Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 2
Theories of Management ................................................................................................................ 2
a. Scientific Theory by Fredrick W. Taylor ............................................................................. 2
b. Administrative Theory by Henri Fayol ................................................................................ 3
c. Human Relations Theory by Elton Mayo ............................................................................ 4
d. Bureaucratic Theory by Max Weber.................................................................................... 4
Is Management an Art or a Science? .............................................................................................. 5
Bibliography ................................................................................................................................... 7
 Introduction
In order to assess whether management is a “science” or an “art”, we must first understand what
each one is. Without going into great detail, the fundamental difference between science and art
is that where science teaches us to “know” about things, art teaches us to “do” things (Juneja,
n.d.). Science is a system of gathering, organizing and testing knowledge about nature and
natural things whereas art is the manifestation of that knowledge through action. As such, art is
varied and depends on the experience and skill of the doer, whereas science is constant and
provides us with universal truths.

Theories of Management
Having established a clear difference between science and art, let us consider what
“Management” is. Management has a number of definitions, yet some are more famous than
others. Van Fleet and Peterson, for example, defined management as a set of activities directed at
the efficient and effective utilization of resources in the pursuit of one or more goals (Kukreja,
n.d.). However, all definitions introduce management as a way of getting things done.

To properly assess whether management is an art or a science, let us take a look at some of the
most widely accepted theories of management.

a. Scientific Theory by Fredrick W. Taylor

The Scientific Theory of Management, also known as the Classical theory of Management is a
theory that establishes management as a science. This theory encourages the use of the scientific
method to assess the optimal level of productivity for a worker and reward the workers
accordingly to the level of productivity achieved. Fredrick W. Taylor introduced management as
a way of getting the most out of people by rewarding them on their productivity by saying “The
principal object of management should be to secure the maximum prosperity for the employer,
coupled with the maximum prosperity for each employee” (Caramela, 2019).

The scientific theory of management has four main principles:

 1. Managers need to assess the most efficient way of completing a task by applying the
scientific method and then breaking the task down into subtasks to allow the process of
completion to become quicker and more efficient (Eyre, 2010).
2. The executives must match the worker with the task according to the level of capability
and degree of job fit so that maximum efficiency can be achieved (Eyre, 2010).
3. The managers need to monitor performance since productivity can dip when performing
the same tasks over and over again. Therefore, to ensure they are sufficiently motivated
and rewarded, their performance must be kept an eye on (Caramela, 2019).
4. Lastly, Fredrick W. Taylor believed that workers and managers should spend time
together planning and training how to perform tasks as efficiently as possible (Eyre,
2010).

The example of Taylor’s Scientific Theory of Management is evident today even in the biggest
of organizations. McDonald’s for example, uses the scientific theory for standardized processes
such as making burgers and fries and establishing an efficient procedure to achieve a task that
workers have to follow (UKEssays, 2016)

b. Administrative Theory by Henri Fayol

The administrative theory of management, presented by Henri Fayol focuses on the more human
aspect of management. As such, this theory can be considered to present management as more of
an “art” than a “science”. The administrative theory establishes a framework of how to manage
the workforce from an executive’s point of view and is therefore, a model of how the upper
management can cooperate with the lower management (Krenn, 2017). Henri Fayol introduced
five main principles of how the management should interact with the personnel under them:

1. They should first plan and schedule various parts of the industrial processes.
2. The raw material and all processes through which it passes must be organized for the
manufacturing process.
3. The management must then command and personally direct the activity of the personnel.
4. The management has to make the workforce work together in a congenial and
cooperative manner.
5. Lastly, the management needs to regulate and evaluate the activities of the workforce
through controlling procedures.
There are plenty of examples of administrative management being employed in the modern
industry. From tech companies such as Tesla to good old fashioned oil companies like Exxon
Mobile, any firm that has middle and senior management employs the use of Henri Fayol’s
Administrative Theory of Management. The senior management utilizes the administrative
theory to motivate the middle management, which in turn uses the same techniques for dealing
with the operational level employees of the firm.

c. Human Relations Theory by Elton Mayo

This is another theory of management that emphasizes on management being an art rather than a
science. This is because of the focus on individual employees and how to motivate and influence
them to accomplish tasks and goals. The human relations theory ties the success of the
organization with the success of individual employees and encourages organizations to view
employees as an integral part of the firm rather than a cog in the machine (Dininni, 2017). The
main principles of the human relations theory are as follows:

1. Considering work to be a natural part of the employee’s life like work or rest
2. Providing a sense of higher purpose for the employee by sharing the “bigger picture”
with them
3. Giving them more power by encouraging them to make their own decisions and innovate
for solutions.
4. Training and developing them to increase their freedom (Dininni, 2017)

The human relations theory of management can be seen in action in the innovative firms of
Apple and Google where individual employees are motivated to come up with their own ideas
and make their own decisions. This motivates them to perform at a higher level of productivity
because of feeling valued and respected by the firm they work for and gives them a sense of
belonging and significance (Perry, 2011).

d. Bureaucratic Theory by Max Weber

The bureaucratic theory of management, presented by Max Weber may be regarded as one of the
lesser accepted theories of management in today’s world. This is because it sets a “one rule for
all” aspect of management, by which standard it establishes management as more of an exact
science than an art. The bureaucratic theory focused on establishing a strict set of rules that
would in turn put forward a firm distribution of power and authority within the firm (Caramela,
2018). Max Weber said in regards to the bureaucratic theory: “Precision, speed, unambiguity,
knowledge of files, continuity, discretion, unity, strict subordination, reduction of friction and of
material, and personal costs – these are raised to the optimum point in the strictly bureaucratic
administration” (Caramela, 2018). This theory leaves very little to the imagination or to the
executives to manage the employees on a customized individual level. As such, it is safe to say
that Max Weber viewed Management as a science that could be perfected and applied
everywhere in the same manner. The highlights of the Bureaucratic Theory are:

1. Hierarchical Management Structure

2. Division of Labor
3. Formal Selection Process
4. Career Orientation
5. Formal Rules and Regulations
6. Impersonality

Due to the strict structure of the bureaucratic theory of management, it is very rarely seen in
modern day businesses. However, many governmental institutions and financial lending
organizations follow bureaucratic theory by setting strict set of rules and firm distribution of
power within the firm (Longley, 2019).

Is Management an Art or a Science?

The most correct answer to this question would be that management is both an art and a science.
A science is a system of gathering methodical knowledge about a subject that has universal facts
consistent with phenomenon being explained (Juneja, n.d.). Management certainly has
undeniable facts and does possess a systematic body of knowledge, just like a science should.
However, a science is also applicable in the same way everywhere and management is not. This
is because management deals with the motivations and behaviors of human beings which make it
inexact, like an art. It can be considered an art since a lot of management relies on how managers
perceive problems themselves and their own personal skills of dealing with employees.
This is evident even from the disparity among the theories of management, some of which
establish it as a science by providing a set way of managing employees everywhere and others
which establish it as an art, by providing varying degree of principles to manage employees. In
truth, the most appropriate way to describe management would be as a soft science. This means
that it does, in fact, qualify as a science yet the level of exactitude and objectivity in management
is not as high as in other sciences. This is because it deals with human beings due to which
established standards of science (such as objectivity) suffer and also why it is considered as a
“social science”. In conclusion, management can be considered as a soft science yet some
attributes make it comparable to an art as well.
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