CSC350: Learning Management Systems COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (Virtual Campus)

Lecture # 9 Responsibility, Authority, and Delegation

Review of the Previous Lecture An understanding of the organizing function Benefits and costs of bureaucracy Advantages and disadvantages of division of labor Complexities of determining appropriate organizational structure Advantages and disadvantages of departmentalization

Topics of Discussion Responsibility and its relationship with job description Dividing job activities of individuals Benefits of clarifying the job activities Importance of authority within an organization How to delegate Advantages and disadvantages of centralization and decentralization

RESPONSIBILITY AND JOB DESCRIPTIONS Obligation to perform assigned activities Source of responsibility lies within the individual Managers remain responsible for tasks even if they have delegated them to another employee Job Description Summary of individual’s job activities Communicates job content and performance expectations to employees

DIVIDING JOB ACTIVITIES Functional Similarity Method Most basic method of dividing job activities Four steps: Examine management system objectives Designate appropriate activities that must be performed Design specific jobs by grouping similar activities Make specific individuals responsible for performing the jobs

Functional Similarity Method

Functional Similarity Method and Responsibility Management should avoid creating jobs that do not enhance goal attainment Job responsibilities should be assigned with clear, goal-related, nonoverlapping responsibilities

CLARIFYING JOB ACTIVITIES OF MANAGERS Management Responsibility Guide Helps management describe responsibility relationships in the organization Responsible Managers Managers are deemed responsible when they perform activities they are obligated to perform

Responsibility Relationships

Dimensions of Responsible Management Behavior

AUTHORITY Right to perform or command Increases probability specific commands will be obeyed Does not always lead to obedience

Types of Authority Line Authority Staff Authority Functional Authority Superior-Subordinate relationships Staff Authority Advise-Assist those who possess line authority Functional Authority Assigned to a segment that normally does not have authority

Line-Staff Relationships

Line-Staff-Functional Authority

Accountability Employee’s liability to perform Nonperformance results in punishment Performance results in some kind of reward

DELEGATION Assigning job activities and corresponding authority to specific individuals Step 1 - Assign specific duties to individual Step 2 - Grant authority to individual Step 3 - Create obligation

Effective Delegation

Obstacles to Delegation Process Supervisor Subordinates Organizations

CENTRALIZATION & DECENTRALIZATION Degree to which delegation exists within an organization Centralization Minimal number of job activities and minimal amount of authority delegated to subordinates Decentralization Maximum amount of authority delegated to subordinates

Decentralizing an Organization Considerations What is the present size of the organization? Where are the organization’s customers located? How homogeneous is the organization’s product line? Where are organizational suppliers? Are quick decisions needed in the organization? Is creativity a desirable feature in the organization?

Thank You