After reading this article you will learn about:- 1. Meaning of Authority 2. Features of Authority 3. Types 4. Accountability 5. Limitations. Meaning of Authority: Authority is the right to carry out the assigned tasks (responsibilities). It is the power to issue directions, allocate resources, make decisions, command people etc. Authority is the power of the position to communicate decisions [...]
This article throws light upon the top four theories of authority. The theories are: 1. Formal or Classical Theory of Authority 2. Acceptance Theory of Authority 3. Authority Theory of the Situation 4. Competence Theory of Authority. 1. Formal or Classical Theory of Authority: This is known as top-down authority. It supports the principle of scalar chain or organisational hierarchy. [...]
This article justifies that complete centralisation or decentralisation of authority does not exist in an organisation. Centralisation and decentralisation help to coordinate organisational activities. While delegation assigns responsibility and authority to people from one level in the organisational hierarchy to the other, centralisation and decentralisation refer to the extent to which authority and responsibility are passed to people at lower [...]