Delegation of Authority and Span of Management in Agribusiness Sectors

Delegation of Authority and Span of Management in Agribusiness Sectors
Delegation of Authority and Span of Management in Agribusiness Sectors

Delegation of Authority:

Delegation of Authority and Span of Management is a fundamental aspect in Agribusiness Sectors The method by which managers give others a portion of their overall workload. Delegation is the transfer to a subordinate of formal authority (legitimate power), accountability, and responsibility for the execution of particular activities.

Delegation is the downward transition, from superior to inferior, of formal authority. The worker is encouraged to act for the boss, while the manager remains responsible for the result. Authority delegation is a person-to-person relationship that needs the supervisor and the employee to have faith, engagement, and contracts.

Delegation of authority and Span of Management in agribusiness sectors with the process, factors are discussed below: 

Process of the delegation of Authority:

The components of the delegation process are as follows:

  1. Assignment of duties to subordinates:

The assignment of duties to subordinates is the first step in the delegation. The delegation here advises its subordinates to carry out specific tasks within specific time periods.

  1. Granting of authority:

Unless he holds the necessary and matching authority, no one may perform his duties. Authority is the right or authority given to a person to make the success of a job assignment possible. For instance, when a plant general manager assigns the production of specific products to the production manager, he should also grant him the power to use materials, capital, and machinery, and so on to fulfill his assigned duty.

  1. Creating a duty or responsibility:

On the part of the subordinate, the delegation creates an obligation to fulfill the duties delegated to him by the superior. If a task is allocated and control is assigned, then the duty is the by-product of this process. The three basic intergrading elements of the delegation are therefore responsibility, authority, and obligation.

There are several main principles and definitions governing the delegation of authority:

Delegation of authority

Legitimized control is authority:

Power is the capacity to impact others. The distribution of authority is delegation. The delegation frees the boss from the urgency of dictatorship. The delegation helps the manager to use his or her resources on tasks of high importance. Notice that the delegation of authority would not relieve the manager of responsibility for subordinates’ acts and decisions.

Principle of exception:

There must be someone in charge. In the organization, a higher individual oversees exceptions to the usual. The most exceptional, uncommon, or unusual choices end up at the highest level of management because no one in the business has the power to handle them.

Scalar chain of command:

The theory of exception functions in compliance with the idea of the scalar chain of command – a hierarchical systematic distribution of organizational authority. The higher one is in an organization, the more one has power.

Decentralization: 

Decisions should be forced down to the organization’s lowest feasible level. The aim of the organizational structure is to have working managers instead of supervised staff.

Principle of parity:

Subordinate authorities must have fair obligations. The power to accomplish the mission must go with responsibility for a job.

Control span:

 The span of control is the number of individuals overseen by a manager. The decision to be taken on the organizational structure is the number of subordinates a manager can effectively lead. A period of influence of no more than 5-6 individuals is the standard guideline. However, depending on the complexity, range, and proximity of workers, a wider span of control is possible.

Unity principle

Ideally, no one reports to more than one boss in an organization. Because of the impossibility of following all the directions provided to them, workers do not have to determine one of their superiors to render them unhappy.

Line and staff authority:

 The authority of the line is an authority within the chain of command of an entity or unit. Advisory to line authority is the worker’s authority. Assume that a crew leader reports to the manager of the garden shop, who reports to the president in turn. In addition, presume that the crew leader and store manager will employ and fire and raise the individuals they oversee. The crew leader as well as the store manager all have line authority. Assume, on the other hand, that the president has an accountant who prepares monthly financial summaries of corrective action recommendations. The accountant has the authority of employees, but not the authority of the line.

Span of Management:

Management period refers to the number of persons that can be supervised efficiently and effectively by a manager. There is no definite number that can be easily and efficiently overseen by a boss.

Factors Influencing Span of Management:

The basic principle behind the supervision period is to allow a manager to efficiently supervise his subordinates. This skill, in turn, is subject to certain variables. They are the following:

The ability of supervisor:

In accordance with the supervisor’s ability, the span can be wider or narrower.

Time available for supervision:

Because a manager needs to schedule, anticipate, arrange, coordinate, and even issue directives in the organization, the time period depends on the supervision time available to him.

Staff assistance facility:

The use of staff assistance in minimizing a manager’s workload helps him to handle more subordinates.

The capacity of subordinates:

 If the subordinates are capable and have the requisite skills and abilities to perform the tasks assigned to them a large number of subordinates may be handled by the superior.

 The character of work:

The superior may effectively supervise a large number of subordinates if the work is repetitive.

 Degree of decentralization:

 If there is a greater degree of decentralization, so many decisions are made by the superior who is free of the tasks. A superior may supervise a large number of subordinates by doing so.

At present, Every Agribusiness organization should ensure delegation of authority and Span of Management for smooth management.  

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