Question

2 Distinguish between Authority, Responsibility and Accountability on the basis of (a) Origin (b) Flow (c) Delegation​

Answer 1

Authority, responsibility, and accountability are important parts of management and have distinct characteristics. However, there is a relation between these three terms but differs from each other in business terms.

Authority is the power delegated by senior executives to assign duties to all employees for better functioning. Responsibility is the commitment to fulfil a task given by an executive.

Accountability makes a person answerable for his or her work based on their position, strength, and skills.

Responsibility is task-specific, every individual in a team can be responsible for an assigned task to complete a project. Accountability arises after an incident has happened regarding the work. It is the way to establish ownership of the results

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Answer 2

Answer:

• Authority is the power delegated by senior executives to assign duties to all employees for better functioning. Responsibility is the commitment to fulfil a task given by an executive. Accountability makes a person answerable for his or her work based on their position, strength, and skills.

• An authority is a power or right that a person gets because of his designation, role, or job. A responsibility is the outcome of a superior-subordinate relationship. An authority is a legal right given to a person. A responsibility is consequence of authority

• The main difference between authority and responsibility is that authority is the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience and responsibility is the capacity or fact of having a job to deal with something, or of having domination over someone.

• Authority means a formal, institutional or legal power in a particular job, function or position that empowers the holder of that job, function or position to successfully perform his task. Responsibility is the obligation of a subordinate to perform a duty, which has been assigned to him by his superior.

• The theory is simple, the authority to make decisions and the responsibility for success must balance. Authority without responsibility results in confusion, wasted efforts, and at worst abused power. Responsibility without legal or moral authority destroys any hope of progress.

• Authority refers to the legal right to relinquish command, influence or compel someone, while responsibility comes after authority. Authority can be obtained or delegated to anyone through charisma, tradition, and legality. At the same time, responsibility is assuming tasks delegated to be completed.

• The accountable person is the individual who is ultimately answerable for the activity or decision. This includes “yes” or “no” authority and veto power. Only one accountable person can be assigned to an action. The responsible person is the individual(s) who actually complete the task.

• Authority is the power to give orders and get it obeyed or in other words it is the power to take decisions. Authority and responsibility are closely related and this principle states that these two must go hand in hand. It means that proper authority should be delegated to meet the responsibilities.