The failure of the process of delegation can be the result of halfhearted approach adopted in this regard by the superiors or the subordinate managers. Therefore, when the delegation is partial, unclear or, it is inconsistent with the expected results, the process of delegation is bound to fail. In this regard, the following steps need to be taken in order to make the process of delegation effective.

1. Defining assignments: It is very important that the work assigned to each person has been defined properly. Similarly, the results that are expected from each person should also be described clearly. These persons should be providing sufficient authority so that they can achieve the desired results.

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The delegation of authority is required in case of almost every organization. The question that has to be decided in this regard is how much authority needs to be delegated to the subordinate managers. The pattern that should be followed for delegation needs to be decided on the basis of its requirements. At the same time, it will also be useful to regularly check the already present a delegation of authority for the purpose of ensuring that such delegation is appropriate and adequate. As mentioned above, there are a number of factors that have an impact on the decision regarding delegation. Some of these factors have been discussed below:-

1. The history of the organization: The history of the organization has an impact on the level of delegation of authority. Therefore, an organization that has grown over a period of time, has the tendency to centralize power. In case of a small organization, most of the decision-making powers are held by the owner of the organization. Even as the business of the organization grows, the tendency remains to centralize the powers. But in case of an organization that is the result of a merger, combination or an amalgamation, there can be a greater amount of decentralization of powers. If the organization is working on decentralized pattern, the organization will be run in the same way even after its acquisition. Therefore the growth history of the organization had an impact on the level of delegation of authority in the organization.

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The principle of delegation of authority is accepted universally. This principle has been practiced from very ancient times and in almost every field. The delegation of authority is not only necessary for the business organizations but delegation is also required to run a government. In case of a government, powers are delegated by a legislative body to the Council of ministers and the Council in turn, delegates the powers to its officers and so on. In this way, we see that delegation of authority is required to run even a family because in this case also, the head of the family can get the help from other members of the family to perform different tasks. In case of an industrial organization, the delegation of authority may provide certain benefits in the following ways:-

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Certain difficult is may be faced by managers in the process of delegation. These difficulties may arise due to in the attitude of the supervisors or due to the attitude of the subordinates or both. In the same way, certain defects may be present in the structure of the organization, due to which the process of delegation of authority may be hampered. Some of the difficulties that may be faced during the process of delegation of authority may be described as follows:-

Lack of confidence in the subordinates: Sometimes, the superiors may believe that their subordinates are not competence enough to carry out a particular task. In such a case, the superior may not have confidence in the abilities of the subordinates. As a result, the superior may hesitate to delegate authority to the subordinates.

Overconfidence of the superiors: In some cases, the superiors may feel that a particular task can be performed only by them which may result in creating difficulties in the process of delegation of authority. When a manager believes that his subordinates do not have the capability to make proper decisions, such manager will concentrate all the powers with himself and is not likely to delegate authority to his subordinates. Such a situation may not arise owing to the incompetence of the subordinates but it may be presented to the overconfidence of the superiors.

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Specific or general delegation: specific delegation of authority is related with an assigned the task or a particular function. The authority that has been delegated to the production manager in order to perform this function can be considered as specific delegation of authority. The managers of various departments had given specific authority so that they can complete their departmental duties.
When authority is conferred for performing general managerial functions like organizing, planning or directing etc., these functions are performed by the subordinate managers and they enjoy the authority that is needed for carrying out these responsibilities. In such a case, the chief executive has the overall control and he also guides the subordinates regarding different matters.

Formal or informal delegation: the former delegation of authority is considered as a part of organizational structure. Whenever, a particular task has been assigned to a person, then the necessary authority is also conferred on such a person. This type of delegation is considered as a part of the routine functioning of the organization. In such a case, authority is automatically provided to every person, according to the duties assigned to such a person. For example, when powers are given to the production manager to increase production, it is a case of the former delegation of authority to such manager. On the other hand, the informal delegation of authority does not take place due to position but it takes place according to the prevalent circumstances in the organization. A particular task may be undertaken by a person not the reason that such task has been assigned to the person but because such task is necessary to perform the normal work of the person.

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