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The technical and commercial functions of a business are clearly defined, but the same cannot be said of the administrative function. Not many people are familiar with its constitution and powers; our senses cannot follow its workings - we do not see it build or forge, sell or buy - and yet we all know that, if it does not work properly, the undertaking is in danger of failure.

— Henri Fayol

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More quotes by Henri Fayol

To manage is to forecast and plan, to organize, co-ordinate and to control.

The manner in which the subordinates do their work has incontestably a great effect upon the ultimate result, but the operation of management has much greater effect.

There is no one doctrine of administration for business and another for affairs of state; administrative doctrine is universal. Principles and general rules which hold good for business hold good for the state too, and the reverse applies.

Henri Fayol (1917)

[Planning] means both to assess the future and make provision for it.

p. 43 cited in: George A. Steiner (1997)

One could define the administrative department by saying that it includes everything that is not part of the other departments, but one can define it in a more positive manner by saying that it is specifically responsible for

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Henri Fayol (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.