Business Administration vs.

Business
Management: What’s the Difference?

Business administration and management both contain important qualities that can lead you to different
career paths. This guide can help you understand what business administration and management are
as well as what career is best suited for each business category.

What is business administration?

Business administration focuses on the specific titles and job responsibilities within the
business department. This means people in a business administration role will most
often focus on a role in the business field. Many people who pursue business
administration will have an interest in a specific department within the business field.
This can be finance, accounting, marketing or economics.

Business administration includes general business operations such as accounting,

economics, human resources, management, marketing and other business functions.

 Business administration focuses more on planning and organizing the strategic view

of business goals and operations, often with a quantitative focus on planning and
execution and sometimes with a particular area of concentration.

What is business management?

Business management focuses on the overall management of a business department.
People who work in business management are often acting in leadership roles to
oversee the day-to-day duties of team members within the business department. They
may often learn about how businesses are run, how they operate, how to develop
growth strategies and how to market a business.

One of the main goals of business management employees is to learn the

responsibilities of each of their employees as well as how to lead and supervise them.

have more of a focus on management, leadership, human resources and personnel

operations. Topics are more focused on the organization, analysis and planning of
business operations.
 Business management covers a broad foundation in business practices, often
focusing on day-to-day and people management skills, but often with a concentration
related to a particular set of skills (like project management) or within a defined
industry (such as healthcare).

Difference between business administration and

management college degrees
When studying business administration, students will often learn about the overall
business subjects. Once they have a grasp on the different business roles, they will
select one and declare it as their area of study. For example, a student may major in
business administration and choose accounting as their specialty. Upon graduation, this
student may pursue an accounting role. Often, when students study business
administration, they are hoping to learn more about business as a whole to determine
which specific business role they would like to pursue.

In addition to studying specialties within the business field, business management

students will also study subjects that will help increase their leadership skills. This
includes human resources, communication studies, ethics and management courses.
Business management students will often participate in events that help them develop
management and leadership skills. This can include participating in student
organizations within the business department, student government and leadership roles
within different academic clubs.

Difference between business administration and

management in the workplace
Business management employees will often start in entry-level management positions.
They will learn and develop the skills needed to manage people and lead a department.
Many business professionals will expect business managers to operate both leadership
and day-to-day business tasks and duties. Once an employee is serving in a higher-
level business management role, they may oversee other employees and will make
departmental decisions. Many should know how to conduct basic team-working abilities
and may collaborate with executive-level employees to make impactful decisions for the
company.Business administration employees will often start working in a specific
department within the business field. They often dedicate their work to one department
within the business field rather than managing and overseeing several teams within the
business department. Business administration employees have the opportunity to work
in leadership roles for certain departments due to their hands-on work in their desired
department.
Difference between business administration and
management in the workplace
Business management employees will often start in entry-level management positions.
They will learn and develop the skills needed to manage people and lead a department.
Many business professionals will expect business managers to operate both leadership
and day-to-day business tasks and duties. Once an employee is serving in a higher-
level business management role, they may oversee other employees and will make
departmental decisions. Many should know how to conduct basic team-working abilities
and may collaborate with executive-level employees to make impactful decisions for the
company.

Business administration employees will often start working in a specific department

within the business field. They often dedicate their work to one department within the
business field rather than managing and overseeing several teams within the business
department. Business administration employees have the opportunity to work in
leadership roles for certain departments due to their hands-on work in their desired
department.

Careers in business management

operations manager
Sales managers 
 financial reporting manager

Careers in business administration

Marketing specialists 
 Human resources specialists
accountant 
Business analysts
 MANAGEMENT AND
.

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Management and Business Administration are the two terms that are used interchangeably and
synonymously.

Management refers to the art of getting things done through others.

Administration refers to the function of determining the corporate policy and supervising the
overall functioning of the concern.

Various viewpoints discussed regarding these two terms are as follows:

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION IS DIFFERENT FROM MANAGEMENT

The classical thinkers like Oliver Sheldon, William Spriegal, Millward, Lansberg , Ordway
Ted etc are of this opinion that the management and administration are two different things. As
per this view, administration is a higher level activity where as the management is the lower
level activity. Administration is concerned with determination of overall objectives and policies
of an enterprise while management is concerned with planning, coordinating and controlling of
the business activities for attaining the enterprise objectives.
BASIS OF DIFFERENCE BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
NATURE OF WORK It is primarily concerned with the
determination of objectives and broad
policies.
NATURE OF WORK It is primarily concerned with the
determination of objectives and broad
policies.
ACTIVITY It is a thinking function.
SCOPE It takes major decision and is a wider
term than management.
LEVEL OF AUTHORITY It is a top management function.
STATUS
It consists of the owners of an
enterprise.
NATURE OF ORGANISATION Generally, it is used in relation to
government, military, educational and
religious organizations.
INFLUENCE Its decisions are generally influenced by
external factors of business
environment such as social, political,
legal, economic, Technological and
demographic environment etc.
MAIN FUNCTIONS Main functions of business
administration are planning, organizing
and staffing.
POSITION An administrator is the principal in the
organization.
KNOWLEDGE A good administration requires
administrative ability more than the
technical ability.
POPULARITY It is commonly used in public and
government sector.
DIRECTION OF HUMAN EFFORTS It is not actively involved in the
direction of human efforts for the
implementation of the policies and
plans.
MANAGEMENT
It involves the implementation of
plans and policies.
It involves the implementation of
plans and policies
It is a doing function.
It takes the decision within the
framework of the administration.
It is a lower level management
function.
It consists of managerial
personnel with specialized
knowledge who may be the
employees.
It is used mainly in business firms
which have economic motives.
Its decisions are influenced by
internal factors such as values,
beliefs and opinions.
The main functions of
management are direction,
motivation and control.
A manager acts as an agent of the
business organization.
A good manager requires
technical ability more than the
administrative ability
It is mainly popular in business
organization.
It is mainly concerned with the
direction of human efforts in the
execution of policies and plans.