Studying business seems like a very lucrative action in modern days. Degrees offered in this discipline lead to diverse career paths.
Accounting, economics, human resource management, international business, marketing etc are pretty self-explanatory and easy to understand.
Business management and business administration create a bit of conflict because of the similarity in the names. While in a broader sense it can be perceived that the former is a management-based degree and the latter is more of a technicality based field of study, there are other distinctions that define the two degrees and the careers they eventually lead to.
To understand the differences between these two subjects we are going to have to know the definitions and areas that are covered by these first.
What is a business management degree?
It is understandable from the name that this degree concentrates on management skills. It can be learning how to manage different facets of business like the workforce, the workplace and the other resources involved. Simple skills of business like organizing, planning and operating etc are taught.
The training fields include ideas of finance, economics, human resource and in some cases a statistical analysis. In most cases, learners choose to approach strategically. Humanistic behaviour and understanding humans are very crucial learning of this degree. Quick decision making and coordination skills are developed over time. The basic courses related to this field are theoretical and cognitive decision making focused.
Since it’s sort of specialization, there is a plentiful job sector that requires or prefer graduates of business management. A few popular job positions that a business management graduate might look forward to being-
- Business development manager
- Project manager
- Supply chain manager
- Chartered management accountant
- Logistics and distribution manager
What is a business administration degree?
A business administration degree is like an umbrella term. It is like learning what’s in the bigger picture. It provides a comprehensive view of business as a whole. In most cases, the universities or colleges first introduce the learners to some core functionalities of business and later the lender gets to choose a specialization in any preferred sector such as marketing, finance, management, entrepreneurship etc.
The target of this is to enable the learners to have versatility and proficiency in obtaining the essential skills. It includes learning of skills that involve efficient analysis, research, strategic planning and developing executive ideas. Knowledge of data analysis, business communication, leadership etc are offered in the courses. Analytical, data-driven minded learners aiming to reach the highest professional levels flourish in the section. A few renowned job opportunities for graduates of this field are-
- Auditor
- Business analyst
- Financial officer
- Business consultant
- Human resources specialist
The differences between business management and business administration
In the fast-paced business world of business, the differences between business management in business administration are often considered minuscule. However, subtle differences create different opportunities and different learning outcomes.
The easiest to detect difference is the difference between curriculums. Business management includes courses that are more management focused. It’s almost as if the learner is specializing in one particular field in the given time span. In business administration, there are courses of the core topics which are followed by the preferred specialisation of the learner.
Even though business management has the word “management”, management is a basic responsibility of the graduates of both fields. But, in most cases, business management is to take care of smaller details happening in a shorter time range. The managing duties in case of business administration are to ensure the proper workflow and functioning in the long term.
In most of the cases, business managers are mostly responsible for external communication. Ones with administrative duty focus on internal communication rather than the external ones. That does not mean that the administrative duty excludes business communication with external stakeholders.
Business managers might need to work with a relatively larger workforce. The need to cover a larger portion of management duties requires them to oversee a lot of employees or colleagues. Top-level business executives generally consist of business administration graduates. Since they work department-based, it is not often that they work in larger teams. In fact, they mostly work in small groups that specialize in the same manner to work in any definite set of objectives.
Business management allows the detection and suggestion process of any issue. Business administration emphasizes the clear and precise functions that are to be followed in order to reach an optimum state. The decision-making process in the case of business management is more theoretical, while business administration takes care of the technical part. For example, if a company needs to find how to pinpoint and communicate to achieve a goal, business management will help decide. Business administration I will break down the entire process and ensure even the most detailed function is done in an optimal fashion.
In terms of expense and cost related to getting both the degrees, in institutions around the world business administration has been seen to be the more expensive one to achieve.
In the ever-changing scenario of business, especially in the picture now, the difference between the two degrees and the responsibilities are hardly distinguished. In smaller firms, the difference is almost nonexistent. In large business organisations, there are requirements for specific roles. Hence there, the differences grab some attention.
However, this does not mean that getting either of the degrees will decrease the chances of going up the corporate ladder. With proper knowledge, skills and will to prosper in business, anybody can you reach the top with ease. The pragmatic world now looks for skills, not any certain label of a degree. It is essential that any individual willing to achieve any level of success in the business world determinately works persistence and valuable work ethics.
