Delegation of

Authority
1–1
Delegation of Authority (Distributing Authority)

 Authority:
 Power that has been
legitimized (சட்டபூர்வமாக்க)
by the organization.
 Delegation:
 The process by which
managers assign a
portion of their total
workload to others.

11 - 2
 PROCESS OF DELEGATION

Define
Determining the MOTIVATION to
RESPONSIBILITY
GOAL and AUTHORITY subordinates

Holding TRAINING to Establishing

ACCOUNTABILITY subordinates CONTROL
IMPORTANCE OF DELEGATION

 Relief to top managers.

 Development of managers.
 Development of subordinates.
 Better decision-making.
 Specialization.
 Job satisfaction.
BARRIERS TO DELEGATION
 Insecurity.
 Lack of confidence in subordinates.
 Fear of making mistakes.
 Lack of initiative.
 Absence of access to various resources.
WAYS TO OVERCOME
BARRIERS TO DELEGATION
 Develop confidence
 Communication.
 Motivation.
 Choose the right person for the right job.
 Freedom to subordinates.
 Clarity of task.
 Matching the jobs with abilities of subordinates.
Delegation
 Delegation is an administrative process of getting things done by others
by giving them responsibility.
 All important decisions are taken at top level by Board of Directors.
 The execution is entrusted to Chief Executive.
 The Chief Executive assigns to the work to departmental managers who
in turn delegate the authority to their subordinates.
 Every superior delegates the authority to subordinates for getting a
particular work done.
 The process goes to the level-~here actual work is executed.
 The person who is made responsible for a particular work is given the
requisite authority for getting it done.
 There is a limit up to which a person can supervise the subordinates.
When the number of subordinates increases beyond it then he will
have to delegate his powers to others who perform supervision for him.
A manager is not judged by the work he actually performs on his own
but the work he gets done through others.
Definitions:

 Allen. "The entrustment or a part of the work, or

responsibility and authority to another, and the
creation of accountability for performances".
Characteristics of Delegation:
Delegation has following Characteristics:

 Delegation takes place when a manager grants some of his

powers to subordinates.
 Delegation occurs only when the person delegating the
authority himself as that authority i.e. a manager must
possess what he wants to delegate.
 Only a part of authority is delegated to subordinates.
 A manager delegating authority can reduce, enhance or
take it back. He exercises full control over the activities of
the subordinates even after delegation.
 It is only the authority which is delegated and not the
responsibility. A manager cannot abdicate responsibility by
delegating authority to subordinates.
Elements of Delegation
 Delegation involves three elements:

 Assignment of responsibility: the first step in delegation is the

assignment of work or duty to the subordinate i.e. delegation of
authority.
 Grant of Authority: the grant authority is the second element of
delegation. The delegator grants authority to the subordinates so that
the assigned tack is accomplished. The delegation of responsibility
with authority is meaningless: The subordinates can only accomplish
the work when he has the authority required for completing that task.
Authority is derived from responsibility.
 Creation of Accountability: Accountability is the obligation of a
subordinate to perform the duties assigned to accomplish the task
assigned to him by the superior. When a work is assigned and authority
is delegated then accountability is the by-product of this process. The
authority is transferred so that a particular work is completed as
desired. The subordinate should be made accountable to only one
superior.
Authority ….cont’d
 in context of a business organization, authority can be defined as the power
and right of a person to use and allocate the resources efficiently, to take
decisions and to give orders so as to achieve the organizational objectives.
 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.
Responsibility ….cont’d
 - is the duty of the person to complete the task assigned to him.
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 ….cont’d
 - means giving explanations for any variance in the actual
performance from the expectations set. 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.
Principles of Delegation:
The following are the principles of delegation:

 Principle of Functional Definition: The related or similar activities should be grouped

together according to enterprise function. When the definition of a position is clear then
delegation of authority becomes simple.
 Principle of Unity of Command: the basic management principle is that of unity of
command. This principle states that a subordinate should report only single superior.
This will give a sense of personal responsibility.
 Principle of Delegation by Results Expected: The delegation of authority should be
based on the basis of results expected. The .authority should be sufficient to achieve the
desired results.
 Principle of Absoluteness of Responsibility: The responsibility of subordinates, once
he has accepted the work, is absolute to his superior. The responsibility of the superiors
does not decrease once he has delegated authority. A person can delegate authority and
not responsibility .He will remain accountable for the work even if it is delegated to the
subordinate. So the responsibility of superior and subordinate remains absolute.
 Authority Level Principle: The managers delegate authority to subordinates but have
the temptation to make decisions for them. They should allow the subordinates to take
their own decisions as per the authority delegated to them.
Principles of Delegation
 There are a few guidelines in form of principles which can be a help to the manager to
process of delegation. The principles of delegation are as follows: -
 Principle of result excepted- suggests that every manager before delegating the powers
to the subordinate should be able to clearly define the goals as well as results expected
from them.
 The goals and targets should be completely and clearly defined and the standards of
performance should also be notified clearly.
 For example, a marketing manager explains the salesmen regarding the units of sale to
take place in a particular day, say ten units a day have to be the target sales.
 While a marketing manger provides these guidelines of sales, mentioning the target sales
is very important so that the salesman can perform his duty efficiently with a clear set of
mind.
 Principle of Parity of Authority and Responsibility- According to this principle, the
manager should keep a balance between authority and responsibility.
 Both of them should go hand in hand. According to this principle, if a subordinate is
given a responsibility to perform a task, then at the same time he should be given enough
independence and power to carry out that task effectively.
 This principle also does not provide excessive authority to the subordinate which at times
can be misused by him.
 The authority should be given in such a way which matches the task given to him.
Therefore, there should be no degree of disparity between the two.
 Principle of absolute responsibility- This says that the authority can be
delegated but responsibility cannot be delegated by managers to his
subordinates which means responsibility is fixed.
 The manager at every level, no matter what is his authority, is always
responsible to his superior for carrying out his task by delegating the powers. It
does not means that he can escape from his responsibility. He will always
remain responsible till the completion of task.
 Every superior is responsible for the acts of their subordinates and are
accountable to their superior therefore the superiors cannot pass the blame to
the subordinates even if he has delegated certain powers to subordinates
example if the production manager has been given a work and the machine
breaks down. If repairmen is not able to get repair work done, production
manager will be responsible to CEO if their production is not completed.
 Principle of Authority level- This principle suggests that a manager should
exercise his authority within the jurisdiction / framework given. The manager
should be forced to consult their superiors with those matters of which the
authority is not given that means before a manager takes any important
decision, he should make sure that he has the authority to do that on the other
hand, subordinate should also not frequently go with regards to their
complaints as well as suggestions to their superior if they are not asked to do.
This principle emphasizes on the degree of authority and the level upto which
it has to be maintained.
For achieving delegation, a manager has to work in a system and
has to perform following

 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)
 Assignment of tasks and duties
 Granting of authority
 Creating responsibility and accountability
 …..cont’d
 Assignment of Duties - The delegator first tries to define
the task and duties to the subordinate. He also has to
define the result expected from the subordinates. Clarity of
duty as well as result expected has to be the first step in
delegation.
 Granting of authority - Subdivision of authority takes
place when a superior divides and shares his authority with
the subordinate. It is for this reason, every subordinate
should be given enough independence to carry the task
given to him by his superiors. 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.
 ….cont’d
 Creating Responsibility and Accountability –
 The delegation process does not end once powers are granted to the
subordinates. They at the same time have to be obligatory towards the duties
assigned to them. 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
Types of delegation:
 Delegation may be of the following types:

 General or Specific Delegation: when authority is given to perform general managerial functions
like planning. Organising, directing, etc., the subordinate managers perform these functions and
enjoy the authority required to carry out these responsibility. The chief executive exercises overall
control and guides the subordinates from time to time. The specific delegation may relate to a
particular functions or an assigned task. The authority delegated to the productions manager for
carrying out these functions will be specific delegation.
 Formal or Informal Delegation: Formal delegation of authority is the part of organisational
structure. Whenever a task is assigned to a person then the required authority is also given to him.
Informal delegation does not arise due to position but according to circumstances. A person may
undertake a pa11icular task not because he has been assigned" it but it is necessary to do his normal
work.
 Lateral Delegation: When a person is delegated an authority to accomplish a task, he may need the
assistance of a number of persons. It may take time to formally get assistance from these persons. He
may indirectly contact the persons to get their help for taking up the work by cutting short time of
formal delegation. When the authority is delegated informally it is called lateral delegation.
 Reserved Authority and Delegated Authority: A delegator may not like to delegate every authority
to the subordinates. The authority which he keeps with him is called reserved authority and the
authority which is assigned to the subordinates is delegated authority.

PRE-REQUISITES FOR DELEGATION


 Willingness to Delegate: The first prerequisite to delegation is the
willingness of the superior to part with his authority .Unless the
superior, is psychologically prepared to leave his authority, delegation
will not be effective.
 Climate of Trust and Confidence: There should be a climate of trust
and confidence among, superiors and subordinates.
 Faith in subordinates: Sometimes the superiors do not delegate
authority with the fear that subordinates will not be able to handle the
job independently. They are not confident of the qualities of
subordinates and do not want to take risks.
 Fear of Supervisors: There is often a fear among superiors that their
subordinates may not over take them, once they are given higher
responsibility. This is a case of interiority complex. The supervisors
may give many logics for delegating authority but this fear is one of the
important causes.
DIFFICULTIES INVOLVED IN
DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY
 There may be certain defects in organisational structure which hamper proper delegation of
authority. Some of the difficulties involved in delegation are as such:

1. Over Confidence of Superior: The feeling in a superior that only he can do certain work
effectively than others is the main difficulty in delegation. When a manager is of the opinion that
his subordinates will not be able to make proper decisions then he will concentrate all powers with
him and will not like to delegate his authority.
2. Lack of Confidence in Subordinates: The superior may be of the view that subordinates are not
competent to carry out certain things of their own. He may lack confidence in his subordinates.
Under these circumstances superior will hesitate to delegate authority.
3. Lack of Ability in Superior: A superior may lack the ability to delegate authority to subordinates.
The manager may not be able to identify the areas where delegation is required. Lack of Proper
Controls: There may not be proper controls in the organisation which help the manager to keep in
touch with performance of subordinates.
4. Lack of Proper Temperament of Superior: The chief executive may be over-cautious or
conservative by nature. An element of risk cannot altogether be ruled out but certain risk will have
to be taken.
5. Inability of Subordinates: The fear of committing mistakes or lack of confidence on the part of
subordinates may also act as a barrier in delegation of authority.
Importance of Delegation:

 Delegation is a universally accepted principle. An

industrial undertaking benefits by delegation in the
following ways:

1. Relieving Top Executives.

2. Improved Functioning.
3. Use of Specialists.
4. Helps in Employee Development.
5. Helps in Expansion and Diversification.
Factors Influencing Degree of
Delegation
 A number of factors influence the decision about
delegation. Some of these are discussed as follows:

1. Company's History.
2. Availability of Capable Persons.
3. Importance and Costliness of Decisions.
4. Size of the Enterprise.
5. Available Controls.
6. Types of Enterprise.
7. Environmental Factors.

Importance of Delegation
 Delegation of authority is a process in which the authority and powers
are divided and shared amongst the subordinates. When the work of a
manager gets beyond his capacity, there should be some system of
sharing the work. This is how delegation of authority becomes an
important tool in organization function. Through delegation, a
manager, in fact, is multiplying himself by dividing/multiplying his
work with the subordinates. The importance of delegation can be
justified by -
 Through delegation, a manager is able to divide the work and allocate
it to the subordinates. This helps in reducing his work load so that he
can work on important areas such as - planning, business analysis etc.
 With the reduction of load on superior, he can concentrate his energy
on important and critical issues of concern. This way he is able to bring
effectiveness in his work as well in the work unit. This effectivity helps
a manager to prove his ability and skills in the best manner.
 Delegation of authority is the ground on which the superior-subordinate relationship
stands. An organization functions as the authority flows from top level to bottom. This in
fact shows that through delegation, the superior-subordinate relationship become
meaningful. The flow of authority is from top to bottom which is a way of achieving
results.
 Delegation of authority in a way gives enough room and space to the subordinates to
flourish their abilities and skill. Through delegating powers, the subordinates get a
feeling of importance. They get motivated to work and this motivation provides
appropriate results to a concern. Job satisfaction is an important criterion to bring
stability and soundness in the relationship between superior and subordinates.
Delegation also helps in breaking the monotony of the subordinates so that they can be
more creative and efficient. Delegation of authority is not only helpful to the
subordinates but it also helps the managers to develop their talents and skills. Since the
manager get enough time through delegation to concentrate on important issues, their
decision-making gets strong and in a way they can flourish the talents which are required
in a manager. Through granting powers and getting the work done, helps the manager to
attain communication skills, supervision and guidance, effective motivation and the
leadership traits are flourished. Therefore it is only through delegation, a manager can be
tested on his traits.
 Delegation of authority is help to both superior and
subordinates. This, in a way, gives stability to a concern’s
working. With effective results, a concern can think of
creating more departments and divisions flow working.
This will require creation of more managers which can be
fulfilled by shifting the experienced, skilled managers to
these positions. This helps in both virtual as well as
horizontal growth which is very important for a concern’s
stability. Therefore, from the above points, we can justify
that delegation is not just a process but it is a way by which
manager multiples himself and is able to bring stability,
ability and soundness to a concern.