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A century old and still visionary: Fayol's innovative theory of management

Author

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  • Armand Hatchuel

    (CGS i3 - Centre de Gestion Scientifique i3 - Mines Paris - PSL (École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris) - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - I3 - Institut interdisciplinaire de l’innovation - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Blanche Segrestin

    (CGS i3 - Centre de Gestion Scientifique i3 - Mines Paris - PSL (École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris) - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - I3 - Institut interdisciplinaire de l’innovation - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres)

Abstract

Based on historical data and a seminal text never translated into English, we present an original interpretation of Henri Fayol's (1841-1925) administrative theory. This interpretation, which is consistent with the comments that Fayol later presented about his 'General and industrial administration' treatise, brings out his pioneering contribution to management studies. Fayol made the 'unknown' introduced by science into industry the central tenet of modern administration. He foreshadowed major aspects of today's innovation management. More fundamentally, Fayol laid new foundations for the field of management sciences. He drew from the political and philosophical works of the Enlightenment to develop a series of original concepts (in French: prévoyance, perfectionnement, programme, inconnu, corps social) that were difficult to interpret and to translate. We maintain that Fayol's administrative science is a theory of a 'creative/political' rationality that still, today, offers better theoretical and explanatory support for management science than economic and bureaucratic theory.

Suggested Citation

  • Armand Hatchuel & Blanche Segrestin, 2019. "A century old and still visionary: Fayol's innovative theory of management," Post-Print hal-02441273, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02441273
    DOI: 10.1111/emre.12292
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://minesparis-psl.hal.science/hal-02441273v1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

    Fayol; administrative theory; organization theory; management history; innovation management;
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