Nature and Significance of Management

Art is the skillful and personal applications of existing knowledge to achieve desired goal.
Management is considered an art due to the following reasons
(i) Existence of Theoretical Knowledge :All art subjects are based on theoretical knowledge e.g., written material is available on dancing, time arts, music etc same way there is lot of literature available on management and its branches – finance, marketing, human resource etc.
(ii) Personalised Application :The use of this basic knowledge differs from one individual to the other. Two painters, two dancers or two singers all use their knowledge in their own way. Same way two managers who have acquired the same knowledge may use it in their own different ways to get the work done.
(iii) Based on Practice and Creativity : All art is practical. It involves creative practice. The more we practice it better we become at it. It also requires creativity.
Same way a manager applies his acquired knowledge in a unique manner.
More practice makes him a better manager and he also develops his own style of management.
Management is an In-exact Science
(i) Systematised Body of Knowledge :Science is a systematised body of knowledge. Its principles are based on cause and effect relationship, e.g., water evaporates on being heated. Same way management is a body stigmatised Knowledge. All managerial principles have cause and effect relationship.
(ii) Principles Based on Experimentation :Scientific principles are first developed through observation and then tested through repeated experimentation. Same way management principles are also propounded after observation and repeated experimentation.
(iii) Universal Validity :All scientific principles have universal validity. They give same result wherever applied.
Principles of management do not have Universal validity. They have to be adjusted and applied according to the need of the situation.
Thus, management is an in-exact science.