Cambridge O Level Business Studies · Syllabus 7115 · People in Business
Delegation
What is Delegation?
The passing of authority from a manager to a subordinate to carry out a specific task or make a specific decision. Authority to act transfers to the subordinate, but ultimate accountability for the outcome remains with the manager who delegated. Effective delegation requires clear instructions, sufficient authority to act, a subordinate competent for the task, and proportionate monitoring; where any of these is missing, delegation fails and the manager is still answerable for the result.
This definition is part of the People in Business chapter in Cambridge O Level Business Studies.
Delegation in context
Organisation is the framework that turns a motivated workforce into coordinated action: an organisational chart sets out levels of hierarchy, chain of command and span of control, and managers plan, organise, coordinate and control the work within it. Delegation passes authority to a subordinate while accountability for the outcome stays with the manager, and autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire leadership each suit different situations rather than one style being universally best. Recruitment, selection and training then supply and develop the people who fill that structure, and effective communication, understood by the receiver and confirmed by feedback, is what lets instructions and information actually move through it.
Common mistakes with Delegation
- "Delegation removes the manager's responsibility." Fix Authority passes down. Ultimate accountability stays with the manager. Why It is the reason delegation requires clear instructions, competence and monitoring — the manager still carries the outcome.