The Evolution and Classification of Management and Organizational Sciences. A Personal Interpretation

Abstract

Management sciences are comprised of a set of disciplines that can be applied to different fields, whose contents may vary due to the particular characteristics of the organizations under study. For example, differences occur when management sciences are applied to public management. In each field, some of the theoretical approaches used in the disciplines change, and new models and technical vocabulary have been introduce into the literature. However, beyond the addition of some very specific subjects, the set of main disciplines remains practically unalterable, as well as their position on the functional map. Nevertheless, the contents and relative importance of the management sciences may vary over time. The appearance of innovative waves in the management sciences can be observed clearly in changes in the contents of management manuals and journals on the subject. Often these changes are substantial and we should reflect on this.