INTRODUCTION
The ability to make judgments that direct the actions of others is known as authority. Delegation of authority helps to the establishment of an organisation. No single person can fulfil all of an organization’s responsibilities.
It is necessary to transfer power and follow the rules of division of labour in order to complete the task on time. Delegation allows a person to expand his sphere of influence beyond his own time, energy, and expertise.
DEFINITION OF AUTHORITY
Henri Fayol, “Authority is the right to give orders and the power to exact obedience.”
Kootnz and O’Donnell, “Authority is the power to command others to act or not to act in a manner deemed by the possessor of the authority to further enterprises or departmental purposes. “
Terry, “Authority is the power to exact others to take actions considered appropriate for the achievement of a predetermined objective.”
According to Barnard, “Authority is the character of a communication (order) in a formal determining organisation by virtue of which it is accepted by a contributor to or member of the organisation as governing the action he contributes; that is, as governing or determining what he does or is not to do so far as the organisation is concerned.”
Daris defines authority as the “right of decision and command.”
Louis Allen, “The sum of the powers and rights entrusted to make possible the performance of the work delegated.”
Simon, “The power to make decisions which guide the actions of another. It one superior, the other subordinate. The superior relationship between the individuals frames and transmits decisions with the expectation that they will be accepted by the subordinates. The subordinate expects such decisions and his conduct is determined by them.
Dr. Paterson defines it as, “the right to command and expect and enforce obedience.”
Strong says, “Authority is the right to command.”
Massie defines, “The formal right to exercise control.”
Tannenbaum defines, “The concept authority describes an interpersonal relationship in which one individual, the subordinate, accepts a decision made by another individual, the superior, permitting that decision directly to affect his behaviour.”
CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTHORITY
1. Basis of getting things done: In an organisation, authority confers the ability to do things and influence the behaviour of other employees. It causes specific tasks to be performed automatically in order to achieve the set objectives.
2. Legitimacy: Superiors have a legal right (within the organisation) to exercise authority. This form of right comes as a result of an organization’s tradition, custom, or acknowledged authenticity standards.
A manager’s ability to influence his subordinates’ behaviour is granted to him through an organisational structure.
3. Decision-making: An authority must be able to make decisions. The manager has the authority to order his subordinates to act or not act. The manager makes this sort of judgement on the operation of an office.
4. Implementation: Implementation has an impact on the personality traits of the manager who has authority. When it comes to implementing decisions, subordinates or groups of subordinates should follow the manager’s directions. A manager’s personality may differ from that of another manager.
SOURCES OF AUTHORITY
There are broadly three theories regarding the sources from which authority originates. They are:
1. The formal authority theory.
2. The acceptance of authority theory.
3. The competence theory.
Brief explanations of the above three theories are given below:
1. The Formal Authority Theory: According to this view, authority flows through an organization’s structure from top to bottom. To put it another way, authority goes from the General Manager to his departmental manager, who then passes it on to his superintendent and so on. This is seen in the diagram below.
Traditional Authority Theory and Top Down Authority Theory are additional names for Formal Authority Theory. In a public limited corporation, the power is in the hands of the shareholders, who delegate their authority to top management, who then delegate a portion of that authority to middle management.
2. The Acceptance of Authority Theory: This hypothesis was proposed by Chester Bannard. According to this notion, when the subordinates acknowledge the superior’s authority, it flows from the superior to the subordinates.
The superior does not have the authority to compel the subordinates to accept it. If subordinates refuse to obey their superior’s orders, the superior cannot be considered to have control over them.
According to Bannard, “An individual will accept the exercise of authority if the advantages accruing to him from accepting plus the disadvantages accruing to him from not accepting exceed the advantages accruing to him from not accepting plus the disadvantages accruing to him for accepting and conversely, he will not accept the exercise of authority if the latter factors exceed the former”.
A superior’s authority is only effective when the subordinate is willing to accept it, and it is ineffectual when the subordinate is unwilling to accept it. The subordinate will not examine each and every command issued by the superior before deciding whether or not to accept it.
In reality, the subordinate readily accepts some superior directives. Zone of acceptance refers to when a subordinate accepts a superior’s direction without reservation.
Zone of acceptance will be determined by a number of factors:
1. The subordinate is under the impression that he will be rewarded for his efforts and abilities.
2. Sincere subordinate services to the organisation will be rewarded.
3.In a certain scenario, a subordinate believes he must accept authority.
4. If a subordinate refuses to accept authority, he or she will be fired from the company.
5. It is also tolerated since a guy may have specialised expertise.
6. It is acceptable since a subordinate understands his position inside the organisation.
7. Accepting authority is the only option offered.
8. It is the subordinate’s responsibility or the organization’s policy to impose authority.
9. People trust the individual who is issuing commands.
3. Competence Theory: This form of authority is given to people because of the position they hold. The personal strength of this sort of person is built on the individual’s leadership characteristics. Only one individual in an organisation rises to a higher position over time due to his leadership skills.
DELEGATION
It is difficult for one individual to do all of the work in an organisation and accomplish the organization’s goals. Similarly, a single individual may not be endowed with all decision-making authority, which is a developing worry. As a result, the superior delegated power and assigned duties or obligations to his subordinates.
MEANING
Delegation is the process of assigning work to others and granting them sufficient power to do it.
DEFINITION
Louis A. Allen, “Delegation is the dynamic of management, it is the process a manager follows is dividing the work assigned to him so that he perform that part which only he, because of his unique organisational placement, can perform effectively and so that he can get other to help them with what remains”.
Mc Farland, “Delegation is the primary formal mechanism by which the net work of authority relationship is established”.
E.F.L. Brech, “Delegation means, in brief, the passing to others to share in the four elements of the management process that is to say, in the command of the activities of other people and in the responsibility for the decision that will determine the planning, coordination and control of the activities of such other people”.
Terry, “Conferring authority from the executive or organisational unit to another in order to accomplish particular assignments”.
Hodge and Johnson,”A process whereby a superior divides his total work assignment between himself and subordinate managers or operative personal in order to achieve other operative and management specialisation.”
Dougcas C. Basil, “Delegation consists of granting authority or the right to decisionmaking in certain defined areas and charging the subordinate with responsibility for carrying through an assigned task”.
IMPORTANCE OF DELEGATION
One of the most significant ways for educating subordinates and instilling morale is delegation. The manager may focus on the crucial tasks of planning, organising, and controlling thanks to delegation of authority.
Delegation is a global activity; everywhere humans operate in groups, they practise one form or another of delegation. Members of the legislatures in our democratic India delegate their authority to the people.
Members of legislatures delegate their power to any of the elected leaders, who in turn delegate portion of their power to the cabinet ministers he chooses.
A person can complete a variety of simple and sophisticated tasks. Delegation allows a person to not only fulfil his or her responsibilities, but to do it efficiently and successfully. There is no other option for a company unit with several branches in various locations besides delegation.
Delegation of power is widely considered as one of the most reliable and effective techniques for achieving improved results. A smart boss may use delegation of power to motivate employees and eliminate inefficient information systems.
ELEMENTS OF DELEGATION
1. Assignment of duties or responsibilities: This task is only done when a superior does not have time to complete all of the work. The job of duty is automatically assigned by the superior to his immediate subordinate.
2. Delegation of authority: If the job is delegated to a subordinate, authority will be required to complete it. Following the delegation of authority, the subordinate might be given powers to do duties in a timely and orderly manner.
3. Accountability: Accountability refers to a subordinate’s responsibility to his immediate superior. If a subordinate makes a mistake or makes a mistake, the subordinate should assume responsibility for it.
If the task is not completed according to the superior’s directions, the assignment may be given to the subordinate in some instances. The superior (the one who delegated responsibility) is accountable to management, while the subordinate is not (to whom authority is delegated)
PRINCIPLES OF DELEGATION
1. Delegation to go by results expected: The scope of delegation of power is on par with the type of responsibility. It is important to emphasise that the organization’s objectives must be met on time. Before delegating authority, the superior should be explicit about what he expects from the subordinate.
2. Non-delegation of responsibility: Although a superior can assign power, he or she cannot delegate culpability. Assigning responsibilities is not the same as delegating responsibility.
The boss should keep in touch with his or her employees to see if responsibilities are being completed and authority is being exercised effectively. The superior retains ultimate accountability for the execution of responsibilities.
3. Authority and responsibility should commensurate with each other: If adequate delegation of power is in place, a subordinate may do his job successfully and efficiently; otherwise, the prescribed work will not be completed. Without accountability, the subordinate will become reckless.
Similarly, giving a subordinate responsibilities without authority will make them ineffective. As a result, there must be an appropriate balance of power and accountability person.
4. Unity of command: The unity of command concept states that a subordinate should receive instruction from only one superior. In other words, a subordinate should have just one superior assign him duties and responsibilities, and he should report solely to that superior.
When a subordinate receives commands, instructions, and directions from many superiors, the organisation becomes unsure and confused. In this case, the subordinate will have a hard time deciding which instructions, commands, or directives to follow first.
5. Definition of limitations of authority: A person is well aware that only an authority may effectively assign authority. There should be written guides that guide people in the proper path when it comes to understanding authority. This will eliminate any doubt about authority delegation and allow the concerned individual to perform effectively.
TYPES OF DELEGATION
A brief explanation of the different types of delegation is given below:
1. General.
2. Specific.
3. Written.
4. Unwritten.
5. Formal.
6. Informal.
7. Downward.
8. Accrued.
9. Sideward.
1. General delegation: Granting authority to a subordinate to execute numerous administrative responsibilities and exert control over his subordinates is known as general delegation. At the same time, senior management regulates and supervises the same individuals.
2. Specific delegation: The commands, instructions, or directions are assigned to a specific individual under specified delegation. For example, the Employee Manager may be given power for personnel selection, training, and placement, among other things.
3. Written delegation: Written directions, instructions, and other forms of delegation are used in this sort of delegation. This form of delegation necessitates the right use of language.
4. Unwritten delegation: The term “unwritten delegation” refers to authority derived by custom, conversion, or use. There is no evidence for future reference in this case.
5. Formal delegation: The enterprise’s organisational structure displays the tasks and authority. The production manager, for example, is given the obligation and power to maintain and expand output.
6. Informal delegation: In some instances, a person must exercise power without seeking permission from upper management. The reason for this is that he can efficiently complete his given tasks on time.
7. Downward delegation: When a supervisor may assign tasks and power to his immediate subordinate, this is known as downward delegation. The majority of businesses use this kind of delegating.
8. Accrued delegation: A subordinate might delegate his power to his immediate superiors under this form of delegation. It happens infrequently in businesses.
9. Sideward delegation: A person delegated responsibility to another individual in the organisation who has the same rank as him.
ADVANTAGES OF DELEGATION
Delegation of authority improves the organisation in a variety of ways. Some of the most important advantages of delegation of authority include:
1. Basis of effective functioning: Delegation is the foundation for an organization’s efficient operation. It establishes relationships with people and fulfils the organization’s varied goals. It establishes relationships with people and fulfils the organization’s varied goals.
2. Saving of time: Delegating power allows a superior to devote more time to vital tasks like as planning, organising, staffing, directing, co-ordinating, regulating, and making decisions.
3. Reduction of work: Delegation relieves the superior of mundane responsibilities. Routine tasks are usually delegated to subordinates. It allows the superior to do more responsible tasks on their own.
4. Opportunity for development: Delegating authority provides a fantastic chance for the subordinate to develop. It assists in finding the ideal individual for development among the numerous subordinates.
5. Benefit of specialised service: Delegation allows a superior to profit from the specialised expertise of those at lower levels. For example, the production manager is in charge of production, the sales manager of sales, the lawyer of legal affairs, and so on.
6. Delegation of authority enables effective managerial supervision
7. Efficient running of branches: If the firm has a branch, the affairs and activities of that branch are managed by a separate individual. This branch is supposed to be under his control. If he is given enough power and responsibility, he could endeavour to guarantee that the branch runs smoothly and efficiently.
8. Interest and initiative: Whenever authority is delegated, the subordinate may be eager to complete the task. In certain circumstances, the subordinate takes the initiative to complete the task.
9. Satisfaction to subordinates: Individuals’ needs for self-actualization will be met via delegation of authority.
10. Expansion and diversification of business activity: By delegating responsibility, subordinates are properly taught in making decisions in numerous areas of the business. Top management might leverage this sort of subordinate talent to expand and diversify the company’s activities.
PROBLEMS OF DELEGATION
Every boss is required to transfer some of his responsibilities and obligations to his employees. A single individual cannot complete all of the tasks. As a result, delegation is a critical organisational attribute. Only when there is a good balance between superior and subordinate impulses can adequate delegation of power be created.
I. HESITATION ON THE PART OF SUPERIOR
1. Perfectionism: Many supervisors believe he is superior than others. To some extent, this is correct. The reason for this is because the superior may have had prior experience and established a level of ability in doing so.
A boss who follows such a technique is not a dedicated employee of the company. By delegating power, he should allow the subordinate to grow his skills.
2. Autocratic attitude: Some superiors would rather keep their authority. These individuals do not believe in delegation of responsibility and meddle with their subordinates’ limited authority.
3. Directions: Many supervisors are incapable of leading their followers. The superior’s orders may be misinterpreted by subordinates. The superiors are then unable to obtain the required efficiency from the subordinate.
4. Confidence: Superiors often lack trust in their subordinates. Because life in society cannot be lived without relying on others, each superior is required to transfer his powers to his subordinates.
The superior will not acquire experience via delegation of authority if the delegation is not made. On the basis of the success of the transfer of authority, confidence is progressively established.
5. Control: His subordinates are under the command of the superior. He wants to maintain control over his subordinates and the significance of his position.
As a result, he is hesitant to delegate his power. Furthermore, the superior fears that if he delegated his power, he will be subjugated.
6. Avoidance of risk: The transfer of authority to a subordinate may pose a risk. Whatever the danger, the superior will have to bear responsibility for it. However, only a few executives are willing to take the risk.
7. Competition: By utilising delegation of authority, subordinates learn far more than their superiors. As a result, more talented individuals emerge than the superior. The superior is not pleased, and he will avoid competition in the future.
8. Inability of the subordinate: The subordinate is incapable of accepting new assignments. Knowing this, the superior is hesitant to delegate authority.
9. Inability of the superior: If the superior is inefficient, the work methods and processes he devises are likely to be flawed. As a result, the superior wishes to retain complete control.
II. HESITATION ON THE PART OF SUBORDINATES
Even when the superiors are enthusiastic about delegation, the subordinates are not always eager to accept it. The following are the reasons why subordinates refuse to accept authority:
1. Love of spoon-feeding: If a subordinate is given the opportunity to make a decision, he may not want to do so.
2. Easier to ask: It is generally easier for subordinates to ask their superiors for an answer than to research it themselves. Some bosses will only accept one answer to an issue and leave it up to their employees to figure out the rest. In this case, a subordinate does well and approaches his superior for assistance.
3. Fear of criticism: A subordinate may be afraid that his superior would condemn him even if he makes a little judgement error. This stifles the subordinate’s initiative and severely undermines his self-esteem.
4. Lack of information (or) resource: Due to a lack of information or resources to do the task properly, a subordinate may be hesitant to take additional work.
5. Lack of self-confidence: One of the causes for not accepting authority is a subordinate’s lack of self-confidence.
6. Other work:Subordinates may believe that they will be unable to do any new work in addition to their current responsibilities. Subordinates believe that accepting power will compel them to accept greater labour in the future.
7. Inadequate incentives: If there is no personal advantage in accepting power, a subordinate may not come forward.
8. Fear of failure: Some subordinates are afraid of failing, thus they refuse to take on further duties.
EFFECTIVE DELEGATION
The superior’s goal is to practise and encourage delegation in order to achieve the organization’s goals more efficiently. As a result, the type and substance of each task must be objectively analysed to determine which jobs may be delegated to subordinates.
Subordinates are typically entrusted with modest and regular tasks. The superior is unwilling to conduct even mundane tasks, however there are some tasks that cannot be delegated, such as budget preparation, policy formation, and rule and regulation creation.
STEPS INVOLVED IN SUCCESSFUL DELEGATION
1. Establishment of definite goals: The goal of delegation is to make achieving organisational goals more efficient. However, delegates are useless unless the goals are well established. If subordinates are unclear about what is expected of them, they may be hesitant to accept leadership.
2. Developing personal discipline for supervision: Superiors should have trust in their subordinates’ abilities and be willing to overlook their faults. Then, for effective performance, every subordinate will be willing to accept authority.
3. Establishment of definite responsibility: Each subordinate’s power and responsibilities should be stated clearly. This will prevent delegation duplication.
4. Motivation: Subordinates are willing to assume responsibility if they are properly motivated. Increased salaries and other incentives may be used to motivate employees.
5. Determining what to delegate: This will involve a review of people’s capabilities and work requirements. Only delegated authority that is appropriate will be examined.
6. Training: Delegated work should be handled by subordinates who have been appropriately trained. Subordinates should get both technical and non-technical training. Non-technical training covers the development of subordinates’ morale, confidence, and leadership abilities.
7. Report: The subordinate is expected to produce a report after any delegation of authority. Only in this way will the superior be liberated from authority roles and able to focus on more vital tasks.
8. Control: Even after delegation of authority, the superior is held accountable to the top management. As a result, a proper control system must be established to keep a close eye on subordinates’ performance. If a variation from the specified processes is discovered, the superior should move quickly to fix it.
PRE-REQUISITES FOR EFFECTIVE DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY
After learning the following conditions for effective delegation, a supervisor can assign his authority:
1. The supervisor must be aware of their own power and responsibility.
2. Supervisors must decide how much authority they wish to grant to their subordinates.
3. The supervisor should have a full understanding of the subordinates’ strengths and limitations.
4. The supervisor must guarantee that the delegated job has been understood and carried out correctly.
5. Only regular functions should be delegated to subordinates by the supervisor.
6. The supervisor must recognise the relevance, necessity, and value of delegating.
7. Work that may be completed independently should be delegated by the supervisor.
8. The supervisor must discourage the subordinate from making decisions on their own.
9. The supervisor must provide his subordinates decision-making authority.
10. Within the organisation, there should be an adequate communication network.
11. A precise description of the standard of responsibility should be established.
12. Delegation must be done in conformity with the project’s overall strategy for completion.
13. The delegation of authority should be limited to the structure of the organisation.
COMMON FAULTS IN DELEGATION
1. Close supervision: Even after devolution of authority, the supervisor must oversee his subordinates. If there is no tight monitoring and subordinates are not made to operate independently, the benefits of delegation of power will not be available to the organisation.
2. Lack of direction: The supervisor fails to provide his employees proper instructions. It puts subordinates in a situation where they have no idea what is expected of them.
3. Lack of accountability: Supervisors are unable to monitor the efficient utilisation of assigned labour. This is a significant disadvantage for the superior. As a result, the subordinates develop a sense of irresponsibility.
DECENTRALISATION
Decentralisation refers to the fact that each sector of the department has its own staff to carry out tasks. These services will not be provided by a general office. Decentralisation is assigning different workers to each department to handle duties that cannot be centralised.
ADVANTAGES OF DECENTRALISATION
1. Savings of time: The departmental officers are responsible for all paperwork related to the business’s fundamental operations. Decentralization allows department employees to finish their task ahead of schedule.
2. Greater efficiency and ouput: A department’s employees are knowledgeable about the technology used in that department. As a result, they may be able to improve their efficiency. Increased efficiency leads to increased output while lowering costs.
3. Maintenance of secrecy: If the business’s secret is compromised, the organisation may suffer a loss. Following that, under decentralisation, if a distinct department is charged with maintaining secrecy, the loss may be prevented and secrecy can be maintained.
4. Departmental loyalty: Staff who have been with a department for a long time acquire a sense of loyalty to the department. It leads to an increase in productivity and an improvement in the individual’s performance.
DISADVANTAGES OF DECENTRALISATION
1. No proper division of work: The organization’s workload cannot be evenly distributed among its departments.
2. Duplication of work: When the same sort of work is conducted in many departments (duplication of work), distinct machinery and equipment are employed to complete the activity.
3. No standardisation: There is no way to implement a consistent method across all departments to conduct the same sort of job. Furthermore, it creates challenges in each department’s selection and training.
4. Heavy expenditure: This department will require a huge number of employees and managers. It leads to a rise in operating costs.
RESPONSIBILITY
The superior-subordinate connection is always the source of responsibility. Obligation is at the heart of obligations. When a person is entrusted with a task, he should be held accountable for the results.
MEANING
The requirement to perform anything is defined as responsibility. In other terms, accountability is the obligation to carry out the organization’s activities, functions, or assignments.
DEFINITION
Theo Haimann, “Responsibility is the obligation of a subordinate to perform the duty as required by his superior”.
Davis, “Responsibility is an obligation of the individual to perform the assigned duties to the best of his ability under the direction of his executive leader”. Strong, “Responsibility is an obligation to perform certain functions and achieve certain results”.
Mc Farland, “Responsibility is the duties and activities assigned to a position or to an executive”.
ELEMENTS OF RESPONSIBILITY
- It is the result of a superior-subordinate relationship
- It is the product of a legal arrangement.
- The obligation cannot be delegated to another person.
- Acceptance of authority creates it.
- There is a sense of responsibility.
- The responsibility might be broad or narrow.
- Being responsible is a never-ending task.
For an organisation to function effectively, power and responsibility must be delegated. Without authority, responsibility is a hollow vessel. Authority without accountability is extremely hazardous. An individual need both authority and accountability.
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