Five Functions of Management by Henri Fayol

5 Functions of Management by Henri Fayol

Henri Fayol was one of the first theorists to define functions of management in his 1916 book “Administration Industrielle et Generale”. Henri Fayol identified 5 functions of management, which he labelled: planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating and controlling. Henri Fayol theorized that these functions were universal, and that every manager performed these functions in their daily work

 

Below, a short description of the five functions is presented.

 

Planning

Managers must plan for the future, set strategic objectives, and ensure that future goals are met. As a result, managers must assess potential risks to the organization and create the company's future operational and strategic landscape.

Organizing

Managers must efficiently manage their staff, as well as structure and align the organization's activities.Managers must also train and hire the correct individuals for the job, as well as maintain a workforce that is sufficiently qualified and educated.

 Commanding

Managers must supervise subordinates in their daily work, and inspire them to achieve company goals. Likewise it is the responsibility of managers to communicate company goals and policies to subordinates. The commanding of subordinates should always be consistent with company policies, and every manager should treat subordinates in line with the standards of the company.

 Coordinating

Managers must harmonize the company's procedures and operations, which means that each organizational unit's work should complement and enrich the work of others.

Controlling

Managers must ensure that company actions are consistent with the organization’s overall policies and goals. The manager is also responsible for observing and reporting deviations from plans and objectives, as well as taking steps to address any possible deviations

 

The 5 functions put forward by Henri Fayol may therefore not completely represent the total complexity faced by managers, and the normative approach may be too rigid to illustrate which functions managers need to perform in modern contemporary companies and organizations. However, the 5 functions presented by Henri Fayol give a structured overview of several tasks needed to be performed by all managers, which gives managers an initial overview of which main functions they should be focusing on in their daily work.