Principles of Management Test - 2

Henri Fayol (1841-1925) was a French management theorist whose theories concerning scientific organisation of labour were widely influential in the beginning of twentieth century.

Henry Fayol is considered as father of General Management.

• Fayol was the first to identify four functions of management – Planning, Organising, Directing and Controlling although his version was a bit different – Plan, Organise, Command, Coordinate and Control.
• Based largely on his own experience, he developed his concept of administration.

• Pure or Exact science principles can be tested in laboratories as these are not applied on human behaviour.
• Pure or Exact science principles are applied on objects.
• The phenomenon of an apple falling from a tree towards the ground is explained by the law of gravity which was tested in laboratories also.In the same way Principles of  Physics chemistry and other subjects of science can be tested in laboratories.

• Functional foremanship is not a principle of scientific managemenet or principle given by Taylor. it is a technique of scientific management.
• In this techniqueTaylor identified a list of qualities of a good foreman/supervisor and found that no single person could fit them all. This prompted him to suggest functional foremanship through eight persons

Principles of management are significant or important because of following reasons :

1.Providing managers with useful insights into reality

2.Optimum utilisation of resources and effective administration

3.Scientific decisions

4.Meeting changing enviornment requirements

5.Fulfilling social responsibility

6.Management training, education and research

F.W. Taylor is considered as father of Scientific Management. 

• He proposed scientific management as opposed to rule of thumb.
• He broke up human activity into small parts and found out how it could be done effectively, in less time and with increased productivity.
• It implies conducting business activities according to standardised tools, methods and trained personnel in order to increase the output, improve its quality and reduce costs and wastes.

• Principles of management cannot be tested in laboratories as these principles are applied on human behaviour.
• Principles of management are formed by experience and collective wisdom of managers as well as experimentation.
• These can be applied and tested in real life situation rather than in laboratories.

• Mental revolution involves a change in the attitude of workers and management towards one another from competition to cooperation.
• Management and workers should realise that they require one another.

1. Management should share a part of surplus with workers.
2. Workers should also contribute their might so that the company makes profits.

• Taylor called for complete mental revolution on the part of both management and workers in Harmony, Not Discord principle which means:
• Management should share the gains of the company, if any, with the workers.
• At the same time workers should work hard and be willing to embrace change for the good of the company.

Henri Fayol propounded 14 Principles of Management.

Based largely on his own experience, he developed his concept of administration. The 14 principles of management propounded by him which are as follow:

1. Division of work
2. Authority and Responsibility
3. Discipline
4. Unity of command
5. Unity of direction
6. Subordination of Individual Interest to General Interest
7. Remuneration of Employees
8. Centralisation and Decentralisation
9. Scalar chain
10. Order
11. Equity
12. Stablility of Personnel
13. Initiative
14. Espirit de corps