A company moves its newly appointed staff out of their posts every few months, before they get reasonable time to show results. Which result does Fayol link with ignoring the principle involved here?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Employees feel insecure and tend to leave, so recruitment, selection and training costs go up.
Option (1) Employees get orders from two superiors, so authority is undermined and discipline is in jeopardy. — Incorrect. Fayol links this result with breaking unity of command, where an employee takes orders from two superiors. The company here moves staff out of posts.
Option (2) Employees feel insecure and tend to leave, so recruitment, selection and training costs go up. — Correct. Moving new staff before they can show results ignores stability of personnel. Fayol says selected staff should stay at their post for a minimum fixed tenure. Such adhocism makes employees insecure, they tend to leave, and recruitment, selection and training cost becomes high.
Option (3) Employees lose the team spirit of unity and harmony, so coordination is lost and objectives are hard to reach. — Incorrect. Loss of coordination follows when esprit de corps, team spirit, is ignored. Moving staff too soon is a matter of tenure.
Option (4) Employees feel they are treated unfairly, so their loyalty and devotion to the firm go down. — Incorrect. Loyalty and devotion are what Fayol links with equity, fair treatment of all employees. Here nobody is singled out; all new staff are moved too soon.
NCERT (2026-27 Edition): “(xii) Stability of Personnel: “Employee turnover should be minimised to maintain organisational efficiency”, according to Fayol. Personnel should be selected and appointed after due and rigorous procedure. But once selected they should be kept at their post/ position for a minimum fixed tenure. They should have stability of tenure. They should be given reasonable time to show results. Any adhocism in this regard will create instability/insecurity among employees. They would tend to leave the organisation. Recruitment, selection and training cost will be high. So stability in tenure of personnel is good for the business.” |