Principles of Management Fayol

Knowledge Center

What are the 14 Principles of Management?

The 14 Management Principles from Henri Fayol (1841-1925) are:

1. Division of Work. Specialization allows the individual to build up experience, and to continuously improve his skills. Thereby he can be more productive.
2. Authority. The right to issue commands, along with which must go the balanced responsibility for its function.
3. Discipline. Employees must obey, but this is two-sided: employees will only obey orders if management play their part by providing good leadership.
4. Unity of Command. Each worker should have only one boss with no other conflicting lines of command.
5. Unity of Direction. People engaged in the same kind of activities must have the same objectives in a single plan. This is essential to ensure unity and coordination in the enterprise. Unity of command does not exist without unity of direction but does not necessarily flows from it.
6. Subordination of individual interest (to the general interest). Management must see that the goals of the firms are always paramount.
7. Remuneration. Payment is an important motivator although by analyzing a number of possibilities, Fayol points out that there is no such thing as a perfect system.
8. Centralization (or Decentralization). This is a matter of degree depending on the condition of the business and the quality of its personnel.
9. Hierarchy (Line of Authority). A hierarchy is necessary for unity of direction. But lateral communication is also fundamental, as long as superiors know that such communication is taking place. Scalar chain refers to the number of levels in the hierarchy from the ultimate authority to the lowest level in the organization. It should not be over-stretched and consist of too-many levels.
10. Order. Both material order and social order are necessary. The former minimizes lost time and useless handling of materials. The latter is achieved through organization and selection.
11. Equity. In running a business a ‘combination of kindliness and justice’ is needed. Treating employees well is important to achieve equity.
12. Stability of Tenure of Personnel. Employees work better if job security and career progress are assured to them. An insecure tenure and a high rate of employee turnover will affect the organization adversely.
13. Initiative. Allowing all personnel to show their initiative in some way is a source of strength for the organization. Even though it may well involve a sacrifice of ‘personal vanity’ on the part of many managers.
14. Team Spirit (L'union du personnel, Esprit de Corps). Management must foster the morale of its employees. He further suggests that: “real talent is needed to coordinate effort, encourage keenness, use each person’s abilities, and reward each one’s merit without arousing possible jealousies and disturbing harmonious relations.”

5 Functions of Management (Fayol)

As part of the "administrative" activity, the administrator - who today is called the manager, Fayol distinguishes five functions:

1. Prevoyance. (Forecast & Plan). Examining the future and drawing up a plan of action. The elements of strategy.
2. To organize. Build up the structure, both material and human, of the undertaking.
3. To command. Maintain the activity among the personnel.
4. To coordinate. Binding together, unifying and harmonizing all activity and effort.
5. To control. Seeing that everything occurs in conformity with established rule and expressed command.

Origin of the 14 Principles of Management. History

Henri Fayol (1841-1925) was a French management theorist whose theories in management and organization of labor were widely influential in the beginning of 20th century. He was a mining engineer who worked for a French mining company Commentry-Fourchamboult-Decazeville, first as an engineer. Then he moved into general management and became Managing Director from 1888 to 1918. During his tenure as Managing Director he wrote various articles on 'administration' and in 1916 the Bulletin de la Société de l’ Industrie Minérale, printed his "Administration, Industrielle et Générale – Prévoyance, Organisation, Commandement, Coordination, Contrôle". In 1949 the first English translation appeared:  ‘General and Industrial Management’ by Constance Storrs.

Usage of the 14 Management Principles. Applications

• Change and Organization.
• Decision-making.
• Skills. Can be used to improve the basic effectiveness of a manager.
• Understand that management can be seen as a variety of activities, which can be listed and grouped.

Book: Henri Fayol - General and Industrial Management

Courses about the Principles of Management. Beginners Course Advanced Course Course for Experts

Forum Forum discussions about the Principles of Management. Are Fayol's 14 Management Principles Still Relevant Today? Despite being challenged by various scholars, these principles from Fayol are still relevant in many organisations in Tanzania, what we are doing is just refining those principles in order to suit our... 241   40 comments What is Management? Art, Science, …? Management... Indeed is a great learning and makes many things easy in their own way. Decision-making, organizing, co-ordinating and work not least are the components which come together in management... 214   113 comments What is Organisational Hierarchy? Describe the key management roles and discuss why some roles are considered to be more important or less important at different levels of the organisational hierarchy.... 162   2 comments Management Requires Patience I think managers must be more patient than anybody else in the world, because when making a decision they don't just make a choice such as how cookers do in the kitchen.... 116   3 comments Best Ever Developed on Management These principles are very efficient and they serve as the best principles ever developed for carrying out effective management activities.... 91   8 comments The 10 Principles of Urwick Similar to Fayol's 14 principles although less well-known are the 10 Principles of Organisation by Lyndall Urwick. According to Urwick (Notes on the Theory of Organization, 1952), an organisation is b... 85   Risks in Fayol's 14 Principles of Management What and where are the risks in the 14 principles of management?... 64   6 comments Managers versus Leaders Not all managers are good leaders and not all leaders are good managers. We need to develop both managers and leaders to realize the vision and mission of the company.... 64   119 comments Evolution of Management The way management is evolving keeps managers on their feet. Everyday brings a new management method. As a result the way we manage today you'll be surprised will change by the year 2010.... 63   10 comments Good and Bad Managers... Why don't all managers follow the principles of management? Still they become managers? Why? How?... 60   11 comments POLICE Acronym in Management Can someone explain the terms P. O. L. I. C. E. in management?... 53   8 comments Managers: Born or Made? I think that managers are mostly born. The persons who have inborn, natural managerial qualities are much better in their role as manager than other managers who have acquired the managerial qualities... 44   16 comments Fayol's 5 Management Roles (Functions) Fayol mentioned 5 roles (also called functions, actions): 1. Prevoyance. 2. To organize. 3. To command. 4. To coordinate. 5. To control. Apart from these 5 managerial functions or roles in my vi... 39   6 comments Add #15 Principle: Conformity to the Basic Origin Aristotle noticed that well-being everywhere depends on two things: a choice of the correct goal, and a choice of a correct way of its achievement. In other words, to do the right things in the right ... 37   5 comments What is Prevoyance? Explanation Prevoyance is the function of management which says one must examine the future and draw a plan. How hard is it to forecast what needs to be done in the future? I need a bit of explanation on this, th... 32   7 comments #14. Team Spirit / Esprit de Corps-principle (Fayol) Can someone please come with an further explanation/example how to explain this to students?... 28   19 comments Is Management an Inexact Science? Social sciences are considered inexact. And indeed, the knowledge and study of management is quite an inexact science for many reasons: There is no laboratory for testing the principles of manage... 27   47 comments Organizational Efficiency or Effectiveness? Which is more important for an organization: efficiency or effectiveness? Why?... 20   12 comments Which of Fayol's 14 Principles is Most Important? Hi, I have just a simple question on Fayol: which of his 14 principles do you think is the most important one and why?... 20   5 comments (Why) Do we Need Managers? Why do we need managers? They are a layer of cost and add no real value, so why do we have them? Most specialists left their field to be managers and usually hate it and perform at lower levels than i... 18   48 comments Difference between Adminstration and Management Should't Fayol's principles be called the 14 principles of Administration? Why was 'administration' (in the French language) translated into English in 1949 as 'management'? What differences are there... 17   12 comments #6. Subordination of Individual Interest-principle (Fayol) Who can give me example of Henri Fayol's 6th principle ie. Subordination of Individual Interest. Thanks..... 16   3 comments #1: Division of Work/Labor-principle (Fayol) Let's discuss: What are the benefits of Fayol's "Division of Labor/Work"-principle (Fr: Division du Travail)? Henry Fayol argues that work should be divided among individuals and groups so that they ... 14   15 comments #5. Unity of Direction-principle of Fayol I'm looking for some further explanation and examples of UNITY OF DIRECTION as the 5th principle of Fayol's Principles of management? The 12manage summary says: "People engaged in the same kind of act... 14   6 comments #9. Hierarchy (Scalar Chain)-principle (Fayol) Had Fayol been alive today, he would have modified scalar structure as the hierarchy is different and structures are much more flat today. People are working in different countries on a single project... 13   2 comments #4. Unity of Command-principle (Fayol) According to Fayol's 4th Principle, Unity of Command, I should receive instruction from one boss who is my immediate manager. However I have been instructed by other managers from other department to... 12   17 comments Management Mantras What is the present management mantra practiced in your organisation? A paradigm shift in management may lead to innovations which may lead to new applications. Or are the old management theories sti... 11   12 comments Exactly Where are the 14 Principles of Fayol Located? I am writing an essay which encompasses Fayol's theory and applying it to a modern business. I have a copy of General and Industrial Management to hand but I'm having difficulty to find a reference to... 11   4 comments A Good Organization Run by Monkeys A good organization run by monkeys is still a zoo.... 11   4 comments Are Fayol's Principles of Management also applicable to non-profit organizations? Fayol's principles of management were written having industrial (mining) firms in mind. Obviously these are for profit companies. Are the 14 principles also applicable to non-profit organizations? Wh... 10   11 comments Books by Henri Fayol on Management Has he written any books? I can only find articles about his management style, but no books. Please help.... 9   2 comments 🔥 Using Fayol's Principles of Management as a Checklist How to check the Principles of Management? Maybe most of Fayol's 14 Principles of Management are still necessary for organizations today, but what if we find a few of them can not be used in some kind... 8   1 comments Start a new topic about the Principles of Management Sign up for free

Best Practices The best, top-rated topics about the Principles of Management. Here you will find the most valuable ideas and practical suggestions. 🥇 How to Remember the 14 Principles by Fayol? How to remember the 14 principles of management, if we find them difficult to remember?... 93   24 comments 🥈 Delegation: How to Delegate Effectively? WHAT IS DELEGATION? Fayol's 13nd principle ("Initiative") is related to the management role of delegator. Kreitner (2009) defines "delegation" as: the transfer of decision-making authority to subordi... 49   37 comments 🥉 Need for Employees' Welfare in the Principles It is obvious that in this 14 principles something is missing: the inclusion of "staff welfare". Because after all proper measures have been put in place, and the end-result is achieved, what becomes ... 48   5 comments Difficulties to Apply 14 Principles of Henri Fayol What difficulties can a manager confront today if he/she tried to implement the principles of Fayol as they were originally stated?... 31   9 comments Manager in Conflict with Top Management... Conflicts occur regularly in almost all organisations. Managers having a conflict with top management normally have to accept the decision and command of top management. But quite often, the lower/mi... 18   15 comments Abuse of Delegation | Misuse of Delegating Delegation is a core part of leadership and management, according to what we have learnt from numerous management works. It is often described positively as an effectiveness method or management techn... 15   23 comments

Expert Tips Advanced insights about the Principles of Management. Here you will find professional advices by experts. Consultancy Tips Teaching Tips Practical Implementation Tips Fayol's 16 Management Duties of the Organisation Management Science 1. To aim at giving serious thoughts to activity plans and having them firmly executed. 2. To aim at having employed pe... Fayol's 6 Types of Operations Management Science Fayol wrote that any organisation can be subdivided into 6 types of operations. Each operation is fulfilled by its corre... Mintzberg: 7 Myths on Management Management Development, Leadership Development, Managers versus Leaders, MBA Prof. Henry Mintzberg refutes 7 myths on leadership and management: ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR: One myth about management is t... Fayol's 5 Elements of Administrative Operations (~management) Management Science Fayol wrote any organisation can be subdivided into 6 types of Operations. The sixth one (=Administrative Operations; ~... Fayol's 7 Qualities of Managers Management Science The 7 qualities Fayol expected from managers were: 1. Health and vigour 2. Cleverness 3. Moral qualities 4. General ... Why and How the Functions of Managers Have Changed Modern Management, Management Functions, Management Roles Traditionally, the task of managers would be described or summarized as "getting the work done by others". Nowadays, the... Six Groups of Activities of Henri Fayol Management Science Frederick Taylor basically viewed managers as mere overseers with limited responsibility. Fayol viewed the role of manag... Powell's Support to Fayol's Ideas Management Science Fayol named one of the duties of organization "To set up a unique 'direction' (~top management), skilled and vigorous". ...

Information Sources Various sources of information regarding the Principles of Management. Here you will find powerpoints, videos, news, etc. to use in your own lectures and workshops. Visions on the Roles of Managers, Management Roles, Managerial Roles Management, Leadership, Reflection on What Management Fundamentally is, Workshops, Trainings This superb presentation outlines the roles and tasks that managers perform. The presentation includes views of importan... Scientific Management: Definitions, Theorists and Main Contributions Scientific Management, Taylor, Gannt, Gilbreth, Gulick, Weber, Fayol Presentation about Scientific Management that includes a description of the main theorists their contributions to the th... The Role of Supervisor | Skills of Supervisors Skills of a Supervisor, Supervisor Role, Supervisor Behavior This presentation elaborates on the skills that supervisors need in order to be successful in their business/organizatio... Fayol Principles of Management Principles of Management Short presentation by Saruchi Pandey.... Delegation versus Empowerment Delegation, Employee Empowerment, Situational Leadership, Management Employees want to feel that their work is important and that they contribute to the success of the company. As a manager... Theory of Bureaucracy (Weber) and the 14 Principles of Management (Fayol) Administration, Management, Early Administrative Management Theories, 5 Principles, Bureaucracy This presentation presents the 5 Principles of Weber’s Theory of Bureaucracy and Henri Fayol's 14 Principles of Manageme... Leading versus Managing Understanding the differences between Leading and managing Dr. John Kotter gives his opinion on what are the key differences between leading and managing. - Management is a set o... Original Source Document of the 14 Principles of Fayol Management History 'pur Sang' Scan of the section in Fayol's Original Work "Administration Industrielle et Générale" that contains the "Principes et é... Principles of Management Principles and History of Management Presentation by WJ Patterson includes some generic thoughts, observations on management and contains some slides on mana... Young Steve Jobs on the Role of Managers Management, Leadership, Talent Management, Talent Acquisition, Talent Development This video is a nice start for any management course. Jobs shares some ideas on managers (in a high-tech environment) an... Mintzberg Presents 3 Views Towards Management and Decision-making Initial Understanding of Management and Decision Making, Trainings, Workshops Short presentation by Professor Henry Mintzberg on: A. Management as a Practice, in which he argues it is in the center... 10 Differences Between Managers and Leaders Management, Leadership, Development According to Scott Williams, people don't want to be managed, they want to be lead. The 10 simple, but important differ... Brief Overview of the Informal Organization Informal Organization Presentation that elaborates on the concept of informal organization. The presentation includes the following sections: ... Interpretation of the 14 Principles of Management: Comparison of Then and Now Principles of Management Paper by C.A. Rodrigues. This paper compares interpretation Fayol's fourteen Principles of Management today and in the p...

Tools Useful tools regarding the Principles of Management. News Videos Presentations   Books Academic More

Compare with the 14 Principles of Management: POSDCORB  |  Organization Chart  |  Fourteen Points of Management (Deming)  |  Ten Schools of Thought  |  Training Within Industry  |  Eight Attributes of Management Excellence  |  Centralization and Decentralization

Return to Management Hub: Change & Organization  |  Communication & Skills  |  Decision-making & Valuation  |  Human Resources

More Management Methods, Models and Theory