With the growing incidence of art-related interventions in management training and organizational practice, this book addresses the perennial but relatively unexplored question: management-science or management-art? Through a series of philosophical reflections on art, management and art-related management practice, this book provides the reader with a unique and logical argument for one answer to this question. Thinking the Art of Management contributes the possibilities of paradigmatic thesis of management practice as an art form, specifically one of management pointillism. This text goes beyond the mere extension of aesthetic understanding to management and organization study. It provides a rich source of abstract concepts and theories to bring new, interesting and critical insight to an understanding of sensible management practice. By broadening the possibilities of current theory and knowledge, it will offer advanced management scholars and thinkers new insights for the constructive application of knowledge.
Introduction: Enlightened Management: The Root of All Evil?
PART I: FROM THE MANAGEMENT WORLD
Framing an Art of Management
A Portrait of the Organizational Manager
Degot's Portrait of the Manager as Artist
PART II: FROM THE ART WORLD
Transcending Art's Craft
The Aesthetic of Art: a Mediation of the Sublime
The Portrait of the Artist
A Negotiated Existence
PART III: ON AN ART OF MANAGEMENT
A Portrait of the Manager-Artist (after Degot)
Stepping Into 'Heidegger's Shoes'
Conclusion: Into the Extended Field
DAVID ATKINSON is an independent thinker and CEO of his own M&A business. He holds a PhD in Critical Management from the Lancaster University Management School, and was winner of the European Doctoral Programmes Association in Management and Business Administration (EDAMBA) 2007 thesis competition. He was also a Highly Commended Award Winner of the 2007 Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Award in the category of Management and Governance. His leadership and management knowledge stems from a career as a military officer. Driven by creative approaches to management's challenges, Dr Atkinson has always challenged the conventional. His plan is to further develop Art-aesthetic approaches to management's challenges.