Fayols “Principles” in a University Library - 2030 Words

In reading through Management Basics for Information Professionals by Evans and Ward, one of the theories of management that stood out to me was the â€Å"administrative approach† (2007). Henry Fayol was one of the main proponents of this approach, though there were many others as well. Fayol â€Å"divided organizational activities into five major groups† and also identified 14 principles of management and believed that â€Å"management is a skill one can learn, rather than a talent received at birth† (Evans Ward, 2007). In the context of my personal experience I found that it might be interesting to compare my experiences as a student employee in the UC Berkeley library to some of the more applicable aspects of Fayols principles of management. I†¦show more content†¦Another of Fayols principles had to do with authority and responsibility. In the department of the main stacks, there was a staff librarian who acted as our manager, as well as a group of s tudents that performed supervisory tasks. In my last year or so in the library I joined this group, and was given the task of doing some of the day-to-day tasks that kept our department running. These included opening and closing procedures, keeping statistics of the work done by students, assigning hourly jobs, training, and so on. The important idea in this principle is that â€Å"giving orders and being responsible must go together† (Evans Ward, 2007). I would argue that in our department, while we were responsible for making sure the work was done as well as assigning jobs, if there was a difficult situation the supervisors were able to refer to the staff librarian for support. For example, if one student was chronically underperforming or late, we would notify the librarian. If one considered the group of supervisors plus the librarian who managed us to make up the â€Å"management† of the department, then in whole authority and responsibility did go together. I would also say that instead of thinking of student supervisors as not being as responsible as they could be, it would be more plausible to say that the hourly assignment of jobs and other such tasks were ones that were delegated to them by the librarian, because while he was more responsible, there was no way that he couldShow MoreRelatedCharles Fayol And Max Weber Relevant Today s World1303 Words   |  6 Pagesstructures are more focused on corporate cultures and trying to maximize employees productivity. As well as environmental factors such as Technological advances and Diversity. ‘Born in Germany in 1864, Max Weber was a precocious child. He went to university and became a professor, but suffered a mental breakdown in 1897 that left him unable to work for five years. In 1905 he published his most famous work, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. He returned to teaching in 1918 and died inRead MoreThe Roots of Modern Management Principals 2279 Words   |  10 PagesModern management principals are still based upon Fayol’s functions, Mintzberg’s roles and Katz ‘s skills even though they have been around for a long time in our dynamic environment. This is evident if you firstly understand what Fayol’s functions, Minzberg’s roles and Katz’s skills actually are and you look into new management texts and businesses. Henri Fayol was general manager of a large coal mining company in 1916 he published a book outlining his 5 management functions but it was not untilRead MoreCompare and Contrast Semco to a ‘Classical Organisation’, I.E. One Which Has a Traditional Approach to Industrial Relations.2284 Words   |  10 Pageshis father’s business, Semler went on to defy the status quo of organisational structure and developed a less rigid organisational structure based on three core principles – employee participation; profit sharing and free flow of information. The essence of task one of this write-up is to attempt to understand these ingenious principles by Semler and see how it stands against the age long classical organisation highlighting its similarities, if any and the differences. 2.0 Semco and the ClassicalRead MoreThe Theory Of Management Theory And Practice2180 Words   |  9 Pagesto do a job as determined by an expert (Fleming, 2010). In 1911, he published The Principles of Scientific Management; his manifesto on how applying scientific method to the management of workers could improve productivity. His time studies called for optimizing the way in which a task was performed and simplified the task enough that workers would increase productivity. To succeed, Taylor advocated four principles necessary to increase productivity: 1. The development of a true science of managementRead MoreRelevance of Classical Management Theories in Modern Business Environment3214 Words   |  13 Pagesaverage employee, but that they have a positive duty to supervise staff and organise their work activities. Thus, it was only applied to low-level routine and repetitive tasks that could be managed at supervisory level. Taylor developed four principles of scientific management: 1. A ‘best’ methodology should be developed scientifically for each task. 2. Managers should select the best person to perform the task and ensure that the best training is given. 3. Managers are responsible for ensuringRead MoreRelevance of Classical Management Theories in Modern Business Environment3208 Words   |  13 Pagesthe average employee, but that they have a positive duty to supervise staff and organise their work activities. Thus, it was only applied to low-level routine and repetitive tasks that could be managed at supervisory level. Taylor developed four principles of scientific management: 1. A ‘best’ methodology should be developed scientifically for each task. 2. Managers should select the best person to perform the task and ensure that the best training is given. 3. Managers are responsible for ensuringRead MoreMGT1FOM Key Management Theorists26579 Words   |  107 PagesEnglish Government and organ grinders most of all.’’ The First Computer Babbage’s scientific output was phenomenal. He demonstrated the world’s first practical mechanical calculator, his difference engine, in 1822. Ninety-one years later, its basic principles were being employed in Burroughs’s accounting machines. Babbage had governmental support in his work on the difference engine, but his irascibility cost him the support of government bureaucrats for his analytical engine, a versatile computer thatRead MoreLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 PagesLibrary and Information Center Management Recent Titles in Library and Information Science Text Series Library and Information Center Management, Sixth Edition Robert D. Stueart and Barbara B. Moran United States Government Information: Policies and Sources Peter Hernon, Harold C. Relyea, Robert E. Dugan, and Joan F. Cheverie Library Information Systems: From Library Automation to Distributed Information Access Solutions Thomas R. Kochtanek and Joseph R. Matthews The Complete Guide to AcquisitionsRead MoreManagement and Mcd2040 Managing People6266 Words   |  26 PagesMCD2040 Managing People and Organisations Equivalent to MU:MGC1010, MGF1010, MGW1010 Unit Outline Prepared by: Department of Management Faculty of Business and Economics Monash University Produced and Published by: Monash College Pty. Ltd. Clayton, Victoria, Australia, 3800 First Published: January 2009 Revised Printed: February 2013  © Copyright 2013 NOT FOR RESALE. All materials produced for this course of study are protected by copyright. Monash students are permitted to use theseRead MoreEssentials of Contemporary Management7571 Words   |  31 PagesContemporary Management [Second Canadian Edition] Gareth R. Jones Texas AM University Jennifer M. George Rice University Graham Fane Capilano College Toronto Montrà ©al Boston Burr Ridge, IL Dubuque, IA Madison, WI New York San Francisco St. Louis Bangkok Bogotà ¡ Caracas Kuala Lumpur Lisbon London Madrid Mexico City Milan New Delhi Santiago Seoul Singapore Sydney Taipei To Matthew and Nicholas, students of business, and Meghan, a student of the arts. G. F. Contemporary Management