Delegation, Authority and Power

Introduction

Power and authority are the ‘currency’ of organisations; they allow an individual or group to accomplish things through others or in competition with others. Because organisations require controlled performance, responsibility is the inverse of authority. Empowerment trends make this a hot topic: how do you share power while maintaining control? Delegation is the managerial process by which authority flows down the scalar chain; it is one of those good things that is difficult for managers to get right in practice.

Concept of Delegation

Many companies fail in their respective industries due to ineffective delegation. Delegation is more than just telling an employee to answer a phone call or fill out paperwork for a manager; it is also about assigning complex tasks.

Most businesses struggle to delegate complex tasks due to a lack of employee trust. Delegation is critical for a business’s success. Effective delegation allows you to reduce your workload and focus on most aspects of your business. The question now is, what exactly is delegation?

Meaning of Delegation

Delegation is the procedure by which management delegates a portion of his overall workload to others. Effective delegation allows managers to focus on higher-priority tasks while training and developing lower-level managers. Thus, delegation is the procedure through which a superior delegates part of his or her decision-making authority to a subordinate.

1. Managers have limited workload capacity; thus, delegation is required.
2. Managers must be available for higher-level assignments.
3. Delegation can improve staff satisfaction, flexibility, and customer responsiveness.

Features of Delegation

A manager cannot complete all of the responsibilities that have been allocated to him. The manager should delegate some activities or duties to subordinates to fulfil the goals because management entails getting things done through others. Delegation of Authority refers to delegating authority and power to a subordinate. Delegation is the process of entrusting someone else with parts of your job. Delegation of authority is the subdivision and sub-allocation of authority to subordinates to obtain successful results. Some of the most essential aspects of delegation are as follows:

1. A cooperative relationship: Delegation is a collaborative partnership. It is a hard function that necessitates sacrifices on the part of the delegate and the person to whom the responsibility/task has been delegated.
2. Act of mutual reliance: Delegation is an act of mutual reliance, a display of reliance and faith in another person’s abilities. It also implies a presumption on the part of the person assigning power that the person to whose duties have been delegated has the required expertise and strength to carry out those tasks or duties.
3. Freedom of thought and action: Delegation entails sufficient freedom of action to complete duties. It entails making judgments, making mistakes, and employing one’s full potential. This does not imply that the management abandons the subordinate to fend for himself. It implies that the person who delegated the authority guides the person to whom the delegation was made, allowing the latter to grasp the intricacies and succeed via trial and error.
4. A courageous act: Delegating authority or responsibilities is a complex act. Many managers under-delegate out of fear of being held ultimately accountable.
5. Forward-thinking Principle: Delegation is the “most forward-thinking principle” regarding behaviour. It ushers in a new era of superior-subordinate relationships. The superior’s offer of freedom to act demonstrates trust in the subordinate. In response, the subordinate develops a constructive sense of duty. He knows he is an end in himself rather than only a means to his superior’s purposes. The subordinate’s embrace of responsibility results in new responsibilities for the superior, and each finds himself in a new dynamic role.

Principles of Delegation

The following are the delegation principles:

1. Principle of result excepted: The principle of result excepted suggests that before distributing authority to a subordinate, every manager should be able to explain the expected aims and outcomes.
2. The principle of parity of authority and responsibility states that the manager should maintain a balance of authority and responsibility. They should complement each other.
3. Principle of absolute responsibility: The principle of absolute responsibility states that while authority can be delegated, managers cannot delegate responsibility to their subordinates, implying that responsibility is fixed.
4. The principle of authority level: According to this idea, a manager should execute his power within the jurisdiction/framework delegated to him.

The Benefits of Delegation

Delegation has many consequences because it benefits not only the person delegating but also the staff and the firm. The person delegating minimises his or her workload and can direct his or her efforts and energy toward something that requires more abilities. Delegating allows the manager to devote more time to analysing business trends, anticipating challenges, planning, and staying aligned with the company’s goal. These are only a few aspects every manager should concentrate on to be a great leader. The first and most obvious benefit is that the more duties managers can delegate, the more opportunity they have to seek and accept increasing responsibilities from higher-level managers. Thus, managers will want to delegate routine concerns and activities demanding thought and initiative so that they can perform as effectively as possible for their organisations. Furthermore, delegation encourages individuals to embrace responsibility and apply judgment. This helps train them, which is a significant benefit of delegation, and boosts their self-confidence and willingness to take initiative.

Another advantage of delegating is that it typically results in better decisions because personnel closest to the “action” have a clearer picture of the facts. For example, a West Coast sales manager would be in a better position to award California sales territories than a vice president of sales stationed in New York.

Effective delegation also speeds up decision-making. When employees must consult with their managers (who may then consult with their managers) before making a decision, valuable time is lost. This delay is eliminated when employees are given the authority to make the necessary decision on the spot.

Problems with Delegation

Delegating duties, responsibilities, or even authority is never simple. It is a complex undertaking that necessitates dealing with numerous concerns. The following are the key factors that cause stumbling blocks in the delegating process.

1. What should and should not be delegated: A superior is usually in a better position to handle tasks than a subordinate because of his position in the hierarchy. Managers naturally tend to reject allocating appropriate authority and do everything themselves. After a while, the manager will become buried in detail and preoccupied with ‘fighting fires’ rather than focusing on fundamental concerns. What to delegate is a complex topic to answer. Before attempting to solve the riddle, a manager must first understand his strengths and flaws to avoid the temptation to blame others for his mistakes and limits.
2. To whom should authority be delegated? Authority should be delegated to people with the ability to achieve, the necessary talents and abilities, practical experience in meeting duties, and the bravery to face challenges. Managers delegate to individuals they trust and respect and those whose performance they have witnessed.
3. Reluctance to delegate: Managers provide several justifications for their conservative outlook:
   1. Improved performance
   2. Lack of trust
   3. Subordinate may receive credit
   4. Difficulty in providing continuous supervision
   5. Who will face the music?

4. Reluctance to accept delegation: Delegation might be pointless when the employer is eager to delegate, but the subordinate is unwilling to accept the delegation. Typically, the following delegatee attitudes obstruct the delegation process:
   1. Simple to ask
   2. Fear of criticism
   3. Inadequate information resources
   4. Too weighty
   5. Lack of self-confidence

Authority

If I have control over you, I may expect you to follow my decisions, even if I don’t take the time to explain them to you and persuade you that they are correct. Your acceptance of me as an authority, in turn, suggests that you have tacitly decided to be persuaded and will not seek clear explanations and arguments.

When I begin to describe my reasoning process, and you agree that my conclusion was correct, you have made your own decision. When you act, it will not be due to my imposing my will on you, nor will it be due to the legitimacy of my power. Instead, you will just be exerting your will for your purposes.

Example: Assume a manager has the sole authority in a company. This manager has the legal authority to ensure his vision and goals are carried out as he desires. His work will be completed since his employees have implicitly agreed that the boss does not need to carefully reason with each of them individually to get them to agree to the decisions at hand independently.

Why doesn’t the manager explain everything? There could be a variety of causes for this, including a lack of advanced training among members of the organisation or a lack of time. What matters is that the manager can explain things but does not – authority does not have to explain everything but has the ability to wield genuine power anyway.

Meaning of Authority

The right to act, use organisational resources and demand obedience from subordinates is defined as an authority. It has the following significant features:

1. Authority permits a positionholder to regulate the behaviour of his subordinates legitimately.
2. Authority gives the job holder the ability to make and enforce decisions. He may gather knowledge, use resources, and assign people to various duties to achieve goals.
3. Authority confers the right to command and the authority to compel obedience.
4. The relationship between the superior and the subordinate is represented by authority.

Types of Authority

Numerous analysts have proposed various theories to classify authority. Some of the classes are as follows:

1. Traditional authority: The sacredness of tradition legitimises traditional authority. The ability and right to rule are typically passed down through genetics. It does not evolve, does not promote societal progress, is irrational and inconsistent, and maintains the status quo.
2. Charismatic authority: A charismatic leader is one whose mission and vision inspire others. It is based on an individual’s perceived remarkable features.
3. Legal-rational authority: A formalistic belief in the content of the law (legal) or natural law empowers legal-rational authority (rationality). Obedience is given to a set of universal ideals rather than a specific individual leader, whether traditional or charismatic.
4. Technical Authority: A person is given Technical Authority to establish, oversee, and approve technical products and policies. Technical power enhances accountability and duty.
5. External Authority: Authority comes from sources outside the organisation. An organisation is legal because it is part of the government and functions in line with the laws approved by Parliament, which is elected by the people, who are the ultimate source of all authority.

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Authority

Authority, like everything else, has perks and disadvantages. Let’s examine them one by one.

Advantages

1. Authority is appropriate for the demands of a superior.
2. Work is completed in an organised and consistent manner across the organisation.
3. Authority may instil discipline in people operating at various levels.
4. Authority may be utilised to expedite tasks, particularly when work is not moving as expected.

Disadvantages

1. When authority is not applied appropriately, it suggests resistance.
2. Authority may not be used correctly. It could be used to meet personal requirements.
3. Authority by itself may not produce outcomes. Much is dependent on the competency of the person in charge.
4. The indiscriminate use of authority could be detrimental to the entire organisation.
5. When authority is used as a ‘whip,’ people tend to ignore/discount/undervalue the person wielding it.

Concept of Power

Max Weber, a German sociologist, defined power as “the likelihood that one actor within a social connection would be able to carry out his own will despite resistance.” Emerson says, along similar lines, that “the power of actor A over actor B is the amount of opposition on the part of B that might potentially be overcome by A.” Power appears to include one person influencing the behaviour of one or more other people – mainly if that action would not have occurred otherwise.

Meaning of Power

Power is the potential ability to influence the behaviour of others. It is, in other words, “the capacity that A has to influence the behaviour of B, so B does something he would not otherwise do” (Robbins). It is the capacity to make things happen or get things done the way you want them to be done. Power may imply applying one’s potential, which must not be realised to be effective.

Example: A football coach can bench a poorly performing player. The coach rarely uses this power since the players know its existence and work hard to maintain their starting positions.

Power also symbolises one’s reliance. The higher B’s reliance on A, the more powerful A is in the relationship. A guy can only have power over you if he controls what you want. When an employee is not dependent on the supervisor for rewards, the supervisor genuinely has no authority over that person.

Another property of power is that it is specific. It can only be exerted by certain people under certain conditions, and it cannot be used by everyone at all times.

Different Kinds of Power

A manager uses power and authority to persuade others to work toward common goals. He can use power for personal gain or the benefit of the organisation. However, if his subordinates perceive he utilises power for personal advantage, he will quickly lose that power. On the other hand, if subordinates believe he exploits power to achieve organisational goals, his influence over them will grow. His power will increase as you share it through delegation of authority. In various combinations, he may employ one or more of the six categories of power—reward, coercive, legitimate, informational, referent, and expert. The one or ones he employs will depend on the circumstances.

1. Reward Power: Reward power is the ability of a manager to influence subordinates through positive and negative rewards. Positive reinforcement can range from a smile or a kind word to award nominations. Negative rewards range from corrective counselling to reporting a person. A manager will discover that reward power is one of the most effective ways to influence his staff. A manager’s key responsibility is to initiate the positive reward process. Using good rewards frequently will enhance the effect of a negative reward. Positive rewards should be readily given, but negative rewards should be given cautiously. When a manager utilises negative rewards repeatedly, subordinates come to expect them. Your power will be diminished if they expect a negative reward.
2. Coercive Power: Coercive power stems from the threat of a negative reward if a manager’s wishes are not followed. Coercive power works but is not the best way to lead subordinates. It works best when everything else fails, and you are confident in your ability to carry out a threat.
3. Legitimate Power: Legitimate power stems from a manager’s salary and position in the chain of command. Although legitimate power grows with additional obligations, it can be diminished if all responsibilities are unmet. Also, if a subordinate wishes to take on some of your duties, legally assign those duties to the subordinate. As a result, the subordinate is held accountable to you. You then boost the subordinate’s power while maintaining your own.
4. Informational Power: Informational power is based on your ability to give or withhold information or knowledge others do not have. When giving directives to subordinates, use informational power. Give directions in such a way that your subordinates believe the order came from you. When obliged to comply with orders you disagree with, do not introduce the order with “The senior management said…” and express the order so that there is no doubt you began it. Instead of relying on others, use your resources to keep informed entirely. Subordinates may offer untrustworthy information in a way that makes it appear true. Superiors may become so preoccupied with projects that they fail to keep you aware of new tasks or approaching inspections. Power comes from knowledge. Keep up to date!
5. Referent Power: Your subordinates’ identity or relationship with you gives you referent power. You have this power merely because you are “the chief.” People identify with the values you uphold. The chief has a pre-existing image. You may improve your image by displaying charisma, courage, and charm. A better image boosts your referent power. Always consider how others will interpret your behaviour. A poor image in the eyes of others reduces your power and makes you useless. Maintain a positive public image!
6. Expert Power: Expert power stems from your knowledge in a specific field, which you use to influence others. Your subordinates see you as an expert in your rating; thus, you have expert power. This form of authority may also be granted to subordinates. When expert power is combined with other types of power, it becomes an effective instrument for influencing others. However, you will find it ineffectual when used alone.

The Difference Between Authority and Power

According to Jackson and Carter, “Power is about getting someone to do something regardless of their desire to do it or the extent of their resistance to doing it, whereas authority is based on the assumption that the person is willing to obey and accepts the person doing the ordering’s right to expect compliance.”

Thus, power is defined as the ability to create change, whereas authority is defined as the right to make any decision. It’s easy to see how these differ: the individual doing the work has complete power, whereas the one who signed off has authority. These things can sometimes be found in the same person.

Power is the power to persuade others to do something. The power principle is to punish and reward. Power can exist with or without authority, whereas authority is the ability to execute the law, assume command, and demand obedience from those who do not have authority.

An armed robber, for example, possesses power but lacks authority. Authority can exist with or without power. For example, a teacher has authority over students but no real power.