Management Sciences: What They Are, Characteristics And Functions
We live in a time when everything is increasingly measured and standardized, so that we can optimize resources. Management sciences are a good example of this
In this article we are going to discover what they consist of, what characterizes them and what their usefulness is today in a whole series of very different areas.
The science or sciences of administration, also called management science, is the study that is dedicated to trying to explain the forms of human organization related to the world of work such as companies, but also to other administrative structures such as various types of associations and even much more extensive and complex networks such as local, regional, national or even supranational administrations (those that connect several countries).
Definitely, The object of study of administration sciences is all the behaviors that human beings perform in this type of structures In this way we will be able to know in a standardized way why a human system has been organized in a specific way, what are the characteristics of that choice and what are the advantages it provides in contrast to other different models that they could also have opted for.
It is a scientific discipline, born from nothing less than applied mathematics itself, since in the beginning the optimal system was sought, one in which, once the variables involved had been studied, the values ​​that would allow maximum efficiency and therefore the best results using the minimum level of resources that were possible, and all of this based on statistical and therefore quantifiable decisions.
Its origin is in the studies initiated for operations research, especially relevant in the period of the Second World War , since the best way was sought to create strategies that guaranteed maximum use of resources, so limited in the war scenario. It was when mathematics came into play, as a way to objectify procedures, seeking that efficiency through numbers.
But the sciences of administration were growing and developing more and more, so that today it is possible to apply these studies to practically any form of human organization, with the aim of finding the most optimal way to carry out its management, be it whatever nature it is. For this reason, we can find studies referring to the organization of a multinational company, a sports association, or the City Council of a municipality, since all of them are formations that can be analyzed.
Operating levels
When talking about administration sciences, we must keep in mind that it allows us to carry out research at different levels, specifically at three. Below we will make a description of each of them in order to establish a comparison and discover their differences.
1. Fundamental
The first level of research is called fundamental, and it is which allows us to access the most basic data of the organization These data are all those that can be quantified and treated through applied mathematics, and more specifically through three branches of this science, which are dynamic systems, optimized systems and probability. Thanks to these tools we will be able to organize all the information and carry out a first level of analysis.
2. Modeling
Once we have all the data available and ready to operate with it, we can move on to the second phase, which is modeling. At this moment, and being able to help ourselves with computer tools, We will be able to create models that simulate different scenarios and thus be able to analyze and compare them, looking for the one that is most optimal for our organizational purposes. In contrast to the previous level, the branches of mathematics that have the most weight here would be statistics and by extension, econometrics.
3. Application
The last level, as it could not be otherwise, would be that of the application itself. At the moment We went from the theoretical levels, which were the previous ones, and which have provided us with the necessary information to establish the lines of action, to practice which would be carrying out said model, in search of the results that we have anticipated, always with the basis of mathematical data and processes, which are what underpin the validity of management sciences.
We have already seen that the sciences of administration have spread significantly throughout a series of sectors, and in this process they have established links with numerous disciplines, from which they draw to generate their knowledge about forms of management. Let’s mention some of the most notable ones.
1. Human Resources
Logically, Human Resources are the basis of every company. We cannot expect an organization to function correctly if we do not have adequate management of its Human Resources. both to incorporate new members into the team, and to take care of all the issues related to those who already belong to it That is why this branch could not be missing when we talk about administration sciences.
2. Accounting
Accounting is another discipline that provides great information about the organization of the company, and is also purely numerical, so its relationship with applied mathematics, which was the origin of management sciences, is more than evident. That’s why We must take into account the data provided for the study of the organization
3. Logistics
Likewise, logistics is key to making decisions that optimize the procedures carried out within a company, which is why It will be key to take them into account to develop an adequate study regarding the way in which said company is being managed at all its levels.
4. Finance
Administration sciences are also nourished by the study of finance which, as was the case with accounting, is a discipline based on figures and therefore quantitative, which facilitates the design of strategies in search of optimization and maximum results with the least expense.
5. Marketing
We cannot understand today’s business organizations if we do not take into account all the issues related to marketing , which are what, to a large extent, allow a company to succeed or fail to take off, regardless of the product or service we are offering. Therefore, it is another of the fundamental pillars in our search for absolute knowledge about human organizations.
Entrepreneurship encompasses all issues related to the creation of new companies, and therefore includes a series of knowledge that is basic to complete the map that makes up the sciences of administration. It will help us understand the process of creating an organization from its origin as a small business to its development as a huge multinational company if it completed said cycle.
7. Business strategy
As with marketing, all business decisions regarding strategies to follow can cause the corporation to follow a successful course and achieve its objectives or have difficulty maintaining its position in the market. Therefore, this entire body of knowledge must also be part of management sciences.
8. Information systems
Information systems refer to all data interactions, in this case referring to the organization, that are shared through a hardware and software system , in addition to the people themselves who manage said equipment. Without this information network we could not conceive the company itself, so it is another of the disciplines that we need to better understand this concept.
9. Administration
The company’s own administration is already encompassing several of the sectors that we have described in the previous points, but its importance is so high that it deserves a separate mention. This compendium of tasks is another of the sources that make up all the knowledge accumulated in the sciences of administration.
10. Others
Although some discipline related to business organization has not been mentioned in this list, it does not mean that it is not necessary for a better understanding of the concept we are studying, since all of them contribute to a greater or lesser extent a series of data of great value to be able to face this study. Therefore, any other variable that affects the company should be considered, even if it has not been mentioned here.
