Q.If an organisation does not provide the right place for physical and human resources in an organisation, which principle is violated? What are the consequences of it?
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →When an organisation fails to place the right people and resources in the right positions, it violates the Principle of Order — one of Henri Fayol’s 14 principles of management — leading to wasted effort, confusion, and inefficiency.
The Principle of Order is rooted in the simple idea that everything and everyone should have a designated place, and that place should be occupied by the right thing or person. Fayol divided this into two parts: material order (for physical resources like tools, machines, and raw materials) and social order (for human resources — employees). Material order means “a place for everything and everything in its place.” Social order means “the right man in the right place.” When an organisation ignores this principle, it creates chaos at both levels.
Think of a factory floor where spare parts are scattered randomly, or a school where a mathematics teacher is asked to teach history because of a staff shortage. In both cases, the Principle of Order is broken. The physical resources are not where they are needed, and human talents are mismatched with roles. Fayol believed that order brings harmony and efficiency — without it, the entire workflow stumbles.
Fayol’s Principle of Order is not about rigid, military-style discipline. It is about thoughtful arrangement — selecting the right person for a job based on skill, and storing materials where they can be accessed quickly. Even a small office can apply this by organising files logically and assigning tasks according to each employee’s strengths.
What are the consequences of violating this principle? They are serious and ripple through the organisation.
- Wastage of time and resources: Employees waste hours searching for tools, documents, or information. Materials may be misplaced, leading to duplication of purchases or production delays.
- Low productivity: When a skilled worker is put in a role that does not match their abilities, output suffers. A talented salesperson stuck in data entry will not sell, and a meticulous accountant forced into client meetings may cause errors.
- Low morale and frustration: People feel undervalued when their talents are ignored. This leads to dissatisfaction, absenteeism, and eventually high turnover. The wrong person in a job also feels stressed and may underperform. …
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