Define delegation
Is the passing of authority down the organisation
Advantages of delegation
- Saves money if workers are doing the work of managers
- Get more work done therefore saves time and money
- Efficient use of time so we can prioritise
- Businesses could grow because of people’s decisions so speeds up decision making and take advantage of opportunities
Disadvantages of delegation
- People could abuse their authority and make decisions without recourse to managers
- Some managers may not know how to control or are very controlling
- You have to be able to trust staff and they could stop working as hard
- May give power to the wrong person - too inexperienced
Define organisation
Is a body which represents a particular interest
Reasons for hierarchy
- Aids co-ordination so that people receive the same message
- Aids control as the manager is responsible for giving tasks to its workers
- Gives people an incentive in many organisations there are many layers as a result there are lots of promotional opportunities
- Aids planning by having a hierarchy we can apportion work and responsibility for projects
- Make people accountable since staff have titles and remits of responsibility this makes them accountable
Weaknesses of organisational hierarchies
- Expensive to set up and maintain - costly because of layers of management
- Adds to bureaucracy - decision become slower - since communication is going through many layers
- Communication is generally one - way (generally downwards)
- Slow to react to change - most people have a self interest in preserving the hierarchy so therefore they dislike change
Define span of control
Is the number of subordinates answerable directly to a manger
Advantages of narrow span of control
- Greater control of the organisation
- Tighter planning
- Less responsibility than a wide span of control
- Time to plan
- More promotional opportunities
Advantages of wide span of control
- Increase empowerment for sub-ordinates
- They do not feel so tied to the organisation
- Become more self reliant
- Can be more flexible
Define delayering
Is the process of reducing the number of layers of the hierarchy
Advantages of delayering
- It is often seen as a method of increasing the participation of workers
- It could lead to increased responsibility
- It could lead to increased motivation on the part of the promoted
- The top would seem to be more accessible
- That there would be the growth of the matrix management
Disadvantages of delayering
- It is de-motivating to those that have lost their elevated positions
- It could be seen as downsizing if it is used as part of a cost cutting exercise
- It is seen as giving staff too much responsibility
What are workforce roles
Management and supervisory roles within the hierarchy
What are work loads
The tasks an individual employee has to complete within a period
What are job allocations
The way in which tasks are allocated to certain jobs
