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 How is management both an art and a science?

Management is a science  because there is a great deal of method involved in proper management.  For a manager to understand the Psychological, Sociological and Economical factors in business he/she would need to be scientific minded.   For the manager to be successful they would also need to be a creative thinker, which is what connects management to art.  A good manager is able to quickly think about problem resolution in all the areas of science to produce a positive outcome from their decision.  Without creativity this would be virtualy impossible. 

 Good luck in Graduate school.

Beth

I agree with bmaruffi that business is indeed a science, particularly when we look at the systems and methodology involved with the financial management of a business, the legal aspects of starting, running a business, HR compliances, technology infrastructures, intranet security, etc.

Business is an art because of the unknown elements involved: particularly people's (customers and employees) behavior. The art of managing a successful business depends heavily on the creative and strategic  abilities of the leadership along with their "intuitive" understanding of people and trends. 

 Three of my mentors and experts are cited below  I would also recommend reading Good to Great  and the Awakening the Entrepreneur Within.

Chip Connelly (Joire de Vivre Hospitality) is another incredible business leader who balances the science and art of business seamlessly.  

I WANT SOME EXAMPLES FOR ART MANAGEMENT AND SCIENCE MANAGEMENT.

PL PROVIDE SOM EXAMPLES...

Management displays characteristics of science as well as an art. Therefore management is an art as well as sciences. Like any discipline of science, management also has a recognized body of knowledge and methods to guide management decisions and actions. At the same time managers have to frequently also rely on their personal skills and judgment, which are more like art of management rather than science.

Management is both an art and a science because it relies on both aspects: Science in the form of data and analysis of data for making correct choices; and, Art in the form of luck and ability to get along with people in order to maximize shared authority and responsibility.