Unit 4: Authority, control & emerging management trends

• Authority: the right to give orders and make decisions.
• Responsibility: the obligation to perform assigned duties.
• Accountability: being answerable for results to a superior.

Delegation is passing authority to a subordinate to perform a task, while the manager remains accountable. "Authority can be delegated; responsibility and accountability cannot be fully delegated."

• Line authority: direct command over subordinates in the chain of command (production manager).
• Staff authority: advisory authority to support line managers (legal adviser, HR specialist).

Line-staff conflicts arise when staff seem to interfere and line managers ignore advice; they are reduced by clear roles and mutual respect.

Controlling measures performance against standards and corrects deviations.

Direct control corrects poor performance after it happens by tracing the responsible manager; preventive control improves the quality of managers so that errors are avoided in the first place.

• Total Quality Management (TQM): an organisation-wide commitment to continuous improvement and customer satisfaction, involving every employee. Principles: customer focus, continuous improvement (Kaizen), employee involvement, process approach, fact-based decisions.
• Just-in-Time (JIT): producing and receiving materials only when needed, in the exact quantity, to cut inventory and waste. Pioneered by Toyota; often uses Kanban cards.