Ch5 Authority, Power and Delegation
Syllabus:
1(g)(iii) authority, responsibility and delegation
1 Power and authority
Definitions:
Power is the ability to get things done.
Authority is the fight of a person to ask someone else to do something and expect it to be done. Another word for position power.
Types of power (see P75)
Physical, coercive power
Resource (referent) power
Position (legitimate) power
Expert power
Personal power
Negative power
Power is that the persons exercising power are enabled to assume that power by their followers.
Types of authority
Line authority: authority a manager has over a subordinate.
Staff authority: specialist advice to another manager of department over which there is no line authority.
Functional authority: hybrid of line and staff authority
2 Responsibility and Accountability
Definitions:
Responsibility is the obligation a person has to fulfill a task, which he or she has been given.
Accountability is a person’s liability to be called to account for the fulfillment of tasks they have been given.
Responsibility without authority
Responsibility must be supported by authority and by the power to influence the areas of performance for which the subordinate is to be held responsible.
The principle of correspondence states that in every position, authority and responsibility should be correspond. A person who has authority without responsibility is unaccountable, while to assign responsibilities without corresponding authority is asking for trouble.
3 Delegation
Definition:
Delegation of authority occurs when a superior gives to a subordinate part of his or her own authority to make decisions.
(When you cannot remember the definition on the paper, try to take an example to explain the definition.)
Reasons for delegation (advantages)
Physical and mental limitations to the work load of any individual or group in authority.
Managers can be relieved of less important of less immediate responsibilities.
Enables decisions taken nearer to the point of impact and without the delays caused by reference upwards.
Makes subordinate’s job more interesting
Allows career development
Brings together skills and ideas
Team aspect is motivational
Allows performance appraisal
Disadvantages of delegation
Decisions are taken at a lower level who may not have enough experience
Increase in administration costs
Managers may take more time to correct errors resulting from delegation
Process of delegation (see P79 )
Superior determines task and results to be expected
Formally assign tasks
Allocate resources and authority
Periodic review of subordinate’s progress
Monitor and give any assistance needed
Final review and recognition of achievement
Problems of delegation
Low confidence and trust in the abilities of their staff
Burden of accountability for the mistakes of subordinates
Feeling threatened
Poor control and communication sys.
Organizational culture which failed to recognize effective delegation
Lack of understanding of what delegation involves
Desire to ‘stay in touch’
Many managers are reluctant to delegate for the following reasons:
Overcome the reluctance of managers to delegate
Train the subordinates to be capable
Set up an open communication sys. to enable free interchange between supervisor and assistant
Ensure that a system of control is established.
When to delegate
Tasks:
— quality
— confidentiality
Staff:
— acceptance
— expertise
— trust on his competence and reliability
4 Empowerment
Definition:
Making workers responsible for achieving, and even setting work targets, with the freedom to make decisions about how they are to be achieved.
Empowerment
Delayering
Flexibility
New Technology
Responsibility held by middle managers is being given to operational workers
Cutting out layers of communication, decision-making and reporting so that speeds up process
‘knowledge workers’ need less supervision. Better info. sys. removes mystique and power of managers
Reasons for empowerment (see diagram in P82-830
