Compare and contrast of Fayol and Weber

Max Webber and Henri Fayol were both key figures of the 20th century and had similar ideas of the administrative management theories but each one also had different strategies to achieve the same goal. The similarities between the two is that they both provided clear and appropriate set of guidelines that managers can use to create a work setting that makes efficient and effective set of guidelines managers can follow. They both also had concerns for equity and established appropriate links between performance and rewards that are central themes in contemporary theories of motivation and leadership.

Although both men worked at achieving a common goal they did have their differences in the principles they used. Max Webber believed in the theory of bureaucracy and had five different principles on how to achieve authority. He also set rules , norms and what he called SOPs or standard operating procedures. These rules, norm, and SOPs provided behavioral guidelines that increased the performance of the bureaucratic system because they specified the best ways to accomplish organizational tasks and these rules, norms, and SOPs are still present in today's business world. Henri Fayol on the other hand identified fourteen principles of management and well he maintained Weber's principles, he added recognition of the pivotal role played by informal authority.

Both men were pivotal in creating systems that companies around the world use today.

References: Jones, G. R., & George, J. M. (2009). Contemporary Management Sixth Edition. Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, 10020: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

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