Henri Fayol pioneered Management philosophy by propounding fourteen principles of management. These formed the very foundation of management thought and even after more than a century these timeless principles hold good even today. In fact, management gurus have based their built their management theories and based their management research building upon these fourteen principles.

Henri Fayol’s principle number 14 is esprit de corps. This term is a French expression which in English refers to ‘team spirit’ and ‘team work’. In fact esprit de corps is the essence of unity and therefore closely connected with ‘unity is strength ‘.

Fayol strongly advocated the need of team spirit within the organisation and also recommended that all employees must consider themselves as an integral part of the organisation.

It is now widely acknowledged that when employees identify with their employer company they develop a feeling of belonging which among other things contributes to the achievement of shared organisational goals. Moreover, the sense of togetherness helps team members perform with greater efficiency and positive attitude towards their work.

The two theories involved in this principle are:  (a) Unity is strength, and (b) Unity among the staff is the foundation of success in any organisation.  The principle of Esprit De Corps endorses the view that  both the management and workers should work together to accomplish the organisational objectives. It goes without saying that well-co-ordinated team contribution is always better than the contribution of several individuals.

Positive impacts of this principle:

1. The group goals are achieved easily.
2. There is a development of team spirit for greater feeling of satisfaction.
3. The morale of the employees in these circumstances always remains high.
4. Cooperation and Coordination within the organisation is ensured.

The Consequences of lack of this principle are as follows:

1. Non achievement of the organisational objectives.
2. Organisational Conflict as well as a confused work environment in the organisation.
3. Lacks of optimum participation from the employees who do not perform to their full potential.

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