ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of the book. The book describes the study of the Commentry-Fourchambault et Decazeville Company, where Tsuneo Sasaki was the first to write about the company and Donald Reid wrote a historiography of the Decazeville coal miners in which he studied the view of the miners and their unions as well as the role played by corporate management, including Henri Fayol. It considers all establishments irrespective of their locality. The period it covers is more restrained, limited to the twenty-six years between Fayol's nomination as managing director in 1888 and the outbreak of World War I in 1914. The book places on the relationship between Fayol's theory and the actions he took as a manager. It explores the five 'elements of management' identified by Fayol such as plan, organize, coordinate, command and verify, and the six functions of the company namely accounting, commercial, financial, technical, security and administration.