Fayol vs Taylor

Correct answer: A. Fayol, because his ideas drew on his experience in senior industrial management

The correct answer is A. Fayol’s administrative theory was shaped by his experience in senior industrial management. Taylor is chiefly associated with scientific management and work-study methods, rather than the administrative experience described here.

Correct answer: A. He developed systematic, study-based methods for improving the performance of work.

The correct answer is A. Taylor is known for applying systematic study to work in order to improve efficiency, including analysing tasks and developing better methods. The other options refer to ideas associated with Fayol or to a different field.

Correct answer: A. Fayol’s discipline concerns respect for rules and agreements; Taylor’s scientific methods use systematic study and standards to guide work.

The correct answer is A. Fayol’s discipline means that employees and managers respect the rules and agreements governing the organisation. Taylor’s scientific approach instead studies work systematically and uses standards to guide how it is performed. The two ideas address different aspects of management.

Correct answer: A. Unity of command may be weakened

When several specialists give instructions, workers may face conflicting directions and be unsure who is accountable. This can weaken unity of command, the Fayol principle that an employee should receive orders from one superior. It is a possible risk, not an inevitable result.

Correct answer: A. The appropriate balance between centralisation and decentralisation depends on the situation

Fayol did not prescribe complete centralisation or complete decentralisation for every organisation. The appropriate degree depends on factors such as the organisation’s size and circumstances, so managers should seek a suitable balance.

Correct answer: A. Efficiency can improve by removing unnecessary motions and providing suitable rest

Motion study identifies and removes unnecessary movements, while fatigue study helps determine suitable rest pauses and working conditions. Together, these can reduce wasted effort and fatigue, improving efficiency.

Correct answer: A. Reducing divisive departmental rivalry and fostering shared identity and cooperation

Esprit de corps means promoting team spirit and unity. Encouraging a shared identity and cooperation across departments puts this principle into practice; standard time and differential wage rates are associated with Taylor’s methods, not this Fayol principle.

Correct answer: A. Because selection should be based on ability and job requirements

Scientific selection matches a worker’s abilities to the requirements of the job. Choosing someone because of family ties rather than suitability would contradict this merit- and job-based approach.

Correct answer: A. A fair and cooperative work environment

Equity calls for fair and just treatment of employees, while esprit de corps encourages team spirit and unity. Together, these principles support a fair and cooperative work environment.

Correct answer: A. Workers’ initiative and experience may be ignored

Taylor’s planning department separates planning from execution, but a rigid approach that excludes workers’ input may overlook their experience and initiative. The issue is not planning itself, but ignoring workers’ contribution.

Correct answer: C. Fayol — Functional foremanship

Functional foremanship is a technique associated with Taylor’s scientific management, not a principle of Fayol. Fayol is associated with unity of command, while time and motion studies are Taylor’s techniques.

Correct answer: A. Direct contact should be authorised and the relevant superiors should be kept informed

Fayol’s gang plank allows direct communication between employees at the same level to save time, but it does not abolish the scalar chain. The relevant superiors should permit the contact and be kept informed.

Correct answer: A. When only output quantity is stressed and quality and cooperation are neglected

Taylor’s differential piece-rate system pays a higher rate to workers who meet or exceed the set standard and a lower rate to those who fall short. If management focuses only on quantity, workers may neglect quality or cooperation, creating an adverse effect.

Correct answer: A. Consider the authority and resources provided along with the responsibility assigned

A is correct because Fayol’s principle calls for authority to be commensurate with responsibility. An appraisal is fairer when it considers whether the person had suitable authority and resources to carry out the assigned responsibility.

Correct answer: A. Systematically improve work to reduce unnecessary effort and waste

A is correct because both approaches seek more efficient work and less waste through systematic improvement. This is a broad similarity; the two approaches are not identical.

Correct answer: A. The employee has a clear source of orders and a shared work objective

A is correct. Unity of command means an employee should receive orders from one superior, while unity of direction means activities with the same objective should follow one plan. Together, they clarify reporting and coordination toward a shared goal.

Correct answer: A. Develop each employee to their greatest efficiency and prosperity

A is correct. Taylor’s principle of developing each worker to their greatest efficiency and prosperity highlights employee selection, training, and development; it shows that his approach was not limited to machines or methods.

Correct answer: A. Order concerns the proper place for resources and people, while method study concerns the best way to perform a task

A is correct. Fayol’s order principle calls for the right person and material to be in the right place. Taylor’s method study examines how a task is performed to identify an efficient method.

Correct answer: A. They are broadly applicable guides, but are applied according to the situation

A is correct. Fayol’s principles are general guides for management, not rigid rules. Managers apply them with judgement, taking the circumstances into account.

Correct answer: A. Make sufficient representative observations and account for normal working conditions

A is correct. Time study depends on measured observations of the task. Repeated, representative observations under normal working conditions give a sounder basis for estimating standard time than a guess or a single unmeasured attempt.

Correct answer: A. Fayol focuses more on administration of the whole organisation, while Taylor focuses on task and shop-floor efficiency

A is correct. Fayol developed a broad administrative view concerned with managing the organisation, whereas Taylor concentrated more on improving the efficiency of individual tasks and shop-floor work.

Correct answer: A. Guidance is provided according to different areas of expertise

A is correct. In Taylor’s functional foremanship, different specialist supervisors guide workers on different aspects of the job. A modern specialist team can share this use of expertise, although the two arrangements are not necessarily the same.

Correct answer: A. Scalar chain and time study

A is correct. Scalar chain is one of Fayol’s principles of management, while time study is a technique associated with Taylor’s scientific management.

Correct answer: A. Initiative and unity of direction

The organisation encourages employees to show initiative by developing and carrying out plans. The common plan for activities with the same objective reflects unity of direction, which calls for one plan under one head for such activities.

Correct answer: A. Taylor’s scientific selection was applied, but Fayol’s scalar chain remained unclear

Selecting the right person for a job reflects Taylor’s scientific approach to employee selection. An unclear chain of authority and communication points to a weakness in Fayol’s scalar chain, which describes the line of authority through the organisation.