Question

What are the elements of delegation?

Options

• Authority

• Responsibility

• Accountability

• All of the above

Answer 1

All of the above

Explanation - 

The transmission of authority and responsibility to subordinates is referred to as delegation. The basic parts of delegation are as follows -

1. Authority : It refers to an individual's ability to command and direct his subordinates. It entails the ability to make decisions about what should be done and by whom. In a formal organisation, the scalar chain establishes authority by establishing a link between distinct positions and determining who reports to whom. It's a downward-flowing channel, meaning that the superior has influence over the subordinates. The extent of authority is greatest at the top level of management, diminishes at the intermediate level, and is lowest at the lower level.
2. Responsibility : The term "responsibility" relates to a subordinate's willingness and competence to accomplish a task. That is, once a subordinate has been handed a task, it is his responsibility to complete it correctly. A subordinate should be obedient and dedicated to the task at hand.
3. Accountability : Accountability refers to the superior's ability to respond to the final consequence of the work he assigned. Although the superior delegated the work to his subordinate, he remains liable for the end result. For this reason, the superior guarantees that the subordinate completes the job correctly and successfully through continuous feedback and monitoring. The concept of accountability is derived from the concept of responsibility. We could say that while accountability is imposed, responsibility is assumed.