24. Delegation of Authority - Introduction from Principles of Management Subject

Added: 2026-05-11

[00:00:01][snorts] Hello dear students, welcome to DICOS commerce and management academy.

[00:00:05]Delegation of authority important topic for all the commerce and management students. Before going to the delegation of authority, we must know about authority and responsibility.

[00:00:17]A small topic we'll discuss then we'll go to the delegation. Authority and responsibility. Authority cannot be centralized. Authority has to be decentralized.

[00:00:27]somewhat authority has to be delegated to the subordinates or appoint some officers and they'll be taking care of the organization. Right? In any of such cases whenever you are delegating some authority along with authority most important thing is that give them responsibility also without responsibility. If you are just giving authority is not going to work out. It will not give you any results because authority is transferred. When you don't give responsibility the authority who has taken they'll become irresponsible because I'm not responsible.

[00:01:02]Responsibility is not given to him. Only authority is given I'll enjoy this power.

[00:01:07]So that is the reason always authority and responsibility both has to be together. When you give the authority give them responsibility also.

[00:01:17]On the contrary we'll see you have given some responsibility.

[00:01:22]You have given some responsibility to execute that responsibility. You need to give the authority also without authority. You are given only the responsibility. It is not going to work out. So both are interlin. Are you getting it? Now coming to the delegation of authority. What is delegation of authority? Delegation means some authority has transferred to the next officers or next level managers or next level supervisors. some authority that is delegation of authority. In easy way you can understand here like this.

[00:01:58]Suppose company board of directors are here.

[00:02:02]Board of directors they have appointed uh uh separate department wise uh heads of the department suppose department A, department A, department B all are departments department C and department D. If the organization is too big, if the organization is too big, mean these department heads cannot handle the entire organization. Just with the department heads, the board of directors cannot handle. So department has to heads to uh delegate the authority to some other members. Maybe they are supervisors. Supervisors X Y [snorts] uh Z RP like this. Now the authority is flowing from board of directors to heads of the department, heads of the department to supervisors. Like this the authority is flowing. Authority is the delegation of authority is happening from one person to second person, second person to third person. This is delegation of authority.

[00:03:11]Always remember delegation of authority is always uh combined with the responsibility. You have given authority but at the same time you are making them responsible for their departmental activities. Whatever is happening for that these people are responsible.

[00:03:25]Authority plus responsibility then only you can expect good result from them.

[00:03:30]Are you getting it? This is about delegation of authority. Small introduction. You can say it as a delegation is an administrative process.

[00:03:38]It's an administrative process means this is official.

[00:03:43]Administrative process for what?

[00:03:46]Administrative process of getting things done by others. [snorts] Getting things done by others by giving them authority and responsibility.

[00:03:59]Once again understand delegation is an administrative administrative process of getting things done by others.

[00:04:07]This people are delegating some authority to so and so people for what?

[00:04:13]To get the things to be done by giving them authority and responsibility. We are giving them authority as well as responsibility to the uh to some people who are going to work out the things in easy way. This is delegation of authority. Now remember one more important the characteristics of delegation. How you can define that delegation is this and how we can uh define it. So everything comes through the character. Characteristics how many are there? Six characteristics. If you understand you'll get clarity about this delegation of authority. First thing is that delegation of power.

[00:04:50]First you give the power. Delegation of power. Now board of directors appointed heads of the department power has given to them.

[00:05:00]You are the head of the department A.

[00:05:03]Department A is production you are the head department B finance department you are the head and for HR department you are the head and for planning you are head like different department was different authorities you have given power first you have to give the main important character once if you give the power the second thing comes to authority is delegated okay power you have given okay and authority also you have to delegate for whom you are responsible what are the boundaries what decisions you can take. So all these things comes under the authority. Authority also to be delegated. Okay. Then once if you give the power and authority then you can focus on the third thing that is delegator can change authority.

[00:05:50]Delegator who is the delegator here?

[00:05:53]Hire the authority. These people they can change the change the authority.

[00:06:00]Delegator can change the authority.

[00:06:03]How? Let's see. Delegator is here board of directors. They have given some authority to A B C D. A is not working.

[00:06:13]Lazy fellow, lethargic and not efficient. Does not have the capabilities. Then what to do? He has the power to delegate the authority to somebody else rather than A. Suppose under A, X is the active person. He's having good knowledge rather than a if he wants to make or if he wants to if he wants X to be handed handle the things and X if X is given authority proper authority and respond to X can handle if he feels they can change the authority A will come to X position X will go to the A position means X will become head of the department this is possible third point is saying okay delegator can change authority. They have every power to change the authority. Today you are and tomorrow somebody will be there in that place because as long as you feel you yourself as a fit and capable person to handle the thing unless you have the confidence the delegator or the board of director is feeling that you are confident you can handle the things you'll be in power otherwise you'll be changed means always updating skills proving that you are capable in only in such cases you can keep your authority for long period otherwise the delegator can change the authority at any time.

[00:07:40]Okay. Next, responsibility not delegated. Please remember very important point responsibility not delegated. Here board of directors they have given some uh authority and responsibility to department heads. It does not mean that these people responsibility is totally gone. No, of course these heads of the department they are responsible at the same time if anything happens along with these people board of directors also equally responsible because they trusted these authorities they have given some power.

[00:08:23]They have given some responsibility and whatever these people are doing for that board of directors means authority is also responsible in the same passion whatever these people have given authority to the supervisors for supervisor activities heads of the departments also responsible delegation of authority does not mean that responsibility entire responsibility please underline that entire responsibility is not transferred.

[00:08:55]Are you getting it? This is the fourth point. Next one. Entire authority cannot be delegated. Entire authority not cannot be delegated. Here board of directors they have given some authority to the heads of the departments.

[00:09:10]Heads of the departments have given some authority to the supervisors but not entire department.

[00:09:17]If A is delegating some authority to X as a supervisor, A is having it his own responsibilities, his own authority that is not transferred in the so board of directors also they have given some authority does not mean that entire their authority is transferred. It is not possible.

[00:09:38]Are you getting it? Entire responsibility entire authority cannot be transferred. In the same way enter responsibility also cannot be transferred. Okay. And next this point is over. Entire authority cannot be delegated. Delegation does not reduce authority.

[00:09:55]Delegation does not reduce authority.

[00:09:58]Delegate delegation is over. But responsibility is also not reduced.

[00:10:03]Authority is not reduces. We are saying entire authority cannot be delegated.

[00:10:10]Authority is not delegated.

[00:10:12]And delegation does not reduce the authority also together all together their responsibility their authority will be as it is only only the thing is they are taking the help they are trusting somebody who are expertise in that field and they are going ahead that's it. So these are the characteristics of delegation. Now let's talk about the principles of delegation important. What are the principles? On what basis delegation of authority is happening?

[00:10:41]For that first principle you have to remember principle of functional definition.

[00:10:46]Principle of functional definition is generally uh in every organization the authority flows from top to down that is functional delegation.

[00:10:57]Functional delegation is same example you can take. Board of directors they have appointed few department heads.

[00:11:04]Department heads they have appointed supervisors or managers you can say them as managers and managers they are appointing somebody else. These people are supervisors. Say PQR or otherwise you can say 1 2 these people are supervisors. Three four.

[00:11:27]So like here the authority or delegation of the power one person to second person second person to third third to fourth like this. This happens. This is functional delegation of authority from top to down. This is the first point.

[00:11:45]Principle of functional definition is this one general one. Hope it is clear. Second one, principle of unity of command.

[00:11:55]Unity of command we learned in business organization point. Unity of command means what? Every person is responsible to particular boss only, not responsible to many bosses.

[00:12:09]say uh Mr. Lia is there Elia L is having only one boss that boss is Mr. Xia is responsible only to Mr. X in the same way you can take another person like Pullaya Pula is responsible to only his boss Mr. Why? Like this this is saying unity of command. Unity command says that if you are uh having authority you are taking care of your subordinates.

[00:12:45]Subordinates are responsible to you only not to anybody. This subordinate is responsible to his boss.

[00:12:53]Somebody cannot give their orders to the Mr. Ela because he's responsible to him.

[00:13:00]Unity of command. Command will be given by only one person and this person is responsible only to that person only.

[00:13:07]This is unity of command. Next one.

[00:13:10]Principle of delegation by results expected. We are delegating authority but on what basis? By results expected.

[00:13:20]Board of directors are giving authority to department heads. With what expectation? With good results you are responsible for this department you are handling. If anything happens I'll make you responsible. So some result I'm expecting by end of the year our target is this we need to achieve so and so with this expectation you'll be given authority.

[00:13:47]Are you getting this point without expectation simply authority is given does not make any sense.

[00:13:54]Third and next principle principle of absoluteness of responsibility.

[00:14:00]Once if you are uh giving the uh that authority delegation al always make them responsible also absolute responsibility delegation of authority board of directors to department heads A B C D got the authority along with authority also give them responsibility then only they'll feel that I am responsible I have given some authority and tomorrow I'll be accountable for the results of the organization whether it is good or bad. Good means I get the credit. Bad means I'll make uh I'm going to be responsible for this bad result. That fear will be there. That accountability you have to make it to them. This is what's saying this fourth principle.

[00:14:50]Principle of absoluteness of responsibility. Am I clear? Next one.

[00:14:55]Principle of parity of authority and responsibility. Principle of parity means making the balance between the authority and responsibility.

[00:15:05]You are giving authority right? Along with authority what are you doing? You are also giving the responsibility.

[00:15:13]Both should have balance.

[00:15:16]For example, responsibility you have given a lot. Whereas to make or to accomplish that responsibility authority is given less.

[00:15:29]There's no meaning at all because the responsibility is a lot but authority is very less. Authority is very very less.

[00:15:36]That should not happen.

[00:15:38]In the same way sometimes the responsibility is less, authority is more. Authority is more means he is going to misuse it because you are not making responsible.

[00:15:48]Any of such cases you have to be very careful with this principle of parity.

[00:15:53]Authority and responsibility both you have to balance it.

[00:15:57]Next principle authority of level principle.

[00:16:00]Authority of level principle means to whom you have given the authority according to that level they have to manage it.

[00:16:08]Level top level to middle level, middle level to lower level like this the authority flows right. So that level you have to understand whom you have given authority whom you are expecting the results and they are responsible up to what level.

[00:16:27]Are you getting it? So that is authority level principle. And lastly the scholar principle. Scholar principle says that from authority flows from top to down.

[00:16:38]In the same way general scholar scholar principle I'm telling you then later we'll implement to this case. Scholar principle what we discussed in business organization is anything the authority or anything information means from top to down it goes slowly. You cannot break that chain. In the same example, he wants to pass some information or he wants to give some authority. Then he'll be giving to the second level people and these people are giving to the third level. Third level to fourth level [snorts] like this. This authority flows from top to down.

[00:17:15]At the same time whenever these people wants to pass information, they cannot reach directly to board board of directors. they cannot reach these people. They'll pass the information to the next authority and this authority people goes to their boss and then lastly it goes to the board of director.

[00:17:35]This is scholar chain. Anything has to go systematically from one person to one person as a chain it has to pass. So this is scholar chain system. In scholar chain system we are following here.

[00:17:49]Authority is given from one person to another person. connects like this. The authority flows like this.

[00:17:56]When authority flows like this, these people are responsible for their boss only. For example, A B C D responsible to board of directors only. In the same way, X Y Z P these people are responsible for ABC D. In the same way, 1 to three or four are responsible for X like this. The scholar principle says that you have to follow particular system that you have to respect that you have to follow. Isn't it? So this is scholar principle. These are all the principles to be followed whenever there is a delegation of authority.

[00:18:30]Am I clear about this? Okay. So topic is very simple. Only the thing is you have to understand the concept very clearly.

[00:18:38]definition. Then after that uh whatever we have discussed like characteristics or you can talk about principles of delegation of authority and in the coming classes we'll be discussing more about the delegation of authority everything you can understand once the clarity of what is delegation of authority if it is clear. Hope you got it. So see you in the next class. Take the screenshot and don't forget to share this videos. Good luck.