Final answer:
The claim is false, as Fayol's views were based on personal experiences while Mintzberg's were grounded in empirical observations of managers’ day-to-day activities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that a key difference between Fayol's and Mintzberg's views of management is that Fayol's view was based on empirical observations of managers in action is false. Henri Fayol, a French mining engineer and director, developed his theory based on personal experience and observation, which led to his classical management theory. In contrast, Henry Mintzberg based his views on actual observations of what managers do in their day-to-day operations, leading to his identification of ten managerial roles categorized into three areas: interpersonal, informational, and decisional.
Fayol introduced principles such as division of work, authority and responsibility, and unity of command, forming the basis of the administrative management perspective. Mintzberg's empirical research on the other hand, offered a more hands-on view of the manager’s role, suggesting that real-life management is less about the high-level planning Fayol emphasized and more about the dynamic, on-the-ground activities.