Henri Fayol
Henri Fayol was born in Istanbul in 1841. When he was 19, he worked as an engineer at a large mining company in France. He eventually became the director, at a time when the mining company employed more than 1,000 people and through the years, Fayol began to develop what he considered to be the 14 most important principles of management. Essentially, these explained how managers should organise and interact with staff. Fayol's "14 Principles" was one of the earliest theories of management to be created, and remains one of the most comprehensive. He's considered to be among the most influential contributors to the modern concept of management, even though people don't refer to "The 14 Principles" often today.
Below I have broken down the 14 principles of management identified by Henri Fayol.
There are of course Advantages and Disadvantages of Henri Fayol's theory, in which I have listed below.
Examples of advantages;
Fayol was the first person to actually give a definition of management which is generally familiar today namely 'forecast and plan, to organise, to command, to co-ordinate and to control'. Fayol also gave much of the basic terminology and concepts, which would be elaborated upon by future researchers.
Examples of disadvantages;
Fayol was describing the structure of formal organizations, as well as absence of attention to issues such as individual versus general interest, remuneration and equity suggest that Fayol saw the employer as paternalistic and by definition working in the employee's interest. Fayol does mention the issues relating to the sensitivity of a patients needs, such as initiative and 'esprit de corps', he saw them as issues in the context of rational organisational structure and not in terms of adapting structures and changing people's behaviour to achieve the best fit between the organisation and its customers. Many of these principles have been absorbed into modern day organisations, but they were not designed to cope with conditions of rapid change and issues of employee participation in the decision making process of organisations, such as are current today in the early 21st century.
In relation to Event Management within the Music Industry, Fayol's theory is more directed towards a manager/team member's role. This is made clear when Fayol talks about 'Unity of Direction' making sure that the whole team is working under the direction of one superior in able to deliver the best results without communication breakdown within the team. This is extremely important when working within the music industry and managing an event, everyone that is working on an event must be aware of what their specific role within the event and must be able to report to a delegated supervisor if and when is needed, to ensure that their responsibilities are being carried out to required standard.
"Whereas unity of comand required that each employee should receive orders from one superior only, unity of direction could be summed up in the phrase ‘one head, one plan’. In Fayol’s own words, ‘it’s the condition essential to unity of action coordination of strength and focusing of effort." Sheldrake, John. Management Theory. Second Addition. Thompson Learning. 2003. Page 48.
Below I have broken down the 14 principles of management identified by Henri Fayol.
- Division of Work – When employees are specialised, output can increase because they become increasingly skilled and efficient.
- Authority – Managers must have the authority to give orders, but they must also keep in mind that with authority comes responsibility.
- Discipline – Discipline must be upheld in organizations, but methods for doing so can vary.
- Unity of Command – Employees should have only one direct supervisor.
- Unity of Direction – Teams with the same objective should be working under the direction of one manager, using one plan. This will ensure that action is properly coordinated.
- Subordination of Individual Interests to the General Interest – The interests of one employee should not be allowed to become more important than those of the group. This includes managers.
- Remuneration – Employee satisfaction depends on fair remuneration for everyone. This includes financial and non-financial compensation.
- Centralization – This principle refers to how close employees are to the decision-making process. It is important to aim for an appropriate balance.
- Scalar Chain – Employees should be aware of where they stand in the organization's hierarchy, or chain of command.
- Order – The workplace facilities must be clean, tidy and safe for employees. Everything should have its place.
- Equity – Managers should be fair to staff at all times, both maintaining discipline as necessary and acting with kindness where appropriate.
- Stability of Tenure of Personnel – Managers should strive to minimize employee turnover. Personnel planning should be a priority.
- Initiative – Employees should be given the necessary level of freedom to create and carry out plans.
- Esprit de Corps – Organisations should strive to promote team spirit and unity.
There are of course Advantages and Disadvantages of Henri Fayol's theory, in which I have listed below.
Examples of advantages;
Fayol was the first person to actually give a definition of management which is generally familiar today namely 'forecast and plan, to organise, to command, to co-ordinate and to control'. Fayol also gave much of the basic terminology and concepts, which would be elaborated upon by future researchers.
Examples of disadvantages;
Fayol was describing the structure of formal organizations, as well as absence of attention to issues such as individual versus general interest, remuneration and equity suggest that Fayol saw the employer as paternalistic and by definition working in the employee's interest. Fayol does mention the issues relating to the sensitivity of a patients needs, such as initiative and 'esprit de corps', he saw them as issues in the context of rational organisational structure and not in terms of adapting structures and changing people's behaviour to achieve the best fit between the organisation and its customers. Many of these principles have been absorbed into modern day organisations, but they were not designed to cope with conditions of rapid change and issues of employee participation in the decision making process of organisations, such as are current today in the early 21st century.
In relation to Event Management within the Music Industry, Fayol's theory is more directed towards a manager/team member's role. This is made clear when Fayol talks about 'Unity of Direction' making sure that the whole team is working under the direction of one superior in able to deliver the best results without communication breakdown within the team. This is extremely important when working within the music industry and managing an event, everyone that is working on an event must be aware of what their specific role within the event and must be able to report to a delegated supervisor if and when is needed, to ensure that their responsibilities are being carried out to required standard.
"Whereas unity of comand required that each employee should receive orders from one superior only, unity of direction could be summed up in the phrase ‘one head, one plan’. In Fayol’s own words, ‘it’s the condition essential to unity of action coordination of strength and focusing of effort." Sheldrake, John. Management Theory. Second Addition. Thompson Learning. 2003. Page 48.