POSDCORB
INTRODUCTION
By: Alberto D. Pena, PH.D
Associate Professor, Ret., University of Connecticut (USA)
Member of the Faculty, MDI, Illinois State University (USA)
POSDCORB-INTRODUCTION
• It is an Acronym summarizing or emphasizing the major roles
of Executives such as Planning, Organizing, Staffing,
Directing, Co-Coordinating, Reporting, and Budgeting.
• The idea was introduced by Henry Fayol, a French
industrialist. 1916.
• It is an offshoot of Industrial Revolution. The concept and
acronym of POSDCORB was developed by Dr. Henry Fayol
(1916), a French industrialist.
POSDCORB-INTRODUCTION
• During his time the industrial revolution is sweeping in Europe
transforming the economies in of different countries from
agricultural based economy into industrial development.
• The industries are managed by industrialists like Dr. Fayol
many of whom are engineers and production specialist.
• This is the first time that management started to be recognized
as a separate expertise. POSDCORB was influenced by
French Administration Theories because of Henry Fayol.
POSDCORB-INTRODUCTION
• Later on Dr. Frederick Taylor, a contemporary of Dr. Fayol,
tried to transform management into a scientific body of
knowledge based on proven principles.
• Dr. Taylor launched the so-called scientific management which
dominated the academic studies and research. The Scientific
Management is to be followed or guide the executives and
managers.
• POSDCORD first appeared in a staff paper written by Luther
Gullick and Lyndall Urwick for the Brownlow Committee in
1937.
• It is considered “Classic” in the field of Management.
POSDCORB-INTRODUCTION
• The Brownlow Committee was commissioned by Pres.
Roosevelt to improve the management in the Executive
Branch of the US Government. At this time there was an
attempt to separate Management from Politics but Dr.
Gullick said it is impossible
• In his “Notes on the Theory or Organization” Dr. Luther
Gullick (1938) said that the job of executives can be
summed up as POSDCORB.
POSDCORB-INTRODUCTION
• Dr. Lyndall Urwick (1938), also a member of Brownlow
Committee was the first to introduce the principle of Span of
Control in scientific management which become a part of the
Organizing portion of the POSDCORB.
• Peter Drucker is traditionally known as “Father of
Management” but he was criticized in his introduction of
“human nature” to scientific management. He became
consultants to large corporations but he was also criticized for
emphasizing the “publicness” of management in contrast to
purely private sector management.
POSDCORB-INTRODUCTION
• This is the time when the so-called private sector and public
sector are supposed to have different objectives.
• This is also the time when some management experts are
trying to separate public management from private sector
management.
POSDCORB-INTRODUCTION
• Schumpeter introduced the concept of entrepreneurship as
a factor of economic production and part of management
and should be included in the POSDCORB. Until now the
difference between entrepreneurship and management is
being debated.
• In summary, many Principles of Management derived their
origin from the POSDCORB.
• You cannot draw the organizational chart of an organization
without clear understanding of the POSDCORB.