Discuss the Fayol’s Principles of Management

Good management is required by any organisation that desires to be efficient and achieve its objectives. Planning, organising, leading, and controlling, often known as the POLC framework in management, are the four essential responsibilities of management. There would be little to no structure and concentration in an organisation if these were not in place. Henri Fayol’s 1916 work, “Administration Industrielle et Générale,” contains a fundamental theory on management principles. These concepts provide a foundation for “excellent management” by emphasising managerial skills over technical talents.

Henry Fayol’s 14 Principles of Management

Fayol’s 14 principles of management look at an organisation from the top to down to assist managers to get the most out of employees and run the firm smoothly. Let’s take a closer look at them and figure out what they mean.

1. Division of Work

The division of work is dividing an organisation’s total workload among employees and creating departments.

Division of work contributes to the specialisation that aids in increasing efficiency and productivity, resulting in a rise in the organisation’s production and profitability.

2. Authority & Responsibilities

Management has the authority to give commands to people to get things done in an organisation. Naturally, with tremendous power comes responsibility. The accompanying power or authority, according to Henri Fayol, gives management the authority to issue commands to subordinates.

Because performance may be traced back to accountability, it is vital to reach agreements on this. To put it another way, authority and accountability are two sides of the same coin.

3. Discipline

In addition to the division of work and authority and responsibility, this notion asserts that any organisation’s success depends on its ability to maintain discipline. Managers must create a culture of mutual respect to have disciplined employees. A set of organisational norms, principles and structures should be in place and followed by everyone. In any company, breaking regulations or laziness should not be tolerated. To accomplish this, good supervision and impartial judgement are required.

4. Unity of Command

According to this idea, a subordinate (employee) must only have and receive commands from one superior (boss or manager).

To look at it another way, a subordinate has only one superior to report to. It aids in the avoidance of dual subordination. This reduces the possibility of “Dual subordination,” a managerial function that causes difficulty.

5. Unity of Direction

This Fayol’s principle of management is all about focus and unity, and it’s one of the 14 management principles. Every employee performs the same activities that are tied to the same goals. All actions must be completed by a single group that functions as a team. A plan of action must be created to describe these activities.

The manager is ultimately in charge of this plan, and he keeps track of how the defined and scheduled actions are progressing. Employee efforts and cooperation are two key focus areas.

6. Collective Interest Over Individual Interest

This principle emphasises the team’s overall interests over individual interests. Individual interests should not be allowed to destroy the organisation’s goals. The group will implode if someone goes renegade.

7. Remuneration

When it comes to the seamless operation of a company, motivation and productivity are closely related. This management theory, one of the 14 management principles, contends that salary should be adequate to keep people engaged and productive.

Non-monetary remuneration (a compliment, more responsibility, credits) and monetary payment are the two types of reward (compensation, bonus or other financial compensation). Finally, it’s about recognising and rewarding the efforts that have been made.

8. Centralization

It is always present to some degree, depending on the size of the organisation and the calibre of its executives. In a centralised system, power is concentrated in a few hands.

On the other hand, decentralisation distributes authority to all levels of management. There is no such thing as a wholly centralised or decentralised organisation.

9. Scalar Chain

In any given organisation, there is a hierarchy. Senior management (executive board) through the lowest levels of the firm are all affected. According to Henri Fayol’s “hierarchy” management philosophy, there should be a clear line between authority and authority (from top to bottom and all managers at all levels).

This is an example of Fayol’s principle of management. In an emergency, any employee can contact management or a superior without upsetting the hierarchy, especially when it comes to disaster notifications.

10. Order

This idea states that resources (manpower, money, materials, etc.) should be placed in the appropriate location at the right time in an organised manner. This guarantees that resources are used properly and systematically. Misuse and disorder in the organisation will result if any of these resources are misplaced.

11. Equity

Fayol’s principle of management is frequently found in an organisation’s fundamental principles. Employees, according to Henri Fayol, must be treated with kindness and equality. Employees must be in the right place inside the business to do things correctly. This procedure should be overseen and monitored by managers, who treat employees fairly and impartially.

12. Longevity of Personnel Tenure

Employees must be given adequate time to settle into their new jobs, even if it takes a long time. Time is required for an employee to learn his profession and become efficient.

Because insecurity contributes to inefficiency. Employees should have job security. Employees who stayed with a company for a long time were more likely to succeed.

13. Initiative

According to this notion, all employees should be encouraged to take the initiative. Employees are driven and appreciated when they have a say in accomplishing their jobs. Organisations should pay attention to their employees’ problems and encourage them to develop and implement improvement strategies.

14. Esprit De Corps

The term “esprit de corps” refers to a sense of belonging to a group. As a result, management should foster staff solidarity, cooperation, and a sense of belonging.

They should stay away from policies that divide and rule: personnel cohesiveness and harmony-the huge source of strength for the company. Every successful firm has this quality.

Conclusion

Fayol’s principles of management are internationally accepted. They serve as a guide for managers in doing their duties per their responsibilities.

Many of these issues, despite their obviousness, are nevertheless used in modern management techniques in firms founded on common sense. It is still a useful list with focal areas based on Henri Fayol’s study, which is still relevant today thanks to many logical principles.