DEFINITION
 • MILLET (1954:46) DEFINES DELEGATION AS THE MEANS OF ASSIGNING 
  RESPONSIBILITY  OR  AUTHORITY  TO ANOTHER  PERSON  (NORMALLY 
  FROM  A  MANAGER  TO  A  SUBORDINATE)  TO  CARRY  OUT  SPECIFIC 
  ACTIVITIES.
 • JAYED IGBAL IN THE JOURNAL OF MANAGERIAL SCIENCES 58 VOLUME 
  1, NUMBERS 2 DEFINES DELEGATION AS “AN ACT WHERE MANAGERS 
  PROVIDE SOME OR A MAJOR PORTION OF THE AUTHORITY, VESTED IN 
  THEIR POSITIONS, TO THEIR SUBORDINATES TO ACCOMPLISH CERTAIN 
  ORGANIZATIONAL TASKS.
 • O.  S.  MINER,  CITED  BY  GAURAV  AKRANI  (2010),  NOTED  THAT 
  DELEGATION TAKES PLACE WHEN ONE  PERSON GIVES ANOTHER THE 
  RIGHT TO PERFORM WORK ON HIS BEHALF AND IN HIS NAME AND THE 
  SECOND PERSON ACCEPTS A CORRESPONDING DUTY OR OBLIGATION 
  TO DO THAT IS REQUIRED OF HIM.
 • WIKIPEDIA  DEFINES  DELEGATION  AS  THE  ASSIGNMENT  OF 
  RESPONSIBILITY OR AUTHORITY TO ANOTHER  PERSONS (NORMALLY 
  FROM  A  MANAGER  TO  A  SUBORDINATE)  TO  CARRY  OUT  SPECIFIC 
  ACTIVITIES 
                      DEFINITION
     DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY REFERS TO THE SUBDIVISION AND 
     SUB-ALLOCATION OF POWERS TO THE SUBORDINATES IN ORDER 
     TO  ACHIEVE  EFFECTIVE  RESULTS.  IT  IS  THE  DIVISION  OF 
     AUTHORITY AND POWERS DOWNWARDS TO THE SUBORDINATE; 
     THE ACT OF USING THE POWER OF OTHER PEOPLE'S HELP.
    • DELEGATION   INVOLVES    THE   ASSIGNING   OF   CERTAIN 
     RESPONSIBILITIES ALONG WITH THE NECESSARY AUTHORITY BY 
     A  SUPERIOR  TO  HIS  SUBORDINATE.  DELEGATION  IS  NOT  A 
     PROCESS OF ABDICATION. THE PERSON WHO DELEGATES DOES 
     NOT DIVORCE HIMSELF/HERSELF FROM THE RESPONSIBILITY AND 
     AUTHORITY WITH WHICH HE/SHE IS ENTRUSTED. HE REMAINS 
     ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE AND ALSO FOR 
     THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS/HER SUBORDINATES
 OBJECTIVES/REASONS FOR DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY
  1. TO REDUCE THE EXCESSIVE WORK LOAD ON THE SUPERIORS
  2. TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES OF GROWTH AND SELF-
    DEVELOPMENT TO JUNIOR EXECUTIVES.
  3. TO CREATE A TEAM OF EXPERIENCED AND MATURED 
    MANAGERS FOR THE ORGANISATION.
  4. TO IMPROVE INDIVIDUAL AS WELL AS OVERALL EFFICIENCY 
    OF THE ORGANISATION.
    CATEGORIES OF DELEGATION
    •   SPECIFIC: THIS IS THE TYPE OF DELEGATIONS RELATED 
        TO PARTICULAR JOBS OR AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY.
    •   GENERAL: THIS EXTENDS OVER A BOARD AREA SUCH AS 
        ASSISTING IN THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF 
        PERSONNEL PRODUCTION.
    •   VERBAL: DELEGATION COULD BE GIVEN BY WORD OF 
        MOUTH.
    •   WRITTEN: THIS IS WHERE DUTIES AND AUTHORITIES ARE 
        LAID DOWN IN WRITTEN WORDS, I.E., IN BLACK AND 
        WHITE.
     PRINCIPLES FOR EFFECTIVE DELEGATION
     1.   CLEARLY ARTICULATE THE DESIRED OUTCOME.
     2.   LINES OF AUTHORITY, RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY 
          FOR EACH POSITION SHOULD BE CLEARLY DEFINED.
     3.   CREATE ROOM FOR CONSTANT COMMUNICATION AND 
          REASONABLE MONITORING.
     4.   FOCUS MORE ON RESULTS RATHER THAN STYLE.
     5.   DELEGATION SHOULD BE PROPERLY PLANNED AND 
          SYSTEMATIC.
     6.   MATCH THE AMOUNT OF RESPONSIBILITY WITH THE AMOUNT 
          OF AUTHORITY.
     7.   REPORTING SYSTEM SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED WITH THOSE TO 
          WHOM THE AUTHORITY HAS BEEN DELEGATED.
     8.   POLICIES, REGULATIONS AND PROCEDURES SHOULD BE WELL 
          DEFINED AS TO GIVE NO MISUNDERSTANDING TO THE 
          EMPLOYEES USING DISCRETIONARY POWERS..