14 Principles of Management: Meaning
Principles of Management play an important role in establishing a sound organization. They give a thorough approach to how an organization must adhere to the working standards. Every organization tends to follow these 14 principles of management due to their holistic offering by them. Hence, management principles serve as guidelines for the smooth functioning of the organization and maintain decorum in it. They are built, focusing on both employer and employee without bias toward either party.
Who gave the 14 Principles of Management?
14 principles of Management are the basic structure and guidelines given by Henri Fayol that are crucial for proper management in organizations. Henri Fayol is popularly known as the Father of Modern Management for his immense cooperation in the field of management. Through 14 Principles of Management, Henri Fayol transformed how an organization functions.
What are the 14 Principles of Management?
The crux of the article comes in a role now as we are heading to discuss Henri Fayol 14 Principles of Management with examples.
- Division of Work
- Authority and Responsibility
- Discipline
- Remuneration
- Unity of Command
- Unity of Direction
- Subordination of Individual Interest
- Scalar Chain
- Centralization
- Order
- Equity
- Initiative
- Stability
- Esprit De Corps
Division of Work - The first among Henri Fayol 14 Principles of Management is the division of work. Fayol believed that work should be adequately divided among individuals for more accuracy and efficiency. An individual should not be bombarded with huge work, instead work should be among individuals based on their skills.
For example, under an organization's marketing department, one individual should do social media handling, another must do copywriting, and work should be divided instead of burdening a single person with all the responsibilities.
Authority and Responsibility - Authority gives an individual power to get the work done efficiently whereas responsibility holds them liable for any discrepancy, if it is there. For example, the manager of an organization has both the authority and responsibility of handling the workforce.
Discipline - Maintaining a standardized work environment in an organization is extremely important because it helps in the easy flow of communication and a decorum among colleagues is maintained. It ensures that work is done timely, work ethics are followed and work-life balance is established.
Remuneration - Remuneration stands is one of the most important among 14 principles of Fayol. It talks about both monetary as well as non-monetary recognition as both play equally important roles in motivating the employees to work beyond their limits. The remuneration principle of management must be implemented by keeping a balance between employee's contributions in the organization.
Unity of Command - Henri Fayol's Principles of Management thoroughly talks about how an organization can work easily without complications. Unity of Command states that there should be only one boss of an employee and an employee must adhere to his/her commands only. The multiple reports to various managers will make the process and work complicated. Hence, every employee should have one reporting manager/boss. For example, the social media team must report to the social media manager or SEO manager instead of reporting to multiple managers.
Unity of Direction -The unity of direction principle of management states that every individual in an organization must have one single goal and everybody must come together to achieve that particular goal. It helps in avoiding discrepancies in the work.
Subordination of Individual Interest - Subordination of individual interest states that employees must work together in the interest of an organization instead of prioritizing their personal interests.
Scalar Chain - Scalar chain, another Henri Fayol principle of management, states that the communication in an organization must take place in a hierarchical order and employees must be aware of their immediate manager. Either from top to lowest or vice versa, a chronological order of communication must be followed.
Centralization - Henri Fayol believed that decision-making authorities must be neutral. An organization must ensure to establish a proper balance between its hierarchy and the methodology in which power is divided. This is one of the prime things addressed in Fayold's 14 Principles of Management.
Order - A sound and healthy work environment will lead to better productivity. This is the main focus of Fayol’s 14 principles of management that a good working environment majorly contributes to the effectiveness of employees.
Equity - Henri Fayol believed that every person working in an organization deserves a healthy work environment with equal treatment. The organization must ensure that no discrimination based on age, sex, or gender, takes place as this will lead to dissatisfaction among employees.
Initiative - The initiative is directly associated with the feeling of motivation among employees that comes when their ideas are heard and respected. The initiative principle of management states that employees have the freedom to present their ideas and opinions on the subject matter.
Stability - Fayols 14 principles of management also focus on the fact that there must be job security for employees in an organization only then they will be able to work with full focus and their productivity will be enhanced.
Esprit de Corps - Among the 14 principles of Henri Fayol, the last one which is esprit de corps means unity is strength. It states that all the employees have a sense of mutual understanding and trust among themselves and they must acknowledge each other. Employees must be aware of the fact that with their unity, they can accomplish all the goals.
14 Principles of Management Advantages
Henri Fayol's 14 principles of management are very important for the organization. Below are the major advantages of principles of management -
- Authority and Responsibility - It ensures that managers are accountable for their actions creating a sense of accountability.
- Discipline - It helps maintain standards and procedures that keep the system in order and reduce interruptions.
- Unity of Command - It makes sure there is no confusion as employees get orders from only one boss.
- Unity of Direction - It means all activities will be directed towards the common goals ensuring concordance and coherence.
- Subordination of Individual Interest - General Interest puts individual interests behind those of the organization thus avoiding conflict.
- Remuneration - It ensures equitable pay, which contributes to employee contentment leading to increased motivation.
- Centralization & Decentralization - It creates a balance between effective decision-making while enabling flexibility at different levels.
- Scalar Chain - It is a clear chain of command that sees effective communication flow freely throughout an organization’s structure.
- Order - It means efficient use of resources, reduced wastage, and higher productivity levels.
- Equity - It guarantees fair treatment of workers resulting in a good working environment or loyalty.
- Stability - Employment duration reduces turnover, leads to long-term employment, and retains professionals.
- Innovation - It is what initiative emphasizes to encourage staff to make their own decisions on the best ways of doing their work.
- Esprit de Corps - It is the unity that makes a team feel belongs hence enhancing teamwork and collaboration.
14 Principles of Management Conclusion
The 14 principles of management formulated by Henri Fayol are the time-tested bedrock for successful organizational management. These principles focus on specialization, accountability, discipline, unity, and fairness which are important for enhancing productivity, efficiency, and employee satisfaction. When these principles are adopted organizations can establish a well-organized and integrated work culture that encourages creativity, teamwork, and achievement over time. Fayol's principles of management still apply in today’s world thus assisting managers to deal with intricate issues surrounding modern organizational dynamics as they strive to meet their strategic goals.