Fayolism Literature

Interesting literature.

One of the great management thinkers of the 20th century was Henri Fayol (1841-1925). Orignally educated at the St. Etienne School of Mines, he started his career at a mining company, Compagnie de Commentry-Fourchambeau-Decazeville. As CEO from 1888 to 1918, he made the company one of the most successful in France.

In so doing, he evolved what became known as the Administration School of Management, detailed in a book, Administration industrielle et generale, published in 1916. The book had unprecedented impact, and "Fayolism" revolutionised business in France. In contrast to Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915), the American engineer who evolved the principles of scientific management that influenced industries in America as well as in other countries, including the USSR, Fayol set forth general principles that were useful in a broad range of organisations as well as in government.

Fayolism remained little known outside France until 1949 when his book was translated into English and published under the title "General and Industrial Management". The book, which still is in print, became one of the most influential management books of the 20th century.