Читать книгу An Introduction to Management Studies - Thomas Bieger - Страница 18

This progressive differentiation of management as an independent activity and the specialization of management knowledge are also reflected in management practice. Management is developing into a profession in its own right, one based increasingly on scientific principles. It is also seen more and more as an activity that is not only necessary for companies, but which is also penetrating ever wider areas of business and society. Management methods are increasingly entering public administration, churches, the military, and nongovernmental organizations. Many such organizations long considered management a kind of “art” (Lynn, 1996). In hospitals, for instance, chief physicians or chief medical officers were typically entrusted with running the organization: They were considered best suited to management tasks on account of their personality or life experience (e.g., in the military).

Today, management is a profession in its own right. In Bourdieu’s sense, it possesses characteristics typical of professions: an independent language, independent rituals, and professional values (Bourdieu, 1972). Today, managers are prepared for their duties and responsibilities in management training courses. Managers also switch between different companies, industries, regions, and cultures. Today, not only professional managers move from airlines to pharmaceutical companies, but professional deans move between universities in different countries and cultures.

Combined with the specialization of management research, and because ever-increasing management tasks also demand a division of labor and thus the specialization of management itself (Rüegg-Stürm & Grand, 2019a), an increasing function orientation has also emerged in practice. For functions such as human resource management, [31] marketing, strategy management or financial management, independent research institutes, chairs and education programs have developed in undergraduate and graduate education (Figure 1-6).

Figure 1-6: Chairs at the University of St. Gallen School of Management (2020)

This differentiation is also reflected in the development of university courses. In the 1970s, many universities still offered courses in economics that integrated business studies and economics. These subject areas later became separate programs. Since the introduction of the Bologna system in early 2000, degree programs specializing in certain functions (e.g., strategy, marketing, accounting and controlling) are now offered, especially at the master’s level. In further education, certificate courses are offered, sometimes by professional associations, such as the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) or the CMA (Certified Marketing Analyst). Such courses enable further professional specialization. In some countries, they are also a legal prerequisite for holding management positions in companies (e.g., in accounting and finance).