Is management a ‘Science’? Explain.
(i) Systematised Body of Knowledge: It is necessary for science to be a systematised bodyof knowledge. Management is also a systematised body of knowledge because it has its owntheory and principles which are developed by the management experts after years ofresearch.
(ii) Principles Based on Experimentation: After applying this characteristic of science tomanagement, we find that development of management took years for the collection offacts, their analysis and experiments. In other words, management came into existencebecause of the continuous and encouraging labour of the theorists and various peopleconcerned.
(iii) Universal Validity: Scientific principles are based on truth and they can be applied atevery time and in every situation. Thus, its universal application is possible. In the field of management too, managerial knowledge and principles of management are considered to be based on truth and they, too, can be applied anywhere and in every situation. But the principles of management are not as exact as the principles of science as their application may not yield the desired results always.
Conclusion: The subject matter of management is 'Human Being' who is an intelligent and sensitive being and whose behaviour or conduct changes according to the changing situations. Therefore, no permanent principles like the principles of physics and chemistry can be enunciated in relation to his conduct or behaviour. Clearly the science of management cannot be called a natural or pure science but it should be described as an Applied Science or InexactScience.