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Management Concentration
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1/21/97 -- AOS Guidelines: Business, Management & Economics
Concentration in Management
PREAMBLE: The number and diversity of organizations present in society today have led to categorization of this period in history as the "Era of Organizations" (Boulding). Rapid evolution of management knowledge has made possible the capacity of organizations to effectively utilize greater human, physical and financial resources located in more diverse geographical locations than at any time previously. It no longer amazes us to find large organizations routinely coordinating the work of over a half million people at multiple locations.
Evolution of ways of organizing, decision making and communicating has been central to these developments. Though it's less well recognized and understood, the invention of such social technology has been as important in raising standards of living as more widely acknowledged progress in science and computer technology.
The work of managers differs from that of other members of an organization. This work involves fulfilling a variety of roles and functions that result in effective (or poor) coordination of human, physical and financial resources to accomplish organizational purposes. Processes such as decision making are essential in all forms of organizations, including businesses, government agencies and not-for-profit groups. Since managers work with and through humans as individuals, small groups and whole organizations, students developing a concentration in management will benefit from giving special attention to increasing their understanding of human behavior, including behavior grounded in cultures others than their own.
Managers also draw on analytical tools and theory from a variety of disciplines that provide useful intellectual tools for understanding, predicting, allocating and controlling. A well-designed program in management will include learning grounded in several different academic disciplines (e.g. economics, psychology, sociology and mathematics) that will provide such intellectual tools.
Management is important in a variety of institutional settings (i.e., educational, penal, social agency). Management, as a body of study, is both an area within business and public administration, and a body of knowledge that transcends these particular institutional settings.
Students pursuing careers in business or public institutions may wish to choose between a management concentration and a business administration or public administration concentration. Separate guidelines are provided for business administration and public administration. These two concentrations, within their respective institutional settings (business or public sector), are broader preparation than a management concentration. Both business administration and public administration presume preparation in a wide variety of subject areas, one of which is management. Management concentrations will include more management studies than are typically contained in business administration concentrations, but typically not as many studies in such areas as accounting and finance.
Students should be aware that the term "administration" or "administrator" in the public sector is often used where "management" or "manager" can be used in a similar sense in the private sector of the economy.
PREPARATION
In developing proposed educational plans leading to award of a bachelor's degree with a concentration in management, it is recommended that students consider educational preparation in three broad areas:
First is the specialized body of management theory, concepts and frameworks that constitute the common body of management knowledge. For teaching and learning about management this knowledge has been organized in at least four primary ways: by time (historically), units of analysis, functions and roles.
The historical approach traces influences on management thought and the accretion of management knowledge that can be taught, learned and practiced. Examples of studies from the historical perspectives are history of management thought and the history of business.
The units of analysis approach organizes management knowledge around four levels that managers commonly deal with: the individual (psychology), small groups/cliques (social psychology), whole organizations (sociology, economics) and organization-environment (sociology, economics). Examples of studies using this approach are organizational behavior and organizational development and change.
The functional approach organizes management knowledge around functions that decision makers engage in at all levels of an organization. An elemental list of such functions includes, at a minimum, planning, organizing and controlling. Examples of studies often using this approach are management concepts and principles of management.
The use of roles which managers fulfill (such as disturbance handler, figurehead and leader) is a relatively recent way of organizing management knowledge. Examples of studies using this approach are leadership, conflict resolution, and communications and decision making.
Second, in planning his or her program, a student should consider studying more about the institutional setting (business, government, education, religious) in which they are most likely to manage. Institution-specific knowledge (such as the history and development of the institution, specialized vocabulary, customers/clients, legal environment and defining events) all contribute to managerial effectiveness. For example, students expecting to manage in the public sector may choose to include a studies of political science. And government or public finance might be more appropriate than corporate finance for management students expecting to enter (or continue working in) the public sector.
Third, students will be well served by having both breadth and depth in their programs. Disciplinary knowledge will assist students in understanding more general theory and concepts that will be invaluable in managing effectively both within and among organizations. Such knowledge provides a body of analytical concepts and approaches that will assist a manager in identifying opportunities, developing and evaluating alternatives, recognizing and resolving major types of problems that commonly arise, and communicating ideas effectively.
These subjects may appear as part of a student's concentration or general learning. They often will provide valuable support for undertaking more focused study of management and organizations.
Selection of appropriate studies from broad areas of knowledge, such as those represented below, will provide desirable breadth of learning, as well as a solid foundation in useful disciplinary theory, concepts and frameworks that may prove helpful in understanding and applying organizational and management concepts.
The areas of knowledge include:
- communications (e.g., oral communication, writing and language);
- humanities (e.g., literature, philosophy, the arts);
- mathematics (e.g., college math, algebra, statistics, calculus);
- science (e.g., life sciences such as biology and physics);
- social sciences (e.g., anthropology, economics, history, psychology, sociology); and
- technology (e.g., history of technology, forecasting, computing).
Integration of organizational knowledge: In general, students concentrating in business management will be well served by acquiring knowledge of all, or most, of the areas designated for business administration. One or more of these areas should be emphasized, depending on students' backgrounds and interests. Management students also should include several additional studies in management, such as organization theory, human resource management, labor relations and/or strategic management to ensure they have acquired substantial knowledge of management theories and their application.
April, 1996
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