Responsibility and Job Descriptions

Chapter 11
Responsibility, Authority, and

Delegation
Copyright © 2020 Pearson Education, Ltd. All Rights Reserved
Responsibility and Job Descriptions

• Responsibility
– 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
1
Dividing Job Activities
• Functional Similarity Method
– Most basic method of dividing job activities
– Four steps
Step 1: Examine management system objectives
Step 2: Designate appropriate activities that must be
performed
Step 3: Design specific jobs by grouping similar
activities
Step 4: Make specific individuals responsible for
performing the jobs
Functional Similarity Method

Sequence of activities for the functional similarity method of dividing job
activities
2
Functional Similarity Method and
Responsibility
• Three guides that supplement the functional similarity
method
– Avoid overlapping responsibilities
– Avoid responsibility gaps
– Avoid creating activities that do not enhance goal
attainment
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
3
Responsibility Relationships
Seven Responsibility Relationships among Managers, as Used in the
Management Responsibility Guide
1. General Responsibility—The individual who guides and directs the execution of the function
through the person accepting operating responsibility
2. Operating Responsibility—The individual who is directly responsible for the execution of the
function
3. Specific Responsibility—The individual who is responsible for executing a specific or limited
portion of the function
4. Must Be Consulted—The individual whose area is affected by a decision and who must be called
on to render advice or relate information before any decision is made or approval is granted (This
individual does not, however, make the decision or grant approval.)
5. May Be Consulted—The individual who may be called on to relate information, render advice, or
make recommendations before the action is taken
6. Must Be Notified—The individual who must be notified of any action that has been taken
7. Must Approve—The individual (other than persons holding general and operating responsibility)
who must approve or disapprove the decision
Dimensions of Responsible Management

Behavior
Four Key Dimensions of Responsible Management Behavior
Attitude toward and Behavior with Behavior with Other Personal Attitudes and
Conduct with Upper Management Groups Values
Subordinates
Responsible managers— Responsible Responsible Responsible managers—
1. Take complete charge managers— managers— 1. Identify with the group
of their work groups 1. Accept criticism for 1. Make sure that any 2. Put organizational goals
2. Pass praise and credit mistakes and gaps between their ahead of personal
along to subordinates buffer their groups areas and those of desires or activities
3. Stay close to problems from excessive other managers are 3. Perform tasks that offer
and activities criticism securely filled with no immediate reward but
4. Take actions to 2. Ensure that their help subordinates, the
maintain productivity groups meet company, or both
and are willing to management 4. Conserve corporate
terminate poor expectations and resources as if the
performers if necessary objectives resources were their own
4
Authority
• Right to perform or command
• Increases probability specific commands will be
obeyed
• Does not always lead to obedience
Acceptance of Authority (1 of 3)
According to Chester Bernard, authority is accepted
only when
– The individual can understand the order being
communicated
– The individual believes the order is consistent with the
purpose of the organization
– The individual sees the order as compatible with his or
her personal interests
– The individual is mentally and physically able to comply
with the order
5
Conditions that enhance acceptance of authority
– The manager uses formal channels of communication
that are familiar
– Members have an assigned formal communication
channel
– The line of communication between manager and
subordinate is as direct as possible
Conditions that enhance acceptance of authority (con’t)
– The complete chain of command is used to issue
orders
– The manager possesses adequate communication
skills
– The manager uses formal communication lines only for
organizational business
– A command is authenticated as coming from a
manager
6
Types of Authority
• Line 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
Possible line–staff relationships in selected organizational areas
7
Roles of Staff Personnel
• The Advisory or Counseling Role
• The Service Role
• The Control Role
Conflict in Line–Staff Relationships

• Line Personnel Perspective
– Staff personnel assumes line authority, does not give
sound advice, steals credit, fails to keep staff informed,
and does not see the whole picture
• Staff Personnel Perspective

– Line personnel does not make proper use of staff,
resists new ideas, and refuses to give staff authority
8
Line–Staff-Functional Authority
Proposed design for incorporating three types of authority in a hospital
Accountability
• Employee’s liability to perform
• Nonperformance results in punishment
• Performance results in some kind of reward
9
Delegation
Assigning job activities and corresponding authority to
specific individuals
Step 1: Assign specific duties to the individual
Step 2: Grant authority to the individual
Step 3: Create obligation
Effective Delegation
Guidelines for Making Delegation Effective
• Give employees the freedom to pursue tasks in their own way.
• Establish mutually agreed-upon results and performance standards for delegated tasks.
• Encourage employees’ to take an active role in defining, implementing, and communicating
progress on tasks.
• Entrust employees with completion of whole projects or tasks whenever possible.
• Explain the relevance of delegated tasks to larger projects or department or organization
goals.
• Give employees the authority necessary to accomplish tasks.
• Allow employees access to all information, people, and departments necessary to perform
delegated tasks.
• Provide the training and guidance necessary for employees to complete delegated tasks
satisfactorily.
• When possible, delegate tasks on the basis of employee interests.
10
Obstacles to Delegation Process
• Supervisor
• Subordinates
• Organizations
Eliminating Obstacles to the Delegation

Process
• Work to uncover any obstacles
• Understand that obstacles take time to overcome
• Build subordinate confidence in the use of delegated
authority
• Minimize the impact of delegation on established working
relationships
• Help delegatee cope with problems
11
Centralization and Decentralization (1 of 2)
• 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
Centralization and Decentralization (2 of 2)

Centralization and decentralized organizations on delegation continuum
12
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?
13

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Chapter 11

Responsibility, Authority, and

Copyright © 2020 Pearson Education, Ltd. All Rights Reserved