Management sciences: what they are, characteristics and functions

We live in an age in which 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 is their usefulness today in a whole series of very different areas.

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What are management sciences?

The science or science of administration, also called the science of management, 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 other administrative structures such as various types of associations and even much more networks extensive and complex such as local, regional, national or even supranational administrations (those that connect various countries).

Definitely, the object of study of the management sciences are all the behaviors that human beings carry out 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 concrete way, what are the characteristics of that choice and what are the advantages it brings in contrast to other different models for which there could also be opted.

It is a scientific discipline, born from nothing less than applied mathematics itself, since at first the system was sought optimal, the one in which, once the variables involved have been studied, the values ​​that allow maximum efficiency are obtained and therefore the better results using the minimum level of resources that was possible, and all this based on statistical decisions and therefore quantifiable.

Its origin is in the studies initiated for the investigation of operations, especially relevant in the period of the Second World War, since the best way was sought to create strategies that would guarantee maximum use of resources, so limited in the war scenario. It was when mathematics came into play, as a way to objectify the procedures, seeking that efficiency through the numbers.

But the management sciences 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 of the nature that be. For this reason we can find studies referring to the organization of a multinational company, to a sports association, or the City Council of a municipality, since all of them are formations likely to be analyzed.

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Operating levels

When talking about management sciences, we must bear in mind that it allows us to carry out research at different levels, specifically 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 investigation is the fundamental call, and it is the one that 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 the dynamic systems, the optimized and the probability. Thanks to these tools we can 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 them, we can move on to the second phase, which is the modeling phase. At this time, and being able to help us with computer tools, We can create models that simulate different scenarios and thus be able to analyze and compare them, in search of 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. App

The last level, how could it be otherwise, would be the application itself. At this time 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 the practice, which would be to carry out said model, in search of the results that we have anticipated, always with the base data and mathematical processes, which are the basis for the validity of the science of administration.

Associated disciplines

We have already seen that the management sciences have spread remarkably throughout a number of sectors, and in this process have established links with numerous disciplines, from which they draw to generate their knowledge about the forms of management. We are going to mention some of the most notable ones.

1. Human Resources

Logically, Human Resources are the basis of any company. We cannot expect an organization to function properly if we do not have adequate management of its Human Resources, both to incorporate new members to 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 absent when we talked about the sciences of administration.

2. Accounting

Accounting is another discipline that provides great information about the organization of the company, and it is also merely numerical, so its relationship with applied mathematics, which was the origin of the management sciences, is more than evident. So 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, therefore It will be key to take them into account to develop an adequate study regarding the way in which said company is being administered. at all its levels.

4. Finance

The management sciences also draw on 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 spending.

5. Marketing

We cannot understand today's business organizations if we do not take into account all the issues related to marketing., which are those that, to a large extent, allow a company to succeed or fail to take off, regardless of the product or service that we are offering. Therefore, it is another of the fundamental pillars in our search for absolute knowledge about human organizations.

6. Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship encompasses all issues related to the creation of new companies, and therefore includes a series of basic knowledge to complete the map that makes up the science of administration. It will help us to understand the process of creating an organization from its origin as a small business to its development as a huge multinational company, if said cycle was completed.

7. Business strategy

As with marketing, all business decisions regarding the strategies to follow can make the corporation follows a successful course and achieves its objectives or has difficulty maintaining its position in the market. Therefore, all this body of knowledge must also be part of the management sciences.

8. Information systems

Information systems refer to all data interactions, in this case concerning the organization, which are put in common through a hardware and software system, in addition to the people who manage said teams themselves. Without this information network we could not conceive of the company itself, so it is another of the disciplines that we need to better understand this concept.

9. Administration

The very administration of the companies is already encompassing several of the sectors that we have been describing 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 accumulated knowledge in the management sciences.

10. Other

Although some discipline related to business organization has not been mentioned in this list, it does not mean that it is not necessary for the best 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 must be considered, even if not mentioned here.

Bibliographic references:

• Anderson, D.R., Sweeney, D.J., Williams, T.A., Camm, J.D., Cochran, J.J., Fry, M.J., Ohlmann, J.W. (2018). An introduction to management science: quantitative approach. Cengage.
• Dockner, E.J., Jorgensen, S., Van Long, N., Sorger, G. (2000). Differential games in economics and management science. Cambridge University Press.