Stephanie delegates effectively if she has authority to act, which is best defined as:
A. Having a responsibility to direct others.
B. Being accountable to the organization.
C. Having a legitimate right to act.
D. Telling others what to do.
Correct Answer: C. Having legitimate right to act.
Authority is a legitimate or official right to give the command. This is an officially sanctioned responsibility. Managers must possess the authority to give orders, and recognize that with authority comes responsibility. As well as rank, Fayol argues that a manager’s intelligence, experience, and values should command respect.
Option A: In order to get things done in an organization, management has the authority to give orders to the employees. Of course with this authority comes responsibility. According to Henri Fayol, the accompanying power or authority gives the management the right to give orders to the subordinates.
Option B: The responsibility can be traced back from performance and it is, therefore, necessary to make agreements about this. In other words, authority and responsibility go together and they are two sides of the same coin.
Option D: The right to give orders should not be considered without reference to responsibility. If the authority is more than responsibility then chances are that a manager may misuse it. If responsibility is more than authority then he may feel frustrated.