Marx's Theory example essay topic

Karl Marx and Henri Fayol are both pioneers with theories on organizations. After that, the similarities fade as the details of their theories start to differ. Marx's theories deal more with laborers versus the capitalists that employ these laborers whereas Fayol breaks down the divisions of works to help streamline how the hierarchy of the workplace should line up to be most efficient. The two theorize the same idea that the top of the organization is separate from everyone else below them but the gradients of the theories differ dramatically. "Once labor is defined as a cost of production, rather than as a means to achieve a collective purpose for the good of society, workers are disenfranchised from the product of their own work efforts" (Hatch). Marx feels that if labor is going to be treated as a commodity then there is going to be a breakdown in the workplace.

The workers are now being "bought and sold". To keep this from occurring, a check and balance needs to be implemented and for Marx, the answer is labor unions. Marx knows that the two groups are going to be separate no matter what but with a balance in place, the two can coexist. "Society as a whole is more and more splitting into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other: Bourgeoisie and Proletariat" (Marx). Those class distinctions have always existed in some form and will always remain.

This alienation of the proletariat from the bourgeoisie is what Marx fears. "Marx's early position maintain that the theme of alienation, if not central to later Marxist writing, is, at least, clearly in evidence there and perhaps basic to his sociology and his prescriptions for the good world" (Grimes, Simmons). Fayol on the other hand feels that instead of worrying about the segregation of capitalists and laborers, he felt the concern should be how the organization is setup from top to bottom. It is not black and white like Marx sees it. To Fayol, the area is grey from top to bottom. The scalar chain is the superiors ranging from the ultimate authority to the lowest ranks.

The line of authority is the route followed via every link in the chain-by all communications, which start from or go to the ultimate authority. This path is dictated both by the need for some transmission and by the principle of unity of command, but it is not always the swiftest. It is even at times disastrously lengthy in large concerns, notably in governmental ones (Fayol). With dealing with chain of command rather then the Bourgeoisie / Proletariat battle that Marx talked about, Fayol felt that he could streamline an organization to take out the animosity that can exist in Marx's theory. "A chain of authority ensures coordination, discipline, and constancy of purpose" (Handel).

Fayol also believed that his works could be implemented in other parts of life than business. "He firmly believed that the concepts of management are a part of everyday life, and as such, should be included not only in the curriculum of higher education, but also in those primary and post primary schools" (Carter). These theories could be translated from many different aspects of real life and that was important to Fayol's ideals. Marx on the other hand was strictly a student of business structure.

His theory on "alienation [was] in the terms of psychological and sociological categories - powerlessness, isolation, self-estrangement: categories... [seen] exclusively from the personal standpoint of the actor" (Roberts, Stephenson). Marx's fear of this alienation is based strictly in his business model. Being that both Fayol and Marx are theorist in the sociology of organizations, it is interesting to see how both of their theories differ but end up making a like point: there will always be a separation between the top of those in a hierarchy and everyone else below them. Their theories can be argued back and forth all day on how the same or different they may be, but the point exists that both boil down to the separation of the Bourgeoisie and Proletariat..