Authority and delegation

of authority
 Authority
 Formal and legitimate right of a
manager to make decisions, issue
orders, and to allocate resources to
achieve organizationally desired
outcomes.


Authority is give to influence the

behaviour of the subordinates so
that right things are done at right
times.

Sources of authority
1.Formal authority theory
 according to this theory authority
originates at top level and then goes
downward through the process of
delegation.autority does not rest in
managerial position but is delegated
from a superior.
 2.Acceptance theory
 If the subordinates do not accept the
orders of superior there will be no use
of exercising authority. the
subordinates will accept authority if
advantages of its acceptance are
more than the disadvantages of non –
acceptance.
3.Competence theory
 a person may get his orders or
advice accepted not due to formal
authority but because of his personal
qualities. there is also a feeling that
authority is generated by personal
competence of a person.
 delegation
 Allowing someone to act on your behalf to perform
tasks (consume resources) that are available to
you


 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.
 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.


 Delegation of authority is the ground on which the superior-

subordinate relationship stands. 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 is help to both superior and subordinates

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
 Delegation of Authority

 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.

 Importance of Delegation


 Improved functioning

 Use of specialists

 Helps in employee development

 Helps in expansion and diversification




 Factors Influencing of
delegation
 Company’s History

 Availability of capable persons

 Importance and costliness of decisions

 Size of the Enterprise

 Available controls

 Types of Enterprise.

 Environmental Factors.
For achieving delegation, a manager


has to work in a system and has to

perform following steps : -
Assignment of tasks and duties
Granting of authority
Creating responsibility and
accountability

 Characteristics of
Effective Delegators
 


 Effective delegation requires not only a structured

process, but also the proper attitude on the part of
the manager.  Some characteristics of an effective
delegator are described below.
 


1.         Develops trusting relationships with

employees.
2.          Is able to let go of detail work.
3.         Can let others make decisions.
4.          Focuses on desired results, not methods.
5.          Is open to new ideas and approaches.
6.          Helps people learn from their mistakes.
7.          Feels rewarded by the success of others.
8. 

 Steps to Effective
Delegation
1 Define the task
 Confirm in your own mind that the
task is suitable to be delegated. Does
it meet the criteria for delegating
2 Select the individual or team

 What are your reasons for

delegating to this person or team?
What are they going to get out of it



3 Assess ability and training needs
 Is the other person or team of
people capable of doing the task? Do
they understand what needs to be done.
If not, you can't delegate.
 4 Explain the reasons
 You must explain why the job or
responsibility is being delegated. And
why to that person or people? What is its
importance and relevance? Where does
it fit in the overall scheme of things



5 State required results
 What must be achieved? Clarify
understanding by getting feedback
from the other person. How will the
task be measured? Make sure they
know how you intend to decide that
the job is being successfully done.

6 Consider resources required
Discuss and agree what is required to
get the job done. Consider people,
location, premises, equipment,
money, materials, other related
activities and services

 7 Agree deadlines
 When must the job be finished? Or if an ongoing duty,
when are the review dates? When are the reports
due? And if the task is complex and has parts or
stages, what are the priorities?
 At this point you may need to confirm understanding
with the other person of the previous points, getting
ideas and interpretation. As well as showing you that
the job can be done, this helps to reinforce
commitment.
 Methods of checking and controlling must be agreed
with the other person. Failing to agree this in advance
will cause this monitoring to seem like interference or
lack of trust

8 Support and communicate
 Think about who else needs to know
what's going on, and inform them.
Involve the other person in considering
this so they can see beyond the issue at
hand. Do not leave the person to inform
your own peers of their new
responsibility. Warn the person about any
awkward matters of politics or protocol.
Inform your own boss if the task is
important, and of sufficient profile.



9 Feedback on results
It is essential to let the person know
how they are doing, and whether
they have achieved their aims. If not,
you must review with them why
things did not go to plan, and deal
with the problems. You must absorb
the consequences of failure, and
pass on the credit for success.

 Types of delegation
General or specific delegation
Formal or Informal
Written or Unwritten
Downward or upward

 General or specific delegation
 when authority is given to perform
general managerial functions like
planning, org.,directing.the subordinates
managers perform these responsibilities.
 specific may related to a
particular task or assigned work .
 Formal or Informal
 formal delegation of authority is the part
of org.structure .
 Informal delegation is not arise due to
position but according to circumstances
or that is essential for to do his normal
work.
 Principles of Delegation
Functional definition
Unity of command
Delegation by results expected
Absoluteness of responsibility
Parity of authority and responsibility
Authority level principle
Scalar principle



 Difficulties Involved in
delegation of authority
Over confidence of superior
Lack of confidence in subordinates
Lack of ability in superior
Lack of proper control
Inability of subordinates