Practicing Success

Target Exam

CUET

Subject

Business Studies

Chapter

Principles of Management

Question:

Functional foremanship is an extension of which of the following Principle of management?

Options:

Division of work

Authority and responsibility

Discipline

Unity of command

Correct Answer:

Division of work

Explanation:

The correct answer is option 1- Division of work.

Functional foremanship is an extension of  'Division of work' Principle of management. 

Functional foremanship is an extension of the principle of division of work and specialisation to the shop floor. Each worker will have to take orders from these eight foremen in the related process or function of production. Foremen should have intelligence, education, tact, grit, judgment, special knowledge, manual dexterity, and energy, honesty and good health. Since all these qualities could not be found in a single person so Taylor proposed eight specialists. Each specialist is to be assigned work according to her/his qualities.

 

OTHER OPTIONS

  • Authority and responsibility- According to Fayol, "Authority is the right to give orders and obtain obedience, and responsibility is the corollary of authority. The two types of authority are official authority, which is the authority to command, and personal authority which is the authority of the individual manager." Authority is both formal and informal. Managers require authority commensurate with their responsibility. There should be a balance between authority and responsibility. An organisation should build safeguards against the abuse of managerial power. At the same time, a manager should have necessary authority to carry out his responsibility.
  • Discipline- Discipline is the obedience to organisational rules and employment agreement which are necessary for the working of the organisation. According to Fayol, discipline requires good superiors at all levels, clear and fair agreements and judicious application of penalties.
  • Unity of command- According to Fayol there should be one and only one boss for every individual employee. If an employee gets orders from two superiors at the same time the principle of unity of command is violated. The principle of unity of command states that each participant in a formal organisation should receive orders from and be responsible to only one superior. Fayol gave a lot of importance to this principle. He felt that if this principle is violated “authority is undermined, discipline is in jeopardy, order disturbed and stability threatened”. The principle resembles military organisation. Dual subordination should be avoided. This is to prevent confusion regarding tasks to be done.