Is management a science?

[luttu]

why is management said to be a science?

[nbm]

Management as a Science—Science is the systematised body of knowledge pertaining to a particular
field of enquiry. Such systematised body of knowledge contains concepts, theories, experimentation
and principles which are universal and true. According to Chester I. Barnard, "Science explains the
phenomenon, the events, the past situations and that their aim is not to produce specific events, effects
or situations but explanations that we call knowledge." The various concepts and principles of science
are developed on the basis of observation and experiments.

Now, let us see whether management can satisfy the tests which we have listed above for science.
Management has a systematised body of knowledge pertaining to its field and the various concepts,
principles and techniques have been developed through deductive and inductive reasoning. For
example, in the area of designing an effective organisation structure, there are a number of principles
which serve as guidelines for delegating authority. The unity of command, the consistency of authority
and responsibility are some of the important principles which help decide proper delegation of
authority. In the field of management, some of the important techniques relate to budgeting, cost-
accounting, planning and control such techniques are parts of management theory and are a means of
helping to managers who undertake activities most effectively.

But management is not so exact a science as other physical sciences like Physics, Chemistry etc. The
main reason for the inexactness of science of management is that it deals with the people and it is
very difficult to predict their behaviour accurately. Since it is social process, it falls in the area of Social
Sciences. Management is a behavioural science. Its theories and principles are situation bound because
of which their applicability does not necessarily end to the same results every time. That is why Ernest

Dale has called management a "soft science" which does not have hard and fast rules.