1. Introduction
Management science seeks to be an important discipline, which tackles managerial problems and helping decision makers. The different approaches vary widely and develop continuously with time.
There have been many studies about management science. These studies cover a variety of different topics (Gorman, 2016). In this paper we specifically look at the development of management science.
In this paper three studies are investigated. Jackson (1987) describes four potential strategies for the future development of management science. Eden (1992) shows that the development in technology is changing the practice of management science. Paucar-Caceres (2009) defines the development of management science based on four paradigms.
This paper investigates the development in management science and discusses the various approaches and paradigms.
All three studies describe the development of management science in specific ways.
Here is what previous researchers have done on management science:
In order to be able to show the development of management science we need to discuss the definition of management science and take a look at the history of management science. After a look at the definition and history, the different approaches will be discussed. Then we will look into the development of management science. After that we will conclude the different points of view.
We find that the overall definition of management science is more or less the same. The results of this paper show that the different approaches and paradigms can be placed in a certain period of time and context.
The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. Section two describes the definition of management science, section three describes the history of management science, section four describes the approaches and paradigms used by different authors, section five describes the development and section six concludes.
2. Definition
The generally definition of management science is: “The use of scientific methods and ideas to understand business and management problems and decisions.” Management science tackles managerial problems with different approaches and paradigms.
The purpose of management science is helping decision makers. According to Eden (1992) there are two key aims of management science. The first aim is to help with a problem. The second aim is to facilitate the long-term growth.
3. History
In 1911 Frederick Winslow Taylor published “The Principles of Scientific Management” . He was the founder of the early “management science”.
In World War II scientists used mathematical models to efficiently deal with limited resources. The problem-solving methods were used.
Due to criticism in the 1970s on traditional management science, there became alternative management science approaches (Jackson 1987). The situation-improving methodologies were born.
The situation-improving methodologies changed during the 1980’s to intervention-empowering systems methodologies.
Nowadays we look at the post-modern approach in management science (Jackson 1987).
4. Approaches and paradigms
In this section the approaches from Jackson (1987) and the paradigms of Paucar-Caceres (2010) will be discussed.
According to Jackson (1987) the traditional management science does not longer suffices in the present time (1970s). Therefore Jackson describes four potential strategies: “isolationism”, “imperialism”, “pragmatism” and “pluralism”.
Isolationism would create the isolation of the different strands of management science. Imperialism suggests that one version of management science is superior to the others. Pragmatism would bring the best elements of management science together and pluralism would seek to respect the different elements in management science.
Jackson (1987) concludes that isolationism, imperialism and pragmatism are no credible options. When the isolationism strategy is applied, management science cannot develop as a cohesive discipline. Imperialism does not create an unified management science discipline, because one approach is dominant against the other approaches. Pragmatism as a strategy would hinder serious intellectual development.
The only strategy that will work according to Jackson (1987) is the pluralism approach. “Pluralism recognises that the management task is so complex that it is impossible at present to produce a satisfactory, unified body of thought which can assist with all its aspects.”
Paucar-Caceres (2010) divides the management science in four paradigms: the optimisation/normative paradigm, the interpretative/learning paradigm, the critical paradigm and the post-modern approaches.
The optimisation/normative paradigm is a problem solving method. In this paradigm organisations were seen as objective worlds. This did not benefit the development. The interpretative/learning paradigm is divided in a number of methods, which attempts to dissolve systems of problems. The philosophy of the critical paradigm “is based on the belief that social systems are oppressive and unequal therefore systems thinking should concentrate on the issue of inequality of the participants.” The focus of the post-modern approaches is based on the power and knowledge the needs of an individual.
The critical paradigm Paucar-Caceres (2010) describes, refers to Jackson’s (1987) work
5. Development
Management science
On the basis of three facets, Eden (1992) explains the development in management science. Eden (1992) uses the following facets: “the increasing ability to work with wisdom”, “a person’s individual beliefs and experience” and “subjective qualitative data”.
Eden (1992) believes that management science in partnership with developments from business computing will, as it always has in the past, change the nature of its contribution to supporting problem solving and decision making in organisations.
6. Conclusion
This paper investigates the development in management science and discusses the various approaches and paradigms. In this paper three are investigated. Jackson (1987) describes four potential strategies for the future development of management science. Eden (1992) shows that the development in technology is changing the practice of management science. Paucar-Caceres (2009) defines the development of management science based on four paradigms.
The results of this paper show that only strategy that will work according to Jackson (1987) is the pluralism approach. “Pluralism recognises that the management task is so complex that it is impossible at present to produce a satisfactory, unified body of thought which can assist with all its aspects.”
This paper finds that through the development in business computing, management science change the nature of it’s contribution to supporting problem solving and decision making in organisations.
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