Delegation of authority

Delegation of authority belongs to the basic stages in development of an organization. It can be defined as the handing of power to others. It is the transmission of a task to specific employees, along with powers and responsibilities. In addition, the delegation should be associated with the provision of the support and care to that employees along with tools needed to achieve objectives, and not only from the formal scheduling of tasks and a cool assessment of the results. The theory clearly specifies which tasks should be delegated, and which should not be deleted. Tasks with smaller weight, routine but urgent manager can delegate with certainty. Similarly, tasks falling within the scope of specialists, involving detailed and preparatory work. Strategic tasks of the momentous consequences for the company, activities at high risk or sensitive should not be delegated. The distribution of tasks allows managers to offload supervisors from repetitive simple work. On the other hand, it can led to the unnecessary bureaucracy.

Delegation of authority application

Often managers give up delegating for fear of loss of control on the task or fearing potential competition from lower-ranking employee. What's more, managers continue to come out with the assumption that they would do the job better and faster. In addition, the lack of time to control and giving instructions to an employee might be by a serious barrier.

Of course, management by delegation will depend on the personality of the superior (often manager who recently received a promotion forgo delegation). However, most managers delegates tasks to best qualified employees, with a view to their development; employees whose powers we want to confront with reality or which we want to test.

Effective delegation of authority may be done in 5 stages:

1. Prepare the employee.
2. Explanation of task (purpose).
3. Define how work should be performed.
4. Order to repeat the described procedure for the execution of a task with a possible correction of errors.
5. Assignment of an employee to perform work and monitoring and evaluating results.

The key to delegate authority, powers and tasks is trust. Trust along with the decision transfer is the key difference between a delegation and regular issue of commands.

See also:

• Principles of delegation

Examples of Delegation of authority

• A manager of an IT company may delegate the responsibility for the development of a new software to a team of developers.
• A manager of a retail store may delegate the responsibility for the ordering of merchandise to a buyer.
• A CEO of a manufacturing company may delegate the responsibility for controlling production costs to the head of production.
• A manager of a law firm may delegate the responsibility for researching new legal cases to a team of paralegals.
• A manager of a marketing department may delegate the responsibility for creating a new advertising campaign to a team of creative professionals.

Advantages of Delegation of authority

Delegation of authority has a variety of advantages. These include:

• Increased efficiency, as more people are working on tasks and objectives in the organization. This can allow the organization to complete tasks more quickly, as multiple people are working to achieve the same goal.
• Improved morale, as employees feel more valued when given responsibility and autonomy.
• Improved communication between managers and employees, as the delegation of authority allows employees to provide feedback and questions on tasks.
• Increased creativity, as employees are given freedom to try new approaches to tasks.
• Increased learning opportunities, as employees are able to learn new skills and approaches while working on delegated tasks.
• Increased job satisfaction, as employees are able to take ownership of their tasks and feel a sense of accomplishment.

Limitations of Delegation of authority

Delegation of authority can be a very useful tool for an organization, however, it has several limitations that should be kept in mind. The limitations of delegation of authority are:

• The delegation of authority can lead to an excessive bureaucracy within an organization. By delegating authority to lower level employees, more paperwork and staff can be needed to maintain the same level of efficiency, which can be costly.
• It can create a lack of responsibility. When too much authority is delegated to lower level employees, it can create a lack of accountability and responsibility from the top management and other higher-level employees.
• It can lead to a lack of communication. When authority is delegated, there is a chance that the top management can lose touch with the lower-level employees, which can lead to a lack of effective communication.
• It can create a lack of motivation. When too much authority is delegated to lower level employees, it can create a feeling of being unappreciated, which can lead to a lack of motivation.
• It can lead to a lack of coordination. The delegation of authority can lead to a lack of coordination between the different departments or teams, which can lead to decreased efficiency.

Other approaches related to Delegation of authority

One of the approaches to the delegation of authority is to assess the skills and competencies of the employees, so the tasks can be delegated accordingly. This involves understanding the capabilities of the employees and assigning tasks that are within their range of skills. Other approaches include:

• Utilizing the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): KPIs are measurable values that demonstrate how effectively an employee is performing a task. It can be useful to set these indicators and monitor them to identify which tasks should be delegated.
• Using a Matrix Model: This model involves creating a matrix with tasks and employees on each axes. Each tasks can then be assigned to the most suitable employees, taking into account their skills and abilities.
• Utilizing the Process Model: This model involves a systematic approach to delegation, where each task is assigned to a specific employee. This model can be used in bigger companies where the delegation of authority needs to be carefully managed.

In conclusion, delegation of authority requires managers to assess the skills and competencies of the employees, and use appropriate approaches such as Key Performance Indicators, Matrix Model and Process Model to ensure that the tasks are assigned to the most suitable employees.

Delegation of authority — recommended articles

Principles of delegation — Job scope — Management by delegation — Staff authority — Front line management — Job instruction training — Functional authority — Quality system in local government — Managerial skill

References

• Moffett, J. D., & Sloman, M. S. (1991). Delegation of authority. Integrated Network Management II, 595-606.
• Tammens, E. (2012). Delegation of authority.
•  Riyanto, Y. (2000). Essays on the internal and external delegation of authority in firms.
• Aghion, P., & Tirole, J. (1997). Formal and real authority in organizations. Journal of political economy, 1-29.
• Cohen, E. G., Lotan, R. A., & Holthuis, N. (1995). Talking and working together. In Restructuring Schools (p. 157-174). Springer US.