Reference no: EM13136969

Background: 
Globalisation, advances in information technology, increasing pressure from other external forces, and the development of retail and service organisations mean that the management world today is vastly different to that in Henri Fayol's time a hundred years ago. It is difficult to understand therefore how the concepts and theories proposed by Fayol could be of any relevance to managers today. 
TASK: 
Write an academic essay debating/arguing the relevance of Fayol's theories for today's managers.
ASSIGNMENT REQUIREMENTS: 
Compulsory assessment task: Students must complete the assessment task for this unit in order to be considered for a pass grade or better. It is therefore compulsory to submit this assignment. 
Word limit: 2000 words (+ or - 10%; excluding References). 
Relevant learning objectives: On completion of this assignment students should be able to: 
• demonstrate a critical understanding of some aspects of the historical evolution of management; 
• critically analyse some of the ongoing and contemporary issues facing managers in organisations; 
• collect, compare and integrate information from different sources; 
• research, summarise and critically assess that information about a management issue.
Sources: Students must use at least six (6) of the following academic references (the articles are available on the Portal) for this assignment. 
Brunsson, KH 2008 'Some Effects of Fayolism', International Studies of Management & Organizations, vol. 38, no. 1, Spring, pp. 30-47. 
Crainer, S 2003 'One hundred years of management', Business Strategy Review, vol. 14, issue 2, pp. 41-49. 
McLean, J 2011 'Fayol - standing the test of time', British Journal of Administrative Management, Spring, pp. 32-33. 
Parker, LD & Ritson, PA 2005 'Fads, stereotypes and management gurus: Fayol and Follett Today', Management Decision, vol. 43, no. 10, pp. 1335-1357. 
Parker, LD & Ritson, PA 2005 'Revisiting Fayol: Anticipating Contemporary Management', British Journal of Management', vol. 16, pp. 175-194. 
Pryor, MG & Taneja, S 2010 'Henri Fayol, practitioner & theoretician - revered and reviled', Journal of Management History, vol. 16, issue 4, pp 489-503. 
Rodrigues, CA 2001 'Fayol's 14 principles of management then and now: a framework for managing today's organisations effectively', Management Decision, vol. 39, issue 10, pp. 880-889. 
Spatig, L 2009 'Rediscovering Fayol: Parallels to Behaviouralist Management and Transformational Leadership', Northwest Business Economics Association Proceedings, pp. 196-199. 
Wren, DA 2001 'Henri Fayol as strategist: a nineteenth century corporate turnaround', Management Decision, vol. 39, issue 6, pp. 475-487. 
Please note there are nine articles listed. You will see from the marking guide/rubric (at the end of this paper) that the more sources appropriately used, the more marks will be available to students. In other words, six (6) is the minimum number of sources required for this paper. 
Citations and references: all ideas from reading sources must be correctly cited and referenced using the Deakin author-date (Harvard) system. 
HOW TO PRESENT AND FORMAT YOUR ASSIGNMENT 
Your paper should have the follow sections: 
1. Introduction (approximately 200 words): 
A good introduction includes: a background of the topic, the aim/purpose of the essay, and the approach you will take (overall essay structure). You need to include statements here about what aspects of Fayol's concepts/theories your essay will discuss. 
2. Body (approximately 1600 words): 
• With reference to the readings, provide appropriate and relevant information about the concepts/theories that you will be discussing in your essay 
• Explore how the minimum of 6 sources weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of the concepts/theories you have chosen to discuss generally, and in particular impacts on managers and employees 
• Explain how Fayol's theories/principles may be viewed differently today from the past 
• Explore the context of management situations and consider to what extent Fayol's concepts/theories are relevant for today's management. (Note the close link between this dot point, and the previous dot point). 
3. Conclusion (approximately 200 words): 
• Sum up the findings of your research discussed in your paper about Fayol's contributions for today's management. 
• Make sure you summarise the core arguments you have presented and provide explicit links back to the essay topic/statement. 
4. References 
• You are expected to prepare for the assignment by reading and citing at least 6 academic references from the articles provided. You may use all of the articles provided, and/or may choose other additional readings from other peer-reviewed journal articles. 
• Wikipedia, answers.com, cheat websites, personal opinion without source support, and social networking sites is NOT permitted. Assignments that use this information/provide personal opinion without source support will be returned unmarked. If unsure, consult your lecturer or the Academic Skills Advisor. 
ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: 
1. Students are required to submit their assignment (in MS Word) online in a designated area in week 7 of the unit on the Portal. 
2. Information about online submission will be placed on the Portal in week 6 of the unit (week beginning Monday 7 April). Please note that a hard copy of the assignment is not required, only the online submission will be accepted. Students are expected however to keep a soft copy of their assignment in addition to submitting the paper online. 
3. Students MUST ensure the following: 
• the paper is typed, with 1.5 line spacing 
• page numbers are included 
• a title page with title of your essay, your name, id, class, lecturer name, and submission date 
• your document must be named using your id, first name, and family name as the following example indicates: 
• John Smith, ID SMIJO1302 would submit as SMIJO1302_John Smith 
4. No extensions will be considered for assignment submission due dates without the approval of the Unit Coordinator. If you believe you have circumstances beyond your control that make you eligible to apply for an extension, you must apply directly to the 
Unit Coordinator, Terry Gibson, via e-mail: [email protected] before the due date for assignment submission. Supporting documentation must be provided. 
5. Late submissions without an approved extension will attract a penalty of 10% per day. Assignments submitted more than one week after the due date, where an extension has not been approved, will not be marked. Contact your lecturer if you have any issues related to writing and/or submitting this paper. 
ASSIGNMENT RESULTS: 
Your results and assessor's comments will normally become available to you within 15 business/working days of the due date (unless an extension has been granted). Marks can be accessed from the Portal once the Unit Coordinator has released the marks (ie after all marking has been completed). Papers will be returned to students via the Portal. You will be advised by e- mail when marked papers are ready for you to access. 
Before results are returned to students, the unit team will moderate the marking process to ensure that the same marking standards are applied to all students within the unit. If necessary, you may request additional information from your lecturer. 
Please note that it is compulsory to submit Assignment 1, but it is not compulsory to pass Assignment 1 in order to pass the unit. 
If you wish to discuss your essay results with your lecturer, you MUST ensure you have the marked grade form and can justify why you believe the grade to be incorrect. This means you will need to provide evidence from the Grade Form (at the end of the assignment) to support your claim before a review will be conducted. Your lecturer will then examine your essay to determine if a review of the grade is warranted. Should your lecturer ascertain so, your lecturer will notify the Unit Coordinator. A request for a review of results will only be accepted by the Unit Coordinator from a lecturer within 5 days of the marks being released. Please remember, receiving a disappointing result is not a justification for review. 
WRITING AND REFERENCING SKILLS: 
In this academic essay students have the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of management through a practical and realistic approach to their basic research methods and discussion of relevant research materials. 
Researching, writing and referencing skills are valuable in all facets of management practice. Effective writing is an essential skill for good managers because written documents provide busy executives with accurate information and appropriately informed viewpoints from reliable sources. Poorly researched work leads to poor decision-making, thereby compromising management. 
Students are also expected to be constructively critical and analytical when they write about what they have read. This ensures that the conclusions drawn are not biased. 
Please note that all ideas within your essay which have been obtained from your sources, will need to be cited and referenced using the Deakin author-date (Harvard) system. This system is used for other assignments submitted for Faculty of Business and Law units. 
These are the reasons why you need to develop your academic writing skills and learn the art of constructive essay writing. 
It is highly recommended that you obtain access to the following booklet published by the Deakin Division of Student Life (you can access this source through the AS Moodle site): 
Gaspar, M & Shepherd, M 2009, Guide to assignment writing and referencing, 4th edn, Geelong, Deakin University. 
The following Deakin weblinks also provide relevant and helpful explanations and examples. Most of these can be downloaded if you wish: • Division of Student Life: 'Referencing using the author-date (Harvard) system': https://www.deakin.edu.au/current-students/assets/resources/study-support/study- skills/assign-ref.pdf • Division of Student Life 'How to Reference Your Writing': https://www.deakin.edu.au/current-students/study-support/study-skills/handouts/refer- plag.php. • Division of Student Life: Resources: Reading and Writing' including different writing styles: https://www.deakin.edu.au/current-students/study-support/study- skills/handouts/writing.php 
Please make use also of the Academic Skills Moodle tab to assist you with research and writing skills. Morag Burnie, MIBT Academic Skills Advisor, is available to help you further with academic learning skills. You are urged to attend the Academic Skills Workshops held each week to assist you with this assignment, and with all your academic studies at MIBT. Check the Academic Skills Moodle tab for further information.