INTRODUCTION

Large scale and complex nature is the

notable feature of modern business. Management
has to perform various, varied and diverse
activities, which he cannot do all alone. It is,
therefore necessary that the manager must share it
work with other, so that the task assigned must be
performed. In this way, the process of sharing
task by its corresponding authority with the
subordinate is known as delegation of
authority.

Delegation is the art of getting work done

through others. It is the ability to get the desired
result through subordinates. This is why; a
competent manager is able to perform a lot of work
through delegation. It is rightly said that, “A
manager multiples himself through
delegation”. Only ordinary and routine authorities
are delegated. Delegation does not mean avoiding
responsibility and decisions. The idea behind the
delegation is to enable the manager to devote and
concentrate to important tasks.

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 MEANING & DEFINITION
OF
DELEGATION
The OF
management is required to perform a lot
of work. It is quiet difficult for him to concentrate
on every piece of work, so he shares the task and
the authority with subordinates. Delegation of
authority as such means granting the
responsibility regarding specific job to the
subordinates. With the expansion of business it
become difficult for any officer to perform all the
jobs entrusted to his efficiency, therefore the need
of delegating certain routine work to his component
and reliable subordinate with requisite authority
and responsibility. The sharing of routine
authority and responsibility with the
subordinate is delegation of authority.

Delegation of authority is based on the

simple principle of ‘division of work’. No manager
can perform the entire work assigned to him, so he
has to get a part of it done through others by
delegating the task and its corresponding authority.

Delegation is the important element of

organization. It is very systematic process not an
ahoy arrangement.

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 DEFINATION OF
DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY

“Delegation of authority merely means the

granting of authority to subordinate to operate
within prescribed limits”.

“Delegation means assigning work to others

and giving them authority to do it”.

“Delegation means in brief the passing on to

other of a share in the four elements of the
management process”.

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 SPECIAL FEATURE OF
DELEGATION OF
AUTHORITY
Obtain authorities only can be delegated.

The officer who delegates the authority

remains liable even after the delegation of
authority to subordinates.

Authorities granted as per delegation can be

withdrawn.

Authorities regarding ordinary and routine

work only can be delegated.

There should be control of the officer over

subordinates in case of delegation.

The subordinates work according to order an

instruction of the original officers.

Authority, responsibility and duty are clearly

specified.

In this way, “Delegation of authority is

an art of granting certain ordinary, routine
and exact authorities to competent
subordinates, so that they can be perform the
work as per instruction efficiently.”

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 IMPORTANCE / ADVANTAGE
OF DELEGATION

Delegation of authority is an essential

tool for effective organization. Every executive
to perform wider range of activities. His scope of
authority is wide enough but his capacity to work
and supervise is limited, so it is always in the
interest of the organization that the routine,
ordinary and general work should be delegated by
to component subordinates. This will result in the
effective accomplishment of work on the one hand
and on the other hand, it will increase efficiency
work of the executive. The manager will be in a
position to get a major part of work done by the
competent subordinates, and he will multiply
himself as regards the quantity of work done on his
behalf by delegates. We can now summaries the
advantage of delegation of authority:

Multiplicity of the
executive capacity.
Importanc Facilitating replacement of the top
e/ managers.
Advantag Opportunity for professional growth.
e of Helping the expansion of the
business.
Increasing morale of employees.
Means of co-ordination.
Achieving business goals.

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 Multiplicity of the executive capacity:
Delegation enables the executive’s jobs to
be performed by the subordinates, which no doubt,
multiples executive services. He is spared fro-
routine affairs and attends to important
complicated matters.

Facilitating replacement of top

managers:
The subordinate perform the work of the
executive as per delegation and becomes
competent and capable of replacing him in case of
absence and retirement of the manager. He
perform his piece of work intelligently in case o his
promotions

Opportunity for professional growth:

The delegates learn the executive job and
become capable of doing it, which increases his
ability, understanding and competency and thus
result in professional growth.

Helping the expansion of business:

If the enterprise expands, well- trained,
experienced and competent persons are readily
available to taken up the positions. These people
are also habituated of working in the real situations
of the business.

Increasing morale of employees:

The subordinates perform the work of
executive as per delegation and thereby they’re
moral and self-confidence is increased. He works
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with zeal, and improves his efficiency to get
promotion.

Means of co-ordination:
Delegation enables manager and
subordinates to establish close relationship with
each other. It improves the atmosphere and
maintains effective co-ordination at all levels of
management.

Achieving business goals:

Delegation is made in such a way, that it
integrates and changeless the effort and energies
of individual to the desired goal of the business and
facilitates in achieving it

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 ELEMENTS OF DELEGATION

AUTHORITY
Authority is the power to command
employees and instruct them to do a piece of work.
The authority enables the employees to know
certain facts, to enjoy a privileged position and to
command respect and obedience from
subordinates.

Authority in the opinion of management

expert:
In the word of F.W. Moore, “ Authority is the right
to decide and the power to act and carry out
decision”.
In the opinion of Koontz and O Donnel,”Authority
is legal or rightful power, a right to command or to
act.”
According to Henry fayol,”Auhority is the right to
give order and the power to exact obedience”
According to Davis filley,”Authority consist
principally of the right to decide and command
G.R. Terry, defines,” Authority as the power to
exact others to take actions considered appropriate
for the achievement of predetermined objective.

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Special Feature of authority:
 It is the legitimate right to command
and control subordinates.

 Authority has social, legal and

biological limits.

 Authority is granted to achieve the

cherished goal of the enterprise.

 Authority is exercised through

persuasion and sanctions.

 Authority is the right to direct others to

get things done.

 Authority is also a commanding force

binding different individuals.

 Authority is delegated downward.

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 RESPONSIBILITY
It is closely related to authority and power.
Responsibility is the obligation to do something. In
originalisation, some responsibility is the duty that
on has to perform in originalisatioal task, functions
or assignments. A manager can delegate his
authority but responsibility cannot be delegated.

Responsibility as defined by management

authorities:
“ Responsibility is the obligation of the individual to
perform assigned under the direction of his executive.”

- Davis

“ Responsibility may be defined as the obligation of a

subordinates to whom a duty has been assigned to
perform.”
-Koontz O Donnel

“ Responsibility is the obligation to carry out assignees

activities to the best of his abilities.
-George R Terry

Special Features of Responsibility

 Responsibility is assigned duty to human
begins only.
 Responsibility always flows upward from
juniors to seniors.
 Responsibility is the result of duty assigned.
 Responsibility can never be delegated. It is
personal obligation, and absolute also. The
manager remains responsible to his superiors
for the job even after its delegation.
 Responsibility is therefore an obligation to
perform the assigned task to the better of one
worth.
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 Delegation is aimed at reducing the workload
of executive, so that they may make the best
possible use of their time and energies in solving
important matters, thus the manager cannot
delegate all of his work. If it is done, there will be
no necessity of the executive himself.

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 ACCOUNTABILITY

It means holding an individual answerable

for final result. The subordinates are held accountable
to superiors. The subordinates has to give
explanations, before hi superior for the failure in case
of accountability. Accountability Arises from
responsibility. The important principal of
accountability, which means accountability, refers to
individual not groups.

Special Feature of Accountability

 Accountability can neither be shared
nor delegated.

 Accountability is legal responsibility.

 Accountability is unitary.

 Accountability relate to assigned

duties.

 Accountability as always from

downward to upward.

 Accountability is different from

responsibility.

Responsibility relates to the work

to be done, where as accountability is the
obligation to do the work satisfactorily.

Relationship between authority and

Responsibility:
Authority and responsibility go
together. They are intimately related. If
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management is supposed to be cycle, authority
and responsibility are its two wheels. In order to
achieve the desired goal of the enterprise,
authority and responsibility must flow together.

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 PROCESS OF DELEGATION
OF AUTHORITY
Delegation is the systematic process of
sharing routine duty and the corresponding
authority with the subordinates.
The process of delegation has the following three
important elements:
 Assigned Duty or task or
responsibility
 Granting authorities
 Creating of obligation or
accountability

Assigned duty or task or responsibility

Responsibility refers to the task assigned to a
person, position or job. Responsibility involves all
those mental and physical activities, which need to
be performed to carry out a certain duty.
The explain of business makes it very difficult
for the management to perform all the work
entrusted to him effectively, therefore, he shifts a
part of his routine duty to competent subordinates.
The delegate’s piece of work should be complete in
itself, so that the delegates may not escape from
the responsibility. All the detail regarding the work
delegate and the result expected should be clearly
defined and explained to the delegates.
The delegates should be under control of and in
out contact with the original officer for the effective
accomplishment of the work. The assigned duties
must be ordinary, general, routine and less
important from organizational point of view. The
original officer should himself perform the
important, secret and complicated work.
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 The person who delegates duty is himself
responsibility for it successful accomplishment to
his superior, therefore, he should get the work
under done under his guidance and supervision.

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Granting Authority
The authority regarding the assigned duty
should also be delegated otherwise the work
cannot be done efficiently. Authority according to
Allen is “The sum total of the power and rights
entrusted to make possible the performance of
work delegated.”
According to Koontz O’ Donnel, ”Actually the
authority vested in a managerial position is the
right to use discretion, the right to create and
maintain an environment for the performance of
individual working together in a group.” There are
the following three types of authorities:
Authority of knowledge
Authority of position
Legal authorities

Authority in this way is the power to incur

expenses, purchase essential articles, and appoint
employees, order worker to do certain work and to
carry out orders. An authority, wherein in the
subordinate employees cannot be compelled to do
a piece of work is useless. It means that the
requisite and relevant authority in accordance with
the duty assigned must be delegated, whether it is
authority of knowledge or position.

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Creation of Obligation or Accountability
Accountability means holding an individual answerable
for final result. The subordinate is held accountable to superior.
Accountability originates, because the manager has a right to
require an accounting for the authority delegated and task
assigned to a subordinate.

Accountability, according to Allen is “The obligation to carry

out responsibility and exercise authority in terms performance
standard established.”
Dalton E.Me Farland has put it is as “Accountability refer to
the fact that each person who is given authority must recognize
that the executive above him will judge the quality of his
performance.”

The delegate is accountable to superior for the piece of

work delegated to him. Likewise the superior will also be
accountable before his superior for the entire work even if he
subordinate delegated a part of it. It means delegation is the art
of getting work done effectively, not escaping from accountability
to superior. Accountability on the part of delegation means
giving explanation of work delegated to him his superior.

PRINCIPES OF
DELEGATION- 17 -
 Delegation is an art by which the management
multiples itself. Manager is able to get a lot of work
done through employees under their command by
delegating duty and authority.
Delegation of authority is an art, which the
manager learns by experiences and practice, even
then the following principles make delegation
effective

Principle of division of work.

Principle of parity of authority &
responsibility.
Principle of functioning definition.
Principles Principle of unity of command.
Of
Delegation Principle of absolute
responsibility.
Principle of scalar chain.
Principle of authority level.
Principle of delegation by result
expected.

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 Principles of division of work:
The delegation of authority is based upon the
elementary principal of division of work. Large
scale and complex nature of business requires
division of work into parts and sub parts and
assigned the task to suitable employees. It requires
that the manager must share its task with the
subordinates and also grant the requisite authority,
so that task may be performed smoothly.

Principles of parity of authority and

responsibility:
The delegate can be perform delegated work
efficiently, if the relevant and requisite authority
regarding work delegated is also granted to him.
Authority should be in accordance with job and
work assigned. For example, if production manager
has been asked to increase production by 1000 unit
per month, he should also be granted authority to
purchase requisite raw material and appoint
additional staff.

Principal of functional definitions:

There should be a clear and define
explanation of duty assigned and authority
delegated to delegate, so that he may work within
limits of his authority.

Principal of unity of command

The delegate should receive order and
instruction from the superior who has delegated
authority and he should be answerable to him

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alone, other wise, disobediences, duplication of
work or incomplete work will be the result.

Principal of absolute responsibility:

The manager cannot escape from
accountability even after delegation of authority
and responsibility. He will be accountable for the
failure of his superiors. The delegate will be
accountable to his superior and will be required to
give explanation about the job delegated to him.
For example, if the teacher will be accountable to
the principal and the principal in turn will be
accountable to the directorate of education. The
spirit of his principal is that the original officer
should establish and maintain constant contact
with the delegate and issue necessary instruction
from time to time in case of defaults.

Principal of scalar chain:

Delegation of authority and assigning of
duty should be retained by higher order manager
and only routine authorities should remain higher
level and ordinary authorities at lower level.

Principal of delegation by result

expected:
The original officer must take it clear to the
delegate, what result is expected from him. If
subordinate knows the detail of the work entrusted
to him and the standard of performance expected
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from him, he will perform his work carefully and
diligently.

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 IMPORATNCE / ADVANTAGE
OF

Advantages and objectives of

decentralisation can be enumerated as
under:

 Reduces workload of executive

 Enables prompt decision-making

 Develop democratic system.

 Helps in maintaining effective control

over employees

 Provides incentive to young executive.

 Increase the morale of employees.

 Develop co-ordination at different

levels between work, worker, and
management.

 Works as a source of getting efficient

executives.

 Provides cordial atmosphere of work.

 Enables easy specialization and

diversification.

 Provides better service to customers.

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 DISADVANTAGES OF
DECENTRALISATION

 Difficulty in making proper co-ordination

due to large number of decision- making
authorities.

 Limited scope –It cannot be in all sorts of

work i.e., planning, accounting etc.

 Delay in taking important decisions.

 Complete decentralization is not

possible.

 Carelessness of top executive due to

centralisation of work and authorities.

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 HOW DELEGATED AUTHORITY
BE EXTENDED TO
DECENTRALISED AUTHORITY

Delegation of authority means sharing of work

and corresponding authority with the
subordinates, whereas decentralization is
systematic delegation of authority at all level of
management in all the departments.
Decentralisation is rightly said to be the extension
of delegation to the lower level.

Let us take an example to explain how

delegated authority may be extend to
decentralized authority. Suppose the General
Manager himself makes all appointments in the
organization. He feels over burdened and transfer
authority of making routine appointments to
personnel manager. It is the delegation of authority.
After some time the personnel manager feels
overburdened and requests the general manager to
give him some relief. The manager disperses this
authority to all the departmental heads throughout
the organization. It becomes now the case of
decentralisation.

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 BAJAJ AUTOWORK S L TD.
In BAJAJ AUTOWORKS LTD. company
the chairman of the company delegates a
job for producing 200 bikes to the
production manager of the company. Then
the production manager delegates the
same job to the foreman of the company,
and the foreman to the workers of the
company. In this way the job is delegated
from the top level management to the
lower level management but the authority
remains with the chairman only.

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