Should Manager Be Educated?

Should managers be educated?

“Education, in its general sense, is a form of learning in which the knowledge is transferred from one generation to the next through teaching” (“Education”, n.d.). This essay states three main points why managers should be educated. Firstly, people gain knowledge though education and educated people are ought to manage societies. This is followed by the fact that qualifications are achieved through education and how important it is for managers to have qualifications. The final point will be discussed how changing in organisation culture affects managers’ requirements.

Plato was born in Athens, in 427 BC. He believed that the rulers must be wise and truth-seekers, in another word, philosophers (Spillane, 2007, p. 60). Plato’s publications were the ultimate philosophical work yet. The best answer to the question of “what is philosophy?” is to read Plato (Urmson & Ree, 1992, p. 242).

Plato believes that education is an important aspect with in society and also considers it as a key feature that rulers must possess in order to manage groups of people (Urmson & Ree, 1992, p. 244). Every manager should be educated because education leads to the possession of knowledge. It was also Plato’s belief that knowledge allows managers to act wisely. A manager without knowledge only bases his decision on beliefs and opinion as opposed to knowledge, wisdom and facts (Stevenson & Haberman, 2008, p.75). I strongly agree with Plato as education allows individuals to learn and grow their knowledge, which they can use to make good decisions to become effective managers. I believe that managers are members within an organisation who lead others, tell them what to do and how to do it. Mary Parker Follett, a management scholar, defined managers as those who get things done though people. With knowledge, the managers can lead their organisations in the right direction, provide leadership and make wise decisions on how to use their organizational resources to achieve their goals (Samson & Daft, 2012, p.10). Plato also believes that every man is made up of two elements, body and psyche. Psyche is human mind or soul, which made up of three components; Reason, Spirit and Appetite. These components in their respective order represent knowledge, reputation, and physical desire. Plato states that men who are driven by Reason should rule the society, and also believed that those who possess knowledge should control both reputation and desire (Stevenson, & Haberman, 2008, p.81). I also believe Plato’s statement to be true. Based on Follett’s definition of managers, I agree that individuals cannot manage their organisations based on their opinions alone, as opinions can be right and wrong. Therefore, to reach the goal of becoming the rulers or managers, they must be educated and gain knowledge to truly know how to use their organisations resources effectively.

Around 385 BC, Plato founded Academus or what came to be known as “The Academy” today it is recognised as the first University ever established (Urmson & Ree, 1992, p. 241). Plato believes that education is the most important factor of building a better society. Education, for Plato, does not simply mean formally studying at school, also the instructions a child received by its parents throughout its childhood is important (Stevenson, & Haberman, 2008, p.85). He states that most of the people who were chosen to be educated were born as rulers or were children of the rulers. However, some superior children from the common people were put to the test. Those who pass all the tests up until the age of twenty would also be placed in the ruling class for life (Urmson & Ree, 1992, p. 244). I believe that some of Plato’s theories still exist in the twenty-first century. In our society now, people are being educated from the very young age, starting from Nursery school right up to University,