Who is traditionally credited with introducing the five functions of management?

• A. Frederick Taylor
• B. Henri Fayol
• C. Peter Drucker
• D. Mary Parker Follett

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is a classic framework for what managers do. Henri Fayol first described a set of five universal management functions in the early 1900s: planning, organizing, commanding (directing), coordinating, and controlling. This arrangement presents how a manager thinks through goals, resources, guidance, alignment across parts of the organization, and performance feedback. Fayol’s contribution sits in contrast to Frederick Taylor, who focused on scientific management and efficiency, and to later thinkers like Peter Drucker and Mary Parker Follett, who emphasized different aspects of management such as objectives or human relations. Because Fayol articulated this clear five-function structure, he is traditionally credited with introducing them.