assignment of authority

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Delegation of Authority - Meaning, Elements and its Process

A manager alone cannot perform all the tasks assigned to him. In order to meet the targets, the manager should delegate authority.

Delegation of Authority means division of authority and powers downwards to the subordinate .

Delegation is about entrusting someone else to do parts of your job. Delegation of authority can be defined as subdivision and sub-allocation of powers to the subordinates in order to achieve effective results.

Elements of Delegation

Authority must be well-defined. All people who have the authority should know what is the scope of their authority is and they shouldn’t misutilize it. Authority is the right to give commands, orders and get the things done. The top level management has greatest authority.

Authority always flows from top to bottom . It explains how a superior gets work done from his subordinate by clearly explaining what is expected of him and how he should go about it.

Authority should be accompanied with an equal amount of responsibility. Delegating the authority to someone else doesn’t imply escaping from accountability. Accountability still rest with the person having the utmost authority.

A person who is given the responsibility should ensure that he accomplishes the tasks assigned to him. If the tasks for which he was held responsible are not completed, then he should not give explanations or excuses. Responsibility without adequate authority leads to discontent and dissatisfaction among the person.

Responsibility flows from bottom to top . The middle level and lower level management holds more responsibility. The person held responsible for a job is answerable for it. If he performs the tasks assigned as expected, he is bound for praises. While if he doesn’t accomplish tasks assigned as expected, then also he is answerable for that.

Accountability can not be delegated . For example, if ’A’ is given a task with sufficient authority, and ’A’ delegates this task to B and asks him to ensure that task is done well, responsibility rest with ’B’, but accountability still rest with ’A’.

The top level management is most accountable. Being accountable means being innovative as the person will think beyond his scope of job. Accountability, in short, means being answerable for the end result.

Accountability can’t be escaped. It arises from responsibility .

For achieving delegation, a manager has to work in a system and has to perform following steps : -

Delegation of authority is the base of superior-subordinate relationship, it involves following steps:-

The managers at all levels delegate authority and power which is attached to their job positions. The subdivision of powers is very important to get effective results.

Responsibility is said to be the factor or obligation of an individual to carry out his duties in best of his ability as per the directions of superior.

Responsibility is very important. Therefore, it is that which gives effectiveness to authority. At the same time, responsibility is absolute and cannot be shifted.

Accountability, on the others hand, is the obligation of the individual to carry out his duties as per the standards of performance. Therefore, it is said that authority is delegated, responsibility is created and accountability is imposed.

Accountability arises out of responsibility and responsibility arises out of authority . Therefore, it becomes important that with every authority position an equal and opposite responsibility should be attached.

Therefore every manager,i.e.,the delegator has to follow a system to finish up the delegation process. Equally important is the delegatee’s role which means his responsibility and accountability is attached with the authority over to here.

Relationship between Authority and Responsibility

Authority is the legal right of person or superior to command his subordinates while accountability is the obligation of individual to carry out his duties as per standards of performance Authority flows from the superiors to subordinates, in which orders and instructions are given to subordinates to complete the task.

It is only through authority, a manager exercises control. In a way through exercising the control the superior is demanding accountability from subordinates.

If the marketing manager directs the sales supervisor for 50 units of sale to be undertaken in a month. If the above standards are not accomplished, it is the marketing manager who will be accountable to the chief executive officer. Therefore, we can say that authority flows from top to bottom and responsibility flows from bottom to top.

Accountability is a result of responsibility and responsibility is result of authority. Therefore, for every authority an equal accountability is attached .

Differences between Authority and Responsibility

  Related Articles

• Line Organization
• Line and Staff Organization
• Functional Organization
• Importance of Delegation
• Principles of Delegation

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Authorship/Referencing - About the Author(s)

The article is Written and Reviewed by Management Study Guide Content Team . MSG Content Team comprises experienced Faculty Member, Professionals and Subject Matter Experts. We are a ISO 2001:2015 Certified Education Provider . To Know more, click on About Us . The use of this material is free for learning and education purpose. Please reference authorship of content used, including link(s) to ManagementStudyGuide.com and the content page url.

• Organizing - Introduction
• Importance of Organizing
• Principles of Organizing
• Classification of Organizations
• Delegation of Authority
• Centralization and Decentralization
• Delegation and Decentralization

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Delegation for the win! 6 steps to empower and get more done

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What is the meaning of delegation?

Central elements of how to delegate authority

The importance of delegation, how to delegate responsibility.

6 steps to effective delegation in management

Delegation of authority case studies

Delegation of authority brings greater success.

To be an effective leader, it's important to learn the art of delegation.

One of the most difficult transitions for leaders to make is the shift from doing to leading. New managers often struggle with this, but even more seasoned leaders can default to doing.

Let’s break down what delegation of authority is and how you can do it effectively in your workplace.

If you want to do a few small things right, do them yourself. If you want to do great things and make a big impact, learn to delegate.  John C. Maxwell

What is the meaning of delegation?

The delegation of authority refers to the division of labor and decision-making responsibility to an individual that reports to a leader or manager.

It is the organizational process of a manager dividing their own work among all their people. It involves giving them the responsibility to accomplish the tasks that are delegated to them in the way they see fit.

Along with responsibility, they also share the corresponding amount of authority. This ensures that tasks can be completed efficiently and that the individual feels actually responsible for their completion.

On one level, delegation is just dividing work into tasks that others can do.

At its best, delegation is empowering people to do the work they are best suited to. It allows them to invest themselves more in the work and develop their own skills and abilities. It also allows the manager to do other important work that might be more strategic or higher-level.

In other words, delegated authority is more than just parsing out work. It is truly sharing responsibility, ownership, and decision-making. Delegated authority is shared authority.

Delegating authority can also improve efficiency by making more employees accountable for their own work and activities. Less time and energy is spent on monitoring and micro-managing employees who are capable and competent. Your team becomes more capable and able to achieve higher performance as a result. 

Delegation is about entrusting another individual to do parts of your job and to accomplish them successfully.

There are three central elements involved in the delegation of authority:

1. Authority

In the context of a company, authority is the power and right of an individual to use and allocate their resources efficiently.

This includes the ability to make decisions and give orders to achieve the organizational objectives and goals .

This component should always be well-defined. Everyone with authority should know the scope of their authority.

Essentially, it is the right to give a command, meaning the top-level management always has the greatest authority.

There is a symbiotic relationship between authority and responsibility . So, authority, especially authority in management, should always be accompanied by an equal amount of responsibility if the task is to be completed successfully.

Similarly, there has long been a relationship between power and influence. Learn what this relationship should look like in our article: Power versus influence: How to build a legacy of leadership .

2. Responsibility

This refers to the specifics and scope of the individual to complete the task assigned to them.  

Responsibility without adequate authority can lead to:

• Dissatisfaction
• Frustration for the individual

While authority flows from the top-down, responsibility flows from the bottom-up . Middle management  and lower-level management hold more responsibility.

3. Accountability

Unlike authority and responsibility, accountability cannot be delegated. Rather, it is inherent in the bestowment of responsibility itself.

Anyone who sets out to accomplish a task and take on a job in a company becomes accountable for the outcome of their efforts.

Accountability, in short, means being answerable for the end result. Accountability arises from responsibility.

Authority flows downward, whereas accountability flows upward. The downward flow of authority and upward flow of accountability must be the same at each position of the management hierarchy.

Delegating has been shown to improve task efficiency and benefit the organization in ways that aren't obvious at first. 

A study by Harvard Business Review determined that delegating can actually  increase organizations’ income and overall efficiency .

Not only does  delegation empower others in the organization , but it also helps optimize the performance of the group.

Delegating empowers your team, builds trust, and motivates .

Thoughtful delegation, with support, is also a way to stretch and develop people within the work. This is often more powerful than through periodic professional development.

And for leaders, it helps you learn how to identify who is best suited to tackle tasks or projects.

As outlined in a  Harvard Business Review article , one team leader adopted a delegation strategy and made the shift from simply being busy to being productive .

Of course, delegating tasks can also lighten your workload. But  according to Dr. Scott Williams , delegating does much more than just get stuff off your plate.

For one, the people who work for you will be able to develop new skills and gain knowledge. This prepares them for more responsibility in the future.

Williams writes:

“Delegation can also be a clear sign that you respect your subordinates’ abilities and that you trust their discretion … Employees who feel that they are trusted and respected tend to have a higher level of commitment to their work, their organization, and, especially, their managers.”

Delegation empowers teams  by enabling them to demonstrate their capability to take on new work.

There are several ways you can transfer responsibilities to employees depending on the needs of your workplace.

You can use the following types of delegation of authority to assign tasks to various team members in the workplace :

Departments

You can delegate the supervision of a particular department to another employee. For example, if you’re a CEO, you could delegate authority over the entire marketing department to the marketing director.

You can assign an employee or group of employees to complete a specific project from start to finish.

For example, the marketing director could assign an advertising campaign to a project manager or project lead. The project manager then assembles a team of copywriters and designers to collaborate on the project. Each of these collaborators performs specific delegated duties.

The marketing director has delegated authority to the project lead. The project lead might further delegate to the team if they are all skilled and familiar with the intent and desired outcomes. If the collaborators are mostly freelancers or more junior staff, the project lead may delegate tasks but hold onto authority and be more involved in monitoring the various tasks.

Decision making

You can give one of your employees the power to make certain decisions  so that you can focus on other work. For example, as a marketing director, you could delegate authority to the assistant marketing director to hire employees for the department when needed. 

When you need more information, you can ask employees to complete detailed research on the topic. If you’re a marketing project manager, you can ask someone on the demand gen team to research demographic statistics for their advertising campaign’s intended audience. 

Administrative processes

You may also delegate administrative tasks, like data entry, to other employees.

As the marketing manager, for instance, you may assign social media monitoring to a marketing assistant.

6 steps to effective delegation in management

Let’s take a look at six steps you can use to delegate effectively.

1. Plan and prepare

Before starting a formal delegation process, take the time to think through the task and decide who you’ll delegate to and the outcome you want.

In addition, identify a goal and purpose for the delegated functions. Your goal will determine the approach you take.

2. Discuss the task to be delegated

Engage the employee in a specific conversation about the task you want to delegate. Then make sure you both are in agreement regarding the task and the outcome you desire.

This step is useful to set expectations and state the quality of work that needs to be completed.

It is also useful to state why you are delegating the task to that person.

Alex Cavoulacos, the founder of The Muse, says:

“When you select people to delegate to, tell them why you chose them specifically and how you hope to see this help them grow.”

3. Identify the deadline for completion

Make sure your deadline is realistic and achievable.

This is particularly important when delegating a stretch goal or something the person has not done before.

If you think the employee might need some revision time, build it upfront. This ensures that you do not end up at the deadline with an outcome that is different from the one you wanted.

When setting the deadline, consider where the delegated task fits in with the person’s existing job responsibilities.

4. Outline the level of authority

Clearly outline the level of authority you want the person to have. Different levels of authority include the following.

• Recommend . If the risk associated with the task is high or the person has little experience, you may ask the person for a recommendation on a course of action. But you make the final decision.
• Inform and initiate . If the risk associated with the task is moderate and the person has some experience, the person will inform you before they take action.
• Act.  The person has full authority to act on his or her own if either the risk associated with the task is low or the person has plenty of experience.

5. Build in checkpoints or progress reports

Set regular checkpoints right at the beginning to provide support and follow-through. You can use checkpoints to review the work and give feedback or even provide encouragement and coaching.

6. Conduct a final debriefing

The final debriefing consists of a two-way discussion about how the delegated task went.

Debriefing involves a mutual inquiry:

• Ask the employee to reflect on their own performance on the task or project. It helps to ask questions, such as what they thought went well, what they thought could have been better about the project, and what they would do differently if they could do it again.
• Provide feedback on how you think they did
• Have the person provide feedback on your performance as a delegator. Again, specific questions can be helpful: Where could I have been more clear? What other types of support would have been helpful to you?

In order to further illustrate what delegation of authority in management looks like, let’s take a look at three case studies:

Delegation of authority case study 1:

Seth Kehne, the owner of Lawn Butler in East Tennessee, started his company in 1999. He watched it grow slowly from a small side business, then suddenly he realized revenue had doubled.

But because the growth was gradual, he never took steps to put a management system in place for a larger company. With everyone reporting to Kehne, he was stretched thin.

It limited the company’s growth because managers didn’t feel they had the freedom to do their jobs without his approval.

Plus, as the chief executive officer, Kehne was working too many hours “managing instead of delegating.”

“By failing to delegate, I’d been holding back my managers. They didn’t have the complete authority they needed to do what they needed to do.” Kehne says.

Part of the solution was to implement an organizational chart. It included managers’ new duties and delegated responsibilities.

It also reduced the number of people reporting directly to Kehne from more than 20 down to four.

“To be honest, I thought I had already delegated a lot of my responsibilities. But once we had this organization chart in place, I realized that I really hadn’t,” Kehne shared.

As managers and employees assumed their new roles, operations became increasingly smoother. This allowed for even more growth.

“Things just operate better now,” Kehne said, adding sales are up 50% since he implemented the change two years ago.

Other improvements include:

• Better work hours thanks to more efficient operations (at least five to 10 fewer hours per week)
• Positive customer response
• Better employee job satisfaction

Delegation of authority case study 2:

Jane is a senior manager at an IT firm and has a team member Amanda who reports directly to her.

Things have not been smooth for them for the last few weeks. In the last project that Jane delegated to Amanda, she started to feel she would be better off doing it herself.

While Amanda is willing to take on additional assignments, she just doesn’t seem to be willing to be responsible for the assignment. She won’t do anything without first checking in with Jane.

The last time Amanda came into the office, Jane told her to forget what she is doing, and she’ll give it to someone else who can handle the assignment. After Amanda left, Brian realized she didn’t handle that well.

Jane later sat down with Amanda to discuss the situation further and figured out how best to proceed in collaboration with Amanda. She apologized to Amanda for how she handled the last encounter and realized that she had to delegate the tasks differently to Amanda.

She asked Amanda to help her understand why she feels like she cannot take steps to complete an assignment.

Through an honest conversation with Amanda, Jane learned how best to delegate to Amanda.

Through a conversation, Jane learned more about her skills and experiences and where her comfort level is. This will enable Jane to more effectively manage delegated assignments.

Delegation of authority case study 3:

Anthony was promoted to Director of Finance. He had been chosen because he had the ability to fill the role, and his level of thinking and values matched what was needed for success in the position.

Prior to the promotion, he had served as a team leader of purchasing.

Six months later, several of his staff had approached the VP of Finance with their concerns that he was doing too much of the work that could be delegated. The team felt that he didn’t trust them and that they were not learning or growing.

Anthony was given feedback and coached to create an action plan. This included proper delegation of tasks to staff in line with their capabilities.

Anthony created the plan and appropriately delegated large portions of his responsibilities.

Staff members felt a welcome relief and reported that Anthony was now taking the time to coach them. He was explaining clearly and distinctly their results on work assignments.

Anthony had more time to both complete his work and improve his department. This created an increase in employee satisfaction and retention .

Hopefully, this article has given you a better understanding of the role that delegation can play in the success of your business.

Sometimes, letting go is the best thing you can do.

And, delegation can prove to be beneficial for your team and organization as a whole.

If you’re wanting to learn how to delegate work effectively but are struggling with where to start, consider working with a BetterUp coach  to reach your goals.

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Delegation of Authority: A Step-by-Step Guide

Emily Barr July 13, 2020 Alignment & Direction , Leaders , Management Tips

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As we advance in our professional careers and rise in the ranks of our companies, the level of responsibility bestowed  up on us increases and eventually reaches a point where it outpaces the number of hours available in our workday.   Therefore,  staff are assigned to managers and individuals in supervisory positions.  A manager alone cannot perform all the tasks assigned to them. In order to meet their targets, they need to be able to delegate certain tasks to subordinates.   

What is Delegation of Authority?  

The delegation of authority  refers to the division of authority to the subordinate. It is the organizational process of a manager dividing their own work among all their  subordinates and  giving them the responsibility to accomplish their respective tasks. Along with responsibility, they also share the corresponding amount of authority so that responsibilities can be completed efficiently.  

In other words, delegation of authority is the sharing of authority, and the  monitoring  of their efficiency by making subordinates accountable for their doings. Delegation is about entrusting another individual to do parts of your job, and to accomplish them successfully. There are three central elements involved in the delegation of authority:  

1. Authority :  in the context of a company, authority is the power and right of an individual to use and allocate their resources efficiently, to  m ake decisions, and to give orders to  achieve the organizational objectives. This component should always be well defined – everyone with authority should know the scope of their authority.   

Essentially, it is the right to give command, meaning the  top-level  management always has the greatest authority.  Because of the symbiotic relationship between authority and responsibility , authority should always be accompanied by an equal amount of responsibility if the task is to be completed successfully.  

2. Responsibility : this refers to the  specifics and scope  of the individual to complete the task assigned to them.   Like the conflicts that can arise when someone is given too much authority with too little responsibility, responsibility without adequate authority can lead to discontent, dissatisfaction, and frustration for  the individual.  

While authority flows from the top-down, responsibility flows from the bottom-up. Middle and lower-level management hold more responsibility .  

3. Accountability :  this component  refers to the process of providing explanations for any variance in an individual’s performance from the expectations that were set. Unlike authority and responsibility, accountability cannot be delegated. Rather, it is inherent in the bestowment of responsibility itself, and anyone who sets out to accomplish a task and take on a  job  in a company becomes accountable for the outcome of their efforts.   

The Key Features of Delegation of Authority  

Under the delegation of authority, the manager never surrenders their authority completely. Rather, they share certain responsibilities with their subordinates, and delegates how much authority is necessary to complete that  task .  

The delegation of authority can manifest in  many ways , depending on the management style and discretion of the superior. However, there are several key features of the process itself that all managers should keep in mind when delegating authority to their subordinates:  

• Delegation means giving power to a subordinate to  act independently, but within the limits prescribed by the superior . The subordinate must comply with the directions provided to them by the superior, as well as the provisions of the organizational policy, rules, and regulations.   
• Once designated, authority  can be expanded or withdrawn  by the superior, depending on the situation.  
• The manager or superior  cannot delegate the authority which they themselves do not possess . Similarly, they cannot delegate their full authority to a subordinate.  
• The delegation of authority may be oral or  written and  may be specific or general. This is all determined by the extent of authority being given, as well as the timeframe for which that authority is limited to.  
• Delegation of authority is adaptable to various circumstances and business  situations but  must  always comply with all the fundamental rules of an organization .  

The Zuckerberg Example  

The distinction between authority and responsibility  is an important aspect of  understanding  delegation . A great example that illustrates the difference between the delegation of authority, and the delegation of responsibility, can be seen in Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s response to the intense scrutiny Facebook and he faced following the 2016 presidential election.   

In a press release following the first breaking of the scandal, where Zuckerberg set out to address the narrative that Facebook did not adequately protect the personal information of its users, Zuckerberg used the word “responsibility” 17 times . He also said, “I started this place. I run it. And I am responsible for what happens here.”, taking full  responsibility  for the shortcomings of the platform and company.  

Facebook is a multibillion-dollar corporation, with tens of  thousands of  employees responsible for  a multitude of  task s  t hat  keep operations moving. Like any other corporation,  all  those individual tasks have been delegated to someone  other  than Zuckerberg. However, in his statement, he reiterates that while other individuals have responsibilities, he is ultimately the highest authority figure that those responsibilities fall into.   

The concept of delegating authority, while maintaining responsibility, can be  challenging  for managers ,   e specially in times of duress or when faced with obstacles .   However, good managers recognize that with their authority comes the weight of ultimate responsibility, and thus, accountability. Managers should be trained from the outset on the expectation of holding themselves responsible for everything within their purview, regardless of their delegation decisions.  

The Process of Delegation of Authority  

Now that the key distinctions ha ve been made, how do you actually go about delegating authority? As mentioned earlier, the delegation of authority is an adaptable process wherein the manager assigns responsibility to their subordinates, along with the certain authority necessary to accomplish those tasks on the manager’s behalf.   

The specific ways in which the steps unfold can vary depending on the company and the manager, but there are four key stages that the process of delegation always tends to follow:  

1. Assignment of Duties to Subordinates  

Before delegation can begin, the delegator needs to determine the duties which they want the subordinate(s) to perform. It is in this stage that the superior lists the activities they want to be performed by their subordinates, along with the targets to be achieved, and then communicates this to those recruited.  Duties are then assigned to the subordinates, as per their job roles, rankings, and expectations.  

2. Transfer of Authority to Perform the Duty  

The second stage is when the delegator determines the necessary amount of authority required to perform the assigned  duty and  bestows that on the subordinate(s). During this phase, the manager must always ensure that the authority is strictly delegated just to perform the assigned responsibility, since disproportionate authority lends risk to m isunderstanding  by the subordinate.   

3. Acceptance of the Assignment  

It is in this stage that the subordinate can either accept or reject the tasks assigned to them. If the delegate refuses to accept the duty, and subsequently the authority to perform it, it is the  responsibility for the delegator to  either investigate as to why the delegate has refused or to identify  another person who is capable and willing to undertake the assignment. Once the task is accepted by a subordinate, the process reaches its final stage.  

4. Accountability  

The process of delegation of authority concludes when an obligation is established on the part of the subordinate, that indicates the performance expectation and the amount of responsibility and authority assigned to him. Once the assignment is accepted, the subordinate becomes accountable for the completion of the  duty and  is held responsible to their superior for their performance.   

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In Summary  

A manager alone cannot perform all the duties assigned to them. They need to be able to successfully delegate authority and responsibility to their subordinates, dividing their workload effectively so they can reach their goals and ensure constant progression and development for their company. Delegation of authority is all about entrusting someone else to do parts of your own  job and  counting on their successful completion of those duties. This makes the process of delegation of authority one of the most important responsibilities of supervisors and superiors everywhere. If a manager’s subdivision of power and responsibility is distributed ineffectively, there can be serious consequences for the  organization .   

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Delegation of Authority: Explained in Detail

Delegation of Authority is pivotal in modern management, driving efficiency and empowerment. Delegation of Authority refers to the process of entrusting responsibility and decision-making power from one individual to another within an organisation. Read on to find out more about the various facets of Delegation of Authority.

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Through Delegation, leaders can empower themselves, by distributing tasks, fostering employee advancement, and paying more attention on strategic planning. By identifying its fundamental parts and using tried and true management approaches, organisations can achieve productivity growth, build operational efficiency and easily adapt in a changing environment. Let us dive right into the strategies of Delegation and witness how this tremendously improves efficiency while at the same time elevates teamwork within today's ever-evolving economy.

Table of Contents

1) What is Delegation of Authority?

2) Importance of Delegation

3) Essential components of Delegating Authority

4) Features of Delegation of Authority 

5) Steps to effective Delegation in management

6) Conclusion

What is Delegation of Authority?

The concept of Delegation, which entails the transfer of accountability and decision-making powers from one person to another or from one level of Authority to another within a business, plays a vital role in management. It entails the Delegation of responsibility and other activities to subordinates under your supervision with you holding ultimate responsibility for the outcomes. This helps the leaders allocate work, motivate everyone, and be efficient by exploiting everyone’s potential. Delegation, in addition to contributing to the development and independence of employees, also permits the leaders to deal with matters that are strategic and of high importance, thereby increasing the organisational efficiency and enabling the realisation of the set objectives.  

Importance of Delegation

In management, Delegation is one of the essential points because it acts as the basic element upon which the organisational effectiveness and efficiency depends.

a) Workload distribution: Delegation enables leaders to distribute tasks evenly among team members based on their skills, expertise, and availability. By assigning responsibilities appropriately, managers prevent burnout, promote work-life balance, and ensure that no single individual is overwhelmed with tasks.

b) Employee empowerment: Delegation fosters a sense of empowerment among employees by granting them the Authority and autonomy to make decisions and take ownership of their work. This not only boosts morale but also encourages innovation, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

c) Skill development: Delegating tasks provides valuable opportunities for employees to enhance their skills, gain experience, and expand their knowledge base. Through hands-on involvement in diverse assignments, team members can develop new competencies, grow professionally, and advance their careers within the organisation.

d) Time management: Effective Delegation allows managers to prioritise their time and focus on strategic initiatives, leadership responsibilities, and high-impact tasks that require their expertise. By entrusting routine or less critical activities to capable team members, leaders can allocate their time more efficiently and drive organisational growth.

e) Flexibility and adaptability: In today's fast-paced and dynamic business environment, Delegation enhances organisational flexibility and adaptability. By empowering individuals at all levels to make decisions and take actions, organisations can respond quickly to changes, seise opportunities, and address challenges in a timely manner.

f) Leadership development: Delegation is a cornerstone of leadership development, as it encourages individuals to step into leadership roles, exercise sound judgment, and take accountability for their actions. By delegating Authority, managers nurture future leaders, groom successors, and cultivate a culture of leadership throughout the organisation.

g) Team collaboration and cohesion: Delegation promotes teamwork, collaboration, and synergy within teams by encouraging open communication, sharing of ideas, and mutual support. When individuals feel trusted and valued, they are more likely to collaborate effectively, leverage each other's strengths, and achieve collective goals.

h) Organisational growth and success: Ultimately, effective Delegation contributes to organisational growth and success by optimising resource utilisation, maximising productivity, and driving innovation. By leveraging the collective talents and capabilities of their teams, leaders can propel the organisation forward, achieve strategic objectives, and sustain long-term success in a competitive marketplace.

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Essential components of Delegating Authority

The essential elements of Delegation include such fundamental attributes that enable the organisation to perform the responsibilities effectively. Here's a detailed exploration:

Authority is a term which denotes the power or rights to someone who can decide, give commands and take actions within a defined area. It implies emboldening the employees to execute delegated tasks wisely. Well-defined Authority lines of superiors and subordinates help individuals to identify decision-making limits and make informed choices within them.

Responsibility

Responsibility requires one to exercise the duty of doing what one is assigned or expected to do for a desired outcome. It is important for people to know what they are commissioned for and get it done once they are delegated their tasks. This requires spelling out objectivity, team members’ assignments and deadlines respectively. It will be effective to select people for tasks by considering their skills, aptitude, and availability, making sure that responsibilities are aligned with competencies.

Accountability

Accountability means that the one who delegates the tasks need to be responsible, including in both success and failure situations. Although employees are empowered to make decisions, conduct operations and take actions within their defined boundaries, they are responsible too for the results of their actions. This accountability leads to the culture of ownership, and people end up accepting responsibility, taking pleasure in what they do and seek excellence. It is significant for the delegated tasks to have transparent communication channels that clearly state the performance expectations and evaluation criteria for accountability.

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Features of Delegation of Authority

The features of Delegation of Authority encapsulate the defining characteristics that distinguish this management practice and facilitate its effective implementation within organisations:

a) Clear delineation of responsibilities: Assigning tasks and decision-making powers is one from the principles of Delegation. With this clear profile people will know what exactly their functions are, what is their Authority and what is their scope of the responsibility which will reduce the confusion and ambiguity.

b) Establishment of Authority levels: Putting across assignment implies setting specific authorisations levels by using positions, expertise and organisational hierarchy. Such separating structure serves to identify the person who holds the right to decide on the issue, to act, and to perform the tasks given to them, guaranteeing the efficient decision-making and execution thereof.

c) Provision of necessary resources and support: Successful Delegation implies that people should be given the resources, tools, information and support needed to complete successfully their given duties. They may aid through technology, training, mentorship, as well as guidance by supervisors or colleagues.

d) Ongoing monitoring and evaluation: Delegation implies ongoing assessment and control of tasks delegated to follow up on the progress, difficulties, and any feedback to the delegate if necessary. Consistent performance check-ups and appraisals create a reassurance that the assigned tasks are being completed rightly by the people empowered and are aligned to organisational goals.

e) Flexibility and adaptability: Delegation makes organisations more flexible and adaptable by allowing anonymous individuals to step in and make decision and take actions according to the changing circumstances or emergencies. Such flexibility allows organisations to seise every possible opportunity and dodge every threat.

f) Promotion of accountability: Delegation cultivates an environment which puts pressure on people to take tasks that were allocated to them and be accountable for their results. By defining the expectations, making the communication transparent and using performance metrics, we can be sure that the accountability of the delegated roles is ensured.

g) Encouragement of collaboration and teamwork: Delegation includes cooperation and teamwork in organisations’ sets of skills and knowledge of its members. Effective Delegation develops a culture of open communication, encourages dissemination of knowledge, and representation of collaborative objectives.

h) Empowerment of employees: Delegation instils independence in personnel by equipping them with the power and space to take individual decisions and perform action within their delegated duties. This creates a win-win situation not only increases job satisfaction and morale, but also promotes a sense of ownership and motivation to organisational success.

Steps to effective Delegation in management

Effective Delegation in management involves a systematic approach to assigning tasks, empowering employees, and ensuring accountability for outcomes. Here are the steps to achieve successful Delegation:

Strategise and ready yourself

Begin with assessing the tasks and identifying the ones that can be delegated. Consider aspects that include difficulty, urgency, and attributes of team members. Prepare the task descriptions, objectives, and the deadlines for the tasks that you will delegate. Make sure that you make the expectations clear for the delegate.

Open dialogue on delegated tasks

As you delegate tasks to the individuals, communicate with them. Concisely define the goals, actions, and decision-making powers stemming from the Delegation of duties. Be open to questions. Make available the necessary materials and help where needed to ensure comprehension and agreement.

Set clear deadlines for completion

Declare deadlines for completing delegated activities according to their level of importance and urgency. The deadlines help keep procrastination at bay and facilitate the completion of tasks on time. Set deadlines concretely and aid where necessary to comply with them.

Define Authority levels clearly

Mark the boundaries of the scope of Authority allowed to individuals in connection with their activities to be performed under the Delegation. Define clearly their scope of responsibility, limit their Authority by the restrictions or boundaries which are imposed. It eliminates the confusions and makes sure that the takeaways of the decision are in line with the objectives of the business.

Incorporate checkpoints for progress tracking

Have checkpoints or shortcuts to track the progress of task Delegation. Often, assess and track the efficiency based on agreed milestones and dates. This helps you to highlight issues and challenges as early as possible and offer support or guidance so that deadlines are not missed or pushed further.

Conclude with a comprehensive debriefing

Upon successful implementing of the given tasks, conduct a retrospective session to clarify results, give feedback, and find lessons. Recognise accomplishments and rooms for improvement, as well as welcome open conversations to support future tasks. Through this debriefing, the team will grow with constant learning and self-improvement.

Delegation of Authority becomes a fundamental aspect of successful management since it creates an operation efficiency, boosts employee motivation and satisfaction and guarantees the long life of the enterprise. The effective leaders do this through comprehension of basic components and following the proven steps. In this way, leaders can unleash the full potential of their teams, achieving productivity and building accountability and a culture of collaboration.  Authority Delegation acts as a transformer of the organisation impelling the teams to prosperity while sustaining high performance in an ever-changing environment.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When a manager delegates the responsibility of making purchasing decisions within a specified budget to a team member in the procurement department.

Clarity: Clearly communicate tasks, responsibilities, and expectations to the delegate.

Authority: Delegate appropriate Authority to the delegate to carry out the assigned tasks effectively.

Accountability: Hold the delegate accountable for the outcomes of the delegated tasks while providing support and guidance as needed.

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Atlas of Public Management

Delegation of Authority

… a core concept in  Ethics, Rights, and Accountability and Atlas111M

Concept description

Delegation of authority (“delegation”) is defined as the process “by which a person (i.e., delegator), vested with specific statutory authority, assigns a specific power or function to another.”

Delegation is an essential organizational process. Delegation means the assignment of certain responsibilities along with the necessary authority by a superior to her subordinate(s). Delegation does not mean surrender of authority by the higher level manager. It only means transfer of certain responsibilities to subordinates and giving them the necessary authority, which is necessary to discharge the responsibility properly.

Delegation is not a process of abdication. The person who delegates does not divorce herself from the responsibility and authority with which she is entrusted. She remains accountable for the overall performance and also for the performance of her subordinates.

Delegation involves the following three basic elements:

• Assignment of duties to subordinates,
• Granting of authority to enable the subordinates to perform the duties assigned, and
• Creation of obligation on the part of subordinate to perform duties in an orderly manner.

Objectives of the delegation of authority include: a reduction of the excessive burden of work on superiors (e.g., executives and managers); provision of opportunities for growth and self-development to junior executives; establishment of a team of experienced and matured managers for the organization; and improvement of individual and overall organizational efficiency.

Delegation involves four distinct stages. The process of delegation moves through these stages. Note that in the public policy context, the ability to delegate authority may require authorization in statute or policy directive.

• Acceptance of the assignment. In this third stage of the delegation process, the subordinate/delegate has to accept or reject the task assigned to her in the first stage along with the authority given in the second stage.
• Assignment of duties to subordinates. Before delegating, the delegator has to decide precisely the duties which are to be delegated to the subordinate or a group of subordinates. The authority is delegated accordingly and the subordinate is told what is expected from them. The usual practice is to list the functions to be performed by the subordinate(s). If necessary, targets to be achieved by the subordinate(s) are also spelt out. Subordinates may be assigned tasks either in terms of activities or results. The manager (delegator) must communicate clearly her expectations. Competent and responsible employees may be given general guidelines about what needs to be accomplished.
• Transfer of authority to perform the duty. In the second stage of delegation process, the authority is granted by the delegator to her subordinate (delegate). Authority must be delegated strictly to perform the assigned duty. The performance of duties suffers serious setback when required authority is not delegated along with the duty.
• Creation of Obligation / Accountability / Responsibility. The fourth stage in the delegation of authority is the creation of obligation on the part of the subordinate to perform duties assigned to her in a satisfactory manner by using the authority given. When subordinate accepts a task and the authority is given, an obligation is created. She has to perform the assigned task by using the authority granted to her. A subordinate is also responsible/accountable for completing the assigned work. She is held answerable to a superior for the satisfactory performance of that work assigned.

Advantages of delegation of authority

Relieves manager for more challenging jobs: Delegation makes it possible for the managers to distribute their workload to others. Thus, managers are relieved of routine work and they can concentrate on higher functions of management like planning, organizing, controlling, etc.

Leads to motivation of subordinates: Subordinates are encouraged to give their best at work when they have authority with responsibility. They take more initiative and interest in the work and are also careful and cautious in their work. Delegation leads to motivation of employees and manpower development.

Facilitates efficiency and quick actions: Delegation saves time enabling tile subordinates to deal with the problems promptly. They can take the decisions quickly within their authority. It is not necessary to go to the superiors for routine matters. This raises the overall efficiency in an organization and offers better results in terms of production, turnover and profit.

Improves employee morale: Delegation raises the morale of subordinates as they are given duties and supporting authority. They feel that they are responsible employees. The attitude and outlook of subordinates towards work assigned becomes more constructive.

Develops team spirit: Due to delegation, effective communication develops between the superiors and subordinates. The subordinates are answerable to superiors and the superiors are responsible for the performance of subordinates. This brings better relations and team spirit among the superiors and subordinates

Maintains cordial relationships: The superiors trust subordinates and give them necessary authority. The subordinates accept their accountability and this develops cordial superior-subordinate relationships.

Facilitates management development: Delegation acts as a training ground for management development. It gives opportunity to subordinates to learn, to grow and to develop new qualities and skills. It builds up a reservoir of executives, which can be used as and when required. Delegation creates managers and not mere messengers.

The advantages of delegation will not be available easily and automatically. They will be available only when the process of delegation moves smoothly. Problems may develop, if the delegation is not introduced with proper planning and in proper spirit. For example, the authority given to subordinate is inadequate or the subordinate is not competent to discharge the responsibilities assigned or the superior fails to monitor the whole process of delegation effectively. In all such cases, the delegation will be ineffective and the expected advantages will not be available to the organization and also to concerned parties.

Obstacles and barriers to effective delegation of authority

The primary barrier to delegation in the public sector is likely to be an inability to do so due to statute or policy direction from a higher level of authority.

Additional barriers to the effective delegation of authority, both within the public service and outside of it, may include the following:

On the part of managers: unwillingness of the manager to delegate authority; fear of competition; lack of confidence in subordinates; lack of ability to direct; absence of controls that warn of coming troubles; conservative and cautious temperament of the manager or a desire to control subordinates.

On the part of delegates: too much dependence on the manager for decisions; fear of criticism; lack of information; absence of positive incentives; absence of self-confidence; difficulty in decision-making; poor superior-subordinate relations; undue interference by superior; fear of being exposed (“inferiority complex”).

Principles of effective delegation of authority

Knowledge of objectives : Before delegating authority, subordinates should be made to understand their duties and responsibilities. In addition, knowledge of objectives and policies of the enterprise should be provided to them. This will enable them to discharge their roles purposefully in the process of delegation.

Parity of authority and responsibility: This principle of delegation suggests that when authority is delegated, it should be commensurate with the responsibility of the subordinate. In fact, the authority and responsibility should be made clear to the subordinate so that she will know what she is expected to do within the powers assigned to her. There should be proper balance/parity or co-existence between the authority and responsibility. A subordinate will not function efficiently, if authority given to her is inadequate. On the other hand, if the excess authority is given, she may misuse the same. See also “Absoluteness of Responsibility” below.

Unity of command: This principle of delegation suggests that everyone should have only one direct superior. A subordinate should get orders and instructions from one superior and should be made accountable to one superior only. This means ‘no subordinate should be held accountable to more than one superior’. When a subordinate is asked to report to more than one boss, it leads to confusion and conflict.

The scalar principle: The scalar principle of delegation maintains that there should be clear and direct lines of authority in the organization, running from the top to the bottom. The subordinate should know who delegates authority to her and to whom she should contact for matters beyond her authority.

Clarity of delegation: The principle of clarity of delegation suggests that while delegating authority to subordinates, the latter should be made to understand the limits of authority so that they know the area of their operation and the extent of freedom of action available to them.

Absoluteness of responsibility: This principle of delegation suggests that it is only the authority which is delegated and not the responsibility. The responsibility is absolute and remains with the superior. The manager is responsible for the acts and omissions of her subordinates.

Use of exception principle: This principle of delegation indicates that when authority is delegated, it is expected that the subordinate will exercise her own judgment and take decisions within the purview of her authority. She is to be given adequate freedom to operate within his authority even at the cost of mistakes. Unnecessary interference in the work of delegates should be avoided.

Completeness of delegation: This principle of delegation suggests that there should be completeness in the process of delegation. The process of delegation should be taken to its logical end. Otherwise, there will be confusion of authority and accountability.

Effective communication support system: This principle suggests that there should be continuous flow of information between the superior and the subordinates with a view to furnishing relevant information to subordinate for decision-making. This helps the subordinate to make proper decisions and also to interpret properly the authority delegated to her.

Reward for effective delegation: This principle suggests that effective delegation and successful assumption of authority should be rewarded. This will facilitate fuller delegation and effective assumption of authority within the organization.

Drawn from Gaurav Akrani, Kalyan City Life Blog, Delegation of Authority Principles and Importance of Delegation, at http://kalyan-city.blogspot.ca/2010/07/delegation-of-authority-principles-and.html , accessed 25 January 2016.

Atlas topic, subject, and course

Responsibility and Accountability (core topic) in Ethics, Rights, and Accountability and Atlas111M Ethics .

Page created by: Dave Marshall, last modified by Ian Clark on 31 May 2016.

Image: From MBASkool.com at http://www.mbaskool.com/2013_images/stories/oct_images/delegation_auth.jpg , accessed 25 January 2016.

• Delegation of Authority

When we talk about the functioning of a business, you will notice that the management themselves never perform all the tasks around the firm. In fact, it is often said that the first rule of management is delegation. DO not try and do everything by yourself, because you cannot. So let us learn more about the meaning and elements of the delegation of authority.

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The delegation of authority is the process by which a manager divides and assigns work to his subordinates. The manager himself only performs the tasks that require his special talents and expertize.

The rest of the work and its responsibility he will divide and delegate to his subordinates. Along with the responsibilities the manager will also share the authority, i.e. the power that enables the subordinates to carry out the tasks.

In the delegation of authority, the sharing of authority is downwards in the management structure. The manager cannot accomplish all tasks by himself, so he assigns the responsibilities to his subordinates.

This will reduce the work burden of the manager. The manager will not give up all his authority, he will only delegate that much authority that the subordinate can fulfill his responsibilities and accomplish his tasks efficiently.

Elements of Delegation of Authority

When we talk about the delegation of any authority in an organization, there are three main elements of such delegation. Let us take a look at them in some detail.

1] Responsibility

A manager will assign some specific work or task to his subordinate. Thus he is assigning his team-member or subordinate with some responsibilities.

It is not the job of this subordinate to work efficiently and use his mental and physical capacity to accomplish the task and hence fulfill his responsibility.

So a manager can only assign these responsibilities to his subordinates. If he fails to carry out the tasks correctly then the blame falls on the manager himself. This means in an organization responsibility flows upwards.

Learn more about Principles and Barrier of Delegation here in detail.

2] Authority

Now if the subordinate has to fulfill his responsibility he will need the tools to do so. One of these tools is the authority that comes with responsibility.

This is the power to take certain decisions in order to accomplish tasks. So when the manager will delegate the work, he also delegates the authority.

This will allow the subordinates to take independent decisions needed to finish the tasks efficiently and in a timely manner.

One point to note is that the authority must be equal to responsibility. The authority must be sufficient to complete the work efficiently. And in the organizational structure authority also increases as we go up the chain of command, i.e. flows upwards.

3] Accountability 

Once the manager delegates the work and the authority, he needs to check on the work of his subordinates. He is accountable for the work done by his subordinates.

Unlike authority, accountability cannot be delegated. So the incapability of the subordinate to complete the task satisfactorily will be the manager’s fault.

Solved Question for You

Q: Accountability flows ____ in the organizational structure

Ans: The correct option is A. The subordinates are accountable to their manager, the manager is accountable to his superior and so it goes on. So the accountability flows upwards in an organization.

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What is the Delegation of Authority?

The delegation of authority is a critical management tactic in any organization. Many companies, both small and big, use it to get tasks done. But then, there are a lot of things one needs to know before deciding to delegate duties .

One of the goals of delegating authorities to an employee or a subordinate is to ensure various tasks are accomplished efficiently and also within the specified time frame. In this post, you will learn about the meaning, and principles of delegation of authority.

The Meaning and Importance of Delegation of Authority

Almost everyone has delegated authority at some point during their childhood days without knowing. In such a situation, you have asked your little brother or sister to watch over your other siblings while you are away.

Back to the question, what’s the meaning of delegation of authority? It is an acceptable procedure within an organization whereby the manager shares his or her duties among lower-level employees or subordinates.

The delegation of authority moves down the curve with regard to power in an organization. In other words, a lower-level employee or staff doesn’t have the authority or audacity to delegate authority to a higher manager or employee. And in most cases, the manager does not sit quietly and folds his or her arms waiting for results.

He or she has to supervise those authority has been delegated to and ensure that the subordinates are efficient and following due process in the discharge of their duties. But then, those assigned are left to make decisions and face the consequences.

Elements of Delegation

The process of delegation of authority, 1. assignment of task.

In situations where a manager has a heavy workload, the only way to accomplish the job within the given time-frame is to delegate duties to the subordinates. But this can only take place when the manager divides the workload into various parts.

Then, he or she will also determine the part that goes to the subordinates. However, the process by which a top manager defines the task that goes to the subordinates is the assignment of duties. But it is best to delegate responsibilities to subordinates based on their experience, knowledge, qualification, and training.

2. Granting of Authority

And this includes the right to spend money on the task, represent the company outside, use raw materials, and instruct other persons working with him or her to accomplish the given task.

3. Creation of Obligation

What are the principles of delegation of authority.

The primary aim of delegating authority is to achieve results. Without it, then the entire process would be a waste of time. So, for delegation of power to be effective, these are principles management must follow.

1. The Scalar Principle

The line of authority should be clear for everything to progress accordingly. In other words, there should be an ultimate authority that is clearly defined.

Plus the subordinates should also know whom to run to when things get out of hand. They should also have a clear idea as to who can delegate authority to them.

2. Functional Definition

However, the best thing to do is to define what the job entails and the expected outcome. Tasks that are also similar can be in the same group. And each person should be made to understand the role they are to perform too.

3. The Delegation Based on Expected Results

4. unity of command, 5. authority level.

This principle takes a look at the situation whereby managers after delegating authority to subordinates get tempted to make specific decisions for them

6. Absoluteness of Responsibility

Authority not responsibility is what the manager, delegates. That said, the manager will still be held accountable for the outcome of the work or responsibility delegated.

7. Parity of Authority and Responsibility

Authority is the power or right to perform an assignment while responsibility is the obligation given to an individual to accomplish the said assignment.

The delegation of authority helps to simplify the task of managers and can also help an organization to accomplish much within a short space of time.

However, management should also follow the laid down principles to ensure authority is delegated and the expected result achieved is worthwhile. Subordinates should also be equipped with whatever they need to give their best performance.

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What is Authority? Types, Delegation of Authority

• Post last modified: 12 May 2022
• Reading time: 18 mins read
• Post category: Management

• What is Authority?

Authority is the power given to a person for carrying out certain activities and tasks by an organisation. The person given the authority by the organisation determines the position he/she holds for making decisions, commanding people, giving directions, and making use of resources for carrying out certain tasks.

Table of Content

• 1 What is Authority?
• 2.1 Line Authority
• 2.2 Staff Authority
• 2.3 Functional Authority
• 3 Line and Staff Relationship
• 4 Art of Delegation of Authority
• 5.1 Reduces the workload
• 5.2 Using expertise and specialisation
• 5.3 Improves confidence and morale
• 5.4 Creates a framework for development
• 5.5 Facilitates expansion and growth
• 5.6 Faster and better decision making
• 5.7 Facilitates the function of organising
• 6 Barriers to Delegation
• 7 Management Topics

The authority authorises the person to command and get work done through the employees working under him. Authority allows a person to influence the subordinates and creates a relationship between them for making efficient and effective use of the resources for achieving the objectives of the company.

Authority according to Koontz and Weihrich , the right in a position (and, through it, the right of the person occupying the position) to exercise discretion in making decisions affecting others.

Types of Authority

Line authority, staff authority, functional authority.

It defines the authority of the person to command and give instructions to subordinates. The line authority is the authority given to the manager to get the work done by subordinates in the chain of command.

The managers are termed as line managers who have the power to delegate tasks and activities and control the functions of the people working under them. Line authority exists in every organisation where the manager delegates jobs and responsibilities for carrying out the tasks. ‰

According to Louis. A. Allen, line authority refers to those positions and elements of the organisation which has responsibility and authority and accountability for the accomplishment of primary objectives.

It is created in the organisational structure for assisting the line authority and other staff personnel. It is used to provide advisory functions to the line managers based on their knowledge and expertise.

The staff authority is not part of the organisational hierarchy, but are employed for assisting, advising, and counseling the line managers on different issues when required. A good example of staff authority is legal advisors who provide legal advice to line managers.

It is the right given to a person or department for managing and controlling certain functions, procedures and activities that are carried out by the people in that department. The purpose is to issue directions to the people who do not come under the normal segment of line supervision.

This authority is given to individuals to assist and supplement the line authority or staff authority. It may be required for a specific task or for a specific time duration.

Line and Staff Relationship

The relationship between the line and staff personnel is interlinked and they work closely together to achieve the goals of the organisation. Every organisation has the line and staff personnel for helping the organisation while maintaining the efficiency and effectiveness of the operations to increase productivity. The line and staff personnel work together to achieve the desired objectives and help the organisation in achieving its goal.

Many large organisations follow the line and staff form of structure. This structure consists of both line and staff departments. There are also functional specialists to help and advise line managers in the areas of quality, production, marketing, and more. It is a vertical form of relationship between the various levels of line and staff. The role of staff personnel is advisory and usually does not possess and command authority over line managers.

The organisation needs to define the roles of the line and staff people for running their system. The smooth functioning of the organisation requires the effective contributions of line and staff people who play an important role in the outcome of the operations and add to the profitability of the enterprise. Many organisations have line and staff members at various levels of organisational structure and advisors for helping the line managers.

Art of Delegation of Authority

The art of delegation is all about assigning responsibility to a person for carrying out certain activities or tasks in a written or unwritten form. The art of delegating authority gives freedom and authority to the people for carrying out their responsibilities for the success of the organisation.

It is important for the manager and the person who delegates the authority for ensuring that the activities are being carried out for producing successful results.

The three steps involved in delegating authority are:

• Identifying and assigning the responsibility
• Granting authority to the person for doing the job
• Assigning the activities and tasks to the different job positions to be completed
• Establishing accountability for the work assigned

The principles on which authority is delegated are as follows:

• Delegating tasks as per specialisations and expected results
• Defining the functional role
• Scalar principle
• Level of authority
• Unity of command
• Parity of command and authority
• Ensuring absoluteness of authority

Managers in the organisation use his/her position to delegate and distribute work to their subordinates. Managers delegate authority along with the responsibility of completing the work and achieving the targeted results.

According to Martin and Bartol, Delegation of authority is the assignment of part of a manager’s work to others along with both the responsibility and the authority necessary to achieve expected results. Delegation of authority in an organisational structure is shown in Figure below:

Benefits of Delegation

Delegation is a method of delegating authority and sharing the work- load for getting the tasks and activities completed in a certain time. The process of delegating authority at different levels of management is necessary for coping with the amount of work and performing duties efficiently.

The benefits of the process of the delegation are as follows:

Reduces the workload

Using expertise and specialisation, improves confidence and morale, creates a framework for development, facilitates expansion and growth, faster and better decision making, facilitates the function of organising.

Delegation of authority leads to assigning jobs and activities to the subordinates that result in minimising the workload and completing the work on time. In this way, it is possible for the managers to effectively concentrate on other activities and functions to improve their managerial effectiveness and efficiency.

Delegating authority helps the organisation in making use of the expertise and specialisation of its employees. Through effective delegation of authority, a manager can delegate the responsibility to subordinates according to their specialisation and abilities that contribute to the success of the organisation.

The delegation of authority leads to promoting a sense of responsibility and taking initiative among employees. It enhances their morale and confidence to achieve efficiency in their work and encourages them to perform better to achieve the goals of the organisation.

Delegation of authority provides people the framework of developing their managerial abilities by performing tasks and taking decisions according to their knowledge and capabilities. It provides subordinates a platform for training and development when the manager delegates them with responsibility and authority.

Delegation of authority increases flexibility in the organisational system and also facilitates the growth and expansion of the organisation. It helps the organisation to add more levels of hierarchy according to their needs in the organisational structure.

Delegation of authority leads to faster and better decision making since subordinates have the authority and freedom of working on the tasks freely and make decisions within certain parameters. The process of decision making helps subordinates in gaining experience through the delegation of authority.

The efficiency in delegating responsibility and authority leads to the smooth functioning of the system and adds more layers to the organisational structure. The organisational structure ensures the smooth working of systems through effective delegation of authority at the various levels of management.

Barriers to Delegation

The process of delegation gets hampered due to many factors that act as barriers in delegating authority due to certain problems. Many managers do not like to delegate authority due to fear of losing their hold on subordinates.

Sometimes, subordinates are also reluctant to accept the responsibilities. These forms of barriers weaken the organisational structure and hamper the work of the organisation.

Some barriers to delegation are as follows:

• Reluctance to delegate and share power
• Fear of losing importance and being insecure ‰
• Loss of control and mutual distrust
• Feeling threatened by subordinates
• Lack of confidence in subordinates
• Insufficient knowledge of employee skills and capabilities
• Failing to establish standards of control
• Personal biases and attitude
• Inefficiency and ability to direct the people
• Incompetent subordinates
• Lack of motivation and incentive
• Not having access to resources

Management Topics

• What is Management ?
• Who Is a Manager ?
• Marketing CIs Management an Art or Science
• Classical Management Approach
• Planning in Management
• Decision Making in Management
• Organising in Management
• What is Organisation Structure ?
• What is Departmentation ?
• What is Span of Control ?
• What is Authority ?
• What is Staffing ?
• What is Human Resource Planning ?
• What is Job Analysis ?
• What is Recruitment ?

Modern and Others Schools of Management Thought

• What is Selection ?
• What is Coordination ?
• What is Controlling ?
• What is Leadership ?
• What is Organisational Change ?
• Motivation in Management
• Motivation Theories
• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
• Herzberg Two Factor Theory
• Mcclelland’s Needs Theory of Motivation

Business Ethics

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• What is Ethics?
• What is Business Ethics?
• Values, Norms, Beliefs and Standards in Business Ethics
• Indian Ethos in Management
• Ethical Issues in Marketing
• Ethical Issues in HRM
• Ethical Issues in IT
• Ethical Issues in Production and Operations Management
• Ethical Issues in Finance and Accounting
• What is Corporate Governance?
• What is Ownership Concentration?
• What is Ownership Composition?
• Types of Companies in India
• Internal Corporate Governance
• External Corporate Governance
• Corporate Governance in India
• What is Enterprise Risk Management (ERM)?
• What is Assessment of Risk?
• What is Risk Register?
• Risk Management Committee

Corporate social responsibility (CSR)

• Theories of CSR
• Arguments Against CSR
• Business Case for CSR
• Importance of CSR in India
• Drivers of Corporate Social Responsibility
• Developing a CSR Strategy
• Implement CSR Commitments
• CSR Marketplace
• CSR at Workplace
• Environmental CSR
• CSR with Communities and in Supply Chain
• Community Interventions
• CSR Monitoring
• CSR Reporting
• Voluntary Codes in CSR
• What is Corporate Ethics?

Lean Six Sigma

• What is Six Sigma?
• What is Lean Six Sigma?
• Value and Waste in Lean Six Sigma
• Six Sigma Team
• MAIC Six Sigma
• Six Sigma in Supply Chains
• What is Binomial, Poisson, Normal Distribution?
• What is Sigma Level?
• What is DMAIC in Six Sigma?
• What is DMADV in Six Sigma?
• Six Sigma Project Charter
• Project Decomposition in Six Sigma
• Critical to Quality (CTQ) Six Sigma
• Process Mapping Six Sigma
• Flowchart and SIPOC
• Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility
• Statistical Diagram
• Lean Techniques for Optimisation Flow
• Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
• What is Process Audits?
• Six Sigma Implementation at Ford
• IBM Uses Six Sigma to Drive Behaviour Change
• Research Methodology
• What is Research?
• What is Hypothesis?
• Sampling Method
• Research Methods
• Data Collection in Research
• Methods of Collecting Data
• Application of Business Research
• Levels of Measurement
• What is Sampling?
• Hypothesis Testing
• Research Report
• What is Management?
• What is Controlling?
• What is Coordination?
• What is Staffing?
• Organization Structure
• What is Departmentation?
• Span of Control
• Centralization vs Decentralization
• Organizing in Management
• Schools of Management Thought
• Is Management an Art or Science?
• Who is a Manager?

Operations Research

• What is Operations Research?
• Operation Research Models
• Linear Programming
• Linear Programming Graphic Solution
• Linear Programming Simplex Method
• Linear Programming Artificial Variable Technique
• Duality in Linear Programming
• Transportation Problem Initial Basic Feasible Solution
• Transportation Problem Finding Optimal Solution
• Project Network Analysis with Critical Path Method
• Project Network Analysis Methods
• Project Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
• Simulation in Operation Research
• Replacement Models in Operation Research

Operation Management

• What is Strategy?
• What is Operations Strategy?
• Operations Competitive Dimensions
• Operations Strategy Formulation Process
• What is Strategic Fit?
• Strategic Design Process
• Focused Operations Strategy
• Corporate Level Strategy
• Expansion Strategies
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• Competitive Advantage
• Strategic Choice and Strategic Alternatives
• What is Production Process?
• What is Process Technology?
• What is Process Improvement?
• Strategic Capacity Management
• Production and Logistics Strategy
• Taxonomy of Supply Chain Strategies
• Factors Considered in Supply Chain Planning
• Operational and Strategic Issues in Global Logistics
• Logistics Outsourcing Strategy
• What is Supply Chain Mapping?
• Supply Chain Process Restructuring
• Points of Differentiation
• Re-engineering Improvement in SCM
• What is Supply Chain Drivers?
• Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) Model
• Customer Service and Cost Trade Off
• Internal and External Performance Measures
• Linking Supply Chain and Business Performance
• Netflix’s Niche Focused Strategy
• Disney and Pixar Merger
• Process Planning at Mcdonald’s

Service Operations Management

• What is Service?
• What is Service Operations Management?
• What is Service Design?
• Service Design Process
• Service Delivery
• What is Service Quality?
• Gap Model of Service Quality
• Juran Trilogy
• Service Performance Measurement
• Service Decoupling
• IT Service Operation
• Service Operations Management in Different Sector

Procurement Management

• What is Procurement Management?
• Procurement Negotiation
• Types of Requisition
• RFX in Procurement
• What is Purchasing Cycle?
• Vendor Managed Inventory
• Internal Conflict During Purchasing Operation
• Spend Analysis in Procurement
• Sourcing in Procurement
• Supplier Evaluation and Selection in Procurement
• Blacklisting of Suppliers in Procurement
• Total Cost of Ownership in Procurement
• Incoterms in Procurement
• Documents Used in International Procurement
• Transportation and Logistics Strategy
• What is Capital Equipment?
• Procurement Process of Capital Equipment
• Acquisition of Technology in Procurement
• What is E-Procurement?
• E-marketplace and Online Catalogues
• Fixed Price and Cost Reimbursement Contracts
• Contract Cancellation in Procurement
• Ethics in Procurement
• Legal Aspects of Procurement
• Global Sourcing in Procurement
• Intermediaries and Countertrade in Procurement

Strategic Management

• What is Strategic Management?
• What is Value Chain Analysis?
• Mission Statement
• Business Level Strategy
• What is SWOT Analysis?
• What is Competitive Advantage?
• What is Vision?
• What is Ansoff Matrix?
• Prahalad and Gary Hammel
• Strategic Management In Global Environment
• Competitor Analysis Framework
• Competitive Rivalry Analysis
• Competitive Dynamics
• What is Competitive Rivalry?
• Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy
• What is PESTLE Analysis?
• Fragmentation and Consolidation Of Industries
• What is Technology Life Cycle?
• What is Diversification Strategy?
• What is Corporate Restructuring Strategy?
• Resources and Capabilities of Organization
• Role of Leaders In Functional-Level Strategic Management
• Functional Structure In Functional Level Strategy Formulation
• Information And Control System
• What is Strategy Gap Analysis?
• Issues In Strategy Implementation
• Matrix Organizational Structure
• What is Strategic Management Process?

Supply Chain

• What is Supply Chain Management?
• Supply Chain Planning and Measuring Strategy Performance
• What is Warehousing?
• What is Packaging?
• What is Inventory Management?
• What is Material Handling?
• What is Order Picking?
• Receiving and Dispatch, Processes
• What is Warehouse Design?
• What is Warehousing Costs?

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Authority and Responsibility in Management

Everything you need to know about authority and responsibility in management.

Authority means a formal, institutional or legal power in a particular job, function or position that empowers the holder of that job, function or position to successfully perform his task.

Responsibility is the obligation of a subordinate to perform a duty, which has been assigned to him by his superior.

This shows that the obligation is the essence of responsibility. In view of organizational set up, the superior-subordinate relationship gives rise to this responsibility as the superior is vested with the authority to get the specified work done by his subordinates.

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According to Barnard,

“Authority is the character of a communication (order) in a formal organization, by virtue of which it is accepted by a contributor to, or member of, the organization as governing the action he contributes; that is, as governing or determining what he does or not do, so far as the orga­nization is concerned.”

According to Koontz and O’Donnell,

“Viewed internally with respect to the enterprise, responsibility may be defined as the obligation of a subordinate, to whom a superior has assigned a duty to perform a service required. The essence of responsibility is then, obligation.”

Learn about the meaning, definition, concept, relationship of authority and responsibility in management.

Authority and Responsibility in Management – Meaning, Definition, Concept, Characteristics and Relationship

Authority and responsibility in management – meaning, definition and characteristics of authority and responsibility in management.

Meaning of ‘Authority’ :

Definitions of Authority :

According to Barnard, “Authority is the character of a communication (order) in a formal organization, by virtue of which it is accepted by a contributor to, or member of, the organization as governing the action he contributes; that is, as governing or determining what he does or not do, so far as the orga­nization is concerned.”

As Simon puts it, authority is the power to make decisions which guide the action of another. It is a relationship between two individuals—one of them superior, and the other a subordinate. The superior frames and transmits decisions, with the expectation that the subordinates will accept and comply with them. The subordinate expects such decisions, and his behaviour is determined by them.

Characteristics of Authority :

(1) Exercise of authority drives staff of the organization to perform the tasks and responsibility assigned to them :

Authority means the right to influence the behavior of others. The right may flow from a legal-institutional framework (a law governing the organization, or a manual, or guidelines framed by the organi­zation). The right may also be rooted in tradition, or the charisma of a person.

Shareholders of a company appoint directors and delegate to them authority to manage the affairs of the company. They do so because the Company Law gives them this authority. Parents ask or order children to do or not to do anything.

This is example of traditional authority. A person with extraor­dinary characteristics (charisma) exercises authority over his followers, even though the followers are neither bound by any law or tradition to do so. They follow the leader because, according to their per­ception, he articulates their feelings and aspirations.

(2) Only person holding authority can make decisions :

Decision-making is the main feature of authority. A manager has authority to order his subordinates to act or not to act in a particular manner. He does this because he has made decision about the work behavior of his subordinates.

(3) Exercise of authority may sometimes have element of subjectivity :

There is legal or traditional framework in an organization within which authority may be exercised. A manager has authority to reward and punish his subordinates based on their performance. But his decision to do so is often influenced by his personal likes and dislikes and socio-economic, educational and cultural background.

A manager who started working decades ago on a three-digit salary might have butterflies in stomach when he appoints staff on a salary many times exceeding his own when he had jointed the organization. For a while he forgets that under the current global business scenario, an efficient worker would stay only if his compensation package compares favorably with that of similarly qualified work­ers in other organizations.

Theories of ‘Sources of Authority’:

Which is the Fountainhead of Authority?

Authority is a formal or institutionalized form of power vested in a position or office.

There are various theories to explain the sources of authority, important among them are as follows:

1. ‘Formal’, ‘Traditional’ or ‘Top-Down’ theory.

2. ‘Acceptance’ or ‘Bottom-up’ theory.

3. ‘Competence’ or ‘Personal Authority’ theory.

1. ‘Formal’, ‘Traditional’ or ‘Top-Down Theory’ of Authority :

Formal authority flows from law, rules, and regulations that are framed by, or with the consent of all stakeholders. For example, shareholders of a company are the source of all legal authority to con­trol and manage its affairs. Through legal process, they delegate this authority to Board of directors elected/selected by them.

The Board, on its part, selects and appoints staff that will help it accom­plish the tasks and responsibility necessary to achieve organizational goals. Then, it assigns tasks and responsibility to the staff, based on their competence levels. Assignment of tasks and responsibility will be meaningful only when it is accompanied by delegation of necessary authority to perform the assigned tasks and responsibility.

Top managers of the company owe responsibility and accountability to their superiors—the board of directors—who on their part are responsible and accountable to shareholders. Top managers appoint senior and junior level managers and assign tasks and responsibility to them to perform and dele­gate them appropriate authority to operate and control the resources placed under their control. Their reward is the salary and prospects of promotion to higher responsibility positions in the organization.

The flow of legal authority is top-down at each level. Delegation of authority from a manager to a subordinate is in proportion to the nature of tasks and responsibility assigned to the subordinate. However, delegation of authority does not diminish the authority and responsibility of the manager- he continues to be the source of authority vested in him and also continues to be responsible for per­formance of the assigned task by him and/or his subordinate(s).

2. ‘Acceptance Theory’ of Authority :

Acceptance theory of authority is the exact opposite of the traditional, formal theory of authority. According to acceptance theory, authority of a manager will be in direct proportion to the acceptance given to his authority by his subordinates. Legal authority or social or cultural norms become irrele­vant here. If the subordinates do not accept the authority of manager, they may not willingly comply with his decisions and orders – they may even defy them.

The acceptance theory was formulated by Chester Barnard who held that authority lies in the character of a communication (order) issued in a formal organization which makes it acceptable to the persons for whom it is intended. The essence of the theory is that any authority is as effective or inef­fective as the willingness or unwillingness of subordinates to accept it.

According to Barnard, “an individual will accept the exercise of authority by his superior if the advantages to him from accepting the authority and the disadvantages from not accepting the authority are greater than the advantages from not accepting and the disadvantages from accepting; conversely, he will not accept the exercise of authority if the latter factors are greater than the former.”

This means that a subordinate will accept authority only if it falls within his zone of acceptance. His zone of acceptance will be determined by a number of factors.

For example, exercise of authority by his manager will fall within his zone of acceptance if the following conditions are satisfied:

(a) If the rewards arising from acceptance of authority are greater than the value of skills and effort that he would be required to spend on performing the task or responsibility;

(b) If he has a strong sense of belonging to the organization and hence would willingly accept the authority without subjecting it to cost-benefit analysis; and

(c) If the consequences of not accepting the authority would damage his career prospects in the organization, including perhaps loss of job.

Acceptance theory would be put to test only when a manager takes a decision and communicates it to his subordinate(s). If the subordinate ably and willingly accept to perform the assigned tasks or responsibility, and performs it in the manner desired by the manager, he can rest content that his authority enjoys acceptance.

Now the question – What source of authority would best enable a manager to perform his task? Formal and legal authority would empower him to secure performance from his subordinates through adoption of the ‘carrot and stick’ policy—reward to subordinate if the task or responsibility assigned to him is performed to the satisfaction of the manager, and punishment if it is not.

However, the ideal source of authority is that under which the subordinates accept to perform the assigned task and responsibility because they trust the ability and integrity of the manager. To sum up, the ultimate source of authority rests equally on legal, social and cultural norms that fulfill the test of validity and voluntary acceptance of authority by subordinates.

3. ‘Competence Theory’ of Authority :

A person can influence the behavior of others even if he does not command any formal, legal or tra­ditional authority. This happens when he enjoys support and confidence of his followers because they see him as personification of their urges and aspirations. They do so also because they trust his extraordinary technical, social and human qualities.

At the root of his authority are his competence, charisma and leader-like qualities. Thus, union leaders of an organization may select a relatively junior worker to present their case before the top management for increase in salaries because they feel he is forceful and logical in arguing the case and has at his command well-documented evidence to support his viewpoint.

‘Tradition-Centric’ Authority :

Every civilized society follows certain traditions and carefully protects and preserves them. Respect­ing and serving elders in family and society is an age-old tradition, so is responsibility of parents to raise and properly educate and train children for life ahead. Lord Ram went into exile to honor the promise once made by his father. Shravan Kumar spent his youth carrying parents on his shoulders to pilgrim centers. It is a different matter though that in the modern society this tradition-conferred authority is suffering dilution.

Senior citizens are willingly offered seats in crowded buses and trains; no one minds their jump­ing the queue to visit a doctor, or to withdraw money from bank. Tradition-centric authority has a lot to commend itself, only it should not become a tool to exploit people who respect it.

Responsibility :

Meaning of Responsibility :

The term responsibility has been interpreted in two different ways. Some writers define as a duty while others call it an obligation. In a more comprehensive sense responsibility can be defined as an obligation of a subordinate to perform the duties assigned to him.

Thus the responsibility is the obligation to perform certain functions and achieve results. It is the liability for proper discharge of duties. According to Koontz and O’Donnell “the obligation of a subordinate to whom a duty has been assigned to perform the duty”.

“Duty” or “responsibility” refers to an obligation or liability for performance of a task or responsibility that is assigned. Assignment of a task or responsibility casts a duty to perform something. It means the person who has been assigned a task or responsibility has a duty or obligation to perform it. Koontz and O’ Donnel define it as the obligation of a subordinate, to whom a superior has assigned a task and dele­gated authority, to perform the task as required.

Is ‘Responsibility’ Different from ‘Accountability’?

Accountability means an obligation on the part of a person to account for, or explain, why the task or responsibility assigned to him has not been performed as desired. A person will be accountable only when he has been assigned any task or responsibility by the person who commands authority over him.

Accountability will shrink or expand with the nature of responsibility assigned. A manager is accountable only to his superior but the top management owes the maximum accountability.

Task or Responsibility only Assigned to Human Beings :

Task or responsibility can only be assigned to humans. Non-living inanimate beings – machine, tool, capital – cannot be assigned task or responsibility. They do not work on their own; they need humans to work them. For this reason they cannot be held accountable for failure or deficiency of performance.

Assignment of Task or Responsibility Requires Two or more Persons :

Assignment of task or responsibility requires, first, an authority-holding person to assign the task or responsibility and, second, one or more subordinates to perform that task or responsibility. Only a per­son holding authority—legal, traditional or competence—can assign task or responsibility. Likewise, only a person who is subordinate to the authority-holding person can be assigned task or responsibil­ity.

Manager Commands, Subordinates Obey :

In a business organization a manager is vested with official and legal authority which empowers him to assign tasks and responsibility to his subordinates and demand accountability from them in respect of performance of those tasks and responsibility. The subordinates accept responsibility and are accountable because they are bound by service contract that requires them to do so to become entitled to monetary and other benefits and privileges provided by the organization.

Continuous or Specific-Duration Task or Responsibility :

Task or responsibility assigned to a subordinate may be a continuing obligation, or it may be limited in terms of time or tasks. The relationship between CEO and the production manager of a company is a case of continuing responsibility – the production manager must keep performing his task or responsi­bility so long as he is in the employment of the company. However, relationship between CEO and an auditor who is appointed annually to conduct audit of the company accounts is a specific duration task or responsibility.

Duty or responsibility may be in terms of functions, targets or goals. For example, when a worker is assigned the task of operating a machine, his responsibility is to ensure that the machine is opera­tionally fit. But if he is assigned the task of producing 100 units daily on the machine, his responsibility is expressed in terms of a quantitative target. Responsibility in terms of quantitative targets is pref­erable to general, non-quantitative responsibility.

The task or responsibility to produce minimum 100 units per day is a task or responsibility expressed in quantitative terms. It will inspire the worker to achieve the target and he will experience a sense of fulfilment if he attains the target. But if the sales manager is assigned the task of improving sales performance, it will be difficult for him to work out at what point the sales performance will be deemed satisfactory by his superior.

These are the main characteristics of the responsibility:

1. The essence of responsibility is obligation to perform the assigned duty or task.

2. Responsibility arises from superior subordinate relationships. When a superior assigns some work to a subordinate, the latter becomes responsible for performance of tasks.

3. Responsibility has no meaning except as applied to a promotion. A building or machine etc. cannot be held responsible.

4. Responsibility may be a continuing obligation or specific obligation.

5. Responsibility is a personal attribute and it cannot be deleted.

6. Responsibility is a concomitant of authority, therefore authority and responsibility should be equal.

Authority and Responsibility in Management – Nature, Definition and Source

Organizing will not end by dividing the originations into smaller homogeneous units. These units must be structured together and their efforts directed towards attaining the goals of the enterprise. Establishing vertical and horizontal relationships can do this more effectively through the sharing of authority effected by delegation.

To run the organization towards its goal and objectives the authority of the executive has to be re-delegated to the managers down the line to reach the bottom line managers. In every organization, this process of re-delegation is essential to run the organization. Thus, the concept of authority arises from the chain, which ties together the sections emanating from different persons in the organization.

Nature of Authority and Definition :

The word authority is used with different meanings as:

A person with superior knowledge and skill is described as an authority in the sense of an expert.

In a business organization, which is authoritarian in nature, the word authority refers to the power of an individuals to direct others by giving orders.

Henry Fayol defines authority as “the right to give orders and the power to extract the obedience.”

Allen defines authority as “the sum of the powers and rights entrusted to make possible the performance of the work delegated.” This definition emphasise the right and power aspects and adds another dimension, namely the implication that the authority is delegated with a view to performance of the work and is delegated to the extent of the responsibility for the work entrusted to the delegatee.

For practical purposes, the term authority can be defined as the legal and rightful power to command or to extract action from others. It is the power or the right to act, to command or to extract action by others. Because the manager gets the work done by subordinates, authority constitutes as the key to manager’s job. Authority and right to command helps the manager get work done by others in the organization and the degree of authority goes on descending down the line.

Source of Authority :

There are two versions of theory of authority.

(i) Formal authority theory, and

(ii) Acceptance theory.

But as per Koontz O’ Donnel source of authority is discussed under three headings:

(i) The formal authority theory,

(ii) The acceptance theory, and

(iii) The competence theory.

(i) The Formal Authority Theory:

The people who have belief in his theory, accept the basis that the ultimate source of authority in a business firm is embedded in the institution of private property, which is interested in a; person power over material resources. Many academic theorists of the formal authority view the legal aspects of private property as the source of authority.

(ii) The Acceptance Theory:

This theory is very simple, because the followers of this theory believe that the authority flows to a manager through acceptance by his subordinates of his power to make and implement decisions.

As Chester I. Bernard writes that “Authority is the character of communication (order) in a formal organization by virtue of which it is accepted by a contributor to or member of the organization as governing the action he contributes; that is, as governing or determining what he does or is not to do so fare as the organization is concerned”.

As per this definition, there are two aspects involved in the concept of authority.

(a) The subjective aspect that is the personal aspect of accepting a communication or order as authoritative; and

(b) The objective aspect that is the character in the communication by virtue of which it is accepted.

The subordinate will accept the authority of a command, understand it, believe it and follow it in the interest of the organization. Bernard says that the subordinate automatically accepts most orders given by the manager. The acceptance theory really emphasizing the leadership function of management that is the ability to persuade others to work well in the interest of goals/objectives of enterprise.

(iii) The Competence Theory:

This theory believes that the technical competence and personal competence are the basis of authority. Some persons having attractive personality command others to work. By mere his personality people seek his advice and obey it. Sometimes it so happens these attractive and commanding personality do not have any authority, but people waits for his guidance and follow it taking it as an order.

But one must understand that the fact that the fundamental source of authority is formal authority emanating from an institutional framework or from an organizational structure.

Responsibility is the obligation of a subordinate to perform a duty, which has been assigned to him by his superior. This shows that the obligation is the essence of responsibility. In view of organizational set up, the superior-subordinate relationship gives rise to this responsibility as the superior is vested with the authority to get the specified work done by his subordinates.

In general, in business organizations, the authority is a result of the contractual agreement, under which the subordinate have agreed to perform certain services in return of monitory benefit. Authority flows from superior to the subordinate manager to whom certain duties are assigned and responsibility is the obligation of the subordinate to accomplish these duties. Responsibility can be discharged by a single action or it may be a continuous obligation.

Responsibility and Delegation :

A manager can delegate his authority to his subordinate, but responsibility cannot be delegated. A manager is responsible for the performance of the duties even though he may delegate to a subordinate authority to accomplish a service and the subordinate also in his turn may delegate a part of his authority received by him. Delegation of authority to a subordinate will not relieve a manager from responsibility to perform his duties.

Authority and Responsibility in Management – Concept and Relationship between Authority and Responsibility in Management

Concept of Authority:

Authority is one of the important considerations in the process of management. Managerial action in a formal organisation needs authority. Without authority, the executive cannot secure compliance of his orders from his subordinates. It is always considered to be the key to a successful Managerial job. It is the power of the superior to make decisions which guides the actions of his subordinates.

Getting things done by people is not possible without compliance on the part of subordinates and the authority which ensures compliance. Authority is the only cohesive force that sets in motion the integrated activities of sub-ordinates in an enterprise. It is the means through which co-operative activity becomes a success and common objectives are achieved.

Securing compliance or obedience is the main objective behind the whole concept of authority. It can be acquired through persuasion, sanction, coercion, constraints or force.

The managerial authority is a rightful permission to act for the enterprise instruct the subordinates, impose penalty for wrong doings, use company property or to speak or act as a representatives of the enterprise.

The whole organisational structure is based on the concept of authority without use of authority, anarchy and utter confusion will prevail all around the enterprise Authority is usually respected, recognised and followed in the organisation as a matter of course. Authority is generally adopted with power to secure obedience. This customary acceptance of authority is a part of our culture and day- to-day behaviour.

But compliance of actions and carrying out of instructions by subordinates cannot always be assured merely because the authority is customarily accepted. Delegation of authority establishes relationships. Vertical delegation of authority determines relationship between a boss and his subordinate and the horizontal division of authority determines the degree of decentralisation.

A few definitions of the term “authority” are given below:

“Authority is the right to give orders and the power to obedience”. – Henry Fayol

“Authority is the official and the legal right to command action by others and to enforce compliance. Compliance is obtained in a number of ways trough persuasion, sanctions, request, coercion, constraint or force”. – George R. Terry

“Authority means the Power to command others- to act or not to act in a manner deemed fit by the possessor of the authority and is exercised in furtherance of the enterprise or departmental purpose”. – Koontz and O’Donnell

From the above definitions, two points become clear that the possessor of authority influences the activity and behaviour of other individuals or groups and that he has the right to issue orders and ensure their compliance by subordinates.

Authority vs. Power:

Authority may not mean the same thing as power A person many have the power to influence the activity and behaviour of other persons but he may not have the official or legal right of command and thus enforce compliance by others. Such a person would have power but no authority. It may, therefore, be said that authority includes power but power may or may not be supported by authority. Also, all authority is formal.

Types of Authority:

Authority is of Five Types:

1. Formal Authority:

According to some writers all authority is formal. It stems from the top and is transmitted downwards through the line by the process of delegation. The authority which a manager possesses, because of his organisational position, is known as formal authority.

2. Acceptance Authority:

Under the acceptance theory, it is believed that authority comes to the manager by the acceptance of power to make and enforce decisions through his subordinates. Accordingly manager has no authority until it is conferred upon him by his sub-ordinates.

A sub­ordinates may accept the authority of the manager because – (i) he wants to contribute to the accomplishment of organisational objective (ii) he wants to obtain some reward by accepting it. (iii) He wants to avoid disciplinary action, (iv) he regards the maturity, age or experience of superior (v) he wants to avoid responsibility, (vi) he believes that the authority is legitimate and should be followed.

But the acceptance theory has been criticised on the grounds that:

i. It is unrealistic.

ii. It assumes that a subordinate has the option to accept or reject authority and

iii. It ignores the organisational situation of the possessor of the authority.

3. Authority of the Situation:

G. R. Terry observes “In almost every enterprise, emergency and unusual events accrue which are not provided for in the organisational set-up. When such an event occurs, the person assuming authority to meet the particular circumstances is said to have derived the authority of the situation. Such an authority exists only till emergency lasts”.

4. Position Authority:

It is the authority a person enjoys by virtue of his superior position in the organisation. Normally subordinates recognize authority of those occupying higher hierarchical positions.

5. Technical Authority:

Since 1950 the term technical authority or computer authority has come into use. Such authority stems the decision making power granted to the processed data by a computer. But since authority is a human possession, such authority may be described as that authority which is possessed by the person who either interprets computer processed results and data or underlines their significant managerial meanings for others.

Limits of Authority :

Unlimited authority always tends to be an instrument of corruption, It should therefore, have arid generally does have some limitations, which may be express and implied.

Some of these limitations are:

1. Authority is subject to the physical and mental capacity of the subordinate who has to exercise it.

2. Authority may be subjected to the bye-laws, standing orders, rules and regulation of the company (as per articles and memorandum of the company)

3. Authority may be subject to the social beliefs, codes, creeds and habits of the group over which it has to be exercised.

4. Laws, trade practices etc. may also impose certain limitations on the use of authority.

Thus, as a matter of fact, there should be blending of power and influence to make the authority really effective. The other means, that it can help in making authority more effective and may include the backing and support to lower executives, from the top executives, due attention to their advice, usually confirming their decisions, permitting command to flow through proper channels and supplying adequate information and materials to them.

Other General Limits of Authority:

There are any limitations to the concept of authority. Authority is never absolute like responsibility. It changes with time, position and group behaviour of the subordinates etc. While exercising authority, the manager must keep the following limitations in his mind. It will help him in successful utilization of his authority.

They are as follows:

1. Regard for the Mores and Folk Ways of the Group:

Authority when used commands reaction from individual as well as groups. It may be favourable or unfavourable. So a manager while using authority, must keep in his mind, the reaction of his orders on employees, shareholders and customers etc.

2. Legal Limitations:

A manager’s authority is restricted by the enterprise goals, objectives, politics, programmes and procedures etc. These are governed by the articles and memorandum of association which are governed themselves by the commercial and industrial laws of the country. Every manager at any level in the organisation, must respect the laws, traditions and restrictions etc.

3. Natural or Biological Limitations:

No subordinate can be ordered to do a job which is impossible to be performed due to biological limitations. For example, one can hardly order a person to walk up to side of a building or do such impossible things.

4. Physical Limitations:

Physical limitations such as climate, geography, chemical elements and so on, have their limiting effect on authority. For example an order to make gold from copper.

5. Technological Limitations:

There are technological limits on authority too. Until and unless any performance is technically possible an order to do any such work would be unworthy.

6. Economic Limitations:

Sometimes a manager may not get the work done from the subordinates if the wages are not according to their expectation. The competition in prices of the product and other economic factors also affect the authority.

7. Authority Delegation Limitations:

The extent of delegation of authority also restricts the authority of a manager. Generally the authority to make decisions or the right to command decreases as it proceeds from the highest to lowest level of an organisation.

Responsibility:

Responsibility is the most misunderstood term in the literature of management. It is common to hear about delegating responsibilities, holding a person responsible, discharging responsibilities and carrying out a responsibility. The term Responsibility is, most of the times, used to mean duty, activity, liability, accountability or even authority.

According to Koontz and O’Donnell, “Viewed internally with respect to the enterprise, responsibility may be defined as the obligation of a subordinate, to whom a superior has assigned a duty to perform a service required. The essence of responsibility is then, obligation.”

Responsibility is also an important concept and has been defined as follows:

Responsibility is an obligation of the individual to perform assigned duties to the best of his ability under the direction of his executive leader. – Keith Davis

Responsibility is the obligation of a subordinate to perform his duty as required by his superior – Theo Haiman

Responsibility results from a superior subordinate relationship. It may continue or cease with the accomplishment of the desired objective.

It involves:

1. Compliance

2. Obedience and

3. Dependability.

Failure to observe these elements may call for a penalty, punishment or disciplinary action against the erring subordinate.

Responsibility Relates to human beings only. A building, a machine or an animal cannot be held responsible. Responsibility arises from the superior subordinate relationship, from the fact that a superior has the authority to get specific services from his subordinate. The relationship between a president and his sales managers is typical of the continuing type of obligation.

On the other hand, when the president hires some lower for seeking legal advice and advocating a particular case in the court of law, his obligation comes to an end when the assignment is completed. In an enterprise responsibility is accepted by a subordinate due to contractual relationship and in turn, he gets monetary or other rewards.

While the authority flows from a superior to a subordinate when assignment of duty is made, the responsibility flows from a subordinate to his superior when former undertakes the obligation of accomplishing the duties assigned to him.

Thus, responsibility is an obligation to carry out certain tasks. In an organisation responsibility is the obligation of a subordinate to perform his duty as required by his superior. Responsibility is closely related to authority. It is exacted upwards whereas authority flows downwards. A manager is responsible ultimately for the performance of his duties even though he has delegated it to his subordinates. Therefore responsibility cannot be delegated.

Authority – Responsibility Relationship:

Authority and responsibility of a manager should be co-equal i.e. authority should be commensurate with responsibility. According to George R. Terry, responsibility is inseparable, there is every danger that it may be misused by the possessor. Similarly, if responsibility is greater than authority, the tendency of the management becomes difficult and even ineffective. In order to ensure that authority and responsibility are co-equal, a correlative action may be resorted to.

Related Articles:

• Delegation of Authority | Functions | Management
• Principles of Delegation of Authority
• Management of an Organisation
• Delegation of Authority: Meaning, Principles, Importance, Process and Advantages

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Concept of Authority

What is Authority?

Authority is characterized as the institutionalized and legal power inherent in a job role, or position that allows the holder of the job to perform his or her responsibilities effectively. It is assigned officially and legally. Authority means a particular authorization obtained from a person's higher officer and based on which a person is entitled to do the work in an organization. It is important for administrative functions. Without authority, no person can carry out his duties with full responsibility.

This includes the right to monitor a situation, commit funds, issue orders, and demand them to be obeyed. It is followed by accountability for one's acts and failures to execute actions. Additionally, true authority often means that the authority is recognized by the aim.

The secret to managerial employment is authority. Authority is the cornerstone of the organization to the degree that an organization is defined as a system of relationships between authorities. Authority has a variety of meanings in daily life; it may refer to an individual with superior expertise and skills in a specific field; it may apply to certain officials such as a police commissioner, a university vice-chancellor, or a company's managing director; the word 'registered dealer' also has a different connotation, that of a legally-constituted relationship. However, for management purposes, these definitions of authority are not sufficient. The Authority shall be allowed to make a decision on a matter given or assigned by the superiors. Taking decisions is not sufficient. The decisions are made by those given the responsibility of enforcing the said decision. Authority here becomes a right to order and even to execute the decision.

In short, the Authority can be defined as:

A legitimate right to a decision that may be given or assigned,

Entitlement to command,

The right to see that the decision is implemented properly and honestly

Characteristics of Authority

Basis of Getting Things Done: Authority grants the right to do something in an organization and to control the actions of the other employees of the organization. It immediately contributes to the completion of certain activities for the achievement of the stated goals.

Legitimacy: Authority means a legal right open to superiors (within the company itself). This type of right exists because of the practice of authenticity, custom, or norms agreed upon in an institution. Based on an organizational hierarchy, the right of a manager to influence the behavior of his subordinates is granted to him.

Decision Making: A prerequisite of authority is decision-making. The manager may order his subordinates to behave or not to act. The manager makes this form of decision concerning the operation of an office.

Implementation: Implementation affects the manager's personality. The subordinates or group of subordinates should obey the manager's orders as to the execution of decisions. One manager's personality factor may vary from another manager.

Features of Authority:

It is an individual's legitimate right.

It enables staff to be determined by the placeholder.

This means the right to seek compliance.

It is practiced in a certain manner to control the actions of subordinates.

It moves within the organization from top to bottom.

It is the ultimate organizing power, and it unites the various individuals who work in the company.

It is used to accomplish organizational goals.

Differentiating authority from power. Power is referred to as the ability to influence the attitude and behavior of an individual whereas authority is particular authorization obtained from the higher end.

Elements of Authority

There are 5 elements of authority which are explained below.

Usage of Power: In other words, there is a power where there is an authority based on which the authorized person gives orders and instructions to other persons under his/her jurisdiction.

Influential Personality: If the power is assigned to a person of influential personality, he can make successful use of these powers, easily because his orders are readily accepted by the subordinates.

Performance: An essential aspect of authority is the need for the exercise of authority control. Such success can take place in various ways, such as with the application and issuing orders in writing, etc.

Effective Leadership: The individual with authority must be an effective leader so that his subordinates can be guided and his subordinates can obey his instructions in turn.

To Influence the Subordinates: The person having authority must have a quality impact on his subordinates for the successful exercise of authority to be able to recognize and comply with his orders

Relationship Between Authority and Responsibility

Authority can be defined as the legal right of a person or superior to command his subordinates.  On the other hand, accountability refers to the duty of an individual to carry out his performance as per the company standards. The direction of the flow of authority is from the superiors to subordinates. During this flow of authority, subordinates receive orders and instructions from their superiors on the nature and time frame to complete the task. It is only by the use of the authority that a manager exercises control and demands accountability from his subordinates. 

For example, it is the marketing manager who directs the sales supervisor for the sale of a specified number of units within a pre-scheduled deadline (such as in a month/ yearly goals). If the set standards are not satisfactorily accomplished, it is the marketing manager who will be accountable to the chief executive officer. This example illustrates how authority flows from top to bottom and why responsibility flows from bottom to top. Accountability is a result of responsibility and responsibility in turn is achieved through authority. Therefore, authority and accountability always go hand in hand.

Importance of Delegation

In a practical sense, we know that a manager alone cannot perform all the tasks assigned to him. If he wishes to achieve his targets, it is unavoidable that he delegates his authority. Delegation of authority here means division of authority and powers downwards to the subordinate and workers down the power structure. Delegation basically involves sharing work with someone else, usually a group of people to do parts of the manager's job.

Delegation of authority is a structural way of relieving the managerial position of work beyond his capacity and hence becomes an important tool in organization function. If one looks close enough, it is through delegation that a manager/ superior multiplies himself by dividing/multiplying his work with the subordinates.

FAQs on Concept of Authority

1. How is the Delegation of Authority the Source of Development of Managers?

A manager can not do all the duties assigned to him all alone. The manager should assign power to meet the goals. Delegation of authority involves the distribution to the subordinate of authority and powers downwards. It's about entrusting someone else to do parts of your work. It will be easy for a manager to divide the duties to subordinates and get the work completed early. To achieve effective results, the delegation of authority can be characterized as subdivision and sub-allocation of powers to subordinates.

2. What is the Relationship Between Authority and Responsibility?

Authority is the legal right of an individual or superior to direct his subordinates, whereas responsibility is the duty of the person to fulfill his duties according to performance requirements. Authority passes from supervisors to subordinates, giving subordinates orders and instructions to accomplish the mission. It is only by power that a director exercises influence. In a way, the superior requests responsibility from subordinates by exercising power. If the marketing manager orders the sales supervisor to conduct 50 units of sales in a month, but the above expectations are not met, the chief executive officer will be responsible for the marketing manager. We may also conclude that power flows from top to bottom and transparency flows from bottom to top. Accountability is the duty to exercise responsibilities and exercise authority in terms of defined performance criteria. Therefore, equal responsibility is attached to any authority.

3. What are the essential features of authority?

Following Are Some of the Essential Features of Authority:

Authority is said to be an individual's legitimate right received for his position from the organization.

It allows the staff to be identified by the placeholder’s position.

It involves controlling the action of the coworkers in a way to achieve the organizational goals without restraining the growth of his subordinates. 

It differs from absolute power in the sense that authority can solve and manage issues only under their jurisdiction. In authority, there is accountability which can be missing in people with absolute power within the structure of the organization.

4. What are the principles on which delegation of authority is based?

The Delegation (Sharing) of Authority Works on the Following Main Principles:

Principle of expected result - It states that every manager before delegating the powers must precisely explain to the subordinates the goals as well as results expected from them. 

Principle of Parity of Authority and Responsibility - This principle states that the manager finely balances between authority and responsibility such that there is the judicious use of power and respectful accountability for one's own decisions towards the firm as a whole. Both of these aspects should go hand in hand.

Principle of absolute responsibility - According to this principle, authority within an organization can be shared but not responsible. In this way, “responsibility is fixed”. A manager, no matter at what place in the power structure, and regardless of his authority and position, is always responsible to his superiors for carrying out his task by sharing the powers and allocating resources. Managers also maintain their accountability till the completion of the task.

Principle of Authority level - This principle means that a manager has the power provided to him only within the jurisdiction/framework of the organization. It is compulsory for a manager to consult his superiors with those matters of which the authority is not given. This suggests that a  manager can enforce important decisions only if he has the correct authority.

5. What are the elements of delegation of authority?

There Are Three Main Elements of Authority Delegation. They Are:

Authority - In a business organization, authority can be defined as the legitimate power of a person to use and allocate resources and make decisions, and/ or give orders so as to achieve the organizational objectives.

Responsibility - Responsibility can be defined as the duty of the person (usually called a subordinate) to complete the task assigned to him. When a person is entrusted with a responsibility, it is imperative that he accomplishes the tasks assigned to him. He must not indulge in giving excuses for his inability to fulfill his duties.

Accountability - means offering an authentic explanation for any variance/ inability in the actual performance from the expectations set. Accountability can not be delegated (shared).

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March 2, 2017

Internal Controls – The Control Environment

In our first article, we discussed the reasons to love internal controls and indicated that many organizations use the core components of the framework developed by The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) when developing and implementing internal controls (ICs) that are right-sized to them. In this article, we’ll focus on the first of the five components.

Control Environment

• Risk Assessment
• Control Activities
• Information & Communication
• Monitoring Activities

The control environment (CE) is the underpinning of the other core components and is the foundation ICs are built on. It sets the tone for the organization and provides the structure and discipline necessary for employees to conduct their job functions and carry-out their control responsibilities. The goal of the CE is to achieve the entity’s strategic objectives, provide reliable financial reporting to internal and external users, operate the business efficiently and effectively, comply with applicable laws and regulations, and safeguarding assets.

CE includes:

• Management sets an ethical climate that fosters honesty and integrity through their actions, code of conduct, whistleblower policy, etc.
• The Board of Directors provides direction, attention, and oversight strategic decisions, formal policies, bylaws, etc.
• Views regarding managing business risks, including financial, operating and compliance risks, are appropriately reflected in policies and procedures
• Appropriate attitudes towards financial reporting are reflected in the related policies and procedures
• The organization hires and retains competent employees to carry-out tasks and provides appropriate internal or external training and evaluations
• The organization structure is properly designed and documented in organizational charts, job descriptions and appropriate lines of reporting are put in place
• Appropriate levels of authority and responsibility are assigned to qualified and experienced individuals, which provides a basis for accountability
• Expectations regarding behavior, competence, and integrity are established in policies and procedures to be used during hiring, orientation, compensation, promotion, evaluation and remedial actions

ICs are essential for a successful business. Having the right attitude, awareness, and actions are the keys to success.

Our next article will cover the second core component, Risk Assessment.

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Delegation of Authority: Meaning, Principles and Process

After reading this article you will learn about:- 1. Meaning of Delegation 2. Elements of Delegation 3. Principles 4. Process 5. Advantages 6. Disadvantages 7. Barriers 8. Overcoming Obstruction.

Meaning of Delegation:

The process of delegation starts from the chief executive of an organisation who has the total responsibility for the achievement of goals. In order to share the responsibility of accomplishing goals, he further delegates the work to his subordinates.

These subordinates, finding the work assigned to them by their superior exceeds their “Span of Control” assign a portion of their works to their own subordinates. This process continues till all the tasks and activities are assigned to those who have the appropriate physical, psychological and professional abilities to do it.

Delegation is the downward transfer of formal authority from one person to another. Superiors delegate authority to subordinates to facilitate the accomplishment of the assigned work.

According to Koontz and O’Donnell, “The entire process of delegation involves the determination of results expected, the assignment of tasks, the delegation of authority for accomplishment of these tasks, and the exaction of responsibility for their accomplishment.”

Elements of Delegation :

The following three elements are in the scheme of delegation:

1. Assignment of duties or tasks.

2. Delegation of authority.

3. Accountability for performance of duties and exercise of authority.

1. Assignment of Duties or Tasks :

A manager has to assign a part of his duties to others under him or her because he cannot himself perform all the work. So, when assigning duties he should ensure that the subordinates, to whom work is assigned, perform their tasks sincerely and competently. Even after that a manager assigns duties and tasks to his subordinates; he continues to be ultimately responsible for the proper performance of these duties and tasks.

2. Delegation of Authority:

While the duties and tasks are entrusted to the subordinates by the superior, the authority should be granted them to perform those duties and tasks well. It is called as “delegation of authority”. This delegation of authority is considered as an essential to take all actions, which lead to accomplish their duties successfully, and the organisational goals.

3. Accountability for Performance of Duties and Exercise of Authority:

The person to whom any responsibility is assigned and authority is delegated should also be made accountable or answerable for the proper performance of the assigned responsibility and for proper exercise of the delegated authority.

Principles of Delegation:

The following principles that serve as guidelines for effective delegation of authority are given below:

1. Functional Clarity:

The functions to be performed, the methods of operations and the results expected must be clearly defined. The authority delegated must be adequate to ensure that these functions are well performed.

2. Matching Authority with Responsibility:

Generally authority and responsibility are highly interconnected. So, authority should be delegated as to be equal to responsibility, consigned to the worker. Authority should be adequate and should not only match the duties to be performed but also the personal capabilities of the subordinate.

3. Unity of Command:

The “Unity of Command” means a subordinate should be commanded by one superior only. In this connection a subordinate should be assigned duties and delegated authority by only one superior and he should be accountable for the performance of the assigned duties and exercise of the delegated authority.

In other words, a subordinate should be responsible to only one superior who is delegating the authority to the subordinate.

4. Principle of Communication:

A misunderstood responsibility can be very dangerous. A general authority can be easily misused. Accordingly, both the responsibility and authority must be clearly specified, openly communication must be continuously kept open for issuing directions as well as for receiving feedback.

5. Responsibility not Delegatable:

Authority can be delegated, but responsibility cannot be delegated. A manager cannot turn a blind eye to how the assigned duties are performed, and how the delegated authority is exercised. The ultimate responsibility for the performance of duties and exercise of delegated authority remains with him.

6. Limits to Authority to be Well Defined:

A manager cannot properly delegate authority unless he fully knows what his own authority is. To avoid confusion in this respect, there should be written manuals and orders to indicate the limits of authority and area of operations of each manager.

7. Principle of Management by Exception:

Management should delegate the authority and responsibility for routing operations and decision making to subordinates, but must retain such tasks for themselves for which they alone are uniquely qualified. On the other hand, the subordinates must make decisions and take actions wherever they can and should only refer matters of such nature to their superiors, which are unique, and outside their domain of authority.

This practice saves valuable time of top management, which can be utilised, for more important policy matters. Also by trying to solve most of the problems by themselves, the subordinates prepare themselves for higher challenges and responsibilities.

Process of Delegation:

The step, which is followed when delegating authority, is the process of delegation. Normally four steps are used in the process of delegation. It can be shown in the form of diagram.

1. Assignment of Tasks:

The first step in this process is to determine clearly what the subordinates are supposed to do. Then the capabilities of each subordinate should be considered to match them with the assigned duties. The tasks should be distributed in such a manner that the subordinates are not unnecessarily overburdened and that each one is capable of efficiently completing the assigned task.

The total task can divided into identifiable parts so that the manager can handle some parts himself and other parts can be given to skilled subordinates. This way the coordination and supervision would become easier.

2. Delegation of Decision making Authority:

The second step is to give authority to subordinates to make and implement decisions regarding procurement of resources and supervision of activities that are relevant to the duties assigned to them. This authority must be clearly stated, and if possible in writing, so that there is no ambiguity regarding making necessary decisions.

The authority should also be related to tasks so that if the tasks change, so would the authority. Any matters or decisions that do not fall within the domain of delegated authority must be referred to the superiors.

3. Creation of Obligation:

The third step is the creation of obligation on the part of the subordinates to perform their duties satisfactorily. The person assigned the task is morally responsible to do his best since he has willingly accepted these tasks.

Obligation is a personal concern for the task. Even if the subordinate gets part of the task done through other people, he must accept responsibility for timely completion of the task as well as the quality of the output.

4. Creation of Accountability:

Being answerable to someone for your actions create accountability, an obligation to accept the consequences, good or bad. According to Newman, Summer and Warren, “by accepting an assignment, a subordinate in effect gives his superiors a promise to do his best in carrying out his duties. Having takes a job, he is morally bound to complete it. He can be held accountable for results.

Advantages of Delegation:

The following are the advantages of delegation:

1. It Helps for Effective Functioning:

Delegation helps the executive to apportion that part of his work to his subordinates. So that he can devote his time to more important areas of his duties like leadership, organisation planning and coordination.

2. It Results in Quick Decisions:

The process of delegation makes it possible to push decision. Making to the lowest level where information, competence and willingness to make decisions are available. Decisions can be made right away at or near the centre of operations as soon as a deviation occurs or the situation demands.

3. Reduction in Managerial Load:

Delegation relieves the manager of the need to attend to minor or routine types of duties. Thus, he is enabled to devote greater attention and effort towards broader and more important responsibilities.

4. It leads for Specialised Service:

Since the work is assigned to the persons who have specialised knowledge and expertise, it helps for specialised services. For example, sales may be delegated to the sales manager, marketing-to-marketing manager, finance-to-finance manager.

5. Delegation is a Motivational Factors:

Delegation may also be used as a device to motivate the subordinate. Subordinates usually respond to delegated authority with favourable attitude. They become more responsible and more dedicated to their work and they feel proud of being given such authority and responsibility, this in turn boosts their morale.

6. Aid to Employee Developments:

Delegation ensures the employees in the organisation to develop their capabilities to undertake new and more challenging jobs and also it promotes job satisfaction.

7. It can be a Training Ground for Executive Ability:

Subordinates, when given control over the problems they face are able to analyse the situation and make decisions accordingly. This continuous involvement prepares them for problem solving process when they reach a higher executive level. This process will also screen out those from the executive level who have proved to be less successful in handling problems at the lower level.

Disadvantages of Delegation:

1. Central management is far removed from the actual operations where the decisions are made so that it becomes difficult to pinpoint major problems when they occur because decisions are made by many subordinates.

2. The second problem may lie in the area of coordination. If coordination among these many subordinates is not adequate, then confusion may result and it may become difficult to exercise control over procedures and policies.

3. It may be difficult to perfectly match the task with the capability of the subordinate.

Barriers to Delegation:

Even though there are several advantages on delegation of authority, most managers are reluctant to delegate authority and many subordinates are also reluctant to accept authority and responsibility for several reasons.

1. Reluctance of Managers or Executives:

The following reasons for managers are not willing to delegate authority are given below:

i. A manager may believe that he can do his work better than his subordinates.

ii. Sometimes, managers might believe that his subordinates are not capable enough.

iii. Delegation may require a lot of time in explaining the task and responsibility to the subordinates. Here, manager may not have the patience to explain, supervise and correct any mistakes.

iv. A manager may lack confidence and trust in his subordinates, since the managers is responsible for the actions of his subordinates, he may not be willing to take chances with the subordinates, in case the job is not done right.

v. Some managers lack the ability to direct their subordinates.

vi. Some managers feel very insecure in delegating authority especially when the subordinate is capable of doing the job better. The manager, in such a situation, may fear his loss of power and competition from the subordinate.

vii. An executive may be reluctant to delegate if he believes that the control system is not adequate in providing early warning of problems and difficulties that may arise in the delegated duties, thus delaying the corrective decisions and actions.

2. Reluctance of Subordinates:

Subordinates may reluctant to accept delegation of authority for the following reasons:

1. Subordinates may lack confidence in their ability to accept additional responsibility.

2. Subordinates may reluctant to accept authority and make decisions for fear that they would be criticised or dismissed for making wrong decisions.

3. Subordinates may not be motivated to accept additional responsibility and authority willingly in the absence of suitable incentives.

4. In case of adequate information and resources may not be available to the subordinates to carry out their decisions, they may hesitate to accept the delegation of authority.

5. They find it easier to ask their superiors than to try to solve the problem themselves.

Overcoming Obstruction of Delegation:

The following aspects will help to overcome the obstacles of delegation:

1. Delegation to be Complete and Clearly Understood:

The subordinate must know precisely what he has to know and do. It should be preferably in writing with specific instructions so that the subordinate does not repeatedly refer problems to the manager for his opinion or decisions.

2. Proper Selection and Training:

The management must make proper assessment of subordinates in terms of their abilities and limitations before delegating the proper authority. Additionally, management must work closely with the subordinates in training them in how to improve their job performance. This constant communication will build up the self-confidence of the subordinates.

3. Motivation of Subordinates:

Adequate incentive in the form of promotion, status, better working conditions or additional bonuses must be provided for additional responsibilities will performed.

4. Establishment of Proper Control:

Shortcoming can be removed by establishing adequate controls. In this regard, adequate checkpoints and controls may be built in the system. For example, weekly reports.

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• Delegation of Authority and Principles Related to it
• Authority and Responsibility: Comparison | Organising | Management
• Notes on Delegation of Authority: Meaning, Forms and Principles | Organisation
• Delegation of Authority: Principle and Problems

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