Managment - a craft or a science

["Gordon Hall" <g.hall@dln.org.uk>]

David Kerridge has seeded discussions in the Aberdeen group round seeing =
management as a craft or a science.

Which has relevance with the Knosuke Matsushita quote supplied by Robert =
Clements - For you are not able to rid your minds of the obsolete =
Taylorisms  - Why?

>From the Deming perspective we see management as a science. We would =
argue that seeing management as a science provides us with the =
discipline to challenge the basis - theories - of our perceptions.

Craft managers apply techniques they have been taught without being =
aware of the underlying assumptions. If we are not aware of the =
foundations of our thinking we cannot - as the quote says -  rid our =
mind of obsolete assumptions

Tony Miller of Robert Gordon University made the following contribution: =


My understanding of 'craft' knowledge relates it to learning by rote, to =
learning a technique without engaging with the thinking that led to the =
creation of the technique in the first place.

A lot of teaching in our Business Schools is related to craft management =
- this is the way things are done.  Scientific method is not a core =
subject.  No wonder we struggle to develop management practice as an =
applied science.

I was wondering if the DEN had any thoughts about the contrast between =
the craft and  the science of management.

Gordon Hall
DLN - aim: Continual organisational improvement through the application =
of learning
Conference: www.societyinsync.org
Tel: 00 44 1358 721258
e-mail: g.hall@dln.org.uk
web site: www.dln.org.uk