Question

Six Mark Question:
Delegation is the entrustment of responsibility and authority to another and the creation of accountability for performance. Explain the elements of delegation in the light of this statement.

Answer 1

1. Responsibility: The responsibility means, assigning the work to an individual. The managers assign certain responsibility to the subordinates for the completion of certain tasks on his behalf. An individual has to apply all his physical and mental ability to get the task completed efficiently. Here it is to be noted, that manager can only assign the responsibility, and in the case of the subordinate fouls, the manager will be answerable to his seniors. Thus, the responsibility flows upwards.
   
2. Authority: To fulfill the responsibility, certain authority is delegated to the subordinate. Authority means the power to take decisions. Hence, the manager along with the responsibility also delegates authority to enable the subordinate to take decisions independently and accomplish the task efficiently.
   
3. Accountability: Accountability means, to check whether the subordinates are performing their responsibilities in an expected manner or not. The Accountability cannot be delegated which means, in the case of non-completion of the task, the manager will only be held responsible for it, not the subordinates. The accountability also flows upward, i.e. subordinates will be accountable to the manager and the manager to his superior.