Henry Fayol: The Life And History Of Henry Fayol

Introduction (150 words)

History of Henri Fayol (250 words)

First and foremost, we will briefly go over Fayol’s life, work, achievements and this theory in order to know more about where Fayol’s theories originate.

Henry Fayol was born in 1841 in Istanbul, turke where he was a French mining engineer. Fayol quickly climbed the ranks of the heirachy due to his technical expertise and at the age of 26 deputed as manger of Commentary Coalfield. Six years later he was placed in charge of several colliers and in 1888 he became Managing Director of Comambault.

Up till Henri Fayol, management was considered as a practical art rather than part if social science that could be taught academically. It was believed that it could only be learned and mastered through practical learning and there was no academic institute for imparting managerial training. This frame of mind coupled with his experiences compelled Fayol to put pen to paper and in 1916, Fayol published his book on management named ‘Administration Industrielle at Generale’

The book drew on his views on the correct management of organisations and the people within them. Fayol realized that manareail skills are needed in order for a business to be successful and therefore it should be taught in schools. Henri Fayol outlines the following five ‘elements’ of management that are foresight, organisation, command, coordination and control. He recommended that all organizations should carve out a plan by defining its objectives, programs and goals. To him planning was looking ahead and developing a foresight in the light of a company’s resources, nature of work and future trends. He also stressed the need of long term planning and suggested that it must supplemented by multiple small p...

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...d functions of Fayol are still in use as “the past exists in a reciprocal relationship with the present” (Bedeian,2004, p94) demonstrating that todays management theories are product of the pass. When delving into the management system today you can see that they resembles that of Henri Fayol, as Fayol’s principles in management are not only guidelines for aspiring mangers but also described in contemporary management theories in order for a mangers in todays age to be effective and efficient in work.

Henri Fayol’s theories display strong links to the management systems we use in todays age. Fayol’s theory has brought up the concept of the ‘role’ of management and the relationships within the organization while still have a higher control. This system of management is still relevant in the 21st century as it used by most organizations.

Conclusion (200 words).