DELEGATION

MEANING

Delegation and decentralization are very important tasks in modern management,

"Delegate and get the things done" is the essence of modern management.
"Delegate and things will be done" is also another principle of management.
According to Louis A. Allen, "Delegation is the dynamics of management". It is the
process a manager follows in dividing the work assigned to him and entrusting
work to his subordinates, so that they perform it as he would do it himself.
Delegation refers to the entrustment of responsibility and authority to another
and the creation of accountability for performance. It also refers to conferring
authority to another, usually a subordinate.
A manager in an enterprise cannot himself do all the tasks necessary for the
accomplishment of group goals. His capacity to do work and to take decisions are
limited. He, therefore, assigns some part of his work to his subordinates and also
give them necessary authority to make decisions within the area of their assigned
duties. This downward pushing of authority to make decisions is known as
delegation of authority.
According to L.A. Allen, "If the manager requires his subordinate to perform the
work, he must entrust him with part of the rights and powers which he otherwise
would have to exercise himself to get that work done." By delegating authority,
the manager does not surrender his authority.

WHAT SHOULD BE DELEGATED ?

According to Louis A. Allen, "A manager cannot effectively delegate responsibility
and authority for initiating and making final decisions for planning, organising,
coordinating, motivating and controlling the activities and positions that report to
him". Preparing various types of plans: single use or multiple use, strategic plans,
policies, procedures rules, etc. cannot be delegated to subordinates. These are
the activities of supreme importance for the organisation and managers cannot
delegate them to subordinates.
The Kind of people to be recruited, selected, trained, placed on different jobs, the
kind of leadership style to be adopted, the measures of reward or coercion used
as motivational factors are the important business decisions that cannot be
delegated to subordinates. With reference to overall plans and objectives of the
organisation, the important managerial functions of planning, organising, staffing,
directing and controlling are looked after by managers themselves and routine
activities with respect to each functional area of production, finance personnel
and marketing should be delegated to subordinates. Once decided, the routine
matters of accepting applications, returning excess money and issuing share
certificates, etc. can be delegated to lower level managers.

DEFINITIONS
According to G.R. Terry, "to delegate means to grant or confer, and delegation
means conferring authority from one executive or organisational unit to another
in order to accomplish particular assignment".
"Delegation is the process where an individual or group transfer to some other
individual organs the duty of carrying out some particular action and, at the same
time, taking some particular decision."- Mills and Standingfbord.

FEATURES OF DELEGATION

The above definitions reveal the following features of delegation of authority:

1. Delegation of power can be exercised by higher authority only.

2. Delegation may be "downward, upward and lateral".

3. Delegation does not mean the transfer of final authority.

4. Delegation does not involve any kind of surrender of power.

5. 'Delegated power' can be revoked at any time.

6. A person can delegate authority only when he himself has the authority.

7. Delegation does not imply reduction in the authority of the superior.

8. Delegation never means abdication of responsibility.

9. Delegation implies the inhabitation of the delegation of power in the delegated

authority.

IMPORTANCE OF DELEGATION

The importance of delegation are as follows, in brief:

1. Managers and supervisors at all levels can lessen their burden by delegating
authorities to subordinates.

2. Ability of subordinates increases as they are given more responsibility.

3. Delegation of authority reduces the work-load. Hence work is done very quickly
and efficiently.

4. Delegation is the means by which a manager can get results through others.

5. Delegation provides a feeling of status and importance to subordinates.

6. Delegation helps to improve the quality of personnel at lower levels.

ADVANTAGES OF DELEGATION

The main advantages of delegation are as follows:

1. Reduction of Workload

Managers and supervisors at all levels can lessen their burden by delegating
authority to subordinates. It enables them to assign the routine matters to
subordinates. Managers can concentrate on important policy matters.

2. Tool of Training
Delegation of authority and responsibility allows subordinates to increase their
ability. By delegating routine jobs and more challenging projects, subordinates
can expand their skills and knowledge.

3. Specialisation

Through delegation, an executive can assign jobs to his subordinates according to

their abilities and experience. Thus, the benefits of division of work is obtained.

4. Job Satisfaction

Delegation provides job satisfaction to subordinates and motivates them to

perform better when they achieve the delegated standards of performance.

5. Motivation

Delegation provides a feeling of status and importance to subordinates. Their

independence and job satisfaction increases due to the authority they enjoy.
Thus, delegation promotes a sense of initiative and responsibility among
employees. Delegation increases interaction of managers with their subordinates
and promotes healthy relationships among them.

6. Faster Decisions

When authority is delegated, lower level employees can take decisions quickly
without approaching executives. Subordinates have the authority to do a job
assigned to them without going to the supervisors every time, when they face a
problem.
7. Development of Business

Delegation of authority prepares executives for the future. This enables the
organisation to face future challenges effectively. The business can afford to
implement growth plans as managerial talent is available.

The delegation of authority may be done in the following manner.

1. The duty of a sub-ordinate should be defined clearly by the supervisor (duty

list) and must be understood by the former.

2. Secondly, necessary authority may also be conferred upon him corresponding

to the duty list, so that he knows his accountability and responsibility to the
superiors.

3. Thirdly, though a manager may delegate certain authority on his sub-ordinates

to perform certain acts, still he is responsible to his superiors i.e., the manager
cannot delegate his responsibility, but work can be assigned to his sub-ordinates.
Therefore, in the initial stages, counter check by the assigning officer prevents
unpleasant results.

The delegation of authority means fixing up of responsibility on the sub-ordinates

by the superiors. Sub-ordinates cannot disown the responsibility. If a sub-ordinate
neglects the responsibility after the delegation of authority, he is doing so at the
cost of his job. The assigning officer has the authority to remove him from service.

 The three components of delegation are Responsibility, Authority and

Accountability. Each component depends on the others. They are equally
 important, interrelated and interdependent, and the three are inseparable
features of process of delegation.

Responsibility

The work or duty of the sub-ordinates in the organisation is called responsibility.

Responsibility is expressed in terms of functions, when a person is asked to
control the working of a machine. Responsibility is expressed in terms of
objectives, when a person is to produce a particular piece of product.

A manager assigns a certain function, work or duty to his sub-ordinate for

performance. This is termed as assignment or responsibility.

Allen states, "Responsibility is the work assigned to a position. Responsibility

refers to the mental and physical activities which must be performed to carry out
a task or duty."

Donnell states, "Responsibility may be defined as the obligation of a sub-ordinate,

to whom duty has been assigned to perform the duty."

Davis states, "Responsibility is the obligation of an individual to perform assigned

duties to the best of his ability under the direction of his executive leader."

Authority

It means the powers and rights entrusted to a person to supervise the

performance of work delegated. A manager grants authority i.e., rights and
powers to be exercised by the sub-ordinate.
It is the right to perform certain assigned work or duties. The supervisor should
delegate sufficient authority to do the assigned work.

Mooney stated, "Co-ordination is the all inclusive principle of organisation and

finds its foundation in authority, the supreme co-ordinating power."

According to Simon, "Authority may be defined as the power to make decisions

which guide the actions of another. It is a relationship between two individuals,
one superior and the other sub-ordinate. The superior frames and transmits the
decisions with the expectation that these will be accepted by the sub-ordinate.
The sub-ordinate executes such decisions and his conduct is determined by
them."

According to George R Terry, "Authority is the official and legal right to command
action by others and to enforce compliance. Compliance is obtained in a number
of ways through persuation, sanctions, requests, coercion, constraint or force."

Accountability

It is an obligation to account for and report upon the discharge of responsibility,

or use of authority. Accountability is the liability created for the use of authority.
It is the answerability for performance of the assigned duties. Authority flows
downwards whereas accountability flows upwards.

PROCESS OF DELEGATION

Delegation process involves the following steps:

1. Assignment of Work

The supervisor asks his subordinate to perform a particular task in a given period
of time. It is the description of role assigned to the subordinate. Duties in terms of
functions or tasks to be performed constitute the basis of delegation process.

2. Grant of Authority

The granting of authority is the second element of the delegation. The delegator
grants authority to the subordinate so that the assigned task is accomplished. The
delegation of work without authority is meaningless. The subordinate can only
accomplish the work when he has authority required for completing that task.
Authority is derived from responsibility.

3. Creating of Accountability

Accountability is the obligation to a subordinate to perform the duties assigned to

him. The delegation creates an obligation on the subordinate to accomplish the
task assigned to him by the superior. When a work is assigned and authority is
delegated then the accountability is the by-product of this process. The authority
is transferred so that a particular work is completed as desired. This means that
delegator has to ensure the completion of assigned work. Authority flows
downward whereas accountability flows upward.

Authority is delegated, responsibility is assumed and accountability is imposed.

Responsibility is derived from authority and accountability is derived from
responsibility. Authority is the medium for creating responsibility and for
imposing accountability.
PRINCIPLES OF DELEGATION

Delegation of authority cannot be effective unless certain principles are followed

in practice. While delegating authority, a manager may observe the following
principles:

1. Functional Definition

Before delegating authority, the duties of the subordinates should be defined in

clear and precise terms. Every subordinate must fully understand the nature and
significance of his job, its relationship with other jobs and limits of his authority.

2. Delegate by Results expected

Managers should first determine the objective of delegation, that is, what they
want their subordinates to do and then delegate the tasks along with authority to
them. This process involves first formulating a plan and then getting things done
through the people in the organisation.

3. Parity between Authority and Responsibility

Authority without responsibility and responsibility without authority have no

meaning. by Authority and responsibility should be co-extensive. There should be
no disparity between the authority granted to a subordinate and the
responsibility imposed on him.

4. Unity of Command
There is one of the common principles of organisation advocated by Henry Fayol
which stresses that subordinates should have only one boss to whom he should
be accountable, to avoid confusion and friction.

5. Absoluteness of Responsibility

Responsibility cannot be delegated. No manager can avoid his responsibility by

delegating his authority to sub-ordinates. Similarly, the subordinates remain
accountable to their superior for the performance of assigned duties.

6. Well-defined Limits of Authority

Managers cannot delegate what they are themselves not authorised to do. For
instance, if a manager does not have authority to raise funds from the open
market without permission of top managers, he cannot delegate this task to his
subordinates.

7. Maintain Adequate Communication

There should be free and continuous flow of information between the superior
and the subordinates with a view to furnish the subordinate with relevant
information to help him to make decisions and also to interpret properly the
authority delegated to him.

8. Establish a Climate of Confidence

The subordinate to whom authority delegated must generally feel free from fear
and have a feeling of confidence that delegation will not result in punishment but
is an opportunity for his own self-development and growth.
GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE DELEGATION

Barriers to delegation can be over come through the following measures:

1. Define the objectives in clear terms.

2. Adhere to the principles of delegation.

3. Select proper persons for delegation.

4. Motivate subordinates through various incentives.

5. Develop confidence in subordinates.

6. Assign authority proportionate to task.

7. Train the subordinates properly.

8. Determine the tasks to be delegated.

9. Create a climate of mutual trust and goodwill.

10. An effective system of communication should be developed.

11. Let there be no overlaps or slips in delegation.

12. Establish a good work climate free from fear.

13. Delegate sufficient authority to perform the job.

14. Provide all possible assistance.

15. Establish proper control and conduct regular reviews.

16. Evaluate the final results.

TYPES OF DELEGATION

The following are the types of delegation:

1. General and Specific Delegations

General Delegation: The subordinate is granted authority to perform all the

functions in his department. However, the subordinate exercises this authority
under the overall guidance and control of the supervisor.

Specific Delegation: A person is given authority regarding specific function. For

instance, a sales-man may be given authority to collect payments from debtors.
2. Formal and Informal Delegations

Formal Delegation: When authority is delegated as per the organisation

structure, it is called formal delegation. Such delegation is effective because it
leaves no option to the subordinate but to obey the commands of the superior.

Informal Delegation: Informal delegation takes place when an individual or a

group agrees to work under the direction of an informal leader. Need for informal
delegation arises due to procedural delays and red tape.

3. Written and Oral Delegations

Delegation made by written orders and instructions is known as written

delegation. Unwritten or oral delegation is based on custom and conventions.

4. Downward and Sideward Delegations

Downward delegation occurs when a superior assigns duties and grants authority
to his subordinate. This is the most common type of delegation.

Sideward delegation takes place when a subordinate assigns some of his duties
and authority to another subordinate of the same rank.

WEAKNESSES OF DELEGATION

(Obstacles of Delegation)
In spite of the advantages, many managers are found unwilling to delegate
authority and many subordinates are found unwilling to accept it. The reasons for
this unwillingness may be grouped into three categories:

(1) Superior (Delegator)

(ii) Subordinate
(iii) Organisation

1. On the part of Supervisor (Delegator)

A superior may not delegate authority because of the following reasons:

(a) "I can do it better myself" fallacy obstructs delegation of authority.
(b) Lack of ability of the manager to plan correctly and issue suitable directions.
(c) A manager may be afraid of their subordinates outshining them and proving
more efficient.
(d) Some managers hesitate to delegate authority to their subordinates because
they doubt their ability.
(e) Lack of confidence in the capacity and ability of the subordinates obstructs to
delegate authority.
(f) Where the manager does not set up adequate controls, he may hesitate to
delegate the authority.
(g) Some managers may not delegate authority because of their lure for authority.
They desire that subordinates should come frequently and to dominate the whole
show.
(h) When a manager is incompetent, his working methods and procedures are
likely to be faulty. He keeps all the authorities to himself. They do not delegate
authority. He is afraid of losing his importance, when delegation is made.
2. On the part of Subordinates

Subordinates may be reluctant to accept authority because of the following

reasons:
(a) Lack of self-confidence.
(b) Desire to play safe by depending on the boss for all decisions.
(c) Fear of committing mistakes and being criticised by the boss.
(d) Lack of incentives.
(e) Over-burdened with work.

3. On the part of the Organisation

Delegation may be hampered due to weaknesses in the organisation structure. A

few such weaknesses are given below:
1. Inadequate planning.
2. Defective organisation structure.
3. Lack of unity of command.
4. Absence of effective control techniques.
5. Non-availability of competent managers.
6. Unclear authority relationships.

NEED FOR DELEGATION

Delegation is essential in modern management practice to accomplish effective

results. It has become important because of the following reasons:
1. Limitations of one's ability and time

However capable an individual might be, he has limited energy and time.
Therefore, delegation of authority along with workload are assigned at different
workers.

2. Technological Needs

Modern organisations need the services of different specialists and technicians.

One man cannot be expert in different fields of activities. Thus, delegation
becomes essential.

3. Tendency to diversify and decentralise Organisation

A modern large-scale business has a tendency to diversify and decentralize its

activities. Delegation of authority to the branch managers can make diversified
and decentralised branches function effectively.

4. Employees Motivation

More and more interest and enthusiasm can be introduced through delegation to
the workers, so that they can feel that they are also participating in the decision-
making.

5. Managerial development
Delegation, by providing sufficient opportunity for the workers to take decisions
and to accept more and more responsibility, can create new generation
managers.

6. Management by exception

Modern managers manage by exception. Delegation will relieve the botheration

of managers in attending routine decisions, which others can attend to efficiently.