Delegation Final Kaijuka

Trends, Achievements, Challenges and Proposals for Consolidation
DELEGATION AND AUTONOMY GOVERNANCE DYNAMICS
According to F.C. Moore, “Delegation means assigning work to others and giving
them authority to do so."
O. S. Miner, "Delegation takes place when one person gives another the right to
perform work on his behalf and in his name and the second person accepts a
corresponding duty or obligation to do that is required-of him.'
Louis Allen, "Delegation is the dynamics of management, it is the process a

manager follows in dividing the work assigned to him so that the performs that
part which only he, because of his unique organizational placement, can perform.
effectively, and so that he can get others to help· him with what remains."
Delegation refers to the assignment of formal authority (legitimate power) and

accountability for carrying out specific activities to another person.
Delegation It's a process of assigning various degrees of decision-making

authority to subordinates. Delegation does not mean surrender of authority by
the higher-level manager but rather transfer of certain responsibilities to
subordinates and giving them the necessary authority to discharge the
responsibility properly
Governance refers to as a government's

ability to make and enforce rules, and to
deliver services, regardless of whether
that government is democratic or not.
Autonomy refers to the manner in which
the political principal issues mandates to
the bureaucrats who act as its agents.
PAGE |
Autonomy refers to the entitlements and

rights, the liberties and freedom to make
decisions for oneself without interference.
Autonomy is the foundation of
functionality, intentionality and meaning.
Autonomous systems accommodate the
unexpected through self-organizing
processes, together with some constraints
that maintain autonomy.
Types of delegation
General and Specific Delegation
General Delegation:
It is that delegation in which the authority is given to perform general

managerial functions, like planning, organizing, directing etc. The subordinate/
managers performs these functions and enjoy the authority required to carry out
these responsibilities. The
Chief Executive exercises over all control and guides the subordinates from time-
to time.
Specific Delegation.
Specific delegation relates to a particular function or an assigned task. The

authority delegated to the production manager for carrying out this function will
be a specific delegation. Various departmental managers get specific authority to
undertake their department duties
Formal or Informal Delegation
PAGE |
Formal Delegation: Formal delegation has been considered as part of

organizational structure. Whenever a task is assigned to a person, the required
authority is delegation is part of the normal functioning of the organization.
Every person is automatically When production manager gets powers to increase
production, then it is formal delegation of authority.
Informal Delegation: This delegation does not arise due to position but it arises
according to the circumstances of the case. A person may undertake a particular
task not because he has been assigned it but because it is necessary to do his
normal work
Written or Unwritten Delegation:
Written Delegation: Written delegation is normally given through letters,

instructions, circulars etc. Whatever has been delegated it must be in writing.
Unwritten Delegation: Unwritten delegation is given to the person concerned

nor in any particular way but through conventions, customs and usages the other
party has to do work accordingly.
Downward or Upward Delegation
Downwards Delegation: Downwards delegation is a common type of delegation

and is used in every type of the working concern. This delegation has been
considered as a superior delegation of authority to his immediate subordinate.
Upward Delegation: This type of delegation takes place when a subordinate

assign some of his tasks to his superiors. This is an uncommon type of delegation
and its instances are very rare.
Levels of delegation
Delegation has different levels that can be ranked along a continuum;
❖ The lowest level is you delegate and report back-the subordinate provides
facts and then the supervisor uses facts to identify a decision and takes action .
❖ Investigate and advise on the possible recommended actions-the

subordinates get the facts and recommend alternative courses of action. The
supervisor finally makes the decision and takes action.
PAGE |
❖ Investigate and advice on the action to be taken-the subordinate digs up the

information, identifies the possible course of action and further recommends
which of the many alternatives should be adopted.
❖ Investigate, take action and report the subordinate. digs up facts about the
issue, makes a decision, takes action and only repots what has transpired.
❖ Investigate and take action without reporting back. This form should occur in
situations where the manager is very sure the person is competent enough.
Principles / prerequisites of effective delegation of authority
1. Knowledge of objectives, before delegating authority, the subordinates should

be made to understand their duties and responsibilities. In addition, knowledge
of objectives and policies of the enterprise should be provided to them. This will
enable them to discharge their roles purposefully in the process of delegation.
2. Parity of authority and responsibility: - when authority is delegated, it should

be commensurate with the responsibility of the subordinate. The authority and
responsibility should be made clear to the subordinate so that he will know what
he is expected to do within the powers assigned to them. There should be
proper balance/parity or co-existence between the authority and responsibility.
3. Unity of command, this suggests that everyone should have only one boss. A
subordinate should get orders and instructions from One superior and should be
made accountable to one superior only to avoid confusion.
4. Scalar principle: Scalar principle of delegation maintains that there should be

clear and direct lines of authority in the organization, running from the top to the
bottom. The subordinate should know who delegates authority to him and to
whom he should contact for matters beyond his authority.
5. Clarity of delegation: This suggests that while delegating authority to

subordinates, they should be made to understand the limits of authority so that
they know the area of their operation and the extent of freedom of action
available to them.
6. Absoluteness of responsibility: This suggests that it is only the authority which

is delegated and not the responsibility: The-responsibility is absolute and
remains with the superior. He cannot run away from "the same even after
PAGE |
delegation. Even when the manager delegates authority to his subordinate, he

remains fully accountable to his superiors because responsibility cannot be
divided between a superior and his subordinate. The manager therefore,
remains responsible for the acts and omissions of his subordinates.
7. Use of Exception Principle: This principle of delegation indicates that when

authority is delegated; it is expected that the subordinate will exercise his own
judgement and take decisions within the purview of his authority. He is to be
given adequate freedom to operate within his authority even at the cost of
mistakes. He should refer the problems to the top level management only when
he is unable to take decisions. The superior takes this decision under
8. Exceptional circumstances: Completeness of delegation: This principle of

delegation suggests that there should be completeness in the process of
delegation. The process of delegation should be taken to its logical end.
Otherwise, there will be confusion of authority and accountability.
9. Effective communication support system: This principle suggests that there

should be continuous flow of information between the superior and the
subordinates with a view to furnishing relevant information to subordinate for
decision-making. This helps him to take proper and interpret properly the
authority delegated to him. Delegation system may not work smoothly in the
absence of effective communication between the superior and subordinates.
10. Reward for effective delegation: This principle suggests that effective
delegation and successful assumption of authority should be rewarded. This will
facilitate full delegation and effective assumption of authority within the
organization. Reward for effective delegation will provide favorable
environmental climate for its fair introduction.
11. Proper selection and training of personnel: Selection of personnel to various

jobs should be fair and just. It should not be arbitrary, but it must be based on
certain principles. Only right persons should be placed on the right job. The
person selected must also be given proper training to enable him to handle the
post efficiently and to perform the assigned job properly.
Delegation Process
There are four stages in the delegation process;
PAGE |
(A) Assignment of duties to subordinates
Before delegating, the delegator has to decide precisely the duties which are to
be delegated to the subordinate or a group of subordinates. The authority is
delegated accordingly and the subordinate is told what is expected from him.
The usual practice is to list the functions to be performed by the subordinate.
Competent and responsible employees may be given general guidelines about
what needs to be accomplished. In brief, in the first stage of delegation process,
duties are assigned to the subordinate.
(B) Transfer of authority to perform the duty
The authority is granted by the delegator to his subordinate (delegate): Authority

must be delegated strictly to perform the assigned duty. The performance of
duties suffers serious setback when required authority is not delegated along
with the duty.
(C) Acceptance of the assignment
The subordinate/delegate has to accept or reject the task assigned to him in the
first stage along with the authority given in the second stage. If the delegates
refuse, the delegator has to make fresh plan of delegation or may consider some
other subordinate who is capable and is willing to accept the assignment. On the
other hand, the process of delegation will move to the fourth and the last stage,
if the first delegates accept the assignment of work accompanying the authority.
(D) Creation of obligation/ accountability/responsibility
Delegation of authority is the creation of obligation on the part of the

subordinate to perform duties assigned to him in a satisfactory manner by using
the authority given. When subordinate accepts a task and the authority is given,
an obligation is created. He has to perform the assigned task by using the
authority granted to him. A subordinate is also responsible/ accountable for
completing the assigned work. He is held answerable to a superior for the
satisfactory performance of that work assigned. The delegator has to help his
subordinate as and when necessary as he is responsible to his
superior/organization.
Importance of delegations
PAGE |
1. Relieves manager for more challenging jobs or tasks. Delegation makes it

possible for the managers to distribute their workload to others. Thus, managers
are relieved of routine work and they can concentrate on higher functions of
management like planning, organizing, controlling.
2. Leads to motivation of subordinates: Subordinates are encouraged to give

their best at work when they have authority with responsibility. They take more
initiative and interest in the work and are careful and cautious in their work.
3. Facilitates efficiency and quick actions. Delegation saves time enabling the
subordinates to deal with the problems promptly. They can take the decisions
quickly within their authority. It is not necessary to go to the superiors for
routine matters. This raises the overall efficiency in an organization and offers
better results in terms of production, turnover and profit.
4. Improves employee morale: Delegation raises the morale of subordinates as

they are given duties and supporting authority. They feel that they are
responsible employees. The attitude and outlook of subordinates towards work
assigned becomes more constructive.
5. Develops team spirit: Due to delegation, effective communication develops

between the superiors and subordinates. The subordinates are answerable to
superiors and the superiors are responsible for the performance of subordinates.
This brings better relations arid team spirit among the superiors and
subordinates.
6. Maintains cordial relationships: The superiors trust subordinates and give

them necessary authority. The subordinates accept their accountability and this
develops cordial superior- subordinate relationships.
7. Facilitates management development: Delegation acts as a training ground for

management development. It gives opportunity to subordinates to learn, to
grow and to develop new qualities and skills. It builds up a reservoir of
executives, which can be used as and when required. Delegation creates
managers and not mere messengers
8. It saves time since it seeds up the direction of decision making.
Obstacles / barriers to effective Delegation of Authority
PAGE |
(A)Barriers on the Part of Manager/ superior/Delegator
1. Unwillingness of the manager to delegate authority: Some

superiors/managers tend to think that they can do the job better when they
themselves handle the job. The attitude that I can do it better myself on the part
of superior acts as an obstacle to delegation. Some managers (superiors) who are
autocratic and power worshippers feel that delegation will lead to reduction of
their influence in the organization.
2. Fear of competition: A manager may feel that if he has a competent

subordinate and if he delegates authority to the subordinate, quite likely he will
outshine him. Fear of subordinate’s excellence may come in the way of
delegation.
3. Lack of confidence in subordinates: A manager may hesitate to delegate

authority, if he feels that his 'subordinate is not competent to deal with the
problem and. take decisions. Even fear of losing control over the subordinate’s
acts as an obstacle to delegation. In addition, fear of being exposed due to
personal shortcomings may act as an obstacle in the process of delegation.
4. Lack of ability to direct: Sometimes, a manager may experience difficulty in

directing the efforts of his subordinates because of his inability to identify and
communicate the essential features of his long-range plans and programmers.
5. Absence of controls that warn of coming troubles: An organization might not

have developed the controlling techniques to know in advance the serious
problems lying ahead. It may happen due to concentration of power in the hands
of few people: As a result, manager may resist delegation.
6. Desire to dominate subordinates: Managers (Superiors) normally, have a

desire to dominate the subordinates functioning under their control. They feel
that their domination will reduce if the powers are delegated to subordinates.
They also feel that due. to delegation, the subordinates will know their
managerial deficiencies. In order to maintain their superior status and in order to
dominate the subordinates, they avoid delegation itself.
(B) Obstacles/Barriers on part of Subordinates (Why subordinates resist

delegation?)
1. Too much dependence on the manager for decisions: Some subordinates

avoid responsibility even when the superior/ manager IS prepared to delegate
authority. They want the manager to tackle problems and take decisions. A
PAGE |
subordinate who is not confident about his performance/ ability will certainly try
to shirk responsibility even though his superior is prepared to delegate functions
and authority.
2. Fear of criticism: Subordinates express unwillingness to accept delegated

authority because of the fear of criticism in the case of mistakes. They fear that
they may be criticized by others if they commit mistakes.
3. Lack of information: A subordinate may hesitate to accept a new assignment,

when he knows that necessary information to perform the job is not likely to be
made available to him. He is reluctant to accept delegated functions and
authority as he feels that he will not be able to perform well due to inadequate
information available.
4. Absence of positive incentives: Positive incentives like recognition of work and

rewards go a long way in building up the morale of subordinates. In the absence
of such incentives in the form of recognition, appreciation or monetary benefit, a
subordinate may not be prepared to accept delegation of authority.
5. Poor superior-subordinate relations: Absence of cordial relation between the

superior and the subordinates hampers the process of delegation of authority.
The attitude of the superior towards subordinate may not be friendly but hostile:
There may be undue interference in the work assigned to the subordinate.
6. Undue interference by superior: A superior should not interfere in the duties

delegated to the subordinate. Some superiors interfere in the work of his
subordinate and try to control him often and again. In the absence of legitimate
freedom, the subordinate becomes uneasy and prefers to remain away from the
process of delegation.
7. Fear of being exposed: Some subordinates may have inferiority complex. They
feel that they have limited' capacity to accept the challenges, which are bound to
come out to delegation. They feel that their inability to deal with new problems
will be This fear acts that their inability to deal with new problems will be
exposed due to delegation. This fear acts as an obstacle to delegation.
8. Multiple criteria- Multiple measures of performance need to be emphasized

because no single measure can accurately reflect performance. Besides
managers, employees may strive to look good on only that particular aspect.
9. Corrective actions- A good control system should not only indicate deviation
ns from the standards but also suggest actions to deal with them.
PAGE |
What is the importance of effective management?
Effective management is important as it,
● helps the manager develop his team

● frees up the manager’s precious time
● achieves results through teamwork and team efforts
● allows the manager to focus on his own development
The Impact of Delegation and its

Benefits
Delegation of responsibilities also comes with empowerment. This enables
individual staff and team members to achieve results that are critical in the
competitive educational industry. Delegating responsibilities helps
increase the level of speed, response and customer satisfaction for all
stakeholders (Riisgaard et al, 2016).
Delegation involves authority to complete an assigned task but does not

involve the delegated individual transferring the task to another individual.
It is important to successfully train employees to acquire the required
skills, experience and the resulting confidence that helps develop the
subordinates for higher positions. Good delegation provides better
managers and a higher degree of efficiency. (Hubbard, 2016).
The several benefits of delegation include it saves time and helps achieve
more within a short stipulated time. Delegation helps enhance the
credibility of the leader (Muir, 2006). As subordinates are allowed the
opportunity to show their strengths and also make contributions to the
work, This helps the leader to look for more challenging tasks that can
help increase their value within the institution.
PAGE |
Delegation presents an opportunity for subordinates to develop themselves

as well as acquire new skills as they achieve the outlined objectives set by
the leader. These make the subordinates more versatile and also see
themselves as important and an integral part of the team.
delegation promotes self-esteem as it tends to show that the leader has

trust and confidence in the subordinates. Having interesting and
challenging work feels good and being trusted to complete a job raises
one’s self-esteem, When jobs are delegated, they are usually found to be
very interesting and hence make them enjoyable. It goes further to promote
innovation and initiative taking among subordinates (Muir, 2006).
Delegation promotes efficiency and promotes flexibility. It allows work to

be done by different people in different ways thereby ensuring a high level
of success and achievement of objectives. Also, there is the promotion of
team work as other members in the institution are encouraged to partake in
undertaking other responsibilities (Muir, 2006).
Delegation allows a fair sharing of responsibilities and work. Each

individual that work is delegated to gets a fair share of work to be
completed by the entire team. There is also the chance to ensure effective
communication. Delegation requires that subordinates understand clearly
what is expected to be achieved by the team. This helps them accomplish
assigned tasked with ease. Through delegation, committed and well
performing team members are identified and subsequently be retained in
the team.
THE DECENTRALISATION POLICY IN UGANDA

The implementation of the Decentralisation in Uganda has been heralded as one
of the boldest political decisions ever taken by a country, there has been
increase in access to and quality of service delivery centres in their localities
over the last two decades, an increase in the road networks in the sub-county.
People in the villages easily access the sub-county offices and other service
delivery centres. (Chairperson Kyanamira, Kabale) 1
Decentralisation Policy, commenced with 12 Districts, There was creation of

institutional structures and these included the Local Councils, Executive
PAGE |
Committees, the Standing Committees, the Technical Planning Committees, and

Statutory Bodies.
Decentralisation has improved service delivery in various sectors of the

economy, Social Service delivery like Education has registered significant
enrolment of primary and secondary school – going children. Resources have
been committed for construction of school buildings under the School Facilities
Grant and this has reduced levels of illiteracy. However, we still observe inequity
where by the figure for boys is higher than that for girls for secondary education
due to high levels of drop-out and absenteeism for girls due to teenage
pregnancy, sexual harassment, female genital mutilation (FGM).
Health sector performance increased in that population access healthcare
within a 5 km radius, however in some sub regions like Acholi, Karamoja, Tooro
and Kigezi have to travel more than 5 km to access health care when they need
one, inadequacy of drugs, unprecedented drug stock-outs mainly due to a poor
supply chain by the National Medical Stores as a result of corruption and drug
seepage.
More challenges hampering decentralization are;
Local Governments remain sub-servient to the central Government, thereby

undermining devolution
Inadequate financing and investment in human resources and facilities, weak

systems and coordination, conflicting legislations and local leadership challenges
still abound.
HOWEVER
The process of
decentralization is
evidenced in recent
PAGE |
educational reforms in
Taiwan,
which have empowered
different stakeholders
in the education sector.
While the
globalization discourse
of governance changes
has generated a new
governing
philosophy, as
described above,
democratic transition in
the political arena has
PAGE |
obviously influenced
developments in
education. Until the
late 1980s, the KMT
government exercised a
high degree of control
over the education
sector, imposing
its political ideology of
national identity and
anti-communism. To
curb the education
system, the Ministry of
Education (MOE)
PAGE |
imposed many
regulations to control
and
regulate the
establishment,
organization, personnel
and financing of
educational
institutions as well as
their admission,
curriculum and awarding
of qualifications.
The process of
decentralization is
PAGE |
evidenced in recent
Taiwan,
While the
has generated a new
governing
philosophy, as
described above,
PAGE |
developments in
late 1980s, the KMT
over the education
sector, imposing
anti-communism. To
curb the education
PAGE |

Education (MOE)
imposed many
and
regulate the
establishment,
and financing of
educational
their admission,
of qualifications.
PAGE |
The process of
decentralization is
evidenced in recent
Taiwan,
While the
has generated a new
governing
PAGE |
philosophy, as
described above,
developments in
late 1980s, the KMT
over the education
sector, imposing
PAGE |
anti-communism. To
curb the education
Education (MOE)
imposed many
and
regulate the
establishment,
and financing of
educational
their admission,
PAGE |

of qualifications.
The process of
decentralization is
evidenced in recent
Taiwan,
While the
PAGE |
has generated a new

governing
philosophy, as
described above,
developments in
late 1980s, the KMT
over the education
sector, imposing
PAGE |

anti-communism. To
curb the education
Education (MOE)
imposed many
and
regulate the
establishment,
and financing of
educational
PAGE |
their admission,
of qualifications.
The process of
decentralization is
evidenced in recent
Taiwan,
While the
PAGE |
has generated a new
governing
philosophy, as
described above,
developments in
late 1980s, the KMT
PAGE |
over the education

sector, imposing
anti-communism. To
curb the education
Education (MOE)
imposed many
and
regulate the
establishment,
PAGE |
and financing of
educational
their admission,
of qualifications.
The process of
decentralization is
evidenced in recent
Taiwan,
PAGE |

While the
has generated a new
governing
philosophy, as
described above,
developments in
late 1980s, the KMT
PAGE |
over the education
sector, imposing
anti-communism. To
curb the education
Education (MOE)
imposed many
and
PAGE |
regulate the
establishment,
and financing of
educational
their admission,
of qualifications.
The process of
decentralization is
evidenced in recent
Taiwan,
PAGE |

While the
has generated a new
governing
philosophy, as
described above,
developments in
PAGE |

late 1980s, the KMT
over the education
sector, imposing
anti-communism. To
curb the education
Education (MOE)
imposed many
PAGE |
and
regulate the
establishment,
and financing of
educational
their admission,
of qualifications.
The process of
decentralization is
evidenced in recent
PAGE |
Taiwan,
While the
has generated a new
governing
philosophy, as
described above,
PAGE |
developments in
late 1980s, the KMT
over the education
sector, imposing
anti-communism. To
curb the education
Education (MOE)
PAGE |
imposed many
and
regulate the
establishment,
and financing of
educational
their admission,
of qualifications.
The process of
decentralization is
PAGE |
evidenced in recent
Taiwan,
While the
has generated a new
governing
philosophy, as
described above,
PAGE |
developments in
late 1980s, the KMT
over the education
sector, imposing
anti-communism. To
curb the education
PAGE |

Education (MOE)
imposed many
and
regulate the
establishment,
and financing of
educational
their admission,
of qualifications
PAGE |
The process of decentralization is evidenced in recent educational reforms in

Taiwan, which have empowered different stakeholders in the education
sector. While the globalization discourse of governance changes has
generated a new governing philosophy, government exercised a high degree of
control over the education sector, imposing its political ideology of national
identity and anti-communism. The Ministry of Education (MOE) imposed
many regulations to control and regulate the establishment, organization,
personnel and financing of educational institutions as well as their admission,
curriculum and awarding of qualifications.
The process of
decentralization is
evidenced in recent
Taiwan,
While the
PAGE |
has generated a new
governing
philosophy, as
described above,
developments in
late 1980s, the KMT
PAGE |
over the education

sector, imposing
anti-communism. To
curb the education
Education (MOE)
imposed many
and
regulate the
establishment,
PAGE |
and financing of
educational
their admission,
of qualifications.
The process of
decentralization is
evidenced in recent
Taiwan,
PAGE |

While the
has generated a new
governing
philosophy, as
described above,
developments in
late 1980s, the KMT
PAGE |
over the education
sector, imposing
anti-communism. To
curb the education
Education (MOE)
imposed many
and
PAGE |
regulate the
establishment,
and financing of
educational
their admission,
of qualifications.
The process of
decentralization is
evidenced in recent
Taiwan,
PAGE |

While the
has generated a new
governing
philosophy, as
described above,
developments in
PAGE |

late 1980s, the KMT
over the education
sector, imposing
anti-communism. To
curb the education
Education (MOE)
imposed many
PAGE |
and
regulate the
establishment,
and financing of
educational
their admission,
of qualifications.
many different political organizations and pressure groups, including
educational pressure groups (e.g., the Zhenduo Society, Humanistic
Education Foundation and Teachers’ Human Rights Association), were
Formed in Taiwan to protect the education system
PAGE |
In conclusion decentralisation
in Uganda has a great potential for
growth and multiplier effect for citizen mobilisation and
development however Uganda did not fully take advantage of the
opportunities that Decentralisation held such as using it as a driver
for citizen engagement, beyond political processes of representation.
After political and administrative formation of institutions,
decentralisation needed to be optimised quickly for local
mobilization and local economic development.
References
Vinton, D. (1987). Delegation for employee development. Training and
Development Journal. 41(1), 65-67.
American Management. Association. (1984). How to delegate

effectively.Executive Skills. 7(84-1), 1-16.
Bell, R.L. and Bodie, N. D. (2012). ‘Delegation, authority and responsibility:

Removing the rhetorical obstructions in the way of and paradigm.’ Journal of
Leadership, accountability and Ethics 9(2)94-108.
Christman J, Anderson J (eds) (2005) Autonomy and the challenges to liberalism:

new essays. Cambridge University Press, New YorkGoogle Scholar.
Collier, John (forthcoming 2004) Self-organization, Individuation and Identity.

Revue Internationale de Philosophie.
Hubbard, T. N (2016). Research: Delegating More Can Increase Your Earnings.

Business Review. Accessed from https://hbr.org/2016/08/research-delegating-
more-can-increase-your-earnings
Nsibambi, Apolo, (ed.), 1998, Decentralisation and Civil Society in Uganda: The
Quest for Good Governance, Fountain Publishers Ltd., Kampala.
PAGE |

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Trends, Achievements, Challenges and Proposals for Consolidation

DELEGATION AND AUTONOMY GOVERNANCE DYNAMICS

Louis Allen, "Delegation is the dynamics of management, it is the process a

Delegation refers to the assignment of formal authority (legitimate power) and

Delegation It's a process of assigning various degrees of decision-making

Governance refers to as a government's

Autonomy refers to the entitlements and

General and Specific Delegation

It is that delegation in which the authority is given to perform general

Specific delegation relates to a particular function or an assigned task. The

Formal or Informal Delegation

Formal Delegation: Formal delegation has been considered as part of

Written or Unwritten Delegation:

Written Delegation: Written delegation is normally given through letters,

Unwritten Delegation: Unwritten delegation is given to the person concerned

Downward or Upward Delegation

Downwards Delegation: Downwards delegation is a common type of delegation

Upward Delegation: This type of delegation takes place when a subordinate

Delegation has different levels that can be ranked along a continuum;

❖ Investigate and advise on the possible recommended actions-the

❖ Investigate and advice on the action to be taken-the subordinate digs up the

Principles / prerequisites of effective delegation of authority

1. Knowledge of objectives, before delegating authority, the subordinates should

2. Parity of authority and responsibility: - when authority is delegated, it should

4. Scalar principle: Scalar principle of delegation maintains that there should be

5. Clarity of delegation: This suggests that while delegating authority to

6. Absoluteness of responsibility: This suggests that it is only the authority which

delegation. Even when the manager delegates authority to his subordinate, he

7. Use of Exception Principle: This principle of delegation indicates that when

8. Exceptional circumstances: Completeness of delegation: This principle of

9. Effective communication support system: This principle suggests that there

11. Proper selection and training of personnel: Selection of personnel to various

There are four stages in the delegation process;

(A) Assignment of duties to subordinates

(B) Transfer of authority to perform the duty

The authority is granted by the delegator to his subordinate (delegate): Authority

(C) Acceptance of the assignment

(D) Creation of obligation/ accountability/responsibility

Delegation of authority is the creation of obligation on the part of the

1. Relieves manager for more challenging jobs or tasks. Delegation makes it

2. Leads to motivation of subordinates: Subordinates are encouraged to give

4. Improves employee morale: Delegation raises the morale of subordinates as

5. Develops team spirit: Due to delegation, effective communication develops

6. Maintains cordial relationships: The superiors trust subordinates and give

7. Facilitates management development: Delegation acts as a training ground for

8. It saves time since it seeds up the direction of decision making.

Obstacles / barriers to effective Delegation of Authority

(A)Barriers on the Part of Manager/ superior/Delegator

1. Unwillingness of the manager to delegate authority: Some

2. Fear of competition: A manager may feel that if he has a competent

3. Lack of confidence in subordinates: A manager may hesitate to delegate

4. Lack of ability to direct: Sometimes, a manager may experience difficulty in

5. Absence of controls that warn of coming troubles: An organization might not

6. Desire to dominate subordinates: Managers (Superiors) normally, have a

(B) Obstacles/Barriers on part of Subordinates (Why subordinates resist

1. Too much dependence on the manager for decisions: Some subordinates

2. Fear of criticism: Subordinates express unwillingness to accept delegated

3. Lack of information: A subordinate may hesitate to accept a new assignment,

4. Absence of positive incentives: Positive incentives like recognition of work and

5. Poor superior-subordinate relations: Absence of cordial relation between the

6. Undue interference by superior: A superior should not interfere in the duties

8. Multiple criteria- Multiple measures of performance need to be emphasized

What is the importance of effective management?