Management is transforming from the art of managing science to the science of managing art

Since the inception of the Industrial Revolution, the human race’s progress has been fuelled by competition. The adoption of capitalism prevailed over other economic systems primarily due to its reliance on meritocracy and an easy measure of success, wealth.

The competitive fuel proved to be efficient in driving the economics and harmful by depleting the natural resources at a rapid rate. The quality of life in terms of material comforts and living became better with the passage of time. However, appetite and the lust for more comforts, fuelled by competition developed a vicious loop that consumed humans in a rat race. The end goal of the rate race was happiness but the means to achieve the end converged to wealth. Due to the depletion of natural resources and increasing competition, the last two centuries witnessed friction resulting in huge wars and growing disparity between the haves and have-nots. Arts and philosophy which were once upon a time considered to be the fuel for thought and progress lost ground to science and economics.

During the early years of capitalistic growth, the growing appetite for the wealth of the rich and powerful generated a demand for human resources who would follow instructions and lend their abilities in lieu of a regular income. This model catered to the needs of the larger mass who were willing to trade risk with a moderate but continuous and secure income. The education systems evolved to cater to this demand and succumbed to disciplines driven by science and economics. Students of liberal arts began to be identified with social activism since their actions were divergent from those who voluntarily consumed themselves in the rat race. Liberal arts played an important role in preserving the development of essential skills- Communication, critical thinking, and creativity.  

Competition fuelled the transition from the industrial age to the digital age. However, the digital age systematically flattened the world by democratising access to information, knowledge and commerce. This transition created a level playing field for those who could innovate, take risks, think critically, communicate effectively and have the ability to influence others through their inherent ability to empathise and communicate. The pervasive nature of digital technology started to impact cultures, values and established ways of life by providing a means for asking questions and sharing opinions, experiences, achievements and failures with anyone and everyone. This repository of human experiences, opinions and emotions became a breeding ground for those who were willing to listen and seek out opportunities from the human sentiments that lay embedded in this vast repository. This data repository revived the appetite for crunching numbers using mathematical and statistical models to decipher hidden sentiments, desires and aspirations of humans resulting in the discovery of new business opportunities. Algorithmic decision-making based on structured and unstructured data began replacing intuitive and experiential decision-making. Empathy resumed prominence as the function of listening grew beyond the visual and auditory senses.

The easy access to opportunities for active listeners in this new digital world coupled with the ability to imagine, ideate and create soon brought the students of liberal arts to the forefront. The new age companies started to be driven by design, user interaction and user experiences contrary to the past wherein businesses thrived on economic value addition. The question is whether managers with liberal arts backgrounds make better leaders. Is being debated and discussed in many popular forums. The jury is still out and there is very limited evidence to prove since we are transitioning between the old normal and the new. The demand for soft skills such as empathy, communication ability, imagination, ideation, creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving is trending north and this is quite evident in the future skills report published by the World Economic Forum. Policymakers, educators and influencers are challenging the paradigm of education driven by science and economics. The new jobs demand the use of imagination and ideation for innovation. Management is transforming from the art of managing science to the science of managing art. The days of command and control are getting outnumbered. Participative and transformational leadership style is fast replacing transactional and authoritative styles. 

The new age roles and the new jobs require a good understanding of the social context coupled with a sound foundation of logic and reasoning, skill and the will to learn. Liberal arts education has demonstrated the delivery of these outcomes for many years.

(The writer is the president of Vijaybhoomi University)