Monika Cerusici
BUS170 T-Th 2
Journal #8
Chapter Eight presents Fayol’s Principles of Organization which are based on:
Unity of Command, Hierarchy of Authority, Division of Labor, Subordination of the
individual interests to the general interests, Authority, Degree of centralization, Clear
communication channels, Order, Equity, and Esprit de corps. Ideally each organization
should be able to follow these ten principles of organization; however it is not always
possible.
The principle of unity of command states that each individual should report to
only one boss, then it asks the question of what would happen if two bossed gave one
employee two different assignments. Unfortunately employees in general do not have the
opportunity to choose their boss or bosses. Many organizations, such as restaurants for
example have a few managers who are all at the same level, and then there are assistant
managers who dictate as well. Working various shifts, one probably would have contact
with each manager, not only one; therefore would have to report to more than one person,
and each manager probably has a different managerial style. In this case it is quite
possible for one employee to have multiple assignments at the same time.
Hierarchy of authority is commonly present in every organization, all employees
know whom they are to report to, even if it is multiple people, this kind of scale of
authority is established right away. Division of labor is also a principle that on most
occasions should be followed, however often is not. It is true that each person in the
workplace is specialized in something specific; however there have been multiple times
in which I have had to do other peoples work with which I am unfamiliar with; for
example: as a swimming instructor I have had to teach a land aerobics class multiple
times because the instructor is ill and there is no other substitution. Although I am
familiar with this field I am by far not specialized in it, and when I am assigned to teach
this class, another employee must be found to teach my swimming class and most likely
they are not specialized in my field of work. This creates a snowball effect in which the
entire organization in put into a very disorganized situation in which everyone has to be
moved to different areas, and nobody is in their own specialized area.
Next in the principle of subordination of the individual interests to the general
interest; as a whole this is a very beneficial principle to the organization as a whole,
however there are times in which the individual must put their own interests before those
of the team. Recently my mother has had extensive health complications and had needed
me to attend to her continuously, consequently I have been out of work and missing
lessons, putting the children in my classes at a disadvantage of working with an
unfamiliar instructor, and the rest of the workforce at a disadvantage of being short on
staff. Yet my individual situation was much more important than that of the organization.
Authority is a principle rule, and should always be prominent. Managers not only
have the right to give orders, but it is their responsibility to let everyone in the
organization know what they are to be doing at all times. If this principle is not carried
out the organization will eventually fall apart because there will be workers who are not
completing their tasks because they do not know what they are.
The degree of centralization varies greatly depending on an organization. Each
organization should have more than one boss. There should be a top boss, then an
assistant, and then perhaps people under the assistant who have decision-making powers.
Even in a small organization, it is difficult for one person to keep track of exactly what
twenty other people are doing at all times.
Clear communication channels and order go hand in hand; clear communication
channels will create order. If an individual is able to reach everyone else on their team or
in their firm quickly, it increases the chances that they can have all of the information and
materials they need immediately, speeding up the process as a whole.
Lastly, equity and esprit de corps are also closely linked. A manager, who treats
their employees with justice and respect, will be treated with justice and respect, allowing
the organization to avoid conflict build trust, and have a feeling of unity. Also if
everyone in the workforce has a positive attitude towards each other, chances that they
have a sense of pride and loyalty increase.