Business Studies · Ch 1 — Nature and Significance of Management
Management as a Science
Management as a Science
Management as a Science
Science is a systematised body of knowledge that explains certain general truths or the operation of general laws. To understand whether management qualifies as a science, we first look at the basic features of science.
Basic Features of Science
- Systematised body of knowledge: Science is a systematic body of knowledge. Its principles are based on a cause and effect relationship. For example, the phenomenon of an apple falling from a tree towards the ground is explained by the law of gravity.
- Principles based on experimentation: Scientific principles are first developed through observation and then tested through repeated experimentation under controlled conditions.
- Universal validity: Scientific principles have universal validity and application.
Management as a Science: Key Points
Based on the above features, management has some characteristics of science, but not all.
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Systematised body of knowledge: Management has a systematised body of knowledge. It has its own theory and principles that have developed over a period of time, but it also draws on other disciplines such as Economics, Sociology, Psychology, and Mathematics. Like all other organised activity, management has its own vocabulary of terms and concepts. For example, all of us discuss sports like cricket and soccer using a common vocabulary. The players also use these terms to communicate with each other. Similarly, managers need to communicate with one another with the help of a common vocabulary for a better understanding of their work situation.
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Principles based on experimentation: The principles of management have evolved over a period of time based on repeated experimentation and observation in different types of organisations. However, since management deals with human beings and human behaviour, the outcomes of these experiments are not capable of being accurately predicted or replicated. Therefore, management can be called an inexact science. Despite these limitations, management scholars have been able to identify general principles of management. For example, scientific management principles by F.W. Taylor and Functional Management principles by Henri Fayol (which you will study in the next chapter). …
Management has its own body of knowledge, but it also draws on several other disciplines, each of which adds to a manager's understanding of people and organisations:
- Anthropology — the study of societies and cultures; it helps managers understand differences in values, attitudes and behaviour across countries and organisations.
- Economics — the allocation and distribution of scarce resources; it explains the changing economy, competition and free markets that any global manager must grasp.
- Philosophy — inquiry into values and ethics, the standards that govern human conduct and give organisations legitimate authority.
- Political Science — the behaviour of individuals and groups in a political environment; a nation's stand on property, contracts and justice shapes its organisations.
- Psychology — the science of measuring, explaining and changing behaviour, informing motivation, leadership, employee selection, appraisal and training.
- Sociology — the study of people in relation to one another, addressing globalisation, diversity and changing gender roles and their effect on organisational practices. …