Explain any three principles of management given by Henry Fayol and three principles of Scientific Management given by Taylor.

Answer – Fayol’s fourteen principles

Henri Fayol, a French mining engineer, developed principles of general administration.

1. Division of work: specialisation improves skill, speed and efficiency in technical and managerial work.
2. Authority and responsibility: the right to issue orders must be balanced with the duty to perform; power without responsibility invites misuse.
3. Discipline: employees and management should respect agreements and rules; good supervision, clear agreements and fair penalties support it.
4. Unity of command: each employee should receive orders from one superior, avoiding conflicting instructions and divided accountability.
5. Unity of direction: activities with the same objective should have one head and one plan.
6. Subordination of individual interest: organisational interest should prevail when it conflicts with personal interest.
7. Remuneration: pay should be fair to employees and affordable to the organisation, supporting a reasonable living standard.
8. Centralisation and decentralisation: the concentration of decision authority should be balanced with subordinate participation according to circumstances.
9. Scalar chain: a clear line of authority runs from highest to lowest rank. A gang plank permits direct communication across equivalent levels in an emergency with appropriate superior awareness.
10. Order: people and materials should occupy their proper places, reducing delay and confusion.
11. Equity: managers should combine fairness, kindness and justice without discrimination.
12. Stability of personnel: avoid unnecessary turnover; allow employees time to learn and perform their roles.
13. Initiative: encourage employees to suggest and carry out useful plans within agreed limits.
14. Esprit de corps: promote team spirit, unity and mutual trust; emphasise “we” rather than personal superiority.

Henri Fayol lived from 1841 to 1925. His work is associated with general administrative management.

Scientific management: meaning and principles

Scientific management replaces customary trial-and-error methods with systematic study to discover efficient ways of working. F. W. Taylor, an American mechanical engineer, emphasised the following principles.

1. Science, not rule of thumb: study each task scientifically to identify the best method instead of relying only on habit or individual judgement.
2. Harmony, not discord: managers and workers should recognise their common interest in organisational prosperity. Mental revolution means a complete change in their attitudes towards one another, favouring cooperation and sharing gains.
3. Cooperation, not individualism: workers should participate in useful suggestions; management should consult them, and both should avoid unnecessary conflict or deliberate restriction of output.
4. Development of every person to greatest efficiency and prosperity: select workers scientifically, match jobs with abilities and provide training so that both workers and the organisation benefit.

The purpose is higher productivity with fairer opportunities, not merely faster work without concern for people.

F. W. Taylor lived from 1856 to 1915. His book The Principles of Scientific Management was published in 1911.