Challenger App

No.1 PSC Learning App

1M+ Downloads

Which major exponent of Classical Theory focused broadly on the organisation structure and management process, unlike Taylor's shop-floor efficiency focus?

AMary Parker Follett

BHenry Fayol

CR. Shelton

DD. Luther Gulick

Answer:

B. Henry Fayol

Read Explanation:

Henry Fayol: A Pioneer in Management Theory

  • Henri Fayol (1841–1925) was a French mining engineer, geologist, and director of mines, who is widely recognized as one of the major exponents of Classical Management Theory.
  • Unlike Frederick Winslow Taylor, whose work concentrated on scientific management and improving efficiency at the shop-floor level (e.g., time and motion studies), Fayol's focus was on the broader aspects of organizational management.
  • Fayol's contributions are significant because he developed a general theory of administration that could be applied to all types of organizations, not just factories.
  • He is best known for his '14 Principles of Management', which are still relevant in modern management practices. These principles include:
    • Division of Work
    • Authority
    • Discipline
    • Unity of Command
    • Unity of Direction
    • Subordination of Individual Interest to General Interest
    • Remuneration
    • Centralization
    • Scalar Chain
    • Order
    • Equity
    • Stability of Tenure of Personnel
    • Initiative
    • Esprit de Corps (Team Spirit)
  • Fayol also identified five primary functions of management: planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating, and controlling. He viewed these functions as universal and essential for effective management.
  • His work, particularly his book 'Administration Industrielle et Générale' (General and Industrial Management), published in 1916, provided a framework for understanding the management process and organizational structure.
  • Fayol's theory is often referred to as 'Administrative Management Theory' or the 'Operational School'.
  • His emphasis on the 'managerial process' and the 'functions of management' distinguished his approach from the task-oriented focus of Taylor.

Related Questions:

Consider the following statements regarding Fayol's classification of activities in an industrial undertaking:

  1. Managerial activities encompass planning, organization, command, coordination, and control, distinct from technical or commercial functions.

  2. Financial activities involve the search and optimum use of capital, while security activities focus on stock-taking and balance sheets.

  3. Fayol emphasized that administrative ability predominates at higher organizational levels, advocating training for all employees.

What was the key conclusion of Joan Woodward’s study on 100 manufacturing firms?

Which principle focuses on the practical manner in which decisions correspond to the existing situation?

Consider the following statements regarding Division of Work by Gulick:

I. The most important principle is Division of Work (specialisation); work division is the foundation of organization and reason for organization.

II. Division of work and integration are the bootstraps by which mankind lifts itself in the process of civilization.

III. Gulick viewed integration as unnecessary, emphasizing only division without any coordinating mechanisms.

The classical theory of administration reached its zenith with the publication of papers by which two key thinkers in 1937?