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BUSINESS MANAGEMENTReal-World Applications & Connections

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SectionSection 12.2Delegating Responsibility and Authority

In this section: Within an organization, managers have authority to direct workers. This section discusses:

• Maintaining Authority• Enforcing the Unit of Command Principle• Why Delegate?• Learning to Delegate• Resistance to Delegating



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What You’ll Learn

• Three benefits of delegating.• Five reasons some managers are reluctant to delegate.• How managers delegate effectively.



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Why It’s Important

Managers cannot and should not make all decisions themselves.



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Key Terms

• delegate

• subordinate

• unity of command

• span of management

• accountability



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Maintaining Authority

• Enforcing the Unity of Command Principle• Establishing an Appropriate Span of Management• Giving Subordinates the Authority to Make Decisions• Ensuring Accountability

Managers can maintain authority by delegating some of their authority and responsibility by:



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The Unity of Command Principle

• Employees should have only one immediate supervisor.• Confusion is likely to result when a worker has to report to

two people at the same time.



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Establishing an Appropriate Span of Management

The span of management, or span of control, defines the number of subordinates a manager can effectively control. The factors that determine how many subordinates a manager can handle include:

• the complexity of the jobs subordinates perform• the quality of the people who fill the positions• the ability of the manager



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Fig 2-1

Why Delegate?

• Some tasks are too time-consuming to handle alone.• Some tasks are too routine to warrant a manager’s attention.• Some tasks may require special skills that a manager may not

possess.



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Learning to Delegate

In order to delegate, managers need to:

• identify which tasks can be delegated.• analyze how they spend their time. • look for tasks that can be handled by subordinates• determine which subordinates can best handle the task.• make sure that the subordinate to whom they delegate understands

and accepts responsibility for the task he or she is being given.



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Fact and Idea Review

1. What is the unity of command principle?

2. Name three factors that control the number of subordinates that a manager can handle

3. Give three reasons why it is important for managers to delegate.

4. Explain the process by which managers determine which tasks to delegate.

copyright © glencoe/mcgraw-hill slide 1 of 12 business management real-world applications &...

Documents

delegating responsibility

manager slide

authority fact

authority fig

benefits of delegating

appropriate span of

accountability managers

important managers