Henri Fayol’s principles of management
(Note :- In order to remember the 14 principles ,I tried to make a small Acronym which will not let you forget any one of them and you can easily recall them at the time of exam.
(DAD U C USSR?....O I SEE) which means that there are D -DIVISION OF WORK, A- AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY , D - DISCIPLINE And so on..
1. Division of work -In
practice, employees are specialized in different areas and they have different
skills. Different levels of expertise can be distinguished within the knowledge
areas (from generalist to specialist). Personal and professional developments
support this. Work should be divided among individuals and groups to
ensure that effort and attention are focused on special portions of the
task. Fayol presented work specialization as the best way to use the human
resources of the organization and specialization promotes efficiency of the
workforce and increases productivity. In addition, the specialization of
the workforce increases their accuracy and speed.The division of work is
the course of tasks assigned to, and completed by, a group of workers in order
to increase efficiency. Division of work, which is also known as division of
labour, is the breaking down of a job so as to have a number of different tasks
that make up the whole. This means that for every one job, there can be any
number of processes that must occur for the job to be complete.
2. Authority and
Responsibility -The concepts of Authority and responsibility are closely
related. Authority was defined by Fayol as the right to give orders and the
power to exact obedience. Responsibility involves being accountable, and is
therefore naturally associated with authority. Whoever assumes authority also
assumes responsibility. In other words, Authority is the right to give
orders and obtain obedience, and responsibility is the corollary of authority.
3. Discipline - It is
often a part of the core values of a mission and
vision in the form
of good conduct and respectful interactions. This management principle is
essential and is seen as the oil to make the engine of an organization run
smoothly.A successful organization requires the common effort of
workers. Penalties should be applied judiciously to encourage this common
effort. Employees must obey and respect the rules that govern the
organization. Good discipline is the result of effective leadership.
4. Unity of command - Workers
should receive orders from only one manager. In other words, Every employee
should receive orders from only one superior. If tasks and related
responsibilities are given to the employee by more than one manager, this may
lead to confusion which may lead to possible conflicts for employees.
5. Unity of direction - The
entire organization should be moving towards a common objective in a common
direction. Each group of organizational activities that have the same objective
should be directed by one manager using one plan for achievement of one common
goal.
6. Subordination of
individual interests to the general interests - The interests of one person
should not take priority over the interests of the organization as a whole. In
other words, The interests of any one employee or group of employees should not
take precedence over the interests of the organization as a whole. The primary
focus is on the organizational objectives and not on those of the individual.
This applies to all levels of the entire organization, including the managers.
7. Remuneration -Motivation
and productivity are close to one another as far as the smooth running of an
organization is concerned. All Workers must be paid a fair wage for
their services. Many variables, such as cost of living, supply of qualified
personnel, general business conditions, and success of the business, should be
considered in determining a worker’s rate of pay.
8. Centralization -
Centralization refers to the degree to which subordinates are involved in
decision making. Fayol defined centralization as lowering the importance of the
subordinate role. Decentralization is increasing the importance. The degree to
which centralization or decentralization should be adopted depends on the
specific organization in which the manager is working.
9. Scalar chain - The
line of authority from top management to the lowest ranks represents the scalar
chain. Communications should follow this chain. Managers in hierarchies are
part of a chain like authority scale. Each manager, from the first line
supervisor to the president, possess certain amounts of authority. The
President possesses the most authority; the first line supervisor the least.
Lower level managers should always keep upper level managers informed of their
work activities. The existence of a scalar chain and adherence to it are
necessary if the organization is to be successful.
10. Order - this principle
is concerned with systematic arrangement of men, machine, material etc. there
should be a specific place for every employee in an organization. For the sake
of efficiency and coordination, all materials and people related to a specific
kind of work should be treated as equally as possible.
11. Equity - Managers
should be kind and fair to their subordinates and all employees should be
treated as equally as possible.
12.Stability of tenure of
personnel - High employee turnover is inefficient. Management should provide
orderly personnel planning and ensure that replacements are available to fill
vacancies. Retaining productive employees should always be a high priority of
management. Recruitment and Selection Costs, as well as increased
product-reject rates are usually associated with hiring new workers.
13.Initiative - Employees
who are allowed to originate and carry out plans will exert high levels of
effort. Management should take steps to encourage worker initiative, which is
defined as new or additional work activity undertaken through self direction.
14.Esprit de corps -
Promoting team spirit will build harmony and unity within the organization. Management
should encourage harmony and general good feelings among employees. The
management principle ‘esprit de corps’ of the 14 principles of management
stands for striving for the involvement and unity of the employees. Managers
are responsible for the development of morale in the workplace; individually
and in the area of communication. Esprit de corps contributes to the
development of the culture and creates an atmosphere of mutual trust and
understanding.
