Authority, Responsibility, Accountability, and Delegation
{"Image DocumentName": "Authority, Responsibility, Accountability, and Delegation", "Image ImageDescription": "Authority is the formal and legitimate right of a manager to make decisions, issue orders, and allocate resources to achieve organizational outcomes. Authority is vested in organizational positions, not people. Authority flows down the vertical hierarchy. Authority is accepted by subordinates. Responsibility. Accountability is the mechanism through which authority and responsibility are aligned; Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Delegation is the process managers use to transfer authority and responsibility down the chain. Authority, Responsibility, and Delegation. The chain of command illustrates the authority structure of the organization. Authority is the formal and legitimate right of a manager to make decisions, issue orders, and allocate resources to achieve organizational outcomes. Authority is distinguished by three characteristics. Authority is vested in organizational positions, not people. Authority flows down the vertical hierarchy. Positions at the top have more formal authority than those at the bottom. Authority is accepted by subordinates. The acceptance theory of authority argues that a manager has authority only if subordinates choose to accept the commands. Responsibility is the duty to perform the task or activity an employee has been assigned. Managers are assigned the authority commensurate with responsibility. Accountability is the mechanism through which authority and responsibility are brought into alignment. Those with authority and responsibility are subject to justifying task outcomes to those above them in the chain of command. Delegation is another concept related to authority; it is the process managers use to transfer authority and responsibility to positions below them in the hierarchy. Organizations encourage managers to delegate authority to the lowest possible level to gain flexibility to meet customer needs and adapt to the environment. Discussion Question #1: Sandra Holt, manager of Electronics Assembly, asked Hector Cruz, her senior technician, to handle things in the department while Sandra worked on the budget. She needed peace and quiet for at least a week to complete her figures. After ten days, Sandra discovered that Hector had hired a senior secretary, not realizing that Sandra had promised interviews to two other people. Evaluate Sandra\u2019s approach to delegation.", "Image XResolution": "37", "Image YResolution": "37", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Centimeter", "Image Software": "SlidePlayer", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered"}