Acting used as a tool for training managers

Abstract

In business schools in Western countries, acting is used as a tool for training managers. However, in the Eastern countries, including Romania, the concept is underdeveloped. In this scientific research, the opinion of both business professionals, i.e., managers with experience in this field, and students from the Faculty of Business and Tourism within The Bucharest University of Economic Studies on the usefulness of introducing acting courses to support the training of managers is investigated. The professionals interviewed believe that acting benefits a manager through the leadership and communication lessons it provides, helping them to manage situations by appealing to emotional memory, relating to their team members by using emotional intelligence, and sharing their vision by developing the qualities necessary for a leader. The students' perspective underscores the ideas expressed by practicing managers and demonstrates that management contains an artistic component to a significant degree and that acting as an art form is intertwined with management in beneficial ways. The overall conclusion of the study highlights students' confidence in the impact of acting on a manager's professional development. The percentage of students who would take acting courses if they were introduced in Romanian business schools is over 90% of all respondents. Thus, it can be stated that acting is a real tool for the development of a manager, which should be adopted and used by all Romanian business schools.