands thorough planning,
plan execution, control and evaluation. All these and more demand careful
thinking and analysis so that we may not make mistakes in our decisions.
Every economic activity must be directed towards ensuring that the
desired goods and services are produced and made available to the consumers at
a profit too to the organization. Committing mistakes along the line in the
process of taking decisions can be fatal. This is because every business
decision or any management decision necessitates the expenditure of
organization resources. To spend organization's resources on unprofitable
projects does not indicate sound management. It has to be avoided at all cost.
3.1.2 Combining the factors of production
Beyond the desire not to make mistakes in management decisions, another
value of management is to be able to combine in the right proportion the
factors of production or simply the resources of an organization to achieve a
given output. The resources of any organization include: Finance, Material,
Human, Information and Time resources.
Management has to work out the portion from each of these resources
and combine them technically in the desirable proportion in other to get an
output. There should be no wastage. Remember in our last lesson in note one, we
emphasized the need for management not only being effective but also being
efficient.
Consequently, efficiency in the productive use of organization's
resources is one of the strong values of management. Related to this is the
fact that the resources of an organization are inert. That is, they do not have
consciousness except of course the human resources. As a result, the usefulness
of the resources can only be seen in the manner in which they have been
combined in other to get result through the output.
All these demand tools and relevant techniques which we can get
through management principles and theories plus some supporting courses.
3.1.3 To get the best
from Human Resources
We have already emphasized that human resources are among the resources
available to an organization. But of all the resources, only the human
resources have consciousness. But human beings are unpredictable. No one knows
what is going on in the mind of another person; only God knows. This is so
because the mind of man is like a black box. Nobody sees what is going on
there.
The physical appearances and expressions can be deceptive. We will
be smiling outwardly but what is going on inside is an accumulation of venom,
to be spat on the same person we are smiling at. But these same human beings
whose behaviours we cannot predict play important roles in an organization. As
managers, they are creative and problem Solvers, taking vital decisions
necessary for the survival of the organization. As subordinates, they perform
the routine tasks necessary to get the products and/or services for the
customers.
To get the best from them either as employees or an managers calls
for sound human relations through the practice of management. The workers must
be blended harmoniously and make them to work as a team. The rough edges in their
personalities must be smoothen. And that is the work of management.
3.2 Classification of Management
Argument sometimes arises as to whether management can be
classified as an art or science. To address this issue, we need to know the
features of science so that we can eventually ask ourselves whether management has
these features. There after, we also need to consider what is an art and then
find out whether management has any bearing in being `art'.
3.2.1 Characteristics of
Science
The essential characteristic of science is that knowledge is based
not on emotions or sentiments but on systematic measurement and objectivity. This
has arisen through the application of scientific method to such an extent that
whoever follows the same method will ultimately arrive at the same conclusion.
The scientific method itself concerns the determination of facts,
which is carried out through the observation of events or things. It is not
just enough to observe things, the events or what is being observed must be
verified. The verification becomes necessary so as to establish the accuracy of
the facts. Consequently, continuous observation of the events is necessary for
a period of time.
After a period of continuous observation, the next stage is to
classify the facts so as to be able to analyze them objectively. When the facts
have been classified and analyzed, scientists then look at them so as to find some
cause and effects which they believe to be true. That is, for something to
happen, there must be a cause, for there is no smoke without fire. It is the
fire which is the cause that produces the smoke. This is true. This is
generalization which scientist called hypothesis. The hypothesis must be tested
further for accuracy.
When this is done and the hypothesis is found to be true, that is,
it is capable of explaining a reality and therefore possesses value of
predicting what will happen in similar circumstances, it is no longer
hypothesis but a principle. And a group of principles explaining some realities
is what is called a theory. And a theory which has not been rejected or refuted
over a long period of time becomes a law, such as the law of gravity.
The above scientific procedure of making principles and theories
is applicable to management. In other words, management principles and theories
are also derived -through similar manner. To this extent, it is safe to say
that management belongs to the realm of science. But with a qualification. And
the qualification is that it is not an exact science like mathematics or
physics. It is a social science and managers, that is, those who practice
management are known together with management scholars as social scientists.
3.2.2 What is an art?
The application of principles is what is referred to as art. And
is common to many profession. The doctor has been trained scientifically for
many years in the university and in so many areas. A sick patient before him
has to receive treatment. But in treating him the doctor needs to ask him some
relevant questions. Further probing may necessitates asking the patient to go
for laboratory tests.
The answers for all these will make the doctor to fall back on his
training. He has learnt the causes and treatments of ailments and from the
responses from the patient and outcome of the laboratory tests will make the
doctor to isolate the cause of the ailment and on that basis makes his
prescription. While prescribing, he is carrying out the art nature of his
profession.
For further example, the
civil engineer constructing a bridge has to fall back on the body of scientific
knowledge he has learnt. He knows through the source the expansion of objects
when heated. He knows that the concrete he is pouring or the slabs he is making
will expand when heated by the sun. He has to create space if he is to avoid
people calling him a quack engineer.
The spaces he creates are
the expansion gaps. You might have seen them in bridges. They are necessary so
that when the concrete is heated, instead of the bridge cracking and
collapsing, the expansion gaps accommodates the lengthening. In creating the expansion
the engineer is merely relying on his scientific knowledge he has acquired.
In the same manner as above, the manager also draws from the body
of knowledge which has been accumulated scientifically when solving management
problems. As a result, a person who is managing without the body of knowledge
is trusting on luck or intuition or is simply practicing witchcraft. He is
shallow. But with the scientific knowledge behind him in addition to his
intelligence, imagination and foresight, he could be an excellent manager.
From what we have been discussing, we can safely conclude that management
is both art and science. It is in the realm of science because there exists a
body of knowledge which has been scientifically determined. And the application
of the knowledge in giving viable solution to management problems in
organizations bring out the art nature of management.
4.0 CONCLUSION
We have taken a step further in our analyses of management. We
have seen that management is important because it makes us to be responsive to
the environment so that we can avoid making costly mistakes. Management is also
important in the sense that it enables us to know how to combine optimally the
factors of production or the organization's resources so that we can have
greater output.
And yet again, we have seen the importance of management in
enabling the manager to know the techniques to employ to get the best from
human beings whose behaviours ordinarily can not be predicted. We did look
again into the nature of management so as to determine whether to situate
management in the abode of science or in the domain of art. Our conclusion is
that management is in both.
5.0 SUMMARY
We have discussed the importance and values of management. We have
also seen that management is both science and art. Our knowledge on management
has further increased through the contents of this note. We are still going to
increase our knowledge further in the next and subsequent notes. However, in
our next note we will be discussing management and administration as well as
the environment of the manager.
0 comments:
Post a Comment