Operation vs. Administration — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 6, 2023
Operation refers to the process or manner of functioning, while Administration deals with the management and organization of tasks or duties.
Difference Between Operation and Administration
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Operation and Administration are both essential terms in the realm of management, but they target different aspects. Operation focuses on the activities and tasks that make a system, business, or machine run effectively. It's the hands-on aspect of ensuring something works as it should. Administration, on the other hand, zeroes in on the decision-making, organizing, and planning facets of a system or organization.
Operation often requires a more technical knowledge or skill set. Think of a surgeon performing an operation or a technician ensuring a machine is in working order. It's about the practical execution of tasks. Administration is about governance. It’s the higher-level coordination, like hospital administrators making sure the institution runs smoothly or business executives deciding company strategy.
In some contexts, the boundary between Operation and Administration might seem blurred. For instance, a manager might be involved in the daily operations of a team but also handle administrative tasks like budgeting or scheduling. However, even in these cases, the operational responsibilities involve hands-on tasks, whereas administrative duties revolve around coordination, direction, and oversight.
Operation and Administration also differ in terms of their objectives. While the goal of operations is to achieve efficiency and effectiveness in performing tasks or producing goods, the goal of administration is to ensure that the entire system or organization is aligned and functioning according to the set objectives or vision.
In essence, Operation is the heart that keeps a system alive and pumping, directly handling tasks and activities. In contrast, Administration is the brain, focusing on the broader picture, making decisions, and ensuring the system's overall health.
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Comparison Chart
Primary Focus
Process or manner of functioning.
Management and organization of tasks.
Skill Requirement
Technical and hands-on skills.
Coordination, oversight, and decision-making.
Objective
Efficiency in task execution.
Alignment with organization's vision.
Examples
Surgery, machinery functioning.
Budgeting, planning, strategy.
Scope
Specific tasks or processes.
Broader organization or system management.
Compare with Definitions
Operation
Operation is the act or process of functioning or working.
The operation of the machine was flawless.
Administration
Administration is the process of organizing and managing resources.
The project required skilled administration.
Operation
Operation can refer to a surgical procedure.
The patient underwent a heart operation.
Administration
Administration deals with the dispensation of something.
The administration of medication should be monitored.
Operation
Operation denotes a series of actions for a particular purpose.
The military operation was successful.
Administration
Administration is the management of tasks, duties, or laws.
The administration of the new policy began today.
Operation
Operation is the act of conducting business activities.
The company will cease operation next month.
Administration
Administration denotes a group responsible for managing an institution.
The school's administration handled the crisis efficiently.
Operation
Operation means the state of being operative or functional.
The factory is now in full operation.
Administration
Administration refers to the executive branch of government.
The current administration has been pushing for tax reforms.
Operation
The act or process of operating or functioning.
Administration
The process or activity of running a business, organization, etc.
The day-to-day administration of the company
A career in arts administration
Operation
The state of being operative or functional
A factory in operation.
Administration
The management of public affairs; government
The inhabitants of the island voted to remain under French administration
Operation
A process or series of acts involved in a particular form of work
The operation of building a house.
Administration
The action of dispensing, giving, or applying something
The administration of justice
The oral administration of the antibiotic
Operation
An instance or method of efficient, productive activity
That restaurant is quite an operation.
Administration
The act or process of administering, especially the management of a government or large institution.
Operation
An unethical or illegal business
A fencing operation for stolen goods.
Administration
The activity of a government or state in the exercise of its powers and duties.
Operation
(Medicine) A surgical procedure for remedying an injury, ailment, defect, or dysfunction.
Administration
The executive branch of a government.
Operation
(Mathematics) A process or action, such as addition, substitution, transposition, or differentiation, performed in a specified sequence and in accordance with specific rules.
Administration
The group of people who manage or direct an institution, especially a school or college.
Operation
A logical operation.
Administration
The term of office of an executive officer or body.
Operation
(Computers) An action resulting from a single instruction.
Administration
(Law) Management of a trust or estate.
Operation
A military or naval action, campaign, or mission.
Administration
The dispensing, applying, or tendering of something, such as an oath, a sacrament, or medicine.
Operation
Operations The headquarters or center from which a military action, flights into and out of an airfield, or other activities are controlled.
Administration
(uncountable) The act of administering; government of public affairs; the service rendered, or duties assumed, in conducting affairs; the conducting of any office or employment; direction.
Operation
Operations The division of an organization that carries out the major planning and operating functions.
Administration
The executive part of government; the persons collectively who are entrusted with the execution of laws and the superintendence of public affairs; the chief magistrate and his cabinet or council; or the council, or ministry, alone, as in Great Britain.
Successive US administrations have had similar Middle East policies.
Operation
The method by which a device performs its function.
It is dangerous to look at the beam of a laser while it is in operation.
Administration
The country's government under the rule of a particular leader.
The Obama administration
The Duterte administration
Operation
The method or practice by which actions are done.
Administration
(countable) A body that administers; a body of administrators.
Operation
The act or process of operating; agency; the exertion of power, physical, mechanical, or moral.
Administration
(uncountable) The act of administering, or tendering something to another; dispensation.
The administration of a medicine, of an oath, of justice, or of the sacrament.
Oral administration of insulin
Operation
A planned undertaking.
The police ran an operation to get vagrants off the streets.
The Katrina relief operation was considered botched.
Administration
Management.
Operation
A business or organization.
We run our operation from a storefront.
They run a multinational produce-supply operation.
Administration
An arrangement whereby an insolvent company can continue trading under supervision.
The company went into voluntary administration last week.
Operation
(medicine) A surgical procedure.
She had an operation to remove her appendix.
Administration
The act of administering; government of public affairs; the service rendered, or duties assumed, in conducting affairs; the conducting of any office or employment; direction; management.
His financial administration was of a piece with his military administration.
Operation
A procedure for generating a value from one or more other values (the operands);
a function which maps zero or more (but typically two) operands to a single output value.
a function which maps zero or more (but typically two) operands to a single output value.
The number of operands associated with an operation is called its arity; an operation of arity 2 is called a binary operation.
Administration
The executive part of government; the persons collectively who are intrusted with the execution of laws and the superintendence of public affairs; the chief magistrate and his cabinet or council; or the council, or ministry, alone, as in Great Britain.
A mild and popular administration.
The administration has been opposed in parliament.
Operation
(military) A military campaign (e.g. Operation Desert Storm)
Administration
The act of administering, or tendering something to another; dispensation; as, the administration of a medicine, of an oath, of justice, or of the sacrament.
Operation
(obsolete) Effect produced; influence.
Administration
The management and disposal, under legal authority, of the estate of an intestate, or of a testator having no competent executor.
Operation
The act or process of operating; agency; the exertion of power, physical, mechanical, or moral.
The pain and sickness caused by manna are the effects of its operation on the stomach.
Speculative painting, without the assistance of manual operation, can never attain to perfection.
Administration
A method of tending to (especially business) matters
Operation
The method of working; mode of action.
Administration
The persons (or committees or departments etc.) who make up a body for the purpose of administering something;
He claims that the present administration is corrupt
The governance of an association is responsible to its members
He quickly became recognized as a member of the establishment
Operation
That which is operated or accomplished; an effect brought about in accordance with a definite plan; as, military or naval operations.
Administration
The act of administering medication
Operation
Effect produced; influence.
The bards . . . had great operation on the vulgar.
Administration
The tenure of a president;
Things were quiet during the Eisenhower administration
Operation
Something to be done; some transformation to be made upon quantities or mathematical objects, the transformation being indicated either by rules or symbols.
Operation
Any methodical action of the hand, or of the hand with instruments, on the human body, to produce a curative or remedial effect, as in amputation, etc.
Operation
A business especially one run on a large scale;
A large-scale farming operation
A multinational operation
They paid taxes on every stage of the operation
They had to consolidate their operations
Operation
A planned activity involving many people performing various actions;
They organized a rescue operation
The biggest police operation in French history
Running a restaurant is quite an operation
Consolidate the companies various operations
Operation
A process or series of acts especially of a practical or mechanical nature involved in a particular form of work;
The operations in building a house
Certain machine tool operations
Operation
The state of being in effect or being operative;
That rule is no longer in operation
Operation
A medical procedure involving an incision with instruments; performed to repair damage or arrest disease in a living body;
They will schedule the operation as soon as an operating room is available
He died while undergoing surgery
Operation
Activity by a military or naval force (as a maneuver or campaign);
It was a joint operation of the navy and air force
Operation
(computer science) data processing in which the result is completely specified by a rule (especially the processing that results from a single instruction);
It can perform millions of operations per second
Operation
Process or manner of functioning or operating;
The power of its engine determine its operation
The plane's operation in high winds
They compared the cooking performance of each oven
The jet's performance conformed to high standards
Operation
(mathematics) calculation by mathematical methods;
The problems at the end of the chapter demonstrated the mathematical processes involved in the derivation
They were learning the basic operations of arithmetic
Operation
(psychology) the performance of some composite cognitive activity; an operation that affects mental contents;
The process of thinking
The cognitive operation of remembering
Operation
The activity of operating something (a machine or business etc.);
Her smooth operation of the vehicle gave us a surprisingly comfortable ride
Common Curiosities
Is an Operation Manager's role different from an Administration Manager's role?
Generally, yes. Operation Managers focus on task execution, while Administration Managers deal with broader organizational coordination.
Are Operation and Administration always separate in large organizations?
Not always, but they usually have distinct departments dedicated to each.
Does "Administration" only relate to business?
No, it can also refer to the management of any organized activity, including government or institutions.
Is there any relation between Operation and Administration in academic contexts?
Yes, courses or degrees might focus on operational or administrative aspects of businesses or systems.
Which term is broader in scope?
Administration, as it encompasses the overall management and coordination of tasks or systems.
Do Operation and Administration roles require different skill sets?
Generally, yes. Operation roles often require hands-on or technical skills, while administrative roles need organizational and decision-making abilities.
Can "Operation" be used in military contexts?
Yes, it can refer to a planned military activity.
Do Operation and Administration overlap in business contexts?
Yes, especially in smaller businesses where roles may be multifaceted.
Can "Operation" refer to a medical procedure?
Yes, it can refer to surgical procedures.
What does "Administration" mean in a medical context?
It can refer to the act of giving or applying treatments, such as drug administration.
Can "Operation" refer to a business's day-to-day activities?
Yes, it can refer to the regular functioning of a business.
Are there specific courses or degrees dedicated to Operation and Administration?
Yes, many institutions offer courses or degrees in operations management and business administration.
Can "Operation" refer to the functioning of a machine?
Yes, it can refer to how a machine or system functions.
Which role, operational or administrative, often has a higher rank in companies?
It varies, but senior administrative roles often have a broader oversight of operations.
In what context is "Administration" used to refer to a group of people?
It can denote the group responsible for managing an institution, like a school or government.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
